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Most Reliable New Models by Segment
November 8, 2012
Reliability is one of the most important decision factors for car shoppers. That's why Consumer Report's annual reliability survey gets so much attention.
This week, CR released details on individual models with the best and worst predicted reliability. Below you'll find 3 data tables covering the Best and Worst models by Category, Best and Worst models by brand, and Vehicle segments with the best reliability.
Although this information is useful, I recommend taking it with a grain of salt. These days, new vehicles are generally reliable no matter which brand or model you go with. The differences between the best and worst models have been shrinking each year, so use this information as simply one factor in your consideration list, not your only factor.
It's important you test drive several different vehicles and see which ones suit your tastes best. Use the RydeShopper to get the best deals when you're ready to buy.
Best and Worst Models by Category
| Most reliable | Least reliable |
|---|---|
| Small sedan/hatchbacks | |
| Toyota Prius C | Ford Focus Hatchback |
| Scion xD | Volkswagen Jetta Sedan (4-cyl.) |
| Honda Fit | Ford Focus Sedan |
| Subaru Impreza Sedan | Nissan Versa Sedan |
| Mazda3 | |
| Toyota Matrix | |
| Nissan Leaf | |
| Subaru Impreza (hatch) | |
| Mini Cooper Clubman | |
| Toyota Corolla | |
| Family cars | |
| Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid | Hyundai Sonata (turbo) |
| Toyota Prius | Hyundai Sonata Hybrid |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | Chrysler 200 Sedan |
| Toyota Camry (4-cyl.)* | |
| Upscale/luxury cars | |
| BMW 328i | Jaguar XF |
| Lexus CT 200h | Jaguar XJ |
| Lexus IS Sedan (RWD) | Dodge Charger |
| Audi A7 | Chrysler 300 (V8) |
| Infiniti G Sedan | Ford Taurus SHO |
| BMW 7 Series | |
| Buick LaCrosse (V6) | |
| Buick Verano | |
| Sporty cars/coupes & convertibles | |
| Lexus IS Convertible | Volvo C70 |
| Honda CR-Z | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Cadillac CTS Coupe | Mini Cooper S |
| Infiniti G Convertible | |
| Wagons/minivans | |
| Scion xB | Chrysler Town & Country |
| Toyota Venza (4-cyl.) | Dodge Grand Caravan |
| Mazda5 | |
| Subaru Outback (4-cyl.) | |
| Toyota Sienna (FWD) | |
| Small/compact sporty SUVs | |
| Mazda CX-5 | Mini Cooper Countryman |
| Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.) | BMW X3 (6-cyl., turbo) |
| Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | |
| Toyota RAV4 (V6) | |
| Subaru Forester (turbo) | |
| Kia Sportage | |
| Honda CR-V | |
| Midsized SUVs | |
| Toyota FJ Cruiser | Ford Explorer (V6) |
| Toyota Highlander (V6) | Ford Edge |
| Toyota 4Runner (V6) | Dodge Journey |
| Toyota Highlander (4-cyl.) | |
| Mazda CX-9 | |
| Luxury/large SUVs | |
| Lexus RX | Lincoln MKX |
| Lexus RX Hybrid | Lincoln MKT |
| Toyota Sequoia | Ford Flex (EcoBoost) |
| Nissan Armada | |
| Volkswagen Tourareg | |
| Pickup trucks | |
| Toyota Tundra (V8, 2WD) | Ram 2500 (turbodiesel) |
| Toyota Tacoma (4-cyl., 2WD) | Ford F-250 |
| Ford F-250 (turbodiesel) | |
Best and Worst Models by Brand
| Brand | Best model | Worst model |
|---|---|---|
| Acura | Acura TSX | Acura MDX |
| Audi | A7 | S4 |
| BMW | 328i | 7 Series |
| Buick | Enclave | LaCrosse (V6) |
| Cadillac | CTS Coupe | SRX |
| Chevrolet | Volt | Corvette |
| Chrysler | 300 (V6) | 300 (V8) |
| Dodge | Durango (V6) | Charger |
| Ford | F-150 (V6) | Explorer (V6, 4WD) |
| GMC | Terrain (V6) | Sierra 2500 (turbodiesel) |
| Honda | Fit | Odyssey |
| Hyundai | Hyundai Veloster | Hyundai Sonata (turbo) |
| Infiniti | G Sedan | G Convertible |
| Jaguar | Jaguar XJ | Jaguar XF |
| Jeep | Patriot | Wrangler (4-door) |
| Kia | Sportage | Sorento (V6) |
| Lexus | CT 200h | GX |
| Lincoln | Lincoln MKS | Lincoln MKX |
| Mazda | CX-5 | 3 (SkyActive) |
| Mercedes-Benz | E-Class (V6) | E-Class convertible |
| Mini | Cooper Clubman | Cooper Countryman |
| Nissan | Leaf | Armada |
| Ram | 1500 (V8) | 2500 (turbodiesel) |
| Scion | xD | xB |
| Subaru | Impreza Sedan | Legacy (6-cyl.) |
| Toyota | Prius C | Sienna (AWD) |
| Volkswagen | Jetta SportWagen (5-cyl.) | Jetta (4-cyl.) |
| Volvo | XC70 | C70 |
Most Reliable Vehicle Segments
| Car type | Average predicted reliability score |
|---|---|
| Fuel-efficient hatchbacks | 50 |
| Wagons | 37 |
| Compact sports sedans | 25 |
| Compact pickups | 25 |
| Small SUVs | 24 |
| Small hatchbacks | 24 |
| Family cars | 14 |
| Coupes & convertibles | 4 |
| Small cars | 2 |
| Upscale compact SUVs | -1 |
| Full-sized pickups | -7 |
| Luxury cars | -7 |
| Large SUVs | -10 |
| Midsized SUVs | -11 |
| Sporty cars | -13 |
| Luxury SUVs | -16 |
| Minivans | -21 |
| Upscale cars | -26 |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Select Vehicle to Get Local Pricing
Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
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- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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