What the most reliable car sold in the U.S.?
I'm talking in "long term" reliablity not 90 day J.D. Power's initial quality surveys.
I'm talking in "long term" reliablity not 90 day J.D. Power's initial quality surveys.
What's the most reliable car sold in the US?
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probably some kind of honda or toyota.
Probably anything made in Japan. From my own experience, Nissans have been excellent.
[ July 23, 2004, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: Frank D ]
[ July 23, 2004, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: Frank D ]
Well, JD Powers 3-Year dependability study consistenly ranks Lexus as the top brand name for reliability at this early mid-life point.
I don't know if anyone publishes the precise data you are asking for.
I am certain that brands which once had a legendary reputation for long term quality, such as Volvo, have fallen badly behind.
John
I don't know if anyone publishes the precise data you are asking for.
I am certain that brands which once had a legendary reputation for long term quality, such as Volvo, have fallen badly behind.
John
That is the most loaded question I've read on this board so far! Congrats. I dont have a factual answer but I bought a Toyota Tacoma only because my boss' is 8 years old and has 240,000 trouble free mile on it.
...the one whose owner follows some reasonable maintenance plan and takes care of the small problems before they become big ones. That said, I think you've made a good choice with the Corolla. My guess is you will have to find a reason to get rid of it about 15 years from now if you do the basics.
Cars don't leave people stranded too often anymore. Keeping them filled with gas is a good strategy
Cars don't leave people stranded too often anymore. Keeping them filled with gas is a good strategy
JHZR2
Staff member
the w123 series of used mercedes diesels, sold new in 1977-85. Easily go 300K+ miles with only routine oil changes. Sometimes they shift funny, or the suspension starts to do funny things, but nothing that any 20+ year old car will do when it has 150K + miles.
You just dont see these cars going to the junkyard with less than 200K. ANd their bodies will rust out before the drivetrain ever wears out.
I have 228K miles, I get 30 mpg, and have never had an issue. Starts up and runs like brand new. The money Ive put into the car has never been because it wouldnt start, because it was unreliable, etc., it was always for something that I wanted to do so I could keep the car looking good, handling good, etc for many years to go.
Plus, with these cars, you know people bought them and took care of them. Cheapo toyotas and hondas are well built cars, but people are buying a cheap car, and a lot of times maintain it that way. I know how the maintenance schedule pricing structure works at the toyota dealer; my father has a 94 previa (another excellent vehicle, bought it new in 94, now has 175k and has never needed anything but routine maintenance, tires and brake pads). If you couldnt aford a better car, chances are you cant afford the maintenance schedule. And in reality, I think car longevity is similar to oil changes: more or less any car can go to 80k miles, similar to any oil going 3k mile OCIs. Its the maintenance schedule (and oil quality, etc in the parallel) that determines how much longer you'll go without expensive issue.
But those w123 mercedes diesels are about the best thing youll find. An engineering marvel when you consider the luxury of this 20+ year old car, the simplicity of it, the ease of working on it, etc. No other cars have a shot when you consider length of future use with a $3000 car; you simply wont find another $3000 car that you can surely drive another 2-300K miles. Send $5000 and youll have a top notch condition CA, FL, AZ, etc. car that quite often look to only be a couple years old in terms of the paint, finish, etc.
JMH
P.S. Your alternator could break, and you could still drive. No issues from spark plugs, wires, ignition coils or distributors, etc. I knew a guy that drove halfway across the country to get home (in daylight hours of course, he didnt have headlights) after his alternator went south.
[ July 23, 2004, 06:49 AM: Message edited by: JHZR2 ]
You just dont see these cars going to the junkyard with less than 200K. ANd their bodies will rust out before the drivetrain ever wears out.
I have 228K miles, I get 30 mpg, and have never had an issue. Starts up and runs like brand new. The money Ive put into the car has never been because it wouldnt start, because it was unreliable, etc., it was always for something that I wanted to do so I could keep the car looking good, handling good, etc for many years to go.
Plus, with these cars, you know people bought them and took care of them. Cheapo toyotas and hondas are well built cars, but people are buying a cheap car, and a lot of times maintain it that way. I know how the maintenance schedule pricing structure works at the toyota dealer; my father has a 94 previa (another excellent vehicle, bought it new in 94, now has 175k and has never needed anything but routine maintenance, tires and brake pads). If you couldnt aford a better car, chances are you cant afford the maintenance schedule. And in reality, I think car longevity is similar to oil changes: more or less any car can go to 80k miles, similar to any oil going 3k mile OCIs. Its the maintenance schedule (and oil quality, etc in the parallel) that determines how much longer you'll go without expensive issue.
But those w123 mercedes diesels are about the best thing youll find. An engineering marvel when you consider the luxury of this 20+ year old car, the simplicity of it, the ease of working on it, etc. No other cars have a shot when you consider length of future use with a $3000 car; you simply wont find another $3000 car that you can surely drive another 2-300K miles. Send $5000 and youll have a top notch condition CA, FL, AZ, etc. car that quite often look to only be a couple years old in terms of the paint, finish, etc.
JMH
P.S. Your alternator could break, and you could still drive. No issues from spark plugs, wires, ignition coils or distributors, etc. I knew a guy that drove halfway across the country to get home (in daylight hours of course, he didnt have headlights) after his alternator went south.
[ July 23, 2004, 06:49 AM: Message edited by: JHZR2 ]
I believe the most reliable car ever made was the Yugo.
For some strange reason they discontinued them..............
