List of UK’s most trusted car brands revealed
Mercedes-Benz has topped the inaugural CarGurus Car Buyer Trust Index report; a new study that explores how trust impacts on car-buying decision-making.
Mercedes took the top spot followed by Audi, Ford, Toyota and Volvo
Published by the CarGurus new and used car marketplace, the index (see full list here) saw 21 carmakers ranked by 2,183 car-buyers on five key factors that build trust: integrity, transparency, genuineness, social conscience and reliability. The list of carmakers included the top 20 highest sellers based on SMMT data as well as Tesla for topical interest.
While Mercedes took the top spot, Audi, Ford, Toyota and Volvo completed the top five. Tesla finished mid-table, slotting into 12th place in the report, indicating consumer trust in EVs.
Overall Brand Performance
| Brand | Index | |
| 1st | Mercedes Benz | 73.6 |
| 2nd | Audi | 70.6 |
| 3rd | Ford | 70.2 |
| 4th | Toyota | 69.4 |
| 5th | Volvo | 67.9 |
| 6th | BMW | 66.7 |
| 7th | Kia | 66.7 |
| 8th | Vauxhall | 66.4 |
| 9th | Mini | 65.7 |
| 10th | Honda | 65.5 |
| 11th | Volkswagen | 65.2 |
| 12th | Tesla | 64.4 |
| 13th | Nissan | 64.4 |
| 14th | Land Rover | 64.2 |
| 15th | Hyundai | 63.7 |
| 16th | SEAT | 63.1 |
| 17th | Škoda | 62.7 |
| 18th | Citroën | 60.8 |
| 19th | Renault | 59.8 |
| 20th | Peugeot | 58.8 |
| 21st | Fiat | 55.4 |
In addition, the report highlighted how men and women differ when it comes to trusting automotive brands. Mercedes-Benz was most trusted overall by male car buyers whereas Audi and Ford shared the top spot for women. And while Kia was rated as second overall for men, the brand came in 15th for women. Mini, on the other hand, was ranked fifth overall by women and 15th by men.
Brand Trust: gender differences
| Male | Female | |
| 1st | Mercedes Benz | Audi & Ford |
| 2nd | Kia | |
| 3rd | Volvo | Toyota |
| 4th | Audi | Mercedes Benz |
| 5th | Vauxhall | Mini |
| 6th | Ford | Volkswagen |
| 7th | Toyota | Tesla |
| 8th | BMW | BMW |
| 9th | Hyundai | Honda |
| 10th | Land Rover | Volvo |
| 11th | Citroën | Nissan |
| 12th | Honda | SEAT |
| 13th | Nissan | Vauxhall |
| 14th | Škoda | Land Rover |
| 15th | Mini | Kia |
| 16th | Volkswagen | Peugeot |
| 17th | SEAT | Škoda |
| 18th | Tesla | Hyundai |
| 19th | Renault | Renault |
| 20th | Peugeot | Fiat |
| 21st | Fiat | Citroën |
To view the full CarGurus Car Buyer Trust Index, click here.
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.
