Consumer Reports names most reliable vehicles on clarkhoward.com

The single most reliable car in America is a hybrid, according to the December issue of Consumer Reports -- though it's not the one you're probably thinking!

Top reliability honors go to the new Honda Insight hybrid, which looks just like a Prius. But overall, Honda came in at No. 2 for brand reliability.

The No. 1 brand for reliability is Toyota's Scion. Toyota's own nameplate is No. 3, following Honda. After win, place and show, Consumer Reports ranks Infiniti, Acura, Mitsubishi, Lexus (the former No. 1) and Hyundai as the next most reliable vehicles.

Isn't it interesting that Scion is one of cheapest cars sold, yet it's the most reliable? As the headline of the Consumer Reports article states, "High price does not equal quality." You don't always get what you pay for when it comes to cars.

Who's stinking it up on the other end of the spectrum? One word: Chrysler. The second worst for reliability was Cadillac, followed by Dodge and then Jeep. What was Fiat thinking when taking on a share in Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep from the United States government?!

The full reliability list is available at ConsumerReports.org, where you can buy onetime access if you're not a subscriber. Or check it out for free at your local library.

What others are saying

Like many have said, they don't make 'em like they used to. I have a 15 year old dodge truck still running strong at 312,000. It's no suprise that toyota and honda make better cars. No unions!!
By Ed @ 11/19/09 03:12:23 PMreport abuse
consumer doesn't distort
@Jack, 11/6/09 9:12
The Honda Insight has been out since 1999. It was the first hybrid on the American market. Do a 5 second google search before spouting off your own distortions.
By Crystal @ 11/17/09 02:12:55 PMreport abuse
Simple cars last longer
It is obvious why the Scion is reliable. Cheaper cars are simpler so they have less to go wrong with them. You frequently see vintage cars like Mustangs and Beetles on the road after 30 years because it is not hard to keep them running. It takes a excellent mechanic to maintain a luxury car well enough to drive it every day.
By Lloyd @ 11/17/09 12:44:12 AMreport abuse
1996 Ford Escort
I have a 1996 Ford Escort with 267,xxx miles on it and still climbing. Nothing can stop this car, it's like a tank! Also, it gets about 35 MPG on a 1.9 L engine. The engine will run forever, probably past the point of the car rusting apart.
By Chris @ 11/16/09 07:31:50 PMreport abuse
Buick LaSabre
I have a 1989 LaSabre with approx. 160,000 miles on it. I consistently get between 25 and 30 mpg on a tank of gas, combined city and highway. If I drive strictly highway I have gotten over 30 mpg many times. Also, in the seven years I have had the car it has been as dependable as any I have ever had, including a Honda Accord.
By Sid @ 11/16/09 06:53:51 PMreport abuse
What a surprise!
What a surprise, Toyota and Honda at 1, 2 AND 3 and Chrysler at the bottom followed closely by GM's Caddy.

Things haven't changed at all in 20 years. When will the American companies restructure so they can be competitive? Sorry, that means breaking the unions. Why on Earth does a guy that tightens a lug nut get paid more and have better benefits than a pilot or a family physician?!

Two comments about other posters here. What's with the love for VW? They're perennially near the bottom of the list for reliability. I once read that a two year old VW is less reliable than a 10 year old Toyota. And, from my experience and friends', they're dead on.

