Honda Ranked 3rd Best Car Manufacturer

The UK's best car brands revealed, based on results from 2018 Driver Power survey

It's been a great year for Honda and even more so now the 2018 Driver Power owner satisfaction results have been revealed. As voted by those who drive their cars in the UK, Honda has made big strides in the past year, elevating it from a middling 16th spot in 2017 to a podium position. It stood out in a few important categories, particularly for running costs.

Drivers found their cars were affordable to own, with economical engines and fair prices at franchised dealerships. Honda maintained its reputation for solid engineering with a third place for reliability and build quality, so big bills shouldn't be a worry. This is despite 14% of customers reporting a fault within the past year, indicating they were mostly minor issues.

Motorists who participated in the survey were asked questions covering many aspects of car ownership, from how appealing their cars' looks are, to the comfort of the driving position and if the infotainment system lived up to their expectations. Practical considerations such as rear-seat and luggage room were assessed, too, and drivers were also asked their opinion on running costs, reliability and whether their car has had any faults since purchase.In all, 26 brands were assessed in the 2018 survey.

Honda also took top spot for boot space and practicality, with the large-for-its-class Civic impressing in this category. Models fitted with Honda’s ‘Magic Seats’ are known to be a customer favourite, too, thanks to their versatile back seat.

Ranked 9th in the 'Best Cars To Own' category, the new Civic makes an impressive Driver Power debut. Drivers are delighted with many elements of ownership – mainly with how cost-effective the car is to run. And the highlight is the top satisfaction score in the survey for servicing bills.

The nicely laid-out cabin is also a winner, with child-friendliness rating well. Tech is a mixed bag – the sat-nav is ranked highest, but infotainment responsiveness is seen as only average. The drive is competent, not thrilling. Engine refinement is a strength; braking performance a weakness.

Your view

“Brilliant engine. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder is the most versatile unit I’ve come across.”

“The Type R’s handling is great, while fixed-price servicing is no more expensive than it is for a standard Civic.”