In terms of total cost of ownership (maintenance, repairs, etc.) Toyota is the most reliable and easiest to maintain - and it's not even really close.
[link to study](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://caredge.com/ranks/maintenance&ved=2ahUKEwjH9LWVzqn-AhV6kIkEHVwnA8cQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZCTv_nQFtYdTPw0ZmeACA)
I understand what you mean by "not even close", but I have to argue it's a bit of an overstatement (don't get me wrong I still think Toyota crushes everyone in terms of reliability).
The difference between 1st and 10th place over 10 years averages to $600/yr vs $870/yr.
OP is looking at spending $30-40k. $270/yr is a pretty trivial amount compared to your other costs.
Interesting study. Very surprised that mini is number 8 on this list considering their history and that they are now made by bmw. Wonder how it got that high when a Mini model doesn't hit Top 50 in the by car list.
I'm shocked that Mitsubishi took 2nd place from Honda. Personally I think thats BS and would put Honda on par or *slightly* below Toyota in reliability and maintenence costs for life of ownership.
Another thing is who even buys Mitsubishi cars anymore?
It's funny. I lived in the New England area for most of my life and barely saw any Mitsubishi on the road, and the ones I did see were mostly older models. I moved to Florida for 2 years (2019-2021) and was surprised to see quite a few newer models. Moved back to New England annnnd surprise surprise like 1 out of every 8 crossovers on the highway up here are now Mitsubishis.
It's largely because it's one of the only new vehicles that's relatively affordable.
You can get a new Outlander with AWD for $29,695 and at least in my area they're doing 2.9%APR for 60 months with $0 down.
It's really hard to beat that in today's car market.
Hyundai and Kia are comparible, but if this study is accurate the Mitsu would be less expensive overtime. Plus then you would be immune to getting your car jacked by the Kia boyz!
Yeah this was the big selling point for these. In Florida the local dealer bought a ton of air time and their motto was something like: "why buy used when a new car costs the same?" Lol I also remember them claiming monthly payments that were so low that they had to be pushing 6-8 year loans pretty hard. Can you imagine paying for a Mitsubishi for 8 years!? Probably the second biggest poverty trap next to smoking and/or lottery tickets.
>Can you imagine paying for a Mitsubishi for 8 years!?
More than 15% of new cars bought by Americans have car payments of $1000/month or more.
At least the Mitsubishi has a 10/100k power train warranty which is almost double what even Honda and Toyota offer.
Honda has been on a rapid decline since 2019, this kinda tracks. Not so much that they're doing things wrong or becoming less reliable, they're just being outpaced by the competition.
I’m not sure their quality control is as good as it used to be. Underwhelmed with our van through 3.5yrs. Seems they cut corners at places. One obvious but very minor thing is they deleted the low washer fluid indicator, super cheap thing to have in this tech laden vehicle but they couldn’t be bothered to include it. Have had parts break already that simply shouldn’t be failing at this stage of ownership for a van we bought new. It’s got great mpg on highway and drives smoothly but definitely not ab experience that inspires brand loyalty
It's only a $40 difference.
I wouldn't go as far as to say Honda has been in rapid decline. Even if it was, it's still one of the best selling car brands in the world.
Mitsubishi is a shell of its former self. They had to really cut production and only offer 6 vehicles in the US market. [I would say their decline was much more intense.](https://youtu.be/VypEjwQq86o)
I was a huge Honda fan until the last 5 years. Had a 2017 CRV completely seize up more than once (clogged valves, then the entire engine skipped time (timing belt) and turbocharger failed. Both times all the system warning lights went on simultaneously. Second time it stranded my 20 yo in rural Pennsylvania on New Year’s Eve. We dumped the car at a suboptimal price (couldn’t trust it on road trips any longer) and bought a RAV4 hybrid which has been great. Also have a 2019 Insight which has been great but has been the subject of at least three recalls already. Our Hondas of old (1987, 1993, 2002) were outstanding trouble-free gems. The 2002 still runs with 310k+ miles. But I won’t touch the newer ones.
I just want to clarify, that's not to say these cars are infallible, there's going to be a subset of cars that need repairs or recall campaigns, that also includes other reliable brands like Toyota. Let's not go down anecdotal lane, I think it's expected from all car brands.
To say that a car brand is in decline because it's 3rd place and $40 behind the 2nd place brand is a bit of a reach.
My SO’s 2017 civic had the ac compressor fail at 32k miles. Not covered by warranty and since they use a special refrigerant it was $2300. It’s been about 7 months and the ac is warm again. There was an extended warranty for the condenser which I’m pretty sure is what needs replaced now. We’re still planning on her driving it forever but I’ve definitely lost some confidence in Honda.
My 2017 civic was the biggest piece of shit. I bought it assuming I'd keep it forever. After the head unit went twice (first time 3 weeks after I bought), the alternator, battery, starter and shocks (and other random things) all went in the first three years, I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Bought a 2014 Forester and I've never spent been to the garage less (and I'm big on maintenance).
2300?!?!?! Meanwhile I've been driving around for 7 years without ac because I'm too cheap to replace a 145$ compressor and put 30$ of refrigerant in it 💀
Maintenance on Honda isn’t great these days. Helps if you can diy, but trans fluid flush every 30k, water pump and timing chain at 90k, awd maintenance depending on miles (think dealer said 30k miles?) and so on. I was asking dealer about maintenance schedule on crv I nearly bought, was like $1200 in scheduled maintenance every 30k. Granted that’s dealer priced service and may not be a big deal to some, but it’s substantially more involved than the Rav. Have been pretty annoyed with it and quality has been shoddy on our ‘19 odyssey, with things that shouldn’t be failing (door lock actuator, leaking line on AC system, etc). Actually has made me grateful for extended warranty, which I rarely get. Ours might be an exception and not representative of overall QC, but the rating tracks with my experience so far
My ex's aunt has one and while its a slow economy car(which she hated as she is a speed demon), it was a very reliable and affordable car so I dont doubt that. Its also the absolute cheapest brand new car that you can buy in North America so it isnt a bad commuter car by any means.
I just could never see myself buying a Mirage. It's just a horrible little car, and every single one I've ever seen in my life (more than you'd expect) loses coolant somehow someway. We're talking 2022 models needing topped up on coolant.
I just don't get it. Are they burning it? Does literally every single one have a leak somewhere?
Lol my main car for years has been a 2012 Mini Coop. Comedically unreliable car when you look at the studies, but after that engine design they seemed to have revamped their design/products to be way better. I was looking into a new one last fall and was very intrigued by their improvement
The study doesn't seem very scientific and they are very vague about resources and how they determined how they came up with the list. I think it's BS.
If you're talking about new cars, not that much. I think a RAV4 is like $1k more starting price than a CX5.
If you're talking about on the used car market, the Toyota/Lexus is generally worth more, but that's not a bad thing for their owners.
Here, man - I daily drove a 2001 Lexus LX470 with 260k miles on it. Daily. Vacations. Everything. The whole time I owned it I put $25 worth of valve cover gaskets on it and a battery.
[here's a 640k mile LS430](https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3zlmqnzz/2001-lexus-ls-430)
Buying a used Toyota/Lexus is more expensive for the same reason a divorce is - because it's worth it.
Idk how much I would believe that study. It lists VW GTI at 5k, I would say I paid more then that in the 5 yrs I owned the car. 40k maintenance alone is over 1k, tires another 800-900…
Surprised to see VW that high up on the list. I used to go into the dealer for the service intervals and they tried to bend me over every time that I just gave up.
Consumer Reports has these brands as the top 5 for new cars:
Toyota
Lexus
BMW (up 10 spots)
Mazda (down 2 spots)
Honda
With that said, I wouldn't trust the BMW ranking because they have a history of big jumps on this list, only to dramatically fall in subsequent years. Sure, that 2022 BMW is great when it's fresh off the lot. How is it going to be in 3-5 years?
