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Honda is the most reliable non-luxury car brand according to RepairPal. Honda has an annual maintenance cost of $428, and in second place is Honda’s very own luxury marque, Acura, with an average yearly maintenance cost of $501. However, while Honda is the most reliable, their Toyota compatriots are considered the most cost-effective. According to CarEdge, Toyota products cost an average of $5,996 to repair and maintain over their first 10 years. On the other hand, Honda ranked third of 19 ‘popular’ manufacturers with a 10-year maintenance cost of $7,827.
Using statistics from J.D. Power, CarEdge, Edmunds, and RepairPal, let’s look at some of the most reliable cars from the world’s most popular automotive brands.
They’re not all Japanese…
10 Subaru Impreza – 3.5/5
Subaru has brought back the Impreza exclusively as a hatchback for the 2023 model year. However, the sedan format will return with the Subaru WRX, quickly becoming a distant relative to the Impreza moniker. J.D. Power scored an ‘Average’ quality and reliability rating for the Impreza, which matches up to RepairPal’s 3.5/5 as well.
What places the legendary Impreza on this list is the vehicle’s maintenance costs; according to CarEdge, the Subaru Impreza will cost owners a palatable $5,900 in the vehicle’s first 10 years regarding maintenance and repairs, that’s $1,196 better off than your average ‘popular’ sedan.
Prices for the Subaru Impreza start competitively at around $20,018. For that money, consumers get a modest 2.0-liter four-pot capable of 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. Being a Subaru, the Impreza is a competent AWD vehicle with an astonishingly reliable past.
9 Toyota Prius – 4.0/5
The Toyota Prius is the most cost-effective vehicle you can purchase today, especially if reliability is vital. The average 10-year cost for Toyota’s iconic little washing machine is $4,008. Furthermore, the Prius has an 11.22% chance of suffering a major fault in that period, which is 10% less than any other ‘popular’ hatchback.
The best Toyota Prius model year to buy is the 2015 model. J.D. Power awarded the Toyota Prius 88/100 in terms of quality and reliability for the 2015 model year, a score it had not achieved since 2008/09. In addition, the 2015 model is well-equipped and competitively priced; you can purchase a 2015 car for around $13,000 today. The Prius is the automotive world’s fractured star which capitalized on the world’s rocketing fuel prices of the late ’90s, Toyota equipped the Prius with a 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain, and thus the love/hate relationship began.
8 Volkswagen Golf – 4.0/5
The Volkswagen Golf has always been one of the world’s most reliable cars. Today, that remains the same, with a 4/5 reliability rating from RepairPal. Today’s eighth-generation car features a competitive average maintenance cost of $5,410 in its first 10 years, which is $1,300 better than its sub-compact hatchback competitors.
Although the USA has already seen the base Golf’s demise, the North American market can still purchase the fruitier GTI and R variants. The price for a base GTI S is around $30,975 plus destination fee. Our old friend, the Volkswagen Golf, looks set to retire in the coming years as Volkswagen electrifies its lineup,
7 Mazda6 – 4.0/5
Mazda has recently dropped the 6 model, leaving behind a highly reliable offering that stood up to the everlasting Toyota Camry. The Mazda 6 scored 4/5 regarding reliability with RepairPal, placing the Mazda6, ironically, sixth of 24 midsize cars surveyed.
Another advantage for the alternative Mazda6 is the relatively potent 227 hp option from the Grand Touring spec, thanks to a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine lurking within. Mazda has since canned the 6 in favor of the compact sedan Mazda3. The final model in 2021 saw it win the J.D. Power ‘Best Midsize Sedan’ for the 2021 model year, alongside compatriots Nissan and the segment-leading Toyota Camry.
6 Nissan Altima – 4.0/5
Like the Mazda6, the Nissan Altima finished in the top three midsize cars of 2021 with a sturdy 84/100 quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power. In addition, RepairPal gave the Nissan Altima a 4/5 for reliability with an average annual cost of $483, compared to the overall vehicle average of $652.
