Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.

Thursday 31 December 2015

Well, it looks like MG and Smart are the brands to buy, as they are the two cheapest brands to repair.

  • Warrantywise Data Reveals Which Makers’ Cars Need the Most (and least) Repairs

Top Ranked:1st  Toyota  Bottom Ranked:33rd  Alfa Romeo
 2nd  Honda  34th  Porsche
 3rd  Suzuki   35th  Jaguar
 4th  Mitsubishi  36th  Maserati
 5th  Mazda     37th  Bentley
Auto Express magazine exclusively publishes the results of one of the UK’s most comprehensive car reliability studies today, the Warrantywise UK Dependability Table.
According to the exclusive data provided to the UK’s biggest selling weekly car magazine Auto Express by leading warranty provider Warrantywise, Japanese and Korean cars are more dependable than their European or U.S. rivals. The table also reveals which brands are likely to see owners visiting the service workshop more often, and who will have to spend the most (and least) to put their cars right.

Each car manufacturer has been ranked by a dependability factor, based on the number of reported faults or breakdowns, with a score of 75 representing the UK average. A rating above 75 is considered good, and below 60 signifies a high incidence of repair work is required.  Average costs, vehicle age and model are also considered in the Warrantywise ranking, with the average age for this table being 6.29 years.  
To be included in the table each brand is required to have at least 100 active Warrantywise policies.
Toyota is ranked top brand for dependability (backing the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power survey results). UK top-sellers Ford and Vauxhall ranked eighth and 17th respectively. The table also shows that big spend and premium brand motoring doesn’t always guarantee a hassle-free ownership experience, with Bentley, Jaguar and Porsche all scoring below 60 in the dependability ratings.
If your car does break down, the average repair cost in the UK is £639, with the lowest average bills from Smart and MG. Makers such as Peugeot and Ford also produce models that are among the cheapest to repair.
Auto Express Editor-in-Chief, Steve Fowler, said: “It’s a really impressive performance from Japanese brands to top European rivals when it comes to reliability. When they do go wrong they don’t cost the world, either.
“Perhaps it’s little surprise the most expensive repairs are for the rarer and pricier models on the market but the fact they’re down the bottom for reliability, too, shows list price doesn’t guarantee trouble-free motoring. That’s backed up by premium brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes all languishing near the foot of the table, too.”
Warrantywise CEO, Lawrence Whittaker, said: “The table shows what we always believe here at Warrantywise, that it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are some obvious trends, such as the more exotic you go, the higher the repair bills will be, but there are notable exceptions lower down the price scale, with some of the more mainstream brands showing rather costly repair bills. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese carmakers top the chart, with the more exotic European brands – and sadly some British makers as well – nestling at the bottom." 

He added: “The average age of the cars in our survey needs to be taken in to consideration, and hopefully as a new generation of cars are coming in to our care at Warrantywise, we will see the performance of the European, and particularly the British marques, improving. My advice remains the same though – get cover, and sleep easy.”

Average car repair costs: highest and lowest


Dependability scoreMakeAverage cost of repair
93Toyota£592
93Honda£535
92Suzuki£424
89Mitsubishi£833
88Mazda£617
88Hyundai£577
86Nissan£521
85Ford£421
85Subaru£791
84Peugeot£406
84SEAT £475
83Smart£390
82Lexus£603
82Fiat £417
82Volkswagen£631
82MINI£497
81Vauxhall £467
81Renault£441
80Kia£522
79Chevrolet£548
78Skoda £492
77MG £399
77Volvo£553
77Land Rover£453
76Saab£425
75Citroen£501
74Audi £620
70Mercedes£751
69BMW£701
64Chrysler£464
64Jeep£505
64Ferrari£2,046
60Alfa Romeo£590
57Porsche£842
54Jaguar£794
41Maserati £1,430
14Bentley 
£1,356

Specially themed hall harks back to London Motor Shows of the past at the ExCeL

Specially themed hall harks back to London Motor Shows of the past
Whether it’s Berkeley, Leicester, Sloane or, indeed, good old Albert from the EastEnders soap opera, London is famous for its Squares. Now the capital’s premier classic car celebration – the eagerly anticipated 2016 London Classic Car Show – will, too, boast its very own special Square.
As a central part of a massive expansion following a hugely successful first show at ExCeL in Docklands 12 months ago, the second London Classic Car Show (18-21 February) is incorporating ‘Car Club Square’.

Located in a dedicated hall adjoining the main exhibition area, the new Car Club Square will be filled with the country’s best single-marque classic car clubs. Clubs already confirmed include Aston Martin Owners Club, BMW Car Club, Jensen Owners’ Club and Mercedes-Benz Owners Club with many more to be confirmed shortly. Porsche Club Great Britain is another to be out in force at the Show.
Harking back to evocative London Motor Shows from the past, Car Club Square will also feature stands from relevant classic car dealers. Adding further to the Square’s retro vibe, visitors will be treated to period entertainment in the retro bar and café.
“Everybody loved the first London Classic Car Show and wanted even more,” enthused Event Director, Bas Bungish. “Car Club Square is very much part of that expansion. What’s more, it not only will add yet another must-see dimension to a show that’s going to be nearly twice as big as the original but it will also provide visitors with a fabulous opportunity to buy affordable classics as well as the rare and valuable premium cars that proved so popular at the first show.”   
Bringing another popular London landmark to ExCeL, Car Club Square will also be home to one more of the Show’s new innovations. Speakers’ Corner will provide show-goers with an open forum where guest speakers and VIPs will talk about classic cars as investments, about the pleasure derived from classic car ownership and offer advice about buying and selling at auction.
One familiar face holding talks and discussions will be Chris Routledge of Coys Auctions. He was one of the presenters on the recent The Classic Car Show programme on Channel 5. Experts from insurance specialist Hagerty International will also be on the soap box forecasting the key cars to watch in 2016 and the next best buy.
Car Club Corner and Speakers’ Corner are just two of the major additions to a thriving show that’s nearly doubled in size since its introduction to rave reviews at the start of 2015.
Among the other key elements that are being enlarged in 2016 is the event’s centrepiece, ‘The Grand Avenue’, a highway running through the middle of the show and along which many iconic classics are driven.
No fewer than 60 legendary machines representing England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States have been selected under the ‘Six Nations’ theme. They will all be paraded up and down The Grand Avenue, not only bringing the show to life but also allowing visitors to decide which of the six nations is the world’s greatest car building country.
Although the 2016 show is almost twice as big as before, ticket prices remain very affordable and give access to all areas, including Car Club Square. The standard adult entry ticket costs £23 (children £17) with family tickets available at £65. Premium access to the glittering premiere evening costs £65 each, for which tickets will be strictly limited.