Simply the best...and worst

So what are the best and worst cars on the market and who are the most and least impressive vehicle manufacturers?

These are almost impossible questions to answer, but Britain's leading car magazine has painstakingly spent the last few months coming up with the answers that every consumer deserves to know. And I warn you - the findings make shocking if fascinating and essential reading.

Before I tell you what conclusions my colleagues at Auto Express arrived at, it's worth reminding everybody that the mag did not get meaningful feedback from tens of thousands of readers about every single model in use in Britain. With thousands of different cars on the road, that really would be impossible.

Therefore the names of some lesser known models and smaller manufacturers are inevitably missing from the survey, although the vast majority of popular cars and companies are included. Just bear all that in mind when I refer to the best and worst products and firms in Britain today. You'll also see constant references to old and new shape versions. We've used this wording to separate previous generation (old) models from latest generation (new) ones.

Here are the high and lowlights...

Most reliable
Honda S2000 at number one followed by Toyota Prius (new shape), Honda Jazz, Toyota Corolla (new), and Toyota Yaris (old shape).

Least reliable
Bottom of the pile of shame was the Land Rover Discovery (old), next worst was the Land Rover Freelander (old), Renault Laguna (MkII), Renault Scenic/Grand Scenic (new) and Alfa Romeo 156.

Best handling cars
Subaru Impreza (old), Mazda RX-8, Mazda MX-5 (old), Mini (old), Honda S2000.

Worst handling cars
Citroen Xsara Picasso, Fiat Stilo, Renault Scenic/Grand Scenic (old), Fiat Punto (old), Vauxhall Vectra (old).

Best build quality
Lexus IS (old), Audi A6 (new), BMW 5-series (old), Audi A3 (new), Honda S2000.

Worst build quality
Fiat Punto (old), Ford Ka/Sportka, Citroen C4, Peugeot 206, Reault Clio (old).

Best performance
Subaru Impreza (old), Honda S2000, Jaguar S-Type, Honda Civic (new), Skoda Octavia (new).

Wost performance
Land Rover Discovery (old), FordKa/SportKa, Fiat Punto (old), Nisssan Almera, Peugeot 206.

Best running costs
Lexus IS (new), Volkswagen Touran, Fiat Panda (new), Toyota Yaris (old), Honda Jazz.

Worst running costs
Mazda RX-8, Subaru Impreza (old), Suzuki Swift (new), and Rover Freelander (old), Lexus IS (old).

Best ride quality
Land Rover Discovery (new), Rover 75, Mercedes E-Class, Jaguar S-Type, Citroen C5.

Worst ride quality
Seat Ibiza (new), Hyundai Getz, Fiat Punto (old), Mini (old), Nissan Almera.

Best for comfort
Volvo V70 (old), Rover 75, Land Rover Discovery (new), Volvo S40/V50 (new), Lexus IS (old).

Worst for comfort
Ford Ka/Sportka, Fiat Punto (old), Peugeot 206, Nissan Micra (new), Nissan Almera.

Best 10 (of 37) manufacturers
1) Lexus, 2) Skoda, 3) Honda, 4) Porsche, 5) Jaguar, 6) BMW, 7) Toyota, 8) Subaru, 9) Mazda, 10) Daihatsu.

Worst 10 (of 37) manufacturers
37) Daewoo/Chevrolet, 36) Fiat, 35) Peugeot, 34) Vauxhall, 33) Renault, 32) Jeep, 31) Suzuki, 30) Rover, 29) Lotus, 28) Citroen.

Best 10 (Of 100) Cars overall
1) Skoda Octavia, 2) Land Rover Discovery (new shape), 3) Mercedes E-Class (new), 4) MGZT, 5) Lexus IS (new), 6) Honda S2000, 7) BMW 5-Series (new), 8) Honda Jazz, 9) Jaguar S-Type, 10) Toyota Prius (new).

Worst 10 (Of 100) Cars overall
100) Peugeot 206, 99) Fiat Punto (old), 98) Vauxhall Vectra (old), 97) Ford Ka/Sportka, 96) Nissan Almera, 95) Land Rover Freelander (old), 94) Vauxhall Astra (old), 93) Vauxhall Corsa (old), 92) Land Rover Discovery (old), 91) Renault Scenic/Grand Scenic (old).

Mike Rutherford is a freelance writer, broadcaster and pro-car activist. Currently writing weekly columns for The Daily Telegraph and Auto Express, and monthly columns for The Independent and Motoring & Leisure, he also presented Pulling Power on ITV.

Mike Rutherford will not reply in person to individual emails. AOL may, at its discretion, publish, in part or in full, any comments sent in response to articles published within its channels. Please ensure that you only send in comments if you are happy for this to happen.