Is your car reliable?
Honda Accord
Automobile repairs are costly. Even in Thailand. Even if you
help. In fact, a friend of mine in Australia had a sign on
his workshop wall which read, “Labour charges: $20 per hour.
If you watch $40 per hour. If you help $80 per hour.” Anyone
who has worked in the repair industry would understand and
agree with his sentiments!
Having accepted the fact that repairs are expensive, and
many people do not want down-time with their vehicles, the
automotive industry seemed to look at this concept in two
ways. First, do nothing, as people only keep a car around
three years, and not much goes wrong in that time, basically
playing the percentage game; or deliberately engineer your
products so that they have a longer life, extending into
around 10 years before things go wrong.
The Japanese automakers chose the second alternative. The
reason is simple. When a make becomes known for its
reliability, new car buyers will go to that make. It very
quickly got into the collective consciousness that Honda,
Toyota and Nissan build reliable motor cars, so when it
becomes time to select a new car, what will it be? For many,
it is a Honda, Toyota or Nissan. Believe me when I tell you
that ‘performance’, ‘road holding’ or multiple air bags do
not get people to buy that brand. The perceived notion that
this car will not break down is the crucial factor.
I came across some very interesting statistics the other
day, where a company called Warranty Direct made available
their data on the vehicles requiring the most amounts of
time and money spent for repairs (a sum that Warranty Direct
obviously underwrites). Turn that list upside down, and you
have an indicator to which cars required the least amount of
repairs and downtime. A fairly good index of reliability.
Number 1 went to Honda with the Accord, and wonder of
wonders, the Japanese automotive industry supplied every car
in the Top 10, and an amazing 16 of the Top 20. The highest
placed non-Japanese model was the British built Jaguar
X-Type in position 13 with the German automotive industry
first appearance coming in at number 25.
Volvo’s S/V40 was the highest placed Swedish manufacturer in
15th, with the USA’s most popular manufacturer, Ford,
delivering its best ranked model, the Ka, in 22nd. Hyundai’s
Lantra was the pick of the Koreans at 24, and the Citroen
Xsara was the best-placed French model at number 26. The
Mercedes SLK split these two at 25. The higher purchase
price apparently does not guarantee fewer breakdowns!
And what about Toyota? This company is well on the way to
becoming the world’s number 1 and on the results of this
survey, it fully deserves to get there. It scored as well as
any other manufacturer in the top ten cars with two
contenders, but also took eleventh spot with the Lexus IS
200, fourteenth with the Landcruiser, 19th with the Carina
E, and 21st with the Lexus 400 - six cars in the top 21
represents a fantastic effort but a look down the list
confirms what we’d always suspected - they have been
building the most reliable cars for a long time - long
product lines such as the Celica and Corolla are also there.
Those cars have been produced for 30 years in vast numbers -
it’s not just one very reliable model here and there. The
collective consciousness is quite correct in its thinking.
According to Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct, “Used
car buyers are considerably more cautious. Japanese models
may not be the most charismatic but you’re unlikely to spend
a great deal of money and time in the garage keeping it on
the road.”
So here are the top 10 most reliable cars according to
Warranty Direct, and their description of them:
1 - Honda Accord - A classy package, well put together and
feels more special than the average family car. Superb
engines and value for money. 2 - Subaru Forester - Not quite
an off roader, much more than an estate with a sporty edge,
making it the perfect combination. Great all round buy.
3 - Mazda MX-5 - Blueprint for the modern roadster with
sweet handling and engines to match. Extremely easy to live
with.
4 - Mitsubishi Carisma - Despite the name, not that
interesting to look at or drive, but that’s not the point.
Here is a no-nonsense hatchback that won’t let you down.
5 - Toyota Yaris - Superminis don’t come better. Bags of
room and perky engines. Probably the best small car buy.
6 - Honda Civic - Solid build quality and good engines are
just part of the appeal, the Civic is one of the most
spacious small cars around. Great value.
7 - Nissan Almera - A dull package, but that’s no reason to
dismiss the Almera which is practical and perfect for the
smaller family who need a big boot and utter reliability.
8 - Honda CR-V - Proof that you don’t need an XXXL 4x4. Here
is a four-wheel drive estate that is flexible, easy to drive
and own.
9 - Toyota RAV4 - So few four-wheel drives are fun to drive.
This car is suitably sporty, but very practical. Expensive
used buy but worth it.
10 - Nissan Micra - The driving school favourite. Tough,
fairly roomy, but with its light controls is easy to steer
around town.
Some of those vehicles are not available in this country,
but the majority are, and the public domain knowledge (or
feelings) on reliability knows no national frontiers. Ask
anyone about the Jaguar XJ6 and they will tell you that this
was the car you needed two of, so that you had one to drive
when the first one was being repaired. And that will be told
you in all countries, and by people who have never owned
one. Public opinion has a much greater impact than the
automakers would like to admit to. The Japanese have won the
top 10, and this is remembered.
