A new UK Driver Power survey conducted by Auto Express Magazine surveyed 46,000 car owners on their choice for the nation's automotive Heroes and Villains. Criteria included driving enjoyment, running costs, reliability, build quality, and so on.

The 'super' Hero? Honda's S2000 roadster. In fact, Honda placed three cars in the top ten, as did VW AG property Skoda and BMW. In a 'shades of Consumer Reports' finding, the British publication's survey found that 11 of the top 12 most reliable vehicles were Japanese, and 9 of 11 of the most problematic were of French and Italian descent.

The biggest villains? Peugeot's 206, Mercedes A-Class and the not-so-dearly departed Rover 25.

A summary of AE's findings and criteria can be found here, and a more comprehensive vehicle-by-vehicle ranking here.

[Sources: Auto Express, The Independent, Honda Motor Co.]