Most and Least Reliable New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
Buying a new car is one of the most expensive purchases most people will make in their lifetime.
Needless to say, when buying a new car, you’ll want to purchase the most dependable and reliable vehicle you can get for the money.
To help with your research, Consumer Reports recently published their updated auto reliability survey. You can use this information to see which new cars have been giving people problems and which have not. This information will help increase your chances of not buying a vehicle that will end up costing you a small fortune during ownership.
Biggest Complaint About New Car Reliability
Infotainment systems that bundle hands-free-communications, navigation, audio and their display screens is the number one area of complaints according to Consumer Reports. The main complaint is not that these systems break or fail, it’s when they’re not performed right by the consumer and cause frustration and aggravation to the user.
Best and Worst Reliability Ratings by Brand
The most reliable vehicle brand on the market is Toyota’s luxury line Lexus. Toyota came in second place and Audi, Mazda and Subaru rounded out the top five. Out of the twenty eight brands, foreign automakers held seven of the top ten spots. You can see where all the automakers ranked below.
Auto Brand Reliability Ratings
Best and Worse New Car Models Available
Below you’ll find the new car models that received the highest and lowest ratings for reliability. Many of the vehicles on the “Best List” also performed well with Consumer Reports individual testing, These vehicles have an asterisk beside them. Keep in mind that even though a vehicle is on the most reliable list, doesn’t mean Consumer Reports recommends them as a company. See all the vehicles below.
Most Reliable New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
| NEW CAR MAKE AND MODEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subaru Impreza* | Toyota Corolla* | Toyota Prius C |
| Nissan Vera Note* | Lexus IS | Kia Sorento* |
| Toyota Prius* | Audi A4 | Toyota 4Runner |
| Toyota Prius V* | Lexus ES* | Nissan Murano* |
| Toyota Camry* | Lexus GS* | Toyota Highlander* |
| Honda Accord* | Lexus LS* | Toyota Sequoia |
| Mazda Mazda6 | BMW 2 Series* | Ford Expedition |
| Hyundai Sonata* | Audi Allroad* | Audi Q3* |
| Subaru Legacy* | Toyota Sienna* | Lexus NX* |
| Toyota Avalon* | Subaru Outback* | Buick Encore |
| Hyundai Azera* | Kia Sportage | Lexus GX* |
| Kia Cadenza* | Toyota RAV4 | Toyota Tundra |
| Lexus CT 200h | Subaru XV Crosstrek | |
Source: Consumer Reports
Least Reliable New Cars for 2015
| NEW CAR MAKE AND MODEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| FIAT 500L500 | Ford Fiesta | Ford Focus |
| Dodge Dart | Nissan Sentra | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Volkswagen Golf | BMW i3 | Chrysler 200 |
| Nissan Altima | Chrysler 300 | Dodge Charger |
| Cadillac ATS | Acura TLX | Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | Acura RLX |
| Chevrolet Corvette | Dodge Challenger | Hyundai Genesis Coupe |
| Ford Mustang | Volvo V60 | Jeep Cherokee |
| Nissan Pathfinder | Dodge Journey | Jeep Grand Cherokee |
| Chevrolet Suburban | GMC Yukon XL | Chevrolet Tahoe |
| GMC Yukon | Lincoln MKC | Cadillac Escalade |
| Infiniti QX60 | Mercedes-Benz GL-Class | Ram 2500 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | GMC Canyon | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 |
| CMC Sierra 1500 | ||
Source: Consumer Reports
Click here to see the full results from the Consumer Reports survey.
Before Going Heading to the Dealership
When negotiating a new car’s price, it’s important to know the dealer invoice price and what other people are paying for the same vehicle in your local area. Otherwise, you won’t know what’s a good price to pay for the vehicle. I highly recommend using an online referral service such as Ryde Shopper or Motor Trend, their quotes will automatically include any discounts or cash-back incentives currently available in the marketplace.