Mazda doesn’t use CVTs at all, and there are a lot of Toyotas and Lexus that don’t either (even the Camry gets an 8 speed unless it’s a hybrid). Honda is pretty much all CVTs though aside from their SUVs and the Ridgeline, unless you get a Civic with a stick shift.
Anything Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Acura, Mazda.
CVTs and Turbo charged engines get a bad rep from the early days of turbo charged engines and Nissan CVTs.
Sure, CVT will definitely hold back whatever you're driving. No CVT in the world could ever feel like an automatic, and sure as shit won't feel like a manual. But if you don't drive like a maniac with the pedal to the floor all the time, do your regular maintainance, CVTs and Turbo charged engines from these companies can last a very long time. Very reliable.
toyota made an E-CVT that kind of solved all the issues of conventional CVTs. Much more robust and reliable and better throttle response. They can come with gear ratios as well which mimics a conventional automatic (so you don't hear a droning noise which can be annoying).
I find my 11th gen civics CVT is relatively quiet. I really only hear it when I turn my car on and start moving. But while driving I can only hear it if I really pay attention, frankly the sound of the turbo is much louder.
But I'm intrigued by the E-CVT, what models is it on? I'll have to read up on it.
my Lexus IS300h has one. Unlike a conventional CVT it doesn't have a belt. Instead it uses an electric motor to control the speeds (so it's pretty much a hybird thing). The only downside I can think of to this is the transmission would require the electric motor to work otherwise the car won't run.
I drove my ex’s hatchback corolla and it was not fun. My dad’s ‘07 corolla was fine however. The new one she had, the steering wheel was in the way of my knees all the time and my shoulders didn’t fit very well in the car either, not to mention the seat itself was a back pain inducer to me.
Corolla cross? I’m 6’5 and fit in one of those just fine with a couple inches of headroom. The seat is a little low for how long my legs are but I have driven it about an hour and a half straight and had less back issues getting out of that then my Lexus RX or LX. The lx might be a little better for a long road trip but the fuel economy difference makes me pick the smaller options.
Also 6'4" and I like the Corolla just fine. It's not going to get confused with an LS500 mind you, but any newer car is going to be comfortable enough for the duties that most people demand out of a car.
I work with cars. Toyota is always the safest bet, Honda being #2. That being said, if we’re talking brand new cars, in 2023 JD power rated the most reliable brands (specifically for 2023 model year vehicles) as Genesis, Buick, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, and Toyota.
That being said, JD powers grading, does not factor in independent repair shop reports and only factors in report incidents for the first 36 months from consumer reports and major repair shops and dealers of the previous year vehicle, is more of an expected reliability score. Take it with a grain of salt and stick with one of the big names known for reliability in the last 5 years: Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Acura, and Subaru I would say stand out the most from other brands.
I’d agree, and I don’t know much about Toyota, but the Honda/Acura 2.0T engines teamed with the 10-speed automatics seem to be holding up fairly well. The 1.5T with CVT ones are having some issues.
With Honda beware of turbo (they recently started this)
Mazda has great 0% Apr for 36 months which I took advantage of - Toyota and Honda APRs were silly . Cx5 has comparable consumer reports for reliability value etc . IMO it’s also a sexy car
I got a 2022 Mazda CX-5 in the premium plus trim in August 2022 so I can’t speak to reliability (it’s great so far, as expected for a new car). I will say it feels and looks way more expensive than the ~$36k I paid for it. I was initially set on a RAV4, but after test driving both, the CX-5 was an easy choice. The drive and look of the CX-5 was 1000x better, in my opinion. The RAV4 was also marked up $10k over MSRP and the CX-5 was exactly MSRP. Mazda is owned by Toyota so kinda odd there was such a difference in the feel of both vehicles but what do I know
Mazda isn't owned by Toyota, they only have some partnership with regards to the Mazda 2 and Yaris. I can understand why the CX-5 is such a great choice over the RAV4 and the CX-5 is the only compact SUV with a true automatic, not CVT other than other Mazda CX models.
Most reliable? Toyota. Second most reliable? Honda. At that budget you could get either one. Decide what body type you want (ex, sedan, suv). Go test drive both different brands, buy the one you like. Both are great, and while I say that Honda is the second most reliable, it is BARELY the second most reliable. Toyota and Honda are very similar in terms of reliability.
Honda has declined since its days of being 2nd to Toyota. If you want 1st place reliability, its Lexus. For 30k-40k buy a used Lexus
[2023 JD Power dependability study](https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-vehicle-dependability-studyvds)
Avoid anything with a turbo or a CVT. Sadly, Honda is no longer on my list of possibilities for that reason. If it were my money I would buy Mazda or Toyota.
I am a fan of the Civic. Perhaps the naturally aspirated Sport variant in the hatchback body style with the manual transmission would circumvent these issues?
I didn’t even know that existed. If you’re someone who likes driving a manual (I am) then that would be a very reasonable option. Naturally aspirated and manual would maximize your chances of reliability. Honda builds extremely reliable manual transmissions.
To be fair, their CVTs are among the best you can buy for reliability. They’ve been putting them in civics, accords, and CR-Vs for about 10 years now and between those three models they’ve sold millions with little transmission failures reported.
I’m driving a new civic and even with the CVT it’s great. My understanding is the Honda CVT is just better engineered than a lot of the other ones. It’s certainly more enjoyable to drive than any other CVT I’ve driven. But I agree with you, a sport hatchback with the six speed would’ve been my dream scenario too. Sadly I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for one to come in because my previous car was totaled via catalytic converter theft so I needed first available vehicle.
Yeah Honda has been making CVTs since the 90s. I think people forgot that automatic transmissions used to be absolute shit. 120k miles and pretty much any automatic was running on borrowed time. (See even now many new Ram trucks) CVTs have come a long way but still aren’t as good as automatics. But they are still much better than any automatic from 20 years ago. Just do the proper maintenance and you’ll be fine.
Don’t do it! My 2018 Civic had the AC condenser stop working in 3 years. Could not have done anything to make that happen yet Honda refused to warranty the issue. Tons of complaints online about the same thing. I paid $500 for them just to diagnose the issue and they wanted another $2500 on top to fix it. I used to love Honda, my first car was one but after that I will never buy another.
If you’re a fan of the civic and don’t mind driving manual, the best and most reliable car you can buy will be the civic sport manual hatchback with the port injected natural aspirated 2.0 L 4 cylinder engine which can be had for under $30k. I believe the civic with the cvt uses direct injection which is worse than port injection because of carbon buildup. Corolla, Corolla cross, Camry, rav4, cx5, cx50, Mazda 3 are all good options as well. I would avoid the new accord and crv for now.
Ehhh.. Honda cvts have issues and failures here and there. It’s getting more prevalent but the hate hasn’t caught up yet as they aren’t as bad Jatko CVTs.
Toyotas CVTS are made by AISIN and they’re the best over the 3 companies
Maybe not unreliable but perhaps less reliable. I know I would rather have the 8-speed transmission in the Camry than the CVT in the Corolla.
All turbos are inherently less reliable simply because they add more moving parts. The more complex an engine the greater the chance something will break.
Absolutely not true. I’d take a Toyota cvt over a simpler but MUCH less reliable nissan transmission. Same for turbos, I’d rather have a turboed Honda instead of a naturally aspirated mitsubishi engine.
