THE record number of companies that are adding Mazdas to their fleets are choosing to operate Britain's most reliable cars, according to a new survey.

Vehicle reliability is essential in ensuring that the wheels of British industry and commerce run cost effectively and efficiently and Mazda has now topped Warranty Direct's Manufacturer Reliability Index for a staggering fourth year in succession.

This year's performance has also seen average repair bills reduce for Mazda vehicles from £275 a year ago to £244.41 this year, making its model line-up among the cheapest on the road to repair.

In fact, Mazda's ability to reduce vehicle repair costs for fleets is a feature of the annual survey as in 2001, when the Japanese marque first topped the chart, average repair bills per model were £288.

The annual survey looked at 30,000 vehicles from 27 leading vehicle manufacturers and combined the number of faults a car suffered alongside the actual cost of repairing them.

The reliability of Mazda models was 14 points better than second-placed Honda and the average cost of repair almost £20 per model cheaper. The average repair bill stood at £321.82 across all 27 manufacturers surveyed. The 'frequency of failure' of Mazda models was fewer than 18 claims per 100 policies - more than 100 per cent better than some rival manufacturers, according to the independent automotive warranty firm.

Mazda fleet sales are more than 40 per cent up year-on-year as fleets and user-choosers capitalise on the company's stylish, sporty and value-for-money model line-up.