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Cash-stricken students shouldn’t just choose the cheapest option when they are looking to buy a car – they should think long-term and also consider reliability and maintenance costs.
Warranty Direct has done just that by compiling a list of the most reliable student cars looking at several key factors such as low running costs, ease of use and ranking on its Reliability Index*.
The Toyota iQ took the number one spot due to its low average time off the road for repairs, low repair costs and number of claims. It was followed closely in second and third places by the Vauxhall Agila and Hyundai Getz.
Top 10 most reliable student cars 2019
| Reliability ranking | Car models |
| 1 | Toyota iQ (08- ) |
| 2 | Vauxhall Agila (08 – ) |
| 3 | Hyundai Getz (02 – 09) |
| 4 | Honda Jazz (08-) |
| 5 | Hyundai i10 (08-) |
| 6 | Citroen C1 (05-) |
| 7 | Hyundai i20 (09-) |
| 8 | Suzuki Alto (09-) |
| 9 | Ford Ka (08-) |
| 10 | Honda Jazz (01-08) |
Not surprisingly, Japanese and South Korean car brands featured strongly in the Top 10, while all the cars listed are small and cheap to insure.
The average time off the road for repairs for the Toyota iQ was only an hour. Repair costs averaged at around £223.94 and the low number of warranty claims mainly concerned issues with engines.
The Vauxhall Agila had lower average repair costs than the Toyota IQ at £115.90, but it missed out on first position due to longer repair times and a high number of axle and suspension problems, which accounted for 75% of its claims.
The Hyundai Getz experienced more complex issues with its engines and gearboxes.
Just in case you’re wondering, the Honda Jazz features twice in the Top 10 because the two previous generations of the car are ranked highly for reliability.
Overall, the Suzuki Alto had the cheapest average repair costs at £95.16. However, a high proportion of claims for axle and suspension issues (78%) caused its ranking to slip towards the lower end of the table.
“When new or young drivers are looking to purchase their first vehicle, it’s important they are not swayed only by the latest trends or cheap deals. They should prioritise vehicles based on their overall reliability, to get the best value for money,” advises Simon Ackers of Warranty Direct.
“We hope resources such as the Reliability Index help student motorists get a better indication of the models best suited to their individual needs. However, all drivers should remember any vehicle can land you with a large bill if they are not regularly checked and professionally serviced.”
*The Reliability Index collates and analyses 50,000 live Warranty Direct policies to rate vehicles in order of reliability. It looks at the frequency and type of faults, the age and mileage of the car and the cost of repairs, before assigning it an accurate index score.