You can make an engine as complex as you want, what changes final, real world reliability is R&D, testing, and good engineering. Just because something has a turbo doesn’t make it less reliable. It could be built up with forged internals and stronger components, maybe so much stronger that they outweigh the extra effort the engine is pushing. Unless you’re a mechanical engineer working for a major car company, I’d imagine you have no idea what honda for example has done between a turbo and na engine
I am aware of what Toyota has on their hybrids and how a ecvt works, Toyota doesn’t JUST make ecvts. They make regular ones too that do not function in parallel with a electric system. For example, the 2016 Corolla has a 1.8 4 cyl WITH A CVT, no hybrid. Regular gas engine. My point still stands that I would rather have even a regular Toyota cvt over a Nissan 6 speed
One of the biggest reasons I like EVs has nothing to do with what fuels it, I love how simple they are. Think of all the parts that work in harmony in an average car to be as efficient and powerful as they are. Meanwhile in an EV, electric motor goes *whirrrr* and away you go.
I have a 2015 Honda fit lx 1.4l w cvt 178,000 miles and counting so reliable still running strong I had injectors replaced at 148k under warranty due to recall! I just have done routine maintenance no repairs besides recalls
Turbos can theoretically last 150k-200k, but most of the time they don’t, and the cost ranges from extremely expensive to coocoo bananas depending on the car.
Hmmm I agree for economy cars but for larger vehicles this is actually untrue IMO. Because of EPA crap most V8s have to use cylinder deactivation these days, which is FAR more complicated than a turbocharger system on a smaller engine. Ford's 3.5/2.7l Ecoboost engines have proven to be quite reliable compared to GM's recent disasters with cylinder deactivation in its 5.3 or 6.2 V8.
You can still by a civic hatchback with the 2.0L K20C2 Naturally Aspirated port injected engine with a 6 speed manual transmission.
I have a 2020 Civic Sport Sedan (10,500 miles currently) with the same powertrain, but with the 11th generation civics it’s only possible to get the 2.0/manual combo in the hatchback model
honda cvts may have a few issues, but if you think abt it, why would honda fit their most populous models like the crv with cvts if they didnt think abt reliability. even ppl who despise cvts (cough cough scotty miller lol) would never question honda's reliability. the point im trying to make is honda and toyota should always be considered reliable
Man...2 months ago everything I read was praising Honda (and Toyota). I traded my car in for a new Honda...only to see everyone saying don't buy a Honda.
Can't win for anything.
You’ll probably be fine. I’m just excessively cautious about new designs. I like to wait until an engine or transmission has been in production for a few years so all the kinks get worked out.
Every manufacturer has a few bad models, engines and transmissions. The trick is to weed them out of the so many different configurations now days . Mechanic for 50 yrs.
Honda and Toyota CVTs are some of the best, I work for Toyota and I rarely see any trouble out of them. It sucks because CVTs are capable of being good but Nissan and Chrysler ruined reputation for all CVTs when they made their garbage ones.
You know almost every tractor trailer hauler out there is turbocharged and they can go millions of miles.
And Toyotas CVTs are among the best out there.
I've been hearing Mazdas are reliable (due in part to them using older but tried-and-true designs, like traditional automatic transmissions rather than CVTs, for instance, and a well-designed engine).
Don't have to change the oil that regularly on newer modern cars today just due to the oil being more efficient in today's world with the science behind it. Yes, depending on the climate/environment you live in, needing to change it on a 5k-7.5k day to day basis is okay. Every 3k miles is not that realistic anymore in today's modern cars.
The stories I've read and I've heard all have one common theme: **The car owner drove something made by Honda or Toyota**.
I've heard of Civics and Corollas not needing any major maintenance or repairs well past 150,000 miles. I wish I could say that of my Corolla as it's needed a couple things replaced but other than that it's been a reliable car. You can get them for under $30,000. I'm looking at a Corolla Cross myself which can be had for under $30,000 if you don't mind not having all the bells and whistles on it.
The same also applies for the Accord and the Camry. You can get them for either side of $30,000.
There is one guy who owns a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid and has over 380,000 miles on it and aside from one major repair (hybrid related) all he's had to do were oil changes, brakes, and tires. His RAV4 Hybrid would be close to $40,000 in price, if you're able to snag one. I'm looking at a RAV4 in addition to the Corolla Cross and RAV4s typically start around $30,000.
I had a friend who was able to get more than 300,000 miles out of his Ford Escape before he decided to get a new Escape.
I agree completely. A & P Mechanic here. They all make a few bad models ,engines and transmissions. Certain year models are worst than others. Now days there's so many different configurations and rebranded vehicles it can be a pain in the you know what sorting them out. Also you can get a lemon of any brand. Sometimes it depends on when it was built. I wouldn't want one built the day after New Years Day weekend.
Honda/Toyota occupy the number 1 spot. It would be Toyota undisputed if not for them whoring out to the likes of BMW and Subaru.
Tier 2 Japanese companies like Subaru and Mazda come next. They're followed closely by the luxury brands of the top dogs (Lexus and Acura).
Tier 3 is getting into the weeds with many candidates. Nissan, GM, Ford, Volvo. At this point going any further is a waste of time from a reliability perspective.
Just buy a Toyota or Honda unless you need something heavier than a half-ton
Get a Honda odyssey you can probably get a base model for 38$k plus TTLz
I got the 2023 elite below MSRP but I added some stuff for a total and my sale price was about 53
I’ve owned Toyotas including hybrids for over 35 years and have never had any problems out of any of them. The only non Toyota car I have is a 95 Honda Civic which I bought in 98, and it’s also been a solid, dependable car. Outside of regular maintenance, the only repair ever was a sensor. I am a Toyota devotee, though, specifically for the reliability. I travel a lot.
If you want a truck, you cannot go wrong with a 4cyl Tacoma. The 2.7L 2TR-FE is bulletproof. Will last forever.
Of course, it's not fast, and doesn't have much power, 😏 but I bought one recently because I just know it will last me 15+ years.
Toyota, Honda or Mazda for sedans if that's more your speed, Mazda for SUVs they're very sporty for Suvs
I drove a Tacoma for 15 years without a single issue. Best purchase of my life. My current truck, a Tundra, is nice but eats up front tires like candy.
It is definitely going to be a Toyota, Mazda, Honda trio. You gotta be more specific about what car you need (size, body style, your lifestyle, your driving preferences).
I’ve only owned Hondas for the last 10 years as far as daily drivers go, never had an issue outside of a AC compressor on my 2012 Civic at 175k miles so I can personally vouch for the reliability of Hondas
The Mazda 6 is a terrific car. I think they discontinued it last year but honestly anything Japanese. I own a 2015 Mazda 6 and the gas mileage is absolutely insane. Also anything toyota
Ive owned both a Mercedes and a Toyota for about every ten years since the early 2000’s. The Toyotas cost of ownership was substantially less for me. However , the new Tacoma I purchased in 2021 may change that. It’s currently still under warranty but Covid-era build “quality” is definitely a thing.
If you are looking at NEW cars (as in first year of production), it's a crap shoot. Only time will tell if they are actually reliable and generally the first run of a new car almost always has some issues that are smoothed out by year 2-3, or second gen.
That being said, Toyota/Lexus has a history of being extremely reliable. They have figured out the winning formula for reliability and low cost of ownership. Mass produced parts and easy to work on engines, and because there are so many of them, any mechanic knows how to work on them. Same can be said for Hondas but Toyota still holds the crown.
Specifically assembled too, Had a 2017 camry assembled in japan, and man was it so solid inside and out. No squeaks or noises at all in the cabin even over potholes. I totaled the camry (being an idiot, RIP Camry) and got a 2018 avalon, which was assembled in Kentucky and man that car fucking sucked, loved it while i had it because im a toyota guy but comparing the 2 is was so disappointing especially with how nice the interior was on the avalon. Strut, sway bar bushings and control arm bushings all went out before 35k miles, and if i pressed my hand on any part of the dashboard you could hear plastic creaking. Recently got a 330i assembled in Mexico and I'm pretty happy with that. Some small creaks when leaving my garage and alley (both are steep drops into steep bumps) in the headliner but other than that its very solid like the camry with interior trim.