Nissan has equipped the midsize sedan with a 2.0-liter engine capable of 248 hp. As a result, the Altima is a reliable, well-equipped sedan with proven reliability credentials.
5 Toyota RAV4 – 4.0/5
Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling SUV of 2022, with an untouchable 366,941 sales across the model year. The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are the original pioneers of the gaudy SUV genre, having gone head to head for nearly 25 years!
The RAV4 is a much-loved beast globally, selling up to 868,398 units worldwide in 2022. As Clarkson would put it, the RAV4 is the best-selling SUV in the world. The Toyota RAV4 is a shockingly dependable beast, scoring 4/5 with RepairPal for reliability, placing it third of 26 SUV models surveyed.
Furthermore, as a manufacturer, Toyota is the most cost-effective brand regarding repairs and maintenance. CarEdge estimates your average Toyota product has a 13.51% chance of requiring major repairs in its first 10 years of operation, making them 7% better off than 18 other popular brands surveyed.
4 Chevrolet Spark – 4.0/5
The Chevrolet Spark is one of North America’s most reliable entry-level vehicles. In addition, prices start as low as $14,648 for a 2021 car, making it a cheap, reliable, and relatively new machine for first-time drivers.
Furthermore, the Spark has an astounding 86/100 quality and reliability rating from J.D. Power, making it a solid choice. Although, initially, the Spark started life as a Daewoo Matiz, U.K. and European citizens may recognize it as the Opel Karl or Vauxhall Viva.
What the Spark lacks in aesthetic appeal, it makes up for with sturdy reliability. The Spark EV became an option in 2013, becoming GM’s first EV since the pioneering albeit controversial EV1 back in 1996.
3 Honda Fit – 4.5/5
Although the Honda Fit got the ax in North America post-2020 model year, its final iteration is a great car in terms of reliability. In fact, the 2020 Honda Fit scored a credible 4.5/5 for reliability with RepairPal. However, the best-used Honda Fit to buy is the 2017 model, which scored 85/100 with J.D. Power for quality and reliability, a touch ahead of the Honda Fit’s outgoing iterations.
The Honda Fit is a perfect alternative for those who snore at the sight of another SUV. Gas mileage of 29-37 mpg can be expected from the 1.2-1.5-liter options, with a hybrid powertrain available. Sadly, Honda discontinued the Fit due to poor sales; the outgoing model sold around 100,000 units between 2018-2020 compared to 158,000 units sold in the three years prior.
2 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 – 4.5/5
The Mitsubishi Mirage G4 is one of North America’s cheapest cars, with an MSRP of around $18,000. The G4 represents a four-door sedan variant of the budget hatchback. In addition, Mitsubishi themselves are ranked sixth among 32 popular automotive brands regarding reliability, according to RepairPal.
The modest three-cylinder is a true A to B car, plodding around with an astonishingly low 78 hp. Of course, Mitsubishi is the master of creating ludicrously low-power cars. The Mirage G4 has an average maintenance cost of $5,524 in the first 10 years, placing it in the top 20 most cost-effective ‘popular’ cars, according to CarEdge.
1 Hyundai Elantra GT – 4.5/5
The Elantra GT is a hatchback version of the bog-standard Hyundai Elantra sedan. The South Korean automaker’s efforts saw them achieve a 4.5/5 with RepairPal regarding the GT’s cunning reliability. The Elantra GT joined the budding N performance series of vehicles that have revolutionized the Hyundai brand in recent years.
Sadly, the Elantra GT failed to compete in the hot hatch market with a suboptimal 0-62 mph in 7.3 seconds from its maxed-out 201 hp 1.6-liter engine featured in the N-Series offering. As a result, the South Korean brand pulled the plug on the Elantra GT in 2020. Nevertheless, examples can be picked up for around $19,862 and provide a reliable experience littered with modern hallmarks of Hyundai’s recent revolution.
Sources: Edmunds, CarEdge, J.D. Power, RepairPal
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