Lexus GS crowned Britain’s most loved used car by Driver Power

Overwhelming satisfaction with every aspect of ownership sees the Lexus GS crowned as motorists’ favourite used car to own, in the latest Driver Power report – Britain’s most comprehensive survey of used car satisfaction.

And with four out of the top ten most satisfying used cars to own, it’s a triumph for Lexus overall, cementing its place yet again as a winner for ownership enjoyment and reliability.

Powered by readers of Auto Express, the survey saw more than 30,000 drivers rate each aspect of their used car ownership experience and Driver Power is seen by car makers as the leading independent benchmark for customer satisfaction.

While Lexus commands the most used-car satisfaction overall, European brands have made a comeback, accounting for half of the top ten best-rated models in the survey after several years of dominance by Japanese and Korean car makers.

Drivers scored their cars in 35 areas, as well as providing verbatim reports, with the data then analysed to create rankings for the 75 most popular used models and manufacturers. Attributes measured range from performance, comfort, economy and build quality to infotainment, connectivity and safety features. Reliability is also assessed with a unique ranking based on the number of faults reported.

Driver Power Used Cars 2021 sees the Lexus GS achieve what Auto Express describes as “incredibly consistent” scores across all aspects of the car, earning it the accolade of Britain’s most-loved used car – while its stablemates the RX Mk3, CT and RX Mk4 take 4th, 6th and 7th places.

However, after two years of dominance by far eastern names, this year’s survey also sees a strong result for European brands, with Renault, Skoda, BMW and Porsche securing five top slots across the ten car classes. And, when ranked by manufacturer, the share of European badges in the top ten goes up to six.

The high overall standard of cars and levels of owner satisfaction in the top ten is revealed by a gap of only just over 4% in the scores awarded between the first placed Lexus GS and the Ford Mondeo Mk5 in tenth place.

But while the qualities of different models or brands will make headlines, Auto Express consumer and features editor, Chris Rosamond, says the survey provides the kind of granular detail that is invaluable to car buyers who have widely varying priorities.

He said: “The real value of Driver Power is the fully independent perspective it provides in a car market awash with competing claims from manufacturers.

“Such a rich source of insight from the real world gives car buyers a chance to really zero in on what matters most to them when they’re researching their next used car purchase.

“It’s especially valuable if you want to be sure that you’ll get on well with a feature that often varies widely in user perception, even among otherwise excellent cars, because Driver Power reveals essential details of the ownership experience available nowhere else.

“For example, if the car’s infotainment system is a priority to you, this year’s survey reveals that the one in BMW’s 3 Series Mk7 is rated best of all. But if the stereo matters more, you might consider the Skoda Superb Mk3. And if you’re EV-curious, the fact that the highest rated transmission of all is a car without one – the BMW i3 – might just swing your decision.”

Auto Express points out that for every new car sold around four used cars change hands, which makes independent real-world ownership experience data all the more valuable to car buyers, while also providing a crucial benchmark for manufacturers to improve aspects of cars that leave their owners less than impressed.

Chris Rosamond added: “In a highly competitive market the achievement of Lexus is perhaps most impressive of all, with five models among the most satisfying ten used cars to own.

“But Driver Power also reveals that less prestigious badges are also delivering a great experience for owners, even when they do not feature in the highest overall rankings and that is gold dust for anyone researching their next used car purchase.”