The age-old saying goes: 'money can't buy happiness'. But that's not the case with cars, it seems.

Daily Mail and This is Money have been given exclusive early access to the results of the nation's biggest driver satisfaction poll – and it's expensive luxury brands that top the rankings.

Mercedes-Benz was rated highest of all, ahead of Alfa Romeo and Tesla.

In contrast, budget marques were heavily concentrated towards the bottom of the rankings, suggesting motorists largely get what they pay for.

Based on responses from more than 100,000 UK car owners, the 2026 Driver Power survey asked owners to rate their cars across areas including reliability, value for money, practicality, safety and driving enjoyment – with a score out of 100 given to each manufacturer.

Mercedes-Benz scored 88.96 per cent in feedback from owners of its cars, as it took first place in six of the 10 main categories, including driving enjoyment. 

Alfa Romeo finished second (87.17 per cent) thanks to class-leading scores for styling, steering and handling, while Tesla placed third (86.91 per cent) after topping the powertrain rankings.

Talking about the results, Sarah Perks, vice president of content and publishing at Auto Express, said: 'Mercedes-Benz took the overall win, but the bigger story is how strongly premium brands performed across the board.

'Nine of the top 10 manufacturers could be considered mainstream-premium or premium brands, while cheaper manufacturers generally struggled to match their satisfaction scores.

'At the other end of the table, three of the six brands with a median model price below £28,000 finished in the bottom 10, with Dacia ranking last overall after taking last place in five of the main categories. If MG is included, that figure rises to four.'

Auto Express said this pattern was 'even clearer' in its best cars to own rankings, where every single model in the bottom 10 had a starting price below £28,000.

'Of course, a higher list price doesn't automatically guarantee a great ownership experience, but our data suggests buyers who spend more tend to be more satisfied with the cars they end up driving,' Perks added.

'When it comes to owner satisfaction, the old saying that you get what you pay for appears to hold true.'

Last month, we exclusively revealed that it is expensive premium marques that have the worst reliability track records.

The annual WarrantyWise Reliability Index scores popular cars on dependability based on the repair frequency, average vehicle age, mileage and labour time.

Repair costs were not included in the calculation because expensive cars typically use premium components and are more complicated to work on, resulting in higher garage bills.

Yet, the 10 models with the worst scores were all vehicles from luxury brands: Audi, BMW, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz.

Auto Express' results also break the conventional thinking that owners are more satisfied with budget brands like Dacia because they are getting good value for money.

Here's the full Driver Power rankings for how car owners in Britain rated the brands they own.

1. Mercedes-Benz: 88.96%

Mercedes owners ranked their cars highest across six categories in total, including interior quality, refinement and in-car technology.

Owners praised the luxury feel and smooth, composed drive, with only higher running costs standing out as a downside.

2. Alfa Romeo: 87.17%

Alfa Romeo secured second place with standout performance for design and driving enjoyment.

The brand topped key handling categories, with owners praising steering feel and road performance, although weaker reliability and economy prevented it from taking the top spot.

3. Tesla: 86.91%

Tesla's strength lies in performance and tech, with owners rating its acceleration and infotainment highly.

However, mixed views on design and build quality stopped it achieving a higher overall score, proving that Elon Musk's car firm excels in key areas but still divides opinion.

4. Lexus: 86.71%

Keeping with tradition, Lexus scored very well for quality and reliability – no surprise, given it has consistently ranked towards the top end in dependability surveys for years.

The luxury Japanese spin-off of Toyota also garnered high marks for interior comfort and practicality. Less engaging driving dynamics limited its overall ranking.

5. BMW: 86.45%

BMW's premium cars continued to impress owners with their lavish interiors, strong infotainment and powerful engines.

Owners particularly rated usability and tech, though running costs remained a concern.

6. Vauxhall: 85.94%

Vauxhall scored highest among the more affordable brands, having appeased customers, who rated the brand highly across the board.

Value for money and ride comfort were where the carmaker excelled most, as owners reported few major weaknesses overall.

7. Peugeot: 85.90%

Peugeot stood out for bold design and engaging handling, with strong steering performance a key highlight.

Infotainment usability remained its main weakness.

8. Jeep: 85.68%

Jeep performed better than expected despite reliability concerns, with strong scores for how well its SUVs drive.

This included solid marks from owners for ride comfort and engine character.

9. Renault: 85.59%

Renault performed well for running costs and infotainment, particularly its Google-based system.

However, refinement and drivetrain smoothness remained weaker points.

10. Land Rover: 85.44%

Land Rover owners said they loved their cars' design and interior quality, with strong owner appeal and a premium feel.

However, poor fuel economy and the brand's reliability reputation dogged its performance, dragging it to the bottom of the top 10.

It shows that some drivers are willing to take the risk of encountering expensive repair bills just to own a premium luxury car.