Generally speaking, most people have the same three things as their top priorities when buying a new car: price, fuel economy and reliability. Price is pretty easy to check even if you know it may change depending on the dealer you go to, and so is fuel economy. Reliability, on the other hand, is a little more complicated.
You could spend hours on forums trying to figure that one out for yourself, or you could check the results of Consumer Reports’ latest reliability survey that includes data on more than 300,000 individual vehicles built between 2000 and 2024. There are always going to be exceptions here and there, but if reliability is your top concern, this list of the most reliable vehicles according to Consumer Reports’ data is a great place to start.
And while we won’t pretend it doesn’t include a lot of Lexus and Toyota models, those certainly aren’t the only brands to show up. And don’t forget to check out the list of the least-reliable vehicles, either.
Toyota Prius
Reliability Score: 76
Overall Score: 77
The hybrid that took hybrids mainstream has been redesigned with more power and a stylish new design. In addition to its great fuel economy, Consumer Reports praised the Toyota Prius’ acceleration, the practicality of its liftback design and Toyota’s decision to add all-wheel drive as an option.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Reliability Score: 76
Overall Score: 75
If you just want the least-expensive new car you can buy that also gets the best gas mileage possible, you’re going to have a hard time beating the Corolla Hybrid. Consumer Reports also commended its comfortable ride and easy-to-use cabin controls.
Lexus NX Hybrid
Reliability Score: 76
Overall Score: 83
The Lexus NX Hybrid is Consumer Reports’ favorite luxury compact crossover, praising it for both its fit and finish and the 38 mpg that it got overall in the outlet’s independent fuel economy test. It may be a fancy RAV4 underneath, but that’s not exactly a bad thing.
Lexus NX
Reliability Score: 77
Overall Score: 78
If you go for the regular gas-powered Lexus NX over the hybrid, you’ll save a couple dollars, but the difference isn’t as large as you might expect. That said, it did edge out the NX Hybrid in terms of reliability.
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid
Reliability Score: 79
Overall Score: 82
See? We told you this list wasn’t all Toyota and Lexus products. And according to Consumer Reports’ data, the Elantra Hybrid is not only more reliable than the Corolla Hybrid, but it’s also a better car in general. That said, it will cost you a little more than the Toyota.
BMW i4
Reliability Score: 82
Overall Score: 90
If there’s one EV that Consumer Reports loves, it’s the BMW i4. It’s proven to be incredibly reliable, performed incredibly well overall and comes with high ownership satisfaction while still being quick and offering impressive handling. If you’re looking for a Tesla alternative, you’ll want to give the i4 a look.
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Reliability Score: 83
Overall Score: 81
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid may not be as luxurious as the Lexus NX, and it’s definitely showing its age, but on the other hand, it excels at the two things new car shoppers care about most — gas mileage and reliability. Additionally, almost every version of the RAV4 Hybrid costs less than $40,000.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Reliability Score: 84
Overall Score: 83
If you want an affordable sports car, the Mazda Miata has been about as good as it gets for decades, and that’s still the case today. It’s incredibly reliable, can be had with a fantastic manual transmission, comes with an easy-to-operate top and still gets good gas mileage. Why would you buy anything else (unless you’re too tall)?
Toyota RAV4 Prime
Reliability Score: 84
Overall Score: 88
Most people wouldn’t even think to compare an electric sport sedan and a plug-in-hybrid crossover, and for good reason. At the same time, though, both the BMW i4 and Toyota RAV4 Prime earned impressive overall scores to go with their strong reliability. Perfect two-car garage perhaps?
Toyota Corolla
Reliability Score: 84
Overall Score: 76
Toyota has done a great job of ensuring its hybrids are reliable and stay that way long after the warranty expires, but if reliability is your top concern, the regular gas-only Corolla is the way to go. It will also save you about $1,500 compared to the hybrid, so it’ll be a long time before better fuel economy makes up for the price difference.
Toyota RAV4
Reliability Score: 86
Overall Score: 76
Like the Corolla, the gas-only RAV4 proved more reliable in Consumer Reports’ survey than the hybrid version. And while it’s understandable that many people prefer the idea of the hybrid, with an MSRP that’s about $3,000 less, the gas version is still going to the cheaper option unless you keep it for a very long time.