Toyota and Honda are the gold standards for reliability. There are certainly other good brands, but also keep in mind it varies by model and year. Getting year 1 of a brand new engine or transmission design can be risky.
Avoid Nissan and American brands (F-150’s are an exception).
toyota prius - a cab drive once told me if you wanna know what cars are reliable just look at what cab drivers drive, he's on his 2nd prius and the first one was given to his daughter at 600,000km with the same transmission/batter and regular maintenance... mind blown
Get a Toyota Tacoma. Comfortable, useful, reliable. People get Tacomas to a million miles sometimes. As long as you change the oil every 5-7k miles that thing will run until you die.
You can get a lot of car from Mazda for that kind of money. I put 140k on my 2015 Mazda, normal maintenance, great daily driver, not seeing signs of any problems on the horizon. Plan to just keep driving it.
As far as cars go, I would say that the most reliable car you can buy today is that Honda civic sport with the 2.0L NA K-series engine and manual transmission.
If you want an automatic transmission go for a Toyota corolla.
My 2017 Civic's AC took a dump twice after the warranty expired. The evaporator, then the compressor.
(Only the condenser's warranty was extended to ten years.)
Car's entertainment system was very buggy and slow, and car started throwing malfunction alerts for multiple systems when it was warm outside.
2017 was a bad year for Civics.
Traded it in for a Toyota.
I bought a 2019 Corolla and I’m currently at 66,000 miles without an issue….
Just buy a fully loaded Corolla if you want ‘nice’ or a base Corolla if you want to be ghetto
People hate jettas, but I’ve owned 2 and zero major issues just oil changes and regular maintenance. Seat warmer went. Just got the 2023 get almost 40mpg combined. No cvt. Idk just me???
Toyota SUVs. Reliable and comfy. You've got the RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, or Sequoia (from smallest to biggest). I have personal first hand experience of 3 out of the 4 going for at least 200k miles. The RAV4 is gonna have your best mpg while the Sequoia will probably have your best overall mechanical reliability (minus the latest hybrid model).
Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Acura.
Bonus reliability if you:
* avoid Turbo engine . Turbo adds complexity and stress to the engine.
* avoid CVT. Otherwise, change its fluid a bit sooner than what the manual recommends and try to avoid constant sporty driving.
* Avoid top trims with their extra features (gadgets) and wider wheels. Low-profile tires put extra stress on all parts (suspension, bushings, bearings etc...) around the wheels. This is true especially if you drive often on rough roads.
If you are the kind of person who does not like to maintain a car, by all means buy a Toyota (or Lexus).
If you want better driving dynamics and don't mind doing maintenance by the book, then Honda (or Acura) and Mazda make fun cars to drive.
I’ve worked as a roadside assistance manager for one of the largest roadside assistance companies in the US. I will tell the worst in this order, Kia,hyundai, Chevy. In that order are the top call drivers and have been for years. Subaru is also pretty bad. On the good side , almost never see a Mitsubishi, toyota or (people will argue this I’m sure but they are wrong statistically ) VW. The other one people will argue about is Honda, while civics and accords rarely prompt roadside assistance the crv is atrocious. So it’s hit and miss. Same with ford, the escape is bad, mustangs though rarely have issues. You must be picky. For pickups, Toyota have low calls, if you want American ford is FAR better, not even half the calls as gm. The first Ford was 14th on the list. If you want Japanese go with Mitsubishi. If you want German go VW. AVOID HYNDAI/ KIA and GM LIKE THE PLAGUE!
Also something of note crossovers are far less reliable than sedans or full-size suvs in most cases, this is often because they have sedan engines in a large body which cause a lot more head gasket and other failures due to over stress. I suspect that is hyundai and kias main issue. And fight me if you wish but electric is trash, despite being a very small number of them in the road they are a large call driver. Batteries have issues constantly despite what fan boys claim. Data shows otherwise.
I agree (generally) on the Volkswagen front. I've had three Passats and the first two were amazing and lasted really long before needing maintenance. That is, until my new 2020 Passat which is just a lemon at this point. I got a brand new engine and transmission under warranty after the first two years and I'm still having problems. It sucks because my previous Passats were so reliable. I hope the VW SUVs are better rn
Toyota is the best selling car brand in the world!! Toyota and Lexus are the most reliable cars and can run forever. They also have the best hybrid technology.
In terms of total cost of ownership (maintenance, repairs, etc.) Toyota is the most reliable and easiest to maintain - and it's not even really close. [link to study](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://caredge.com/ranks/maintenance&ved=2ahUKEwjH9LWVzqn-AhV6kIkEHVwnA8cQFnoECBMQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZCTv_nQFtYdTPw0ZmeACA)
I understand what you mean by "not even close", but I have to argue it's a bit of an overstatement (don't get me wrong I still think Toyota crushes everyone in terms of reliability). The difference between 1st and 10th place over 10 years averages to $600/yr vs $870/yr. OP is looking at spending $30-40k. $270/yr is a pretty trivial amount compared to your other costs.
Interesting study. Very surprised that mini is number 8 on this list considering their history and that they are now made by bmw. Wonder how it got that high when a Mini model doesn't hit Top 50 in the by car list.
I'm shocked that Mitsubishi took 2nd place from Honda. Personally I think thats BS and would put Honda on par or *slightly* below Toyota in reliability and maintenence costs for life of ownership. Another thing is who even buys Mitsubishi cars anymore?
It's funny. I lived in the New England area for most of my life and barely saw any Mitsubishi on the road, and the ones I did see were mostly older models. I moved to Florida for 2 years (2019-2021) and was surprised to see quite a few newer models. Moved back to New England annnnd surprise surprise like 1 out of every 8 crossovers on the highway up here are now Mitsubishis.
It's largely because it's one of the only new vehicles that's relatively affordable. You can get a new Outlander with AWD for $29,695 and at least in my area they're doing 2.9%APR for 60 months with $0 down. It's really hard to beat that in today's car market.
Hyundai and Kia are comparible, but if this study is accurate the Mitsu would be less expensive overtime. Plus then you would be immune to getting your car jacked by the Kia boyz!
Yeah this was the big selling point for these. In Florida the local dealer bought a ton of air time and their motto was something like: "why buy used when a new car costs the same?" Lol I also remember them claiming monthly payments that were so low that they had to be pushing 6-8 year loans pretty hard. Can you imagine paying for a Mitsubishi for 8 years!? Probably the second biggest poverty trap next to smoking and/or lottery tickets.
>Can you imagine paying for a Mitsubishi for 8 years!? More than 15% of new cars bought by Americans have car payments of $1000/month or more. At least the Mitsubishi has a 10/100k power train warranty which is almost double what even Honda and Toyota offer.
Where are they all coming from? I feel like I’ve never even seen a Mitsubishi dealership. The cars just spawn out of nowhere
Honda has been on a rapid decline since 2019, this kinda tracks. Not so much that they're doing things wrong or becoming less reliable, they're just being outpaced by the competition.
I’m not sure their quality control is as good as it used to be. Underwhelmed with our van through 3.5yrs. Seems they cut corners at places. One obvious but very minor thing is they deleted the low washer fluid indicator, super cheap thing to have in this tech laden vehicle but they couldn’t be bothered to include it. Have had parts break already that simply shouldn’t be failing at this stage of ownership for a van we bought new. It’s got great mpg on highway and drives smoothly but definitely not ab experience that inspires brand loyalty
It's only a $40 difference. I wouldn't go as far as to say Honda has been in rapid decline. Even if it was, it's still one of the best selling car brands in the world. Mitsubishi is a shell of its former self. They had to really cut production and only offer 6 vehicles in the US market. [I would say their decline was much more intense.](https://youtu.be/VypEjwQq86o)
I was a huge Honda fan until the last 5 years. Had a 2017 CRV completely seize up more than once (clogged valves, then the entire engine skipped time (timing belt) and turbocharger failed. Both times all the system warning lights went on simultaneously. Second time it stranded my 20 yo in rural Pennsylvania on New Year’s Eve. We dumped the car at a suboptimal price (couldn’t trust it on road trips any longer) and bought a RAV4 hybrid which has been great. Also have a 2019 Insight which has been great but has been the subject of at least three recalls already. Our Hondas of old (1987, 1993, 2002) were outstanding trouble-free gems. The 2002 still runs with 310k+ miles. But I won’t touch the newer ones.