And, why not use JD? Hmmmm, maybe because they accept advertising dollars from the people they're supposedly reviewing and CD doesn't? It's strange JD always rates GM over Toyota and Honda, isn't it? Come on, you've got to know something is up when a Malibu is supposedly more reliable than a Camry. Watch for tricky wording with JD too, IE, "initial product quality."
By Gabe @ 11/16/09 05:46:44 PMreport abuse
Unions
Only those ignorant of corporate values would devalue labor unions. I have worked under management and watched men paid more than women for the same work, abusive treatment, etc.. unions provide protection and rights for the individual. Unions are the only hope individual employees have in the battle against corporate greed. Unions are of enormous importance in the absence of individual employee rights. The companies which value the employee, where unions are not necessary, are few in number.
By E.S. @ 11/16/09 01:40:43 PMreport abuse
Government Motors
No car purchase from Nobama's Government Motors!
By Garu @ 11/13/09 01:12:23 PMreport abuse
Blame Unions
You are SO RIGHT, Walter5225. It's time for all to wake up and recognize what a disaster organized labor/unions are and get rid of them.
By Susan Phillips @ 11/13/09 08:46:01 AMreport abuse
fiat, if they offer the right models at the right price could be chryslers saving grace. awful lot of fiats on the road overseas, always have been
By jt @ 11/09/09 09:13:08 AMreport abuse
Automakers
Unions have spoiled our transportation.
Once they served well, but in this era they are a useless burden. I say move all automaking off shore and debunk the unions.
By Walter5225 @ 11/08/09 05:41:47 PMreport abuse
Saturn
the polymer sides were a great idea ... basically a few 'centralized power" hungry people killed a good idea ... its up to average americans to fix this problem ... we need to fix and drive our cars 300,000 miles and forget the new cars for 10 years until they make something worth having (safe, reliable, and costs about a half-year's wage)
By Roy @ 11/08/09 01:40:19 PMreport abuse
GM V6
The most "earth friendly" car is probably about a 1998 Buick LaSabre with V6 ... you can haul a bunch of people, get near 30 mpg, and you could buy the car for about $3,000 or less ... and you don't put the car in the landfill by taking care of it ...
By Roy @ 11/08/09 01:35:07 PMreport abuse
consumer DISTORTS
SO HOW COULD a honda insight be named most reliable when its only been out for what? less than a year? another instance of consumer distorts bias.. who by the way called the 3800 GM v-6 thirsty when in fact it takes Buicks and other GM cars better than 30 mpg and was named one of the 20th century's best engines by WARDS AUTOMOTIVE
By jack @ 11/06/09 09:12:10 PMreport abuse
Quality
As usual, fat lazy dumb Americans rejected their own American quality experts: Crosby, Demming and Juran. So what did they do? They went to Asia and Japan where they were embraced. Now the Asians and Japanese make the best cars in the world. IT'S UP TO US TO FIX THIS MESS. NOBODY WILL SAVE US. IT'S UP TO US. GET OFF YOUR FAT BUTT AND TAKE ACTION NOW.
By Karl @ 11/06/09 08:38:57 PMreport abuse
Quality
As usual, fat lazy dumb Americans rejected their own American quality experts: Crosby, Demming and Juran. So what did they do? They went to Asia and Japan where they were embraced. Now the Asians and Japanese make the best cars in the world. IT'S UP TO US TO FIX THIS MESS. NOBODY WILL SAVE US. IT'S UP TO US. GET OFF YOUR FAT BUTT AND TAKE ACTION NOW.
By Karl @ 11/06/09 08:38:08 PMreport abuse
Consumer Reports
Clark, I prefer the reliability report from JD Power and Associates. My personal experience with cars has always been different with CR. Why the preference for CR Clark?
By Paulebob @ 11/06/09 07:34:18 PMreport abuse
Volkswagen Were Not Always The Most Reliable
Perhaps citing the old, noisy Volkswagen Beetles was not the best comparison to modern, comfortable (and more stable) automobiles.

Typically Japanese models have exceeded the reliability of European automobiles, with some exceptions. Isuzu & Mitsubishi have always been on par with Chrysler, more or less (not too great).

There were a number of Volkswagen models in the 1990's & 2000s with quite poor reliability. Issues were common to the 'new' Beetle and Jetta, among others.

Chrysler had potential, and a few "hits", but unfortunately the quality & dealer service was subpar, and has been for decades.

This is not my opinion but based on reliabilty & owner experiences, along with failure data citing the same failures over and over.

What I find very interesting is that the "Big 3" did on occasion build some reliable, sporty vehicles but even the new Camaro had quality issues.

It's kind of a shame, really.

Always do your homework, and do not buy a car without reading user opinions and a reliability history. It's too big of a gamble.
By W.C. McCall @ 11/06/09 02:41:53 PMreport abuse
VOLKSWAGEN
So far they have made some of the most reliable and long lasting cars in the world- not just the US. End of discussion :)
By Whitney @ 11/06/09 02:04:43 PMreport abuse
Reliability ratings
Clarke, I know you think Consumer Report is the only rating organization. Chrysler is any easy target when they are down but Chrysler came back once before and had been profitable untill Mercedes raided their coffers. Fiat sees a company, like all good business men with vision, that can come back and expand on some great products, like minivans that have dominated the market for 25 years the Jeep Wranlger that returns a better trade value than anything else on the road and Dodge ram 1500 that is, by the way, a recommended pick by Consumer Report. So lets give them a chance to show what they can do, before piling on.
By Dick @ 11/06/09 01:41:50 PMreport abuse
Demographics suspect
I always find it interesting when this report comes out that it does not account for the demographics of the owners...Remember that dealers perform warranty items and get paid well for it. Talking to my other friends in the car service business, we find that vehicles that rate poorly have a certain type of owner. Those that do well, vice versa. The survey says more about the owners to us than the cars...
By Chris @ 11/05/09 11:27:00 PMreport abuse
Reliable Beetles OXOXOXOXOXOXO
Just look at how many of them on still on the road, old and young!
By Binky the Beetle @ 11/05/09 08:57:02 PMreport abuse
Cheapest is always the most reliable
Jim, I have no idea in the world what you were trying to say.
By Marcus @ 11/05/09 07:11:20 PMreport abuse
Cheapest is always the most reliable
Check the history to see which car has the reputation for being reliable. "Volkswagon Bug, 1955" Honda to name a few. As the price increased so did the unreliability.
By Jim @ 11/05/09 05:12:10 PMreport abuse
Buying Chrysler
I thought the term "Buy" implied that they paid something. Fiat paid nothing for their share in Chrysler. And that share is only 20%. The federal government stole from pensioners to enrich a foreign corporation.
By Pat Hastings @ 11/05/09 04:14:43 PMreport abuse

