We know that a car’s reliability is measured by how well it runs until it starts to wear down. Consumer Reports gathers data from various vehicle owners and applies scores to each model, rating how reliable a car is in relation to others. Each year they release a list of the most reliable brands. Here, we’ll look at the top five from this year’s report.
1. Lexus
Lexus RC 350 F Sport on display | Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images
Lexus slid into the number one spot for the most reliable brand on the Consumer Reports list. The Lexus GX received a score of 100 out of 100 possible points. The RX model comes in under the GX, which managed a 76 out of 100 score. The two models that bring up the rear for the brand are the Lexus ES and UX. With 68 points, the ES isn’t too far from the RX’s score. The UX model comes in last with a decent rating of 60.
The Lexus GX has been relatively problem-free. According to the data Consumer Reports gathered, the SUV had some issues with the engine, brakes, and fuel system in the first few years. However, most of them appear to have been resolved.
2. Mazda
According to Consumer Reports, Mazda slipped down to the second spot this year. Three of its models had scores that fell in the 80 to 88 range. The one with the highest reliability score is the MX-5 Miata. The CX-5 and CX-9 SUVs are only a few points behind.
The Mazda CX-30 falls behind, but it still earned a score of 76, which isn’t far behind the CX-5. The worst one on the list is the Mazda3 compact sedan. It only received a 46 point rating due to its problems in the last couple of years, including in-car electronics.
3. Toyota
With Toyota’s world-renowned reliability, your investment today buys you freedom for the long road ahead. https://t.co/dzeweuuuyt pic.twitter.com/GP6yMd5BeD
— Local Toyota Dealers (@SoutheastToyota) June 24, 2020
Toyota slid down to the third spot this year with an overall score of 71 out of 100. The most reliable models for the brand were its hybrid models, the Prius, Prius Prime, and Venza. The Toyota Highlander and RAV4 Prime SUVs were also highly rated by Consumer Reports.
The Corolla, 4Runner, Camry, and Avalon models came away with average scores that ranged from 66 to 75. The four Toyota models that received the worst ratings were the Sienna minivan, the Tacoma midsize truck, the RAV4 compact SUV, and the Corolla Hatchback. According to the Consumer Reports list, the Corolla Hatchback, with its poor reliability rating of only 27, earned Toyota the third spot instead of the second.
4. Infiniti
Only two models were examined for the Infiniti brand, which might have helped it place so high. These were the Infiniti Q50 compact executive car and the Infiniti QX50 luxury compact SUV. What helped this brand move up six spots from last year was the improvements made to the QX50. Additionally, the Q50 continued to score pretty high in reliability ratings.
For the Infiniti QX50 model, brake problems frustrated owners in 2017, but adjustments were made, improving for the 2019 model year. Meanwhile, the Infiniti Q50 saw some issues in the first models launched with its brakes and in-car electronics. However, it had rebounded by its 2017 model.
5. Buick
The Buick brand earned an overall score of 66 out of 100 this year. Consumer Reports examined four models from the brand, which were the Encore, Encore GX, Envision, and Enclave. Buick’s two strongest models were the Encore subcompact SUV and the Envision compact SUV, which received reliability scores in the 83 to 90 range.
The Buick Encore GX and the Enclave earned the poorest ratings, ranging from 25 to 68. The Buick Enclave dragged the brand down to the fifth spot from the previous year’s fourth. This midsize SUV model has been around since 2008 and has been plagued with quite a few problems. Some of those issues included the transmission, fuel system, drive system, exhaust, suspension, and in-car electronics.
This year, Lexus made an impressive leap from the third spot to the first with its excellent reliability scores. Meanwhile, Infiniti jumped from the eleventh to the fourth due to its improvements, and Mazda, Toyota, and Buick all dropped to lower spots from last year. The Consumer Reports list covers 28 spots, but we touched base on the top five to show you the most reliable brands.
Keyword: 5 Most Reliable Car Brands According to Consumer Reports