EVwire brief: The Tesla Model 3 has been voted the UK's best car to own in Auto Express’ 2026 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, which compiled opinions from over 100,000 drivers across the country.
The electric saloon scored 88.55% overall, taking nine category and sub-category wins and edging out the petrol and diesel-powered BMW 2 Series Coupe for the overall crown.
“Owners love almost everything about their Model 3s, especially now quality has improved. The electric saloon is the only car to be rated 100% in a category, with owners giving a perfect score for the drivetrain smoothness.”
Owners gave the Model 3 the survey's only perfect category score, for drivetrain smoothness
Auto Express' detailed results show the Model 3's win was broad-based. The saloon topped three of the survey's 10 main categories (Engine and Gearbox, Safety Features, and Quality and Reliability), with owners awarding it first place for acceleration, second overall for driving pleasure, and the highest range score of any electric car in the survey. Even Tesla's screen-first interior held up, with the balance between physical and digital switches rated third.
The biggest gain came in quality. The Model 3 had finished last in the category in previous years, but for the 2026 survey, the vehicle placed fifth, with reliability in third. Owners' worst marks went to the exterior styling and brake responsiveness.
The Tesla Model 3 is currently in its second generation, with the first-generation arriving in the UK in 2019
Context:
Driver Power is the UK's most comprehensive car ownership survey, and the 2026 edition marks the 25th anniversary of its first publication.
Following the Model 3 was the BMW 2 Series Coupe and the Vauxhall Grandland, with the Ford Kuga, Vauxhall Frontera, BMW 1 Series, Peugeot 2008, Vauxhall Mokka, Hyundai Tucson, and Peugeot 3008 filling out the rest of the top 10.
This year was also a record one for EVs in the survey. Six models in the top 10 are either exclusively electric or offered with an electric powertrain as an option, up from just one in 2025 and two in 2024, with the smoothness of electric drivetrains a quality owners appear to value immensely.
Source: Auto Express, Driver Power 2026 results
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