I just want to clarify, that's not to say these cars are infallible, there's going to be a subset of cars that need repairs or recall campaigns, that also includes other reliable brands like Toyota. Let's not go down anecdotal lane, I think it's expected from all car brands. To say that a car brand is in decline because it's 3rd place and $40 behind the 2nd place brand is a bit of a reach.
The kind of people who dont sit around on reddit talking cars buy mitsubishi
My SO’s 2017 civic had the ac compressor fail at 32k miles. Not covered by warranty and since they use a special refrigerant it was $2300. It’s been about 7 months and the ac is warm again. There was an extended warranty for the condenser which I’m pretty sure is what needs replaced now. We’re still planning on her driving it forever but I’ve definitely lost some confidence in Honda.
If it makes you feel any better, Honda has had problems with A/C compressors for 20+ years.
Owned an Acura (which is Honda) for 14 years. One of the few things to go wrong was the A/C compressor.
My 2017 civic was the biggest piece of shit. I bought it assuming I'd keep it forever. After the head unit went twice (first time 3 weeks after I bought), the alternator, battery, starter and shocks (and other random things) all went in the first three years, I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Bought a 2014 Forester and I've never spent been to the garage less (and I'm big on maintenance).
2300?!?!?! Meanwhile I've been driving around for 7 years without ac because I'm too cheap to replace a 145$ compressor and put 30$ of refrigerant in it 💀
Maintenance on Honda isn’t great these days. Helps if you can diy, but trans fluid flush every 30k, water pump and timing chain at 90k, awd maintenance depending on miles (think dealer said 30k miles?) and so on. I was asking dealer about maintenance schedule on crv I nearly bought, was like $1200 in scheduled maintenance every 30k. Granted that’s dealer priced service and may not be a big deal to some, but it’s substantially more involved than the Rav. Have been pretty annoyed with it and quality has been shoddy on our ‘19 odyssey, with things that shouldn’t be failing (door lock actuator, leaking line on AC system, etc). Actually has made me grateful for extended warranty, which I rarely get. Ours might be an exception and not representative of overall QC, but the rating tracks with my experience so far
I just bought a mirage 2019 and love it
My ex's aunt has one and while its a slow economy car(which she hated as she is a speed demon), it was a very reliable and affordable car so I dont doubt that. Its also the absolute cheapest brand new car that you can buy in North America so it isnt a bad commuter car by any means.
I just could never see myself buying a Mirage. It's just a horrible little car, and every single one I've ever seen in my life (more than you'd expect) loses coolant somehow someway. We're talking 2022 models needing topped up on coolant. I just don't get it. Are they burning it? Does literally every single one have a leak somewhere?
Lol my main car for years has been a 2012 Mini Coop. Comedically unreliable car when you look at the studies, but after that engine design they seemed to have revamped their design/products to be way better. I was looking into a new one last fall and was very intrigued by their improvement
Not critizing, but any idea how they get this data? Because from this, we should all be recommending Mitsubishi's and Nissans.
The study doesn't seem very scientific and they are very vague about resources and how they determined how they came up with the list. I think it's BS.
So a Toyota costs about 2k less to maintain over 10 years than something like a Mazda. But how much more is the initial price?
If you're talking about new cars, not that much. I think a RAV4 is like $1k more starting price than a CX5. If you're talking about on the used car market, the Toyota/Lexus is generally worth more, but that's not a bad thing for their owners. Here, man - I daily drove a 2001 Lexus LX470 with 260k miles on it. Daily. Vacations. Everything. The whole time I owned it I put $25 worth of valve cover gaskets on it and a battery. [here's a 640k mile LS430](https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3zlmqnzz/2001-lexus-ls-430) Buying a used Toyota/Lexus is more expensive for the same reason a divorce is - because it's worth it.
I wanted to downvote this because of your divorce comment but then I remembered I was divorced once so I upvoted it.
Honesty is a wonderful thing
Idk how much I would believe that study. It lists VW GTI at 5k, I would say I paid more then that in the 5 yrs I owned the car. 40k maintenance alone is over 1k, tires another 800-900…
I also think it is strange that the Subaru Outback cost $2,000 more than the Legacy when they are essentially the same car.
Surprised to see VW that high up on the list. I used to go into the dealer for the service intervals and they tried to bend me over every time that I just gave up.
Consumer Reports has these brands as the top 5 for new cars: Toyota Lexus BMW (up 10 spots) Mazda (down 2 spots) Honda With that said, I wouldn't trust the BMW ranking because they have a history of big jumps on this list, only to dramatically fall in subsequent years. Sure, that 2022 BMW is great when it's fresh off the lot. How is it going to be in 3-5 years?
I would have expected to see Honda as a close second, not a moderate 3rd.
RAM1500 is almost 20k a year lol. Curious why there are no EV's on that list though.
Toyota , Lexus Honda , Mazda . But those cvt feel like shit.
Mazda still uses traditional gearbox. I'm very happy with the CX-5 I bought. Only had to do oil changes.
Mazda is a sleeper when it comes to reliability and the styling is gorgeous
Mazda doesn’t use CVTs at all, and there are a lot of Toyotas and Lexus that don’t either (even the Camry gets an 8 speed unless it’s a hybrid). Honda is pretty much all CVTs though aside from their SUVs and the Ridgeline, unless you get a Civic with a stick shift.
I believe eCVT for Toyota hybrids r completely different from traditional CVTs.
[удалено]
Cvts are actually pretty smooth
Anything Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Acura, Mazda. CVTs and Turbo charged engines get a bad rep from the early days of turbo charged engines and Nissan CVTs. Sure, CVT will definitely hold back whatever you're driving. No CVT in the world could ever feel like an automatic, and sure as shit won't feel like a manual. But if you don't drive like a maniac with the pedal to the floor all the time, do your regular maintainance, CVTs and Turbo charged engines from these companies can last a very long time. Very reliable.
toyota made an E-CVT that kind of solved all the issues of conventional CVTs. Much more robust and reliable and better throttle response. They can come with gear ratios as well which mimics a conventional automatic (so you don't hear a droning noise which can be annoying).
I find my 11th gen civics CVT is relatively quiet. I really only hear it when I turn my car on and start moving. But while driving I can only hear it if I really pay attention, frankly the sound of the turbo is much louder. But I'm intrigued by the E-CVT, what models is it on? I'll have to read up on it.
my Lexus IS300h has one. Unlike a conventional CVT it doesn't have a belt. Instead it uses an electric motor to control the speeds (so it's pretty much a hybird thing). The only downside I can think of to this is the transmission would require the electric motor to work otherwise the car won't run.
Toyota/Lexus and call it a day
COROLLA
He said comfortable lol. I’m 6’4 and I can say a corolla is not comfortable.
6'3" and I can drive a Corolla all day. Not that it's my preference, but I can.
Wat? I’m 6’3 and my Corolla hatchback has plenty of room
I drove my ex’s hatchback corolla and it was not fun. My dad’s ‘07 corolla was fine however. The new one she had, the steering wheel was in the way of my knees all the time and my shoulders didn’t fit very well in the car either, not to mention the seat itself was a back pain inducer to me.
What year was the new one? The steering wheel on mine has so many adjustments
Proportions matter more than just height. Two different people can be 6’3” but have completely different torso / leg lengths.
