Lexus ranked Britain’s favourite carmaker

Lexus owners are Britain’s most satisfied motorists, according to research released today. The Driver Power 2015 customer satisfaction survey found owners of the Lexus IS Mk3 were happier with their car than any other in the UK.

Lexus was also voted the best manufacturer in the survey, which polled more than 61,000 responses. Lexus received an impressive eight Driver Power awards in total, also topping the polls for build quality, ease of driving and seat comfort.

The Lexus IS pushed the Skoda Yeti into second place for the first time in four years, ahead of the Hyundai i10 and SEAT Leon. The Renault ZOE finished fifth, ahead of the recently launched Lexus NX and Jaguar XJ.

The Nissan Leaf, latest MINI hatchback and MG 3 city car rounded out the top 10.

The Driver Power survey also revealed owners of hybrid and electric cars are some of the most contented in the UK. As well as the winning Lexus IS, the Lexus NX SUV – both available as hybrids – plus the electric-only Renault ZOE and Nissan Leaf all featured in the top 10 models.

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of Auto Express and Carbuyer, commented: “Car buyers are attracted by the low running costs of hybrid and electric cars, but Driver Power 2015 shows that the whole ownership experience for these cars is pretty enjoyable, too.”

There was success for British-built cars too, with MINI named most improved manufacturer while the Jaguar XJ was rated the top model in the executive saloon category. The Land Rover Discovery was voted best for ride comfort and the Birmingham-built MG 3 was rated tenth-best model overall.

The survey also revealed buyers now spend 11.5% more on their car than in 2013, the average rising from £14,453 to £16,115. And the quality of cars on our roads is continually increasing – more than a third of models in the top 200 hadn’t been ranked before and the top five all scored highly enough to have topped the survey in 2014.

Driver Power is now in its 14th year and is the most significant survey of its type in the UK. A record 61,113 responses were received, with owners rating their cars in 10 categories, including build quality, reliability, performance and in-car tech.