LONDON: Mercedes-Benz, Rolex and the BBC are among the brands UK consumers consider to perform the best in areas such as reputation and quality, a survey has found.

Superbrands, which rates the country's leading products on an annual basis, partnered with the Centre for Brand Analysis to poll industry experts and 2,000 adults.

Participants were asked to assess the reputation, quality, reliability and "distinction" of relevant offerings, alongside the emotional and functional benefits they provided compared with competitors.

Mercedes-Benz, the German automaker, claimed first position in the rankings, boasting a maximum 100 index points, having also featured in the top ten every year since 2006.

"Everybody in the company is absolutely committed to delivering exceptional levels of customer service, and this survey result shows that these efforts are paying off," said Wilfried Steffen, president/ceo of Mercedes-Benz UK.

"Throughout 2011 we will continue launching a wide range of innovative new products and customer service initiatives across the country."

Luxury watch brand Rolex retained second on 95.8 points, while the BBC resided in third, posting 94 points, with the broadcaster one of the five premier operators in each of the last five years.

Coca-Cola grabbed fourth, registering 92.3 points, and Google, a previous winner, took fifth, lodging 89.1 points.

Microsoft, which led the 2010 standings, occupied sixth, receiving 87.9 points from the sample, meaning 2011 was the first time in six years that either it or Google did not head the charts.

British Airways followed, securing 84.6 points, Apple generated 84 points, and Jaguar - owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group - was, along with BMW, a new entry in the top ten, yielding 81.8 points.

They replaced toy brand Lego, falling to sixteenth spot, and the Encyclopaedia Britannica, now the final member of the top 30.

Separately, Superbrands released a list of the UK's pre-eminent business brands, as decided by a panel of 2,000 senior executives.

Rolls Royce, active in sectors from aerospace to defence, attained 100 points here, while Research in Motion's BlackBerry smartphone logged 94.9 points.

"Rolls-Royce Group has prospered by combining customer focus, teamwork and technology," said Sir John Rose, the organisation's ceo.

"We invest for the long term and concentrate on producing complex power systems which are mission critical to our customers for use on land, sea and in the air.

"This has given us access to global markets. It has enabled us to double in size in the past ten years and gives us confidence that we can do so again in the next decade."

Microsoft was third, recording 94.1 points, beating Google's 92.3 points, Apple's 91.3 points and the London Stock Exchange's 90.6 points.

Professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, and Visa credit cards all surpassed the 88-point benchmark.

"As we enter another difficult year, the resilience of a business can be boosted by its reputation, helping to stimulate demand and loyalty versus weaker-branded rivals," said Stephen Cheliotis, ceo of the Centre for Brand Analysis.

Data sourced from Superbrands; additional content by Warc staff