THE Mazda Premacy has come top in the What Car? J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Index for MPVs.

It beat off rivals such as Mitsubishi Space Star, Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Scenic.

More than 24,000 owners of X and Y registered cars were surveyed to produce the index. Each owner answered more than 100 questions, covering everything from reliability, dealer service and running costs to ride and handling.

“The best way to find out what a car is really like is to live with it,” said What Car?’s editor, Rob Aherne. “The J.D.Power Customer Satisfaction Index is the ultimate short-cut to acquiring that knowledge.”

The Mazda Premacy was launched in 1999 and has been a popular choice for those who want something different to the volume brands available. The Premacy is a functional MPV, available in either a five or seven-seater version and is fun to drive and very well equipped with Mazda reliability as standard.