Six of the most reliable cars

Six of the most reliable cars to lease right now

TL;DR: What are the most reliable cars to lease in the UK?

Based on the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, six of the most reliable cars to lease right now are the Volkswagen T-Roc, Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 2008, Kia Niro Hybrid, Hyundai Kona Hybrid, and Vauxhall Grandland.

Every car on this list has a reliability rating of 96.8% or above, with all faults fixed for free by the manufacturer.

Nobody buys a car hoping it’ll get to spend some quality time on holiday in a garage

Yet reliability isn’t always at the top of the wishlist – until the car goes wrong, and you’re stranded on the hard shoulder, or negotiating over the phone with your insurers, or quietly panicking about whether your car will start come Monday morning.

We’d rather you didn’t get to that point.

So, we’ve done the homework for you.

Using data from the latest 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey – the UK’s most comprehensive study of its kind, based on the real-world experiences of nearly 30,000 car owners – we’ve cherry-picked six of the most dependable cars you can lease right now.

And when it comes to reliability, brand reputation matters.

Honda tops the 2025 manufacturer rankings, followed closely by MINI, Suzuki and Toyota – all of which have built their reputations on building cars that simply get on with being cars.

But brand averages only tell part of the story.

Individual models can buck their manufacturer’s trend dramatically in either direction, which is why we’ve gone model by model rather than brand by brand.

From a city car that’s virtually fault-free to a family SUV with one of the best reliability scores in the entire survey, here are six cars that won’t let you down.

Volkswagen T-Roc: The small SUV that won’t let you down

The Volkswagen T-Roc has form when it comes to reliability.

The previous generation finished second in its class in the What Car? Reliability Survey – and the current model is carrying that reputation forward with considerable confidence.

Only 4% of T-Roc owners reported any issues.

Every single fault was fixed for free.

Not one car was left undriveable in the process.

Which is exactly what you want to hear when you’re committing to a two- to four-year lease.

It helps that the VW T-Roc is a brilliant SUV in every other aspect. It’s one of the most spacious in its class, with a 475-litre boot and a comfortable, hushed ride that makes motorway miles genuinely enjoyable (and not just something to be endured).

And the T-Roc even picked up What Car?’s Small SUV of the Year award for 2026.

You couldn’t ask for much more than that.

Browse our latest Volkswagen T-Roc lease deals

Volkswagen Polo: Small car, seriously dependable

Ask someone to name a Volkswagen and, nine times out of 10, they’ll say the Golf. But quietly, without any fuss, the VW Polo has been getting on with the business of being an excellent small car.

And, as it turns out, a remarkably reliable one.

Only 5% of Polo owners reported any issues in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, and every single fault was fixed for free. That’s a near-perfect result that puts it comfortably ahead of most in its small car rivals.

Very on brand for a car that’s always been more interested in doing things properly than shouting about it.

And, for a small car, it’s also surprisingly generous on space – front and rear – with a 351-litre boot that’ll handle a weekly shop or weekend away without complaint.

Understated, dependable, quietly brilliant. The VW Polo in a nutshell.

Browse our latest Volkswagen Polo lease deals

Peugeot 2008: Style and substance – in that order, and in abundance

The Peugeot 2008 has always had ideas above its station.

It’s a small SUV that looks like it costs considerably more than it does, with an interior that genuinely gives premium rivals like the Audi Q2 a run for their money.

And it turns out the dependability matches the ambition.

The 2008 scores 96.8% in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey – a result that puts it comfortably in the top ten most reliable small SUVs on sale. Only 14% of owners reported any issues, and every single fault was fixed free of charge.

What you get in return for that peace of mind is a striking car.

The iCockpit interior, with its high-mounted driver’s display, bold styling and quality materials, is exceedingly good-looking.

And on the road, it’s at its best when you let it do what it does naturally – waft along A-roads and motorways with quiet, unhurried comfort.

Distinctive, well-built, and backed by solid reliability data. The 2008 makes for a compelling lease option.

Browse our latest Peugeot 2008 lease deals

Kia Niro Hybrid: The dependable family SUV with a seven-year safety net

When it comes to reliability, the Kia Niro doesn’t mess around.

It scored 99% in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey – placing it third out of the 76 family SUVs tested, behind only the Toyota RAV4 and Vauxhall Grandland.

Only 6% of owners reported any issues, and every fault was fixed for free.

And Kia backs every Niro with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty. It’s one of the longest in the business, and a very welcome safety net.

Beyond the reliability credentials, the Niro is a genuinely accomplished family SUV. The hybrid powertrain is impressively efficient – officially 64.2mpg – and the car slips into near-silent electric running around town.

The interior is well made, it’s generously equipped even in the entry-level trim, and there’s plenty of space for four adults.

Essentially, the Kia Niro is practical, efficient and dependable. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Browse our latest Kia Niro lease deals

Hyundai Kona Hybrid: Quietly dependable, loudly practical

The Hyundai Kona has never been a car that blends into the background.

The bold styling has always made sure of that. But beneath the distinctive looks sits something rather reassuring – a reliability record that puts it third in its class in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey.

The Kona Hybrid scores 98.7%, with only 8% of owners reporting any issues. And every fault was fixed for free by Hyundai, which is what you want to hear.

Hyundai backs that up further with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty as standard, which is more generous than the three-year cover you get from most rivals.

On the road, the Kona is a pleasant companion.

It’s quiet, comfortable, and impressively efficient, and it slips into near-silent electric running around town with ease. And the interior – while not the plushest in its class – is sturdy, practical and packed with plenty of kit.

Dependable, well equipped, and backed by one of the stronger warranties in the class. The Kona Hybrid earns its place here.

Browse our latest Hyundai Kona lease deals

Vauxhall Grandland: The comeback kid of the reliability charts

The Vauxhall Grandland has had quite the transformation.

New looks, new interior, new dimensions – and, as it turns out, a new reliability record that’s genuinely worth shouting about.

The second-generation Grandland scores a remarkable 99.6% in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, making it the highest-scoring family SUV in the entire chart. Only 4% of owners reported any issues, every fault was fixed for free, and not one car was left undriveable in the process.

And the Grandland has plenty going for it beyond the data.

The interior has had a proper overhaul – soft-touch materials, a logical dashboard, and physical controls for most functions that make it easy to live with on the daily. The boot is a generous 550 litres, and the 40/20/40 split rear seats give you plenty of flexibility.

The mild hybrid powertrain is efficient (51.4mpg), and the motorway ride is quiet and composed. It’s not the most thrilling drive, but that’s not what you’re here for.

You’re here for a spacious, well-equipped family SUV that won’t let you down.

And on that front, the Vauxhall Grandland delivers.

Browse our latest Vauxhall Grandland lease deals

Why reliability matters even more when you’re leasing

A reliable car is more than just a convenience.

It’s the difference between a lease that works quietly in the background of your life, and one that becomes a source of stress, unplanned admin, and unwanted garage visits.

What makes a car truly dependable long-term comes down to a combination of factors – how it’s engineered, how well the manufacturer supports owners when things do go wrong, and whether faults are fixed quickly and without cost.

Every car on this list scores well across all three.

Whatever your next car looks like, the list above is a solid place to start.