So what about the rest? Look through this list and see if
yours is mentioned. 11 Lexus IS 200, 12 Mazda 626, 13 Jaguar
X-Type, 14 Toyota Landcruiser, 15 Volvo S/V40, 16 MINI
(BMW), 17 Suzuki Vitara, 18 Mazda 323, 19 Toyota Carina E,
20 Saab 9-5, 21 Lexus LS400, 22 Ford Ka, 23 Rover 45, 24
Hyundai Lantra, 25 Mercedes SLK, 26 Citroen Xsara, 27 Ford
Cougar, 28 Subaru Impreza, 29 Skoda Octavia, 30 Audi A4, 31
Nissan Primera, 32 Toyota Avensis, 33 Volvo 850, 34 Vauxhall
Corsa, 35 Seat Toledo, 36 Volkswagen Golf, 37 Daewoo Lanos,
38 Fiat Brava, 39 Hyundai Coupe, 40 Mitsubishi Shogun, 41
Rover 2, 42 Mercedes CLK, 43 Fiat Marea, 44 Ford Focus, 45
Peugeot 106, 46 MG MG TF, 47 BMW Z3, 48 Hyundai Accent, 49
Volkswagen Polo, 50 Fiat Punto, 51 Vauxhall Zafira, 52
Mercedes C-class, 53 Volvo S60, 54 Toyota MR2, 55 Mazda
Xedos 6, 56 Ford Puma, 57 Vauxhall Astra, 58 Vauxhall Omega,
59 Chrysler Neon, 60 Audi A2, 61 Ford Fiesta, 62 Ford
Mondeo, 63 Vauxhall Corsa, 64 Citroen Saxo, 65 BMW 3 Series,
66 Vauxhall Vectra, 67 Isuzu Troope,r 68 Mercedes M-Class,
69 Subaru Legacy, 70 Rover 400, 71 Fiat Ulysse, 72 Mercedes
E-Class, 73 Renault Clio, 74 Toyota Celica, 75 Peugeot 306,
76 Peugeot 406, 77 Volvo S70, 78 Rover 75, 79 Daewoo Matiz,
80 Peugeot 206, 81 Mazda MX-3, 82 Vauxhall Tigra, 83 Seat
Ibiza, 84 Peugeot 106, 85 Renault Megane, 86 Peugeot 406, 87
Saab 9-3, 88 Audi A3, 89 BMW X5 90, Mercedes S-class, 91
Toyota Corolla, 92 Seat Alhambra, 93 BMW 5-series, 94 Daewoo
Nubira, 95 Alfa Romeo 145, 96 Saab 900, 97 Mazda MX-6, 98
Jaguar S-Type, 99 Daewoo Leganza and 100 Porsche Boxster.
However, it should be remembered that this list covers
vehicles with ‘standard’ manufacturer’s warranty, those with
extended warranties are not properly represented, but the
top 20 list looks pretty accurate to me.
BMW’s
incredibly ugly Concept Mille Miglia
The BMW 328 was one of the vehicles that
conquered the legendary Mille Miglia, and at this year’s
event, BMW unveiled a Mille Miglia concept, apparently based
on the Z4 coupe, and embodying the lines of the pre-war 328.
BMW
328 Mille Miglia Concept
GoAuto magazine asked if this the next-generation Z4 Coupe -
or simply a flight of BMW’s fantasy as the German maker
indulges in a nostalgic look back at its past?
Either way, BMW’s uncharacteristic move to reveal an all-new
concept at the 2006 Mille Miglia – an annual rally
resurrected in 1977 to celebrate one of the world’s great
motor races – in Brescia, Italy on May 10 has certainly got
tongues wagging.
Built on a modified version of the forthcoming Z4 M Coupe’s
drivetrain and suspension, the BMW Concept Coupe Mille
Miglia 2006 appears primarily to pay tribute to BMW’s
legendary 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupe, which became the
first car to win both an original Mille Miglia race (in
1940) and a modern-day revival version (in 2004).
The original 328 racer’s average speed of 166.7 km/h over
the 1940 event’s 1000km remains a record today and the
Concept Coupe pays homage to BMW’s Mille heroes, 22 of which
have entered for the 2006 event.
It
also takes styling cues from the Z4 Coupe – despite the fact
it is 230 mm longer, 40 mm lower, rides on huge 20 inch
alloy wheels with 245/40-section tyres and features a hinged
hard-top roof.
The carbon-fibre reinforced plasticbodied concept features
328-echoing large circular LED headlights and BMW says the
uninterrupted side and rear panels allow a turbulence-free
flow of air up to the tail, where the airflow is separated.
Carbon-fibre underbody fins and front/rear bumper diffusers
contribute to aerodynamics, while Z-shaped A-pillar
air-intakes are said to extract hot air from the engine as
well as produce downforce and reduce wheel housing
turbulence.
While exhaust and inlet modifications aim to give the 252 kW
3.2-litre inline six-cylinder M engine even more of a
“racing sound at both idle and full throttle”, the concept’s
interior features thin stainless steel, untreated cowhides
and Lycra fabric. Undoubtedly a “what the hell is that” sort
of vehicle as it goes past, I still doubt whether I would
want one in my driveway!
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I mentioned a third race car to go into the
harbour at Monaco, which was staged for the movie Grand
Prix. I asked what was the movie race driver’s name, who
played the part, and what was the car? It was when “Pete
Aron” (James Garner) dunked his Jordan-BRM.
So to this week. I have mentioned Honda, so let’s stick with
them. What was the first Honda model to be offered in two
forms?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