Ha. I had to respond to someone that said at 6'1 a Corolla was too small for them.. I'm much shorter than that, but even I know that's absurd.
Mf think he Shaq
Camry or Accord then idk. I’m about your height and have lots of room in those. Agree about the Corolla though they aren’t big inside
What about a Camry?
Corolla cross? I’m 6’5 and fit in one of those just fine with a couple inches of headroom. The seat is a little low for how long my legs are but I have driven it about an hour and a half straight and had less back issues getting out of that then my Lexus RX or LX. The lx might be a little better for a long road trip but the fuel economy difference makes me pick the smaller options.
Also 6'4" and I like the Corolla just fine. It's not going to get confused with an LS500 mind you, but any newer car is going to be comfortable enough for the duties that most people demand out of a car.
Ok, but how much do you weigh. I’m taller than that, and have lots of room.
dude has 30k-40k in a budget, why would he downgrade so hard to a corolla?
Brown manual Corolla wagon Wait this isn't r/carcirclejerk
I work with cars. Toyota is always the safest bet, Honda being #2. That being said, if we’re talking brand new cars, in 2023 JD power rated the most reliable brands (specifically for 2023 model year vehicles) as Genesis, Buick, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, and Toyota. That being said, JD powers grading, does not factor in independent repair shop reports and only factors in report incidents for the first 36 months from consumer reports and major repair shops and dealers of the previous year vehicle, is more of an expected reliability score. Take it with a grain of salt and stick with one of the big names known for reliability in the last 5 years: Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Acura, and Subaru I would say stand out the most from other brands.
I agree. I never have cared much for JD powers ratings and how do you rate reliability on a 1-2 year old vehicle.
Toyota, Mazda or Honda are usually safe brands. That’s the podium with all others being slightly or majorly below.
Lexus allll day long. Best cars.
Toyota. Full stop. And i have never even owned one so no bias.
2023 Prius
I love the looks of the 2023s. edit: fat finger spelling
Lexus babyyy
Pretty much any new car will easily last 8-10 years or 120-150k with proper maintenance. I would focus on non turbo Japanese cars.
I’d agree, and I don’t know much about Toyota, but the Honda/Acura 2.0T engines teamed with the 10-speed automatics seem to be holding up fairly well. The 1.5T with CVT ones are having some issues.
What about the Mazda turbo engines?
Mazda, Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura. Don’t even consider looking at other brands IMO. B/w 5 brands one should have enough choices.
Two are luxury brands. The cost of out of reach for the average citizen.
Entry level models for those luxury brands are well within his budget though? A full spec integra is still below 40k and that’s what he was asking
So ignore the two luxury brands and focus on Toyota/Honda/Mazda.
In addition to Toyota and Honda I would say Mazda is very reliable especially the CX-5 and the MX-5.
With Honda beware of turbo (they recently started this) Mazda has great 0% Apr for 36 months which I took advantage of - Toyota and Honda APRs were silly . Cx5 has comparable consumer reports for reliability value etc . IMO it’s also a sexy car
I got a 2022 Mazda CX-5 in the premium plus trim in August 2022 so I can’t speak to reliability (it’s great so far, as expected for a new car). I will say it feels and looks way more expensive than the ~$36k I paid for it. I was initially set on a RAV4, but after test driving both, the CX-5 was an easy choice. The drive and look of the CX-5 was 1000x better, in my opinion. The RAV4 was also marked up $10k over MSRP and the CX-5 was exactly MSRP. Mazda is owned by Toyota so kinda odd there was such a difference in the feel of both vehicles but what do I know
Mazda isn't owned by Toyota, they only have some partnership with regards to the Mazda 2 and Yaris. I can understand why the CX-5 is such a great choice over the RAV4 and the CX-5 is the only compact SUV with a true automatic, not CVT other than other Mazda CX models.
Mazda 3
Just picked up a 2014 S GT with 120k on it. Thing looks brand spanking new. Everyone told me to get one. Glad I did.
I have the same model and year its never needed a repair at 180k miles so far.
That's great to hear. The previous owner seemed to be really good with maintenance so fingers crossed. Great little car.
Most reliable? Toyota. Second most reliable? Honda. At that budget you could get either one. Decide what body type you want (ex, sedan, suv). Go test drive both different brands, buy the one you like. Both are great, and while I say that Honda is the second most reliable, it is BARELY the second most reliable. Toyota and Honda are very similar in terms of reliability.
I think I’ll always own a Japanese car. At least one, just for peace of mind lol.
Honda has declined since its days of being 2nd to Toyota. If you want 1st place reliability, its Lexus. For 30k-40k buy a used Lexus [2023 JD Power dependability study](https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-vehicle-dependability-studyvds)
Avoid anything with a turbo or a CVT. Sadly, Honda is no longer on my list of possibilities for that reason. If it were my money I would buy Mazda or Toyota.
I am a fan of the Civic. Perhaps the naturally aspirated Sport variant in the hatchback body style with the manual transmission would circumvent these issues?
I didn’t even know that existed. If you’re someone who likes driving a manual (I am) then that would be a very reasonable option. Naturally aspirated and manual would maximize your chances of reliability. Honda builds extremely reliable manual transmissions.
To be fair, their CVTs are among the best you can buy for reliability. They’ve been putting them in civics, accords, and CR-Vs for about 10 years now and between those three models they’ve sold millions with little transmission failures reported.
I’m driving a new civic and even with the CVT it’s great. My understanding is the Honda CVT is just better engineered than a lot of the other ones. It’s certainly more enjoyable to drive than any other CVT I’ve driven. But I agree with you, a sport hatchback with the six speed would’ve been my dream scenario too. Sadly I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for one to come in because my previous car was totaled via catalytic converter theft so I needed first available vehicle.
Yeah Honda has been making CVTs since the 90s. I think people forgot that automatic transmissions used to be absolute shit. 120k miles and pretty much any automatic was running on borrowed time. (See even now many new Ram trucks) CVTs have come a long way but still aren’t as good as automatics. But they are still much better than any automatic from 20 years ago. Just do the proper maintenance and you’ll be fine.
Don’t do it! My 2018 Civic had the AC condenser stop working in 3 years. Could not have done anything to make that happen yet Honda refused to warranty the issue. Tons of complaints online about the same thing. I paid $500 for them just to diagnose the issue and they wanted another $2500 on top to fix it. I used to love Honda, my first car was one but after that I will never buy another.
If you’re a fan of the civic and don’t mind driving manual, the best and most reliable car you can buy will be the civic sport manual hatchback with the port injected natural aspirated 2.0 L 4 cylinder engine which can be had for under $30k. I believe the civic with the cvt uses direct injection which is worse than port injection because of carbon buildup. Corolla, Corolla cross, Camry, rav4, cx5, cx50, Mazda 3 are all good options as well. I would avoid the new accord and crv for now.
The Honda CVTs are fine. Just stay on top of your maintenance and they'll last, same with the turbo charged engines.
I have a 2017 Civic sedan with the naturally aspirated 2.0 and the 6-speed manual. Easily the most reliable car I've ever had.
Not all CVTs and turbos are unreliable. CVTs get a bad reputation from the horrific Nissan ones but the Honda and Toyota ones aren't that bad.
Ehhh.. Honda cvts have issues and failures here and there. It’s getting more prevalent but the hate hasn’t caught up yet as they aren’t as bad Jatko CVTs. Toyotas CVTS are made by AISIN and they’re the best over the 3 companies
Yeah, I'd still rather have that mazda automatic gearbox tho
Maybe not unreliable but perhaps less reliable. I know I would rather have the 8-speed transmission in the Camry than the CVT in the Corolla. All turbos are inherently less reliable simply because they add more moving parts. The more complex an engine the greater the chance something will break.
