Dacia has been named the UK’s most satisfying car brand, according to the readers of consumer motoring website Honest John. 

The low-cost manufacturer - maker of the Sandero, pipped Lexus and Hyundai to the top spot in the consumer motoring website’s Satisfaction Index 2021, which is based on feedback from more than 5,000 car owners.

Honest John readers were asked to rate their vehicles in areas, including fuel economy, practicality, and safety. Drivers were also asked to rank their cars for build quality, reliability and comfort.

The Romanian, Renault-owned company, scored a 91.6% satisfaction rating. Lexus was a close second with a rating of 90.6% and Hyundai third with 89.7%. Kia (89.6%) and MG (89.4%) completed the top five from the index.

Dacia recently opened online pre-ordering for its new seven-seat SUV, the Dacia Jogger.

The Renault-owned, value-driven car brand revealed what was destined to become the new car market’s cheapest seven-seat vehicle back in September and has now revealed full specification details and prices starting from £14,995.

Dan Powell, senior editor of Honest John, said: “What a tremendous recognition for Dacia that manufacturing a low-cost car doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice any of the things that make your customers happy.

“Cheap does mean cheerful, with readers praising Dacia models for their value, comfort and reliability. The Romanian manufacturer is part of the Renault family and that quality comes through in its high scores for satisfaction and reliability.”

The Hyundai Ioniq was revealed as the best overall car in terms of satisfaction, as well as reliability, which achieved an overall satisfaction rating of 95.7% - marking the second year in a row it’s been named the UK's most satisfying car by Honest John.

Available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq was praised for its ease of use, handling and build quality and with a satisfaction. The Volkswagen T-Roc (93.7%) followed second and third, the Mazda CX-5 (93%).

The index also revealed the ‘least satisfying’ models as the Ford Fiesta (2013 - 2017 model), Honda HR-V (2015 - 2021 model) and Mercedes-Benz C Class Estate (2014 - 2021 model).

Land Rover was ranked the least reliable manufacturer by readers, while Fiat was the brand that offered the least satisfaction with a score of 82.3%

Powell added: “This is a massive piece of research, a real barometer of what the nation thinks of its cars, with more than 5,000 Honest John readers taking part.

“It is also a clear indicator of the rise and rise of electric and hybrid vehicles that the Hyundai Ioniq was crowned the most satisfying car for the second year in a row.”

Full Honest John Satisfaction Index 2021 tables:

Most Satisfying Car Brand

Rank	Manufacturer	Satisfaction Index Rating (%)
1	Dacia	91.6
2	Lexus	90.6
3	Hyundai	89.7
4	Kia	89.6
5	MG	89.4
6	Skoda	89.1
7	Subaru	89.0
8	Toyota	88.8
9	Porsche	88.7
10	Volkswagen	88.4

Most Satisfying Car

Rank	Manufacturer and Model	Satisfaction Index Rating (%)
1	Hyundai Ioniq (2016 - )	95.7
2	Volkswagen T-Roc (2018 - )	93.7
3	Mazda CX-5 (2017- )	93.0
4	Dacia Sandero (2013 - 2021 )	92.6
5	Skoda Kodiaq (2016 - )	92.5
6	Honda CR-V (2018 - )	92.5
7	Skoda Superb Estate (2014 - )	92.2
8	Volkswagen Tiguan (2016 - )	92.2
9	BMW 3 Series Touring (2012 - 2019)	91.8
10	Toyota Corolla (2019 - )	91.6

Most Reliable Car Manufacturer

Rank	Manufacturer	Satisfaction out of ten
1	Lexus	9.81
2	Dacia	9.76
3	Mitsubishi	9.64
4	Toyota	9.63
5	Suzuki	9.59
6	Kia	9.54
7	Honda	9.51
8	Subaru	9.50
9	MG	9.48
10	Hyundai	9.48

Most Reliable Car

Rank	Manufacturer and Model	Satisfaction out of ten
1	Hyundai Ioniq (2016 - )	9.93
2	Volkswagen T-Roc (2018 - )	9.90
3	Dacia Sandero (2013 - 2021 )	9.90
4	SEAT Leon (2013 - 2020 )	9.86
5	Mazda CX-5 (2017- )	9.83
6	Volkswagen Tiguan (2016 - )	9.83
7	Honda Jazz (2014 - 2020 )	9.82
8	Lexus NX (2014 - )	9.82
9	Toyota Yaris (2011 - 2020)	9.79
10	Kia Sportage (2016 - )	9.77