This year’s ratings from Consumer Reports on the most and least reliable new cars are out. There are some big changes in 2014, with the Infiniti dropping the most dramatically in the ranks and an American car manufacturer making the top 10.
The survey tracks data on over a million vehicles and 28 brands. Once again, the most reliable brands are dominated by the Japanese, with Lexus, Toyota, and Mazda taking the top three spots. Honda came in at number four.
The most reliable car you can buy, according to the survey, is the Scion xB.
The four least reliable brands are Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat. Consumer Reports says Chrysler has traditionally had more than its fair share of trouble, and with the addition of Fiat in the mix, it has not helped. In fact the new Fiat 500L is ranked the least reliable cars out of the 248 that Consumer Reports rated.
Some American brands did well. Lincoln shot up 12 spots this year, and Buick made it into the Top 10 list of reliable brands. It is the only American car to do so. GM has been one of the better domestic brands in terms of reliability and Buick has often been its top brand.
The most reliable SUVs are the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the Subaru Forester, the Toyota Highlander, and the Lexus RX.
A few first-year cars, such as the Mazda 6 and Kia Cadenza, got high marks for reliability. But most didn’t. So if you’re looking for a reliable car, Consumer Reports says that it’s really not advised to buy a car that’s in the first year of redesign. Wait a year or two until they work out some of those bugs.
