Reliable cars are made with a few things in mind: safety, performance, and ease of maintenance. Not only are we relying on our cars to get us from point A to point B, but we want to invest in vehicles that will not run up costs in maintenance overtime.
Americans are expecting to drive their cars for longer than ever before and require reliable vehicles that aren’t going to slow them down or cost them tons in expensive repairs. Avoiding recalls is another motivating factor when looking to buy. We’ve collected a list of some of the car brands with the best reputation for reliability.
Lexus
Lexus tops most lists as one of the most reliable car brands. Consumer Reports’ senior automotive data analyst explains, “Brands like Lexus and Toyota have a history of conservative redesigns, incrementally improving their entire product line, rather than introducing many all-new systems… Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new and they continue to be reliable as they age”.
Car reliability has much to do with the way a car drives over time and how much maintenance it requires. Lexus is a brand that does an excellent job at making vehicle parts for longevity. It’s worth noting that car reliability will of course vary by model.
Toyota
Toyota is a longstanding reliable brand for both new and used cars. Toyota ranks highly for dependability, but how is dependability measured? Consumer Reports calculates reliability by comparing the number of problems certain models have as compared to the average number of problems for that year.
Toyota has a high dependability rating for both new and used cars, especially when looking at reliability over time.
Honda
Honda is one of the most highly recommended brands among mechanics; particularly the Honda Civic models. Lithia Motors, which reviews auto reliability and owns hundreds of dealerships across the country favors Honda as a reliable brand that lasts.
If properly taken care of, a Honda will often take you more than 200,000 miles in it’s lifespan. Reports from J.D. Power echo this sentiment based on their dependability rankings.
Porsche
When it comes to the luxury vehicle market, safety and maintenance cost are not typically the motivating purchasing factors so much as aesthetic and speed. But when it comes to reliable luxury vehicles, many Porsche models rank highly on the list.
That being said, expensive cars do require more expensive fixes. So while Porsche boasts high rankings on J.D. Power, it does rank lower on some other comparison sites for the mere cost of repairs.