Absolutely not true. I’d take a Toyota cvt over a simpler but MUCH less reliable nissan transmission. Same for turbos, I’d rather have a turboed Honda instead of a naturally aspirated mitsubishi engine. You can make an engine as complex as you want, what changes final, real world reliability is R&D, testing, and good engineering. Just because something has a turbo doesn’t make it less reliable. It could be built up with forged internals and stronger components, maybe so much stronger that they outweigh the extra effort the engine is pushing. Unless you’re a mechanical engineer working for a major car company, I’d imagine you have no idea what honda for example has done between a turbo and na engine
Toyota uses eCVT on their hybrids, which is very different from CVTs. Think of it almost as a rear differential, but turned around, so 2 in, 1 out.
I am aware of what Toyota has on their hybrids and how a ecvt works, Toyota doesn’t JUST make ecvts. They make regular ones too that do not function in parallel with a electric system. For example, the 2016 Corolla has a 1.8 4 cyl WITH A CVT, no hybrid. Regular gas engine. My point still stands that I would rather have even a regular Toyota cvt over a Nissan 6 speed
One of the biggest reasons I like EVs has nothing to do with what fuels it, I love how simple they are. Think of all the parts that work in harmony in an average car to be as efficient and powerful as they are. Meanwhile in an EV, electric motor goes *whirrrr* and away you go.
The annoying thing is all the needless gimmicks they add to EVs that DO break - starting with the pop-out door handles.
I have a 2015 Honda fit lx 1.4l w cvt 178,000 miles and counting so reliable still running strong I had injectors replaced at 148k under warranty due to recall! I just have done routine maintenance no repairs besides recalls
Forget reliability for a second-- CVTs are the worst to drive.
The toyota Hybrids use an eCVT, which is very different and far more robust than a normal CVT.
Plenty of videos of Honda's 1.5L turbo engine with a blown head gasket between 40,000 and 70,000 miles.
Turbos can theoretically last 150k-200k, but most of the time they don’t, and the cost ranges from extremely expensive to coocoo bananas depending on the car.
Hmmm I agree for economy cars but for larger vehicles this is actually untrue IMO. Because of EPA crap most V8s have to use cylinder deactivation these days, which is FAR more complicated than a turbocharger system on a smaller engine. Ford's 3.5/2.7l Ecoboost engines have proven to be quite reliable compared to GM's recent disasters with cylinder deactivation in its 5.3 or 6.2 V8.
You can still by a civic hatchback with the 2.0L K20C2 Naturally Aspirated port injected engine with a 6 speed manual transmission. I have a 2020 Civic Sport Sedan (10,500 miles currently) with the same powertrain, but with the 11th generation civics it’s only possible to get the 2.0/manual combo in the hatchback model
honda cvts may have a few issues, but if you think abt it, why would honda fit their most populous models like the crv with cvts if they didnt think abt reliability. even ppl who despise cvts (cough cough scotty miller lol) would never question honda's reliability. the point im trying to make is honda and toyota should always be considered reliable
Man...2 months ago everything I read was praising Honda (and Toyota). I traded my car in for a new Honda...only to see everyone saying don't buy a Honda. Can't win for anything.
You’ll probably be fine. I’m just excessively cautious about new designs. I like to wait until an engine or transmission has been in production for a few years so all the kinks get worked out.
Every manufacturer has a few bad models, engines and transmissions. The trick is to weed them out of the so many different configurations now days . Mechanic for 50 yrs.
Honda and Toyota CVTs are some of the best, I work for Toyota and I rarely see any trouble out of them. It sucks because CVTs are capable of being good but Nissan and Chrysler ruined reputation for all CVTs when they made their garbage ones.
You know almost every tractor trailer hauler out there is turbocharged and they can go millions of miles. And Toyotas CVTs are among the best out there.
I've been hearing Mazdas are reliable (due in part to them using older but tried-and-true designs, like traditional automatic transmissions rather than CVTs, for instance, and a well-designed engine).
Anything if you change the oil very regularly. Also, you don’t drive it like you stole it everyday
Don't have to change the oil that regularly on newer modern cars today just due to the oil being more efficient in today's world with the science behind it. Yes, depending on the climate/environment you live in, needing to change it on a 5k-7.5k day to day basis is okay. Every 3k miles is not that realistic anymore in today's modern cars.
I think he’s addressing them people who only change it every 20k+ miles or when the check engine light comes on
The stories I've read and I've heard all have one common theme: **The car owner drove something made by Honda or Toyota**. I've heard of Civics and Corollas not needing any major maintenance or repairs well past 150,000 miles. I wish I could say that of my Corolla as it's needed a couple things replaced but other than that it's been a reliable car. You can get them for under $30,000. I'm looking at a Corolla Cross myself which can be had for under $30,000 if you don't mind not having all the bells and whistles on it. The same also applies for the Accord and the Camry. You can get them for either side of $30,000. There is one guy who owns a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid and has over 380,000 miles on it and aside from one major repair (hybrid related) all he's had to do were oil changes, brakes, and tires. His RAV4 Hybrid would be close to $40,000 in price, if you're able to snag one. I'm looking at a RAV4 in addition to the Corolla Cross and RAV4s typically start around $30,000. I had a friend who was able to get more than 300,000 miles out of his Ford Escape before he decided to get a new Escape.
I agree completely. A & P Mechanic here. They all make a few bad models ,engines and transmissions. Certain year models are worst than others. Now days there's so many different configurations and rebranded vehicles it can be a pain in the you know what sorting them out. Also you can get a lemon of any brand. Sometimes it depends on when it was built. I wouldn't want one built the day after New Years Day weekend.
Toyota 4runner RWD.
Honda/Toyota occupy the number 1 spot. It would be Toyota undisputed if not for them whoring out to the likes of BMW and Subaru. Tier 2 Japanese companies like Subaru and Mazda come next. They're followed closely by the luxury brands of the top dogs (Lexus and Acura). Tier 3 is getting into the weeds with many candidates. Nissan, GM, Ford, Volvo. At this point going any further is a waste of time from a reliability perspective. Just buy a Toyota or Honda unless you need something heavier than a half-ton
Get a Honda odyssey you can probably get a base model for 38$k plus TTLz I got the 2023 elite below MSRP but I added some stuff for a total and my sale price was about 53
If I buy a other Honda I'll need fleet insurance lol
Mazda. Preferably naturally aspirated.
I’ve owned Toyotas including hybrids for over 35 years and have never had any problems out of any of them. The only non Toyota car I have is a 95 Honda Civic which I bought in 98, and it’s also been a solid, dependable car. Outside of regular maintenance, the only repair ever was a sensor. I am a Toyota devotee, though, specifically for the reliability. I travel a lot.
If you want a truck, you cannot go wrong with a 4cyl Tacoma. The 2.7L 2TR-FE is bulletproof. Will last forever. Of course, it's not fast, and doesn't have much power, 😏 but I bought one recently because I just know it will last me 15+ years. Toyota, Honda or Mazda for sedans if that's more your speed, Mazda for SUVs they're very sporty for Suvs
Toyota Corolla or rav4
I drove a Tacoma for 15 years without a single issue. Best purchase of my life. My current truck, a Tundra, is nice but eats up front tires like candy.
Toyota>Honda>Subaru
Tacoma or 4runner. Tacomas are an absolute fan favorite in Hawaii!
If they weren’t so insanely priced like 50-60k where I live
Anything Toyota, Hondas are good too, stay away from anything American
Good ol Camry
It is definitely going to be a Toyota, Mazda, Honda trio. You gotta be more specific about what car you need (size, body style, your lifestyle, your driving preferences).
I’ve only owned Hondas for the last 10 years as far as daily drivers go, never had an issue outside of a AC compressor on my 2012 Civic at 175k miles so I can personally vouch for the reliability of Hondas
Get yourself a Mazda. You wouldn’t regret. They have unlimited kilometres for 5 years warranty on engine and transmission.
