No matter how much you love your auto repair shop, having to get your car fixed is never fun. It’s at best an inconvenient expense and at worst a dark and foreboding sinkhole that appears out of nowhere in your household budget. Minimize your trips to the mechanic by making your next vehicle the most reliable European model available.
The Telegraph rated Europe’s top 10 most reliable used cars. Always trust Europeans to rate their own vehicles. They understand European cars as well as the folks at European Auto Specialists, your trusted auto repair shop in Cincinnati.
The Seat Ibiza: The VW Polo Clone
The Seat Ibiza came in at number 10 with an incident rate of 21 percent, with the most common reason for a claim being axle and suspension. The publication compared the Ibiza as “a sexier and more affordable version of the VW Polo, with the two cars closely related beneath the skin.” Both vehicles use the same engine and technology, but at a going rate of £9,995 (roughly $13,000) new, you get a lot more bang for your buck and fewer trips to your mechanic.
Smart ForTwo: a Reliable Tiny Car
The Smart ForTwo was the Telegraph’s most reliable tiny car, coming in at number 3. It had an incident rate of 15 percent, with cooling and heating being the most common reason for a claim. The vehicle is great for big cities where parking is a problem as any small space will do. The largest claim for the vehicle was also small, at £347.32 or roughly $452. Most of the other claims on the Telegraph’s list topped $900.
Some of the Telegraph’s most reliable European cars were more obscure, like the Skoda Fabia, which came in at number 2 with a 15 percent incident rate and a fairly cheap largest claim of £180.35 (roughly $234).
The Mercedes Benze E Class’s Low Incident Rate Makes for Fewer Trips to Your Repair Shop
The Mercedes Benz E Class topped the Telegraph’s list for most reliable cars thanks to its incredibly low incident rate of 10 percent. Its largest claim was £637.22, or $828, so while its steep sticker price of £34,270 (roughly $44,551) for a new model is a lot to swallow, the repairs will be rare. While the price “puts it within reach of junior management, but you’ll pay three times as much for the most exclusive and sporting models,” the Telegraph said in its review of the car. But you’ll save more by making fewer trips to your local auto repair shop.