Good question but no exact answer. The best source of info for this Consumer Reports annual car issue in April. I personally would say any Toyota or Honda not in its first year. Also the Acura Integra seems to have stellular reliabiliy but they tend to get stolen. Maintenace is key.
I just parted with a trusty 9 year old Civic without any problems except uncomfortable seats and bad rust spots at wheel wells. The love was long gone. I love my new car a WRX but at 200 miles I discovered a vibration and now it goes in Monday to have front axles replaced at 1000 miles!
Probably the Ford Festiva.
If I had to make a guess, I'd pick the 22RE Tacoma also as the most reliable, followed by my Japanese assembled Corolla.
Unfortunately in 05 the newly redesigned Tacoma may no longer have the 2.4 l engine ... I think it's getting replaced with the 2.7 l.
I'm sure the MB diesel is extremely reliable, but that's way out of my price range.
In my opinion and experience, the Buick Lesabre. It has always been on top of most quality surveys. I have many in my family that own them, some with over 200,000 miles. Reguardless of the year, they have always been one of the best cars sold in the US. I have 2 Lesabre's right now, and My wife's next car will be a Lesabre also. Her Riviera, same drivetrain, has 190,000 miles and still drives great, with all original suspension, transmission and pretty much anything else.
-T
-T
Kestas
Staff member
Ditto on the posts about the 77-85 Mercedes W123 diesel and Buick LeSabre. These are some of the best built cars in recent times.
My neighbor owns a 90 LeSabre in near mint condition and was pleased to hear that the general automotive community praises this car.
My neighbor owns a 90 LeSabre in near mint condition and was pleased to hear that the general automotive community praises this car.
This same question got asked on another thread some time ago, but it was in the form of what the best used car was, if I remember correctly.
Look at the 1991-2002 Ford Escort/Mercury Tracer (especially 1997 and newer with the rounded front end) and 1998-2003 ZX2. These cars came up several times in that other thread. They aren't the most high-tech vehicles out there, unlike Honda, etc., but the base CVT 2.0 in the later ones is a pretty good engine. Ford didn't miss too many tricks with it: tuned intake runners, roller cam followers, etc.
My '97 Escort wagon has over 252,000 miles now, with the major thing going wrong having been a head gasket at about 240,000 miles (and that was, I believe, caused by a mechanic--long story) and the usual clutch and alternator issues you get with aging cars. These cars don't rust either, at least not in this area.
In my opinion, the Focus does not seem to be as good as the Escort was. On that other thread, someone remarked that Ford discontinued that car because it was too reliable to be a Ford! Makes me wonder . . . That said, I keep hearing rumors that Ford intends to offer a diesel version of the Focus. Because of the miles I drive, I just might be interested in a wagon version, should it come to pass, if/when I buy a new car in a couple of years.
Look at the 1991-2002 Ford Escort/Mercury Tracer (especially 1997 and newer with the rounded front end) and 1998-2003 ZX2. These cars came up several times in that other thread. They aren't the most high-tech vehicles out there, unlike Honda, etc., but the base CVT 2.0 in the later ones is a pretty good engine. Ford didn't miss too many tricks with it: tuned intake runners, roller cam followers, etc.
My '97 Escort wagon has over 252,000 miles now, with the major thing going wrong having been a head gasket at about 240,000 miles (and that was, I believe, caused by a mechanic--long story) and the usual clutch and alternator issues you get with aging cars. These cars don't rust either, at least not in this area.
In my opinion, the Focus does not seem to be as good as the Escort was. On that other thread, someone remarked that Ford discontinued that car because it was too reliable to be a Ford! Makes me wonder . . . That said, I keep hearing rumors that Ford intends to offer a diesel version of the Focus. Because of the miles I drive, I just might be interested in a wagon version, should it come to pass, if/when I buy a new car in a couple of years.
Lexus LS400. Most dependable and all of the materials are such high quality they age better.
JHZR2
Staff member
Not the good old w123 mercedes. I am not advocating getting a new MB diesel, theyre out of most everyone's price range. But you can buy an older 77-85 MB diesel with 150k on it, and have a more reliable,long-lasting car than most any brand new car with 0 miles. A 150k MB will go to 350k without issue. A new car going the same amount (200k)? Hahaha.
One way or another, its about the maintenance. Any car can last, Ive seen lots of el cheapo cars with 150-200k on them. I think its all a matter of stupid problems along the way. As far as Im concerned, if suzuki or hyundai will give a warrantee for 10 years/100k, if you maintain the car really well, get most any mechanical issue taken care of under warranty, then just replace things as they break with cheap replacements after 10 yrs/100k, you got a pretty darn good car there.
JMH
Heh, my wife's 87 Riv has all that plus four computers, a touch activated control screen mileage calculator, roller lifters, and automatically leveling suspension. It's amazing how long some foriegn manufactorers took to adapt some of this stuff.
-T
Durability is a bit different than reliability, and might matter more over the long run provided reliability is acceptable. Type of use obviously matters a lot. If a vehicle needs some work from time time but can go 500k miles, is that better than a vehicle that is wore out at 200k miles but didn't need any work ? I think it is, which is why I bought a truck with a Cummins diesel.
Another way of phrasing the question, for trucks, is if you're going to bet $30k to $40k that a truck will last 500k miles, what vehicle would you bet on ?
Another way of phrasing the question, for trucks, is if you're going to bet $30k to $40k that a truck will last 500k miles, what vehicle would you bet on ?
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