Is your car the most-loved motor in the UK? We reveal the cars owners are enamored with and those they regret buying…
The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Range Rover Evoque has emerged as the least popular car in the UK.
The unwanted award has been decided by Which?’s annual survey of more than 60,000 motorists.
It’s quite a fall from grace for the circa £44,000 SUV that was Land Rover’s fastest ever selling car when it first launched in 2011, counting celebrities like Jamie Oliver among its fans.
However, that’s not the case for the second-generation example that arrived in 2018 and subsequently came with a green PHEV drivetrain.
Which? readers have spoken and no longer is the Evoque PHEV in vogue after scoring the lowest with drivers after spending three weeks on average off the road for repairs, owners said.
The Evoque is among the greenest JLR models on sale; it is one of only four plug-in hybrid Range Rovers you can buy as the world still waits for the first fully-electric Range Rover.
On the flip side of the scale, a fully hybrid car that was discontinued a decade ago has emerged victorious as the most-loved motor….
The plug-in hybrid Range Rover Evoque has been voted the least loved car in the UK in a survey of 60,000 motorists, getting the lowest score ever
One Evoque PHEV (2020-present) owner from Manchester said: ‘The car has been less than reliable, particularly in the first two years of ownership. This car has been the most frustrating that I have ever owned.’
Damning words that contributed to the model (of which a sample size of 44 was collected) receiving just 57 per cent in the survey – the worst Which? result of all time, the consumer watchdog adds.
Issues reported by owners included its electric range – 39 miles on a full charge – as well as a lack of interior and luggage space and problems sourcing spare parts.
A further headache for drivers was long waiting times for replacement components, which led to one Evoque being off the road for a staggering 10 months.
Another owner said: ‘This is the second hybrid Evoque I have had. The first was plagued by electrical and other issues and ended up being replaced.’
Victoria memorably helped Range Rover create a special edition Evoque, although not a hybrid one
An owner from Manchester said: ‘This car has been the most frustrating that I have ever owned’. The Evoque scored the lowest of any car in the survey’s history with just 57%
However, while the plug-in hybrid Range Rover Evoque had a bad run, the standard petrol or diesel Evoque had fewer faults and less time off the road achieving a much healthier score of 78 per cent.
Combustion Evoques were only out of action on average seven days, compared to the PHEV’s 21 days, although still above the average of 4.8 days for cars aged zero to four years.
In response to the problems reported, JLR told Which? that its move to a new logistics hub had caused parts delivery disruptions for customers – but vowed that this issue has since been resolved.
At the other end of the spectrum, a much older car, the Lexus RX Hybrid, was voted the most-loved vehicle.
Impressively for a model from 2009 to 2015, the RX hybrid took an almost flawless 98 per cent.
Its reliability and comfort helped to clinch the top spot, especially as the price tag can be as little as £7,000 these days.
On the flip side the Lexus RX came out on top with an amazing 98%, which shows that old cars can be some of the most reliable
Lexus has a reliability record that’s hard-to-find fault with, and Which?’s survey found that the RX is one of the most reliable cars that are at least 10 years old.
Just 10 models achieved the full five stars in the 10 to 15-year reliability category.
Although just 13,466 Lexus RX Hybrids were sold between 2009 and 2015, compared with 812,333 Ford Fiestas during the same period, Lexus owners are devoted champions of the vehicle.
One owner told Which?: ‘I bought it for reliability – and it has exceeded all my expectations.’
Another from Shropshire said: ‘It’s done 145,000 miles and still drives just like it was new.’
Comfort was a key reason why the RX was so popular, and you can grab an RX for around £7k these days
The Honda Civic (2022-) was the joint top scorer of new cars with 94%
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: ‘This year’s most-loved car is a vehicle that has been credited for its reliability and comfort – while across all categories there are examples of affordable cars that impressed owners more than flashy rivals.’
However, vehicle owners and researchers did find fault with running costs of the Lexus.
In Which?’s combined fuel economy test in 2009, the RX managed just 35mpg on average and only 26mpg on the motorway.
But, it fared much better in town receiving a more impressive 59mpg.
When it came to new cars, the top scorer was the current Honda Civic full hybrid that launched in 2022, alongside the Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid PHEV that launched in 2021.
They both scored 94 per cent.
Which? readers rate the Tesla Model 3
The electric car that’s won customer hearts is the Tesla Model 3; it nabbed first position by a close margin, taking home a score of 90 per cent.
The Elon Musk-made car also had the most responses from owners with it being summarised as ‘fast, quiet, easy and smart’.
The Tesla’s Model 3 is the most loved electric car with an impressive satisfaction score of 90%
The Renault Zoe (2013-2019) was the joint-lowest rated EV with a score of 69%
The Peugeot e-2008 SUV also scored just 69% in the Which? survey
On the other hand, the Renault Zoe (2013-2019) was the joint-lowest rated EV alongside the Peugeot E-2008 SUV (2020-present).
The cars, which cost around £5,000 and over £25,000 respectively, both scored just 69 per cent.
The least-loved petrol/diesel car was the 2017-2020 Vauxhall Crossland X. This can typically be found for around £6,000 and only managed to get 65 per cent.
Hitchins commented: ‘Our latest survey shows that it pays to look beyond glitzy marketing or the priciest models when researching your next car purchase.’
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