Like many have said, they don't make 'em like they used to. I have a 15 year old dodge truck still running strong at 312,000. It's no suprise that toyota and honda make better cars. No unions!!

By Ed @ 11/19/09 03:12:23 PMreport abuse

consumer doesn't distort

@Jack, 11/6/09 9:12
The Honda Insight has been out since 1999. It was the first hybrid on the American market. Do a 5 second google search before spouting off your own distortions.

By Crystal @ 11/17/09 02:12:55 PMreport abuse

Simple cars last longer

It is obvious why the Scion is reliable. Cheaper cars are simpler so they have less to go wrong with them. You frequently see vintage cars like Mustangs and Beetles on the road after 30 years because it is not hard to keep them running. It takes a excellent mechanic to maintain a luxury car well enough to drive it every day.

By Lloyd @ 11/17/09 12:44:12 AMreport abuse

1996 Ford Escort

I have a 1996 Ford Escort with 267,xxx miles on it and still climbing. Nothing can stop this car, it's like a tank! Also, it gets about 35 MPG on a 1.9 L engine. The engine will run forever, probably past the point of the car rusting apart.

By Chris @ 11/16/09 07:31:50 PMreport abuse

Buick LaSabre

I have a 1989 LaSabre with approx. 160,000 miles on it. I consistently get between 25 and 30 mpg on a tank of gas, combined city and highway. If I drive strictly highway I have gotten over 30 mpg many times. Also, in the seven years I have had the car it has been as dependable as any I have ever had, including a Honda Accord.

By Sid @ 11/16/09 06:53:51 PMreport abuse

What a surprise!

What a surprise, Toyota and Honda at 1, 2 AND 3 and Chrysler at the bottom followed closely by GM's Caddy.

Things haven't changed at all in 20 years. When will the American companies restructure so they can be competitive? Sorry, that means breaking the unions. Why on Earth does a guy that tightens a lug nut get paid more and have better benefits than a pilot or a family physician?!

Two comments about other posters here. What's with the love for VW? They're perennially near the bottom of the list for reliability. I once read that a two year old VW is less reliable than a 10 year old Toyota. And, from my experience and friends', they're dead on.

And, why not use JD? Hmmmm, maybe because they accept advertising dollars from the people they're supposedly reviewing and CD doesn't? It's strange JD always rates GM over Toyota and Honda, isn't it? Come on, you've got to know something is up when a Malibu is supposedly more reliable than a Camry. Watch for tricky wording with JD too, IE, "initial product quality."

By Gabe @ 11/16/09 05:46:44 PMreport abuse

Unions

Only those ignorant of corporate values would devalue labor unions. I have worked under management and watched men paid more than women for the same work, abusive treatment, etc.. unions provide protection and rights for the individual. Unions are the only hope individual employees have in the battle against corporate greed. Unions are of enormous importance in the absence of individual employee rights. The companies which value the employee, where unions are not necessary, are few in number.

By E.S. @ 11/16/09 01:40:43 PMreport abuse

Government Motors

No car purchase from Nobama's Government Motors!

By Garu @ 11/13/09 01:12:23 PMreport abuse

Blame Unions

You are SO RIGHT, Walter5225. It's time for all to wake up and recognize what a disaster organized labor/unions are and get rid of them.

By Susan Phillips @ 11/13/09 08:46:01 AMreport abuse

fiat, if they offer the right models at the right price could be chryslers saving grace. awful lot of fiats on the road overseas, always have been

By jt @ 11/09/09 09:13:08 AMreport abuse

Automakers

Unions have spoiled our transportation.
Once they served well, but in this era they are a useless burden. I say move all automaking off shore and debunk the unions.

