Japanese brands, such as Toyota and Honda, are often assumed to be the most reliable in today’s automotive market. Reliability is a core part of their brand identity, and their reputation has been built over the course of decades, meaning millions of consumers in the US and beyond trust these brands to deliver sturdy, long-lasting vehicles.Both Toyota and Honda have, however, been overtaken by an American brand in terms of reliability, one you might not necessarily expect. A recently released study by JD Power has revealed that, in the mass-market automotive sector, Buick earned the top spot when it comes to reliability. The study was fielded from August through November 2024. Let’s take a look at Buick’s lineup, its history, and what else we learned from the study’s findings. Buick: An Overview Of An Underrated American Brand Buick Buick is one of the oldest automakers in the world, nearly as old as the car itself. It also holds the title of oldest American car manufacturer still operating today. The brand was founded in 1899, as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company. It started out building small-scale companies before introducing mass-production models a few years later. The first Buick car produced on a large scale was the Model B, which made its debut in 1904.In 1908, Buick was acquired by General Motors. Over the course of the next couple of decades, the brand grew rapidly under the GM umbrella, especially during the post-war period which saw several new Buick models hitting the market.Bring A Trailer As the 20th century drew to a close, however, Buick began to lose its place in the American automotive landscape. Its brand image no longer appealed to young customers as much, and other GM marques began to encroach on its share of the market. Although it did not end up on the chopping block like other GM brands such as Pontiac, instead managing to retain a small spot in the conglomerate, today Buick offers a far smaller lineup than it did in decades past. Buick's Lineup For 2026 Buick is a much smaller brand than it used to be. While it previously occupied a place at the center of America’s automotive industry, today it has shrunk to a more marginal spot in the GM family. The current lineup includes just four vehicles: the Envista, the Encore GX, the Envision, and the Enclave. Let’s take a closer look at Buick’s current offering. The Envista BuickThis compact crossover made its debut in 2022, and has been on sale since the 2024 model year. Its design is sleek and modern, with a fastback silhouette and narrow headlights. The Envista shares a platform with another GM model, the Chevrolet Trax. The version of the Envista sold in North America also shares the Trax’s engine: a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder unit, which produces 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels. Encore GX BuickThe Encore GX is a subcompact crossover released for the 2020 model year. It was launched as a larger sibling for the sub-compact Encore, which was later discontinued in 2022.The engine lineup for the Encore GX includes two options: the first is a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, which produces 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with a CVT sending power to the front wheels. The second is a 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, producing 155 hp and 174 lb-ft. This engine can be paired with two choices of transmission: a CVT sending power to the front wheels, or a 9-speed automatic sending power to all four wheels. Envision BuickThe Envision is a compact crossover introduced in 2014, and launched on the market for the 2016 model year. Like the Envista, it was first introduced in China before making its way to the North American market.For the model’s first generation, a choice of two powertrains was available for American customers: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, which produced 252 hp, and a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four, which produced 197 hp. Transmission options varied over the years, but included a six-speed and nine-speed automatic as well as a seven-speed dual-clutch unit. Enclave Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/ValnetThe Enclave is a three-row full-size crossover SUV, first previewed in concept form in 2006 and sold as a production model since the 2008 model year. Its first two generations had the same type of engine on board: a 3.6-liter V6, which produced between 275 and 310 hp depending on model year. In the first generation, the engine was paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, while in the second it was paired with a nine-speed automatic.The third generation, released for the 2025 model year, switched to a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine produces 328 hp and 326 lb-ft of torque. What Else Does The Vehicle Dependability Study Tell Us? 1a Auto/YouTube The brand ranking is only one small part of JD Power’s US Vehicle Dependability Study, which offers a comprehensive picture of automotive reliability in America today. Although we may be inclined to believe vehicles’ reliability gets, on average, better every year, not all of the study’s findings are, in fact, positive.The rapid acceleration of technology has meant today’s cars are equipped with a growing number of increasingly complex systems. This increases the chances of something going wrong: the average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles has actually gone up by two compared to last year (202 rather than 200). This is also the highest number recorded since 2022, when the study was first released in its current format.One of the major problem areas is over-the-air software updates, which have become increasingly popular across all types of vehicles in recent years. The need to keep infotainment systems updated and secure has led to automakers implementing OTA updates; they have, however, had fewer benefits than intended and led to an increase in problems.Kia Mobile phone integration tech (such as Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and wireless charging) has also been identified as a major source of issues, as have hybrid powertrains. Plug-in hybrid vehicles are statistically the most problematic when it comes to reliability, followed by battery electric vehicles, non-plug-in hybrids, and combustion-only vehicles.The difference between premium and mass market vehicles has also become more pronounced over time. Contrary to what you might expect, premium vehicles are actually overall less reliable according to the study, although there are some areas where they still have an edge. In terms of powertrain and seats, premium vehicles come out on top, but when it comes to things like controls, tech, and displays, premium vehicles have lower reliability. The Runners-Up: Mini And Chevrolet While in the ranking for premium brands, Lexus got the top spot, in the ranking for mass-market brands there were no Asian automakers on the podium. Buick was instead followed by Mini, in second place, and Chevrolet, in third. Mini MINIThis brand has gone through several changes in identity over the years. The Mini name was first used for the iconic model closely associated with 1960s British pop culture. After being produced under several different brands, the original Mini went out of production at the turn of the millennium. The name was revived shortly afterwards for a new brand owned by the BMW Group. Today, Mini produces models including the Cooper, Countryman, and Aceman. Chevrolet ChevroletAnother GM brand, with a much larger place in the family than Buick, Chevrolet is one of the most famous and popular American automakers. Founded in 1911, Chevrolet became one of the biggest members of the GM family over the course of the next few decades. The brand hit a peak during the mid-century period, introducing several highly popular and famous models such as the Corvette and the Camaro. Today, Chevrolet has a presence in most automotive markets around the world, and offers a large lineup of vehicles including SUVs, crossovers, sports cars, and pickup trucks.Sources: JD Power, Buick
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