6 Nearly Perfect Japanese Cars in the UK That Cost Almost Nothing to Run

There’s a reason British motorists are quietly abandoning prestige German saloons and luxury SUVs for Japanese engineering. On the coldest mornings of the year, when PCP-financed badges leave their owners stranded with four-figure main dealer quotes, a select group of Japanese hatchbacks, crossovers, and SUVs simply turn the key and get on with it. In this video, we dive deep into the latest real-world ownership data from the What Car? Reliability Survey — covering over 32,000 UK drivers across 227 models up to five years old. From rock-bottom insurance groups to bulletproof hybrids and unbreakable naturally aspirated engines, we rank the Top 6 Japanese cars dominating the UK market today. 6 Nearly Perfect Japanese Cars in UK According to What Car? (2026)