Consumer Reports Magazine has just released its annual ratings of the most reliable and least reliable cars and car makers and a domestic company has managed to crack the top ten.
Consumer reports collected data on over a million vehicles and 28 brands.
CTV Calgary Consumer Specialist Lea Williams-Doherty took a look at the list and says the most reliable new car you can buy is the Scion xB.
When it comes to overall reliability, Japanese manufacturers dominate again.
The top most reliable car makers are:
- Lexus
- Toyota
- Mazda
- Honda
- Audi
- Buick
- Subaru
- Scion
- Porsche
According to Consumer Reports, the least reliable brands are Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat which are all owned by Chrysler.
"Chrysler has traditionally had more than its fair share of trouble and the addition of Fiat in the mix, it really hasn't helped,” said Jake Fisher from Consumer Reports Magazine.
In fact, the new Fiat 500 L is ranked the least reliable out of the 248 cars Consumer Reports rated.
Some domestic brands did well this year. Lincoln shot up 12 spots and Buick is the only domestic to crack the top 10.
"GM has been one of the better domestic brands in terms of reliability and Buick has often been their top brand,” said Fisher.
A few first-year cars, like the Mazda6 and Kia Cadenza, got high marks for reliability but most didn't.
"If you're looking for a reliable car, it's really not best to buy a car that's in its first year of the redesign. Wait a year or two until they work out some of those bugs,” said Fisher.
The redesigned Chevrolet Silverado, which Consumer Reports research shows had problems in its first year, is one such example.
If you’re looking for an SUV to get you through the Alberta winter, Consumer Reports says the most reliable are the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the Subaru Forester, the Toyota Highlander and Lexus.
(With files from Lea Williams-Doherty)