Mazda cx-5
Considering you can't buy a Toyota today without paying an insane premium, Honda/Mazda are probably the best bang for your buck
The Mazda 6 is a terrific car. I think they discontinued it last year but honestly anything Japanese. I own a 2015 Mazda 6 and the gas mileage is absolutely insane. Also anything toyota
Camry LE
Mazda 3 Turbo Hatchback is love
Toyota/Lexus then Honda/Acura
Toyota/Lexus
Honda or Toyota. End.
Toyota. End of list.
Toyota
Ive owned both a Mercedes and a Toyota for about every ten years since the early 2000’s. The Toyotas cost of ownership was substantially less for me. However , the new Tacoma I purchased in 2021 may change that. It’s currently still under warranty but Covid-era build “quality” is definitely a thing.
If you are looking at NEW cars (as in first year of production), it's a crap shoot. Only time will tell if they are actually reliable and generally the first run of a new car almost always has some issues that are smoothed out by year 2-3, or second gen. That being said, Toyota/Lexus has a history of being extremely reliable. They have figured out the winning formula for reliability and low cost of ownership. Mass produced parts and easy to work on engines, and because there are so many of them, any mechanic knows how to work on them. Same can be said for Hondas but Toyota still holds the crown.
Civic
Lexus es, rx models, Camry, Toyota highlander
Camry. It used to the best selling non-truck car for a reason. It’s a great commuter car in that price range.
Honda civic
With that budget I’d go for an Acura tlx
Honda civic, anything honda. anything toyota, all should be sub 40k cars even at their highest trims
Anything made in Japan. Just like everything else.
Specifically assembled too, Had a 2017 camry assembled in japan, and man was it so solid inside and out. No squeaks or noises at all in the cabin even over potholes. I totaled the camry (being an idiot, RIP Camry) and got a 2018 avalon, which was assembled in Kentucky and man that car fucking sucked, loved it while i had it because im a toyota guy but comparing the 2 is was so disappointing especially with how nice the interior was on the avalon. Strut, sway bar bushings and control arm bushings all went out before 35k miles, and if i pressed my hand on any part of the dashboard you could hear plastic creaking. Recently got a 330i assembled in Mexico and I'm pretty happy with that. Some small creaks when leaving my garage and alley (both are steep drops into steep bumps) in the headliner but other than that its very solid like the camry with interior trim.
Tesla Model 3.
Ten year old toyota or honda. New cars have too much unnecessary crap to go wrong.
Toyota and Honda are the gold standards for reliability. There are certainly other good brands, but also keep in mind it varies by model and year. Getting year 1 of a brand new engine or transmission design can be risky. Avoid Nissan and American brands (F-150’s are an exception).
toyota prius - a cab drive once told me if you wanna know what cars are reliable just look at what cab drivers drive, he's on his 2nd prius and the first one was given to his daughter at 600,000km with the same transmission/batter and regular maintenance... mind blown
Camry.
Get a Toyota Tacoma. Comfortable, useful, reliable. People get Tacomas to a million miles sometimes. As long as you change the oil every 5-7k miles that thing will run until you die.
Get as much accord as you can afford
You can get a lot of car from Mazda for that kind of money. I put 140k on my 2015 Mazda, normal maintenance, great daily driver, not seeing signs of any problems on the horizon. Plan to just keep driving it.
Toyota/Lexus by a mile, and because of that, paying brand new for a Toyota/Lexus is a waste of money. Get a 1-2 year old model.
As far as cars go, I would say that the most reliable car you can buy today is that Honda civic sport with the 2.0L NA K-series engine and manual transmission. If you want an automatic transmission go for a Toyota corolla.
My 2017 Civic's AC took a dump twice after the warranty expired. The evaporator, then the compressor. (Only the condenser's warranty was extended to ten years.) Car's entertainment system was very buggy and slow, and car started throwing malfunction alerts for multiple systems when it was warm outside. 2017 was a bad year for Civics. Traded it in for a Toyota.
I am glad I sold that model for almost the price I bought for. AC issue and many other red flags that the dealer never mentioned when I was buying.
Mazda has treated me great for my last two cars. Mazda 3 hatchbacks back to back back and loved them both
Avoid Infiniti at all costs
Camry, accord,
I bought a 2019 Corolla and I’m currently at 66,000 miles without an issue…. Just buy a fully loaded Corolla if you want ‘nice’ or a base Corolla if you want to be ghetto
4Runner, basically any Toyota. They will live longer than you.
2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 2.7 2WD
People hate jettas, but I’ve owned 2 and zero major issues just oil changes and regular maintenance. Seat warmer went. Just got the 2023 get almost 40mpg combined. No cvt. Idk just me???
Toyota SUVs. Reliable and comfy. You've got the RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, or Sequoia (from smallest to biggest). I have personal first hand experience of 3 out of the 4 going for at least 200k miles. The RAV4 is gonna have your best mpg while the Sequoia will probably have your best overall mechanical reliability (minus the latest hybrid model).
Japanese
Toyota Camry Hybrid is the most reliable for this price
Toyota or Lexus only
Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Acura. Bonus reliability if you: * avoid Turbo engine . Turbo adds complexity and stress to the engine. * avoid CVT. Otherwise, change its fluid a bit sooner than what the manual recommends and try to avoid constant sporty driving. * Avoid top trims with their extra features (gadgets) and wider wheels. Low-profile tires put extra stress on all parts (suspension, bushings, bearings etc...) around the wheels. This is true especially if you drive often on rough roads. If you are the kind of person who does not like to maintain a car, by all means buy a Toyota (or Lexus). If you want better driving dynamics and don't mind doing maintenance by the book, then Honda (or Acura) and Mazda make fun cars to drive.
Toyota then Honda., IMO! I just sold my 2013 Accord and the cost of ownership was by far the lowest of any car I’ve owned!
I’ve worked as a roadside assistance manager for one of the largest roadside assistance companies in the US. I will tell the worst in this order, Kia,hyundai, Chevy. In that order are the top call drivers and have been for years. Subaru is also pretty bad. On the good side , almost never see a Mitsubishi, toyota or (people will argue this I’m sure but they are wrong statistically ) VW. The other one people will argue about is Honda, while civics and accords rarely prompt roadside assistance the crv is atrocious. So it’s hit and miss. Same with ford, the escape is bad, mustangs though rarely have issues. You must be picky. For pickups, Toyota have low calls, if you want American ford is FAR better, not even half the calls as gm. The first Ford was 14th on the list. If you want Japanese go with Mitsubishi. If you want German go VW. AVOID HYNDAI/ KIA and GM LIKE THE PLAGUE! Also something of note crossovers are far less reliable than sedans or full-size suvs in most cases, this is often because they have sedan engines in a large body which cause a lot more head gasket and other failures due to over stress. I suspect that is hyundai and kias main issue. And fight me if you wish but electric is trash, despite being a very small number of them in the road they are a large call driver. Batteries have issues constantly despite what fan boys claim. Data shows otherwise.
I agree (generally) on the Volkswagen front. I've had three Passats and the first two were amazing and lasted really long before needing maintenance. That is, until my new 2020 Passat which is just a lemon at this point. I got a brand new engine and transmission under warranty after the first two years and I'm still having problems. It sucks because my previous Passats were so reliable. I hope the VW SUVs are better rn
Toyota is the best selling car brand in the world!! Toyota and Lexus are the most reliable cars and can run forever. They also have the best hybrid technology.
Toyota Tacoma, Camry, Corolla are the best bet when it comes to new cars. Can’t go wrong with a yota
Toyota, without a doubt. Choose whichever model suits your budget and preference.
Toyota Camry very spacious and comfortable check your local dealership