By Walter5225 @ 11/08/09 05:41:47 PMreport abuse

Saturn

the polymer sides were a great idea ... basically a few 'centralized power" hungry people killed a good idea ... its up to average americans to fix this problem ... we need to fix and drive our cars 300,000 miles and forget the new cars for 10 years until they make something worth having (safe, reliable, and costs about a half-year's wage)

By Roy @ 11/08/09 01:40:19 PMreport abuse

GM V6

The most "earth friendly" car is probably about a 1998 Buick LaSabre with V6 ... you can haul a bunch of people, get near 30 mpg, and you could buy the car for about $3,000 or less ... and you don't put the car in the landfill by taking care of it ...

By Roy @ 11/08/09 01:35:07 PMreport abuse

consumer DISTORTS

SO HOW COULD a honda insight be named most reliable when its only been out for what? less than a year? another instance of consumer distorts bias.. who by the way called the 3800 GM v-6 thirsty when in fact it takes Buicks and other GM cars better than 30 mpg and was named one of the 20th century's best engines by WARDS AUTOMOTIVE

By jack @ 11/06/09 09:12:10 PMreport abuse

Quality

As usual, fat lazy dumb Americans rejected their own American quality experts: Crosby, Demming and Juran. So what did they do? They went to Asia and Japan where they were embraced. Now the Asians and Japanese make the best cars in the world. IT'S UP TO US TO FIX THIS MESS. NOBODY WILL SAVE US. IT'S UP TO US. GET OFF YOUR FAT BUTT AND TAKE ACTION NOW.

By Karl @ 11/06/09 08:38:57 PMreport abuse

By Karl @ 11/06/09 08:38:08 PMreport abuse

Consumer Reports

Clark, I prefer the reliability report from JD Power and Associates. My personal experience with cars has always been different with CR. Why the preference for CR Clark?

By Paulebob @ 11/06/09 07:34:18 PMreport abuse

Volkswagen Were Not Always The Most Reliable

Perhaps citing the old, noisy Volkswagen Beetles was not the best comparison to modern, comfortable (and more stable) automobiles.

Typically Japanese models have exceeded the reliability of European automobiles, with some exceptions. Isuzu & Mitsubishi have always been on par with Chrysler, more or less (not too great).

There were a number of Volkswagen models in the 1990's & 2000s with quite poor reliability. Issues were common to the 'new' Beetle and Jetta, among others.

Chrysler had potential, and a few "hits", but unfortunately the quality & dealer service was subpar, and has been for decades.

This is not my opinion but based on reliabilty & owner experiences, along with failure data citing the same failures over and over.

What I find very interesting is that the "Big 3" did on occasion build some reliable, sporty vehicles but even the new Camaro had quality issues.

It's kind of a shame, really.

Always do your homework, and do not buy a car without reading user opinions and a reliability history. It's too big of a gamble.

By W.C. McCall @ 11/06/09 02:41:53 PMreport abuse

VOLKSWAGEN

So far they have made some of the most reliable and long lasting cars in the world- not just the US. End of discussion :)

By Whitney @ 11/06/09 02:04:43 PMreport abuse

Reliability ratings

Clarke, I know you think Consumer Report is the only rating organization. Chrysler is any easy target when they are down but Chrysler came back once before and had been profitable untill Mercedes raided their coffers. Fiat sees a company, like all good business men with vision, that can come back and expand on some great products, like minivans that have dominated the market for 25 years the Jeep Wranlger that returns a better trade value than anything else on the road and Dodge ram 1500 that is, by the way, a recommended pick by Consumer Report. So lets give them a chance to show what they can do, before piling on.

By Dick @ 11/06/09 01:41:50 PMreport abuse

Demographics suspect

I always find it interesting when this report comes out that it does not account for the demographics of the owners...Remember that dealers perform warranty items and get paid well for it. Talking to my other friends in the car service business, we find that vehicles that rate poorly have a certain type of owner. Those that do well, vice versa. The survey says more about the owners to us than the cars...

By Chris @ 11/05/09 11:27:00 PMreport abuse

Reliable Beetles OXOXOXOXOXOXO

Just look at how many of them on still on the road, old and young!

By Binky the Beetle @ 11/05/09 08:57:02 PMreport abuse

Cheapest is always the most reliable

Jim, I have no idea in the world what you were trying to say.

By Marcus @ 11/05/09 07:11:20 PMreport abuse

Check the history to see which car has the reputation for being reliable. "Volkswagon Bug, 1955" Honda to name a few. As the price increased so did the unreliability.

By Jim @ 11/05/09 05:12:10 PMreport abuse

Buying Chrysler

I thought the term "Buy" implied that they paid something. Fiat paid nothing for their share in Chrysler. And that share is only 20%. The federal government stole from pensioners to enrich a foreign corporation.

By Pat Hastings @ 11/05/09 04:14:43 PMreport abuse

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Nov 05, 2009 -- Consumer Reports names most reliable vehicles

What others are saying