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The 2014 Driver Power survey has revealed the most reliable small cars to own. We explore the best and worst performers here. Reliability is the single thing that colours your opinion of a car more than any other. First and foremost your car needs to consistently work, so the most reliable cars also go along way towards being the best cars to own. This is as true of the largest SUV as it is of the smallest city car or supermini but it鈥檚 the more compact end of the spectrum we鈥檙e interested in here. Pinpointing the most reliable small cars on the market isn鈥檛 a simple thing for car buyers to do independently but if 50,000 car owners all club together and share their experiences, suddenly you have an extremely powerful car buying tool. That鈥檚 where the 2014 Driver Power survey comes in. The UK鈥檚 biggest car customer satisfaction survey asked motorists to rate their car鈥檚 reliability and the results from owners of small cars make very interesting reading. The Driver Power results for the most reliable small cars are detailed below.

We鈥檝e picked out the top 10 models (from 10th to first) in the survey and further down the page you鈥檒l find a complete list of the top 30 most reliable small cars. Citroen鈥檚 DS3 aims to bring a funkier feel to the supermini segment with a greater emphasis on design and personalisation options than we鈥檝e been used to seeing from mainstream models. Happily, it鈥檚 appeal seems to be more than skin deep with the 10th best reliability score of any small car. DS3 owners were also impressed with the on-road performance of the car, praising its handling and its easy-going driving experience. The DS3 ranked 37th overall in the 2014 Driver Power survey. The Mazda2 is in line for replacement by an all-new model soon but the MkII car is still winning the hearts of owners who ranked it in ninth place for reliability. The sharp-looking 2 also won praise for its driving experience but owners were less enamoured by the running costs - possibly because they鈥檝e been enjoying the handling a little bit too much.

Peugeot has already unveiled the 108 city car but the newcomer will be doing very well if it can eclipse the Driver Power reliability performance of its predecessor. The 107 keeps things simple with a minimalist design and sturdy build quality but feels a little dated compared to the cream of the modern city car offerings. The 1.0-litre petrol engine is a dependable and economical performer but owners criticised its performance, contributing to the car ranking in 115th place overall. Nissan鈥檚 tough-looking Juke is the only crossover in the most reliable small cars list. Its small rear seats and boot contributed to a low score for practicality and owners also complained about the running costs but it鈥檚 hard to argue with a 95.6% reliability score. The Juke came in 101st place overall. The original Honda Jazz brought an MPV flavour to the supermini market with its remarkably roomy cabin and a 5th place ranking for reliability show鈥檚 it鈥檚 still going strong today.

It鈥檚 reliability, practicality and ease of use that constitute the strongest suits of the Jazz but a 134th placed finish overall indicates that the car is starting to be found wanting in other areas. Along with its SEAT Mii and Volkswagen Up! Skoda鈥檚 Citigo is up amongst Auto Express鈥?best city cars. With a 95.7% score for reliability and 2nd place finish in Driver Power 2014 overall, it seems that owners are pretty fond of it too. The Citigo stays true to the city car blueprint with a simple design but the polished road manners and surprising interior space elevate it above rival models. Even though it鈥檚 priced higher than the Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii that share its design, the Up! The Rio is a handsome and well-rounded supermini by Kia and its 96.5% reliability score goes some way to explaining why the Korean marque feels able to offer its industry-leading 7-year warranty. The Rio鈥檚 all-round popularity is underlined by a 5th place finish in the overall 2014 Driver Power results. And so to our most reliable small car! The first generation Honda Jazz managed a 5th place finish for reliability but it鈥檚 the second generation car that takes the crown. There鈥檒l be a new Honda Jazz on sale in the UK during 2015 but until then, the MkII model seems to be ably holding the fort. It鈥檚 not the most stylish or dynamic model in the supermini class but the practicality and easy-going style of the Honda go down a storm with owners. The Jazz ranked 47th in Driver Power 2014 overall.

It鈥檚 been three years since Hyundai unveiled the stunning Santa Cruz concept at the North American International Auto Show but it鈥檚 not going to arrive in showrooms anytime soon. Speaking with Motor Trend, Hyundai Motor America COO Brian Smith said 鈥淲e talk about it a lot鈥?but a production version of the pickup won鈥檛 arrive this year or next year. Since so much time has passed, it remains unclear how faithful the production model will remain to the original concept. In fact, little is known about the truck but the report suggests it won鈥檛 be offered with a diesel engine. That鈥檚 not too surprising but the concept featured an 鈥渆nvironmentally-friendly鈥?2.0-liter turbodiesel that produced 190 hp and 406 Nm of torque. When the Santa Cruz finally goes into production, it will face a number of new competitors including the Ford Ranger and Jeep Scrambler. The model will also have to fend off other challengers such as the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. Volkswagen has also hinted at the possibility of entering the highly competitive segment as it unveiled the Tanoak concept at the New York Auto Show.