The most reliable new and used cars for 2022 | WGN Radio 720

(iSeeCars) – Reliability is important when you’re selecting a vehicle. Even if you don’t plan on keeping your car until you can’t drive it anymore, it’s comforting to know that your vehicle could outlast other cars on the road. After all, the cars with the best long-term reliability remain on the road because their drivers can depend on them and don’t want to give them up.

Whether you want an efficient compact car or a hard-working truck, there are a number of vehicles to choose from with varying degrees of reliability. So how can car buyers find a reliable vehicle they can depend on? Automotive research firm iSeeCars analyzed over 14.9 million used vehicles to determine the reliable cars with the best long-term staying power based on their ability to reach 200,000 miles. Of the longest-lasting cars, we have the reliability champions by segment to help you find the right car to suit your needs.

Most Reliable Car Brands

If you’re looking for a reliable car, a good place to begin is by choosing a reliable brand. Here are the top 3 most reliable car brands:

1. Toyota

Toyota vehicles are known for their dependability and reliability, and they are proven to remain on the road longer than any other brand. From the compact Toyota Corolla to the Toyota Tacoma pickup to the Toyota Sienna minivan, there’s a reliable Toyota to suit any driver.

2. Honda

Another Japanese brand, Honda , earns the second spot on the list of most reliable automakers. From SUVs like the compact Honda CR-V and the midsize Honda Pilot , to traditional cars like the Accord and Civic sedans, Honda vehicles are proven to go the distance for their drivers. Honda vehicles also offer practicality, provide a suite of safety features, and have above-average fuel economy.

3. GMC

GMC ranks third. GMC ’s high ranking on the list can be attributed to the longevity of the GMC Yukon full-size SUV, its larger variant the GMC Yukon XL , and the GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck. GMC also ranks above-average for value retention and provides refinement as the upscale variant of Chevrolet.

View our Most Reliable Car Brands article for the complete list.

Most Reliable Cars

Whether you want an efficient small car or a large SUV, we’ve compiled a list of vehicles with the highest reliability ratings by segment. Here are the most reliable passenger cars across all size categories.

Most Reliable Small Cars

1. Honda Civic

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 9.1

Average New Car Price: $22,994

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $27,043

The Honda Civic is the most reliable small car. The Civic has more passenger and cargo space than what’s typical for its class, and it provides a comfortable ride with brisk acceleration and sporty handling.   

The versatile vehicle is available as a hatchback, as its formerly-available coupe body style was discontinued for the 2021 model year. Civics come with a suite of safety features such as forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights.

2. Toyota Corolla

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.5

Average New Car Price: $22,950

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $21,360

The Toyota Corolla is the runner-up in the Best Reliable Small Car category. Known for its reliability and longevity, it also maintains more of its value than its competition. The Corolla boasts excellent fuel economy, making the compact car a practical option as a daily driver, and is also among the top of its class for safety scores.

3. Subaru Impreza

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.0

Average New Car Price: $23,610

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $23,238

The Subaru Impreza offers standard all-wheel drive, impressive interior and cargo space, and a fun ride. The Impreza achieves Subaru’s characteristic high safety score and includes standard safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. 

Check out our Most Reliable Sedans guide for the complete list.

Most Reliable Midsize Cars 

1. Honda Accord

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 9.0

Average New Car Price: $31,435

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $28,671

The Honda Accord is fun-to-drive and its spacious cabin provides more passenger room than most of its competitors. The Accord also has an upscale interior that has the feel of a luxury car. It has multiple engine options, including its base 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 192 horsepower. The Accord’s base engine gets 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, which is above-average for its class.

2. Toyota Camry

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.9

Average New Car Price: $30,406

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $27,295

The Toyota Camry midsize sedan almost ties the Honda Accord as the most reliable midsize sedan. The Camry offers a comfortable ride and comes with plenty of legroom and headroom. The Camry’s base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 202 horsepower, with a more powerful 3.5-liter V6 offered on higher trims. It also comes with a suite of safety features.

3. Mazda Mazda6

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.4

Average New Car Price: $30,422

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $25,659

The Mazda6 is praised for its driving dynamics and has an upscale interior that rivals a luxury vehicle. Its base engine is a powerful 187-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder that offers swift acceleration. A turbocharged four-cylinder that produces up to 250 horsepower is available on higher trims. The Mazda6 includes plenty of standard safety features like automatic high-beam headlights, lane keep assist, pedestrian detection, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The Mazda6 was discontinued for the 2022 model year.

Most Reliable Large Cars

1. Toyota Avalon

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 9.8

Average New Car Price: $42,832

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $37,791

The Toyota Avalon is the most reliable full-size sedan. It has ample passenger and cargo space, and has an interior that feels like a luxury car. It comes with a suite of standard safety features such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and LED automatic high-beam headlights to name a few. The Avalon also takes top honors on the Consumer Reports list of Best Sedans.

2. Dodge Charger

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.1

Average New Car Price: $39,931

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $42,070

The runner-up for the Best Used Large Car is the Dodge Charger. The Dodge Charger is a versatile and spacious large sedan with many powerful engine choices ranging from a standard V6 to a potent supercharged V8. It is the perfect choice for drivers wanting the utility of a roomy sedan with a little bit of muscle.

3. Nissan Maxima

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.6

Average New Car Price: $41,377

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $30,049

The Nissan Maxima full-size sedan ranks third. A JD Power award winner in initial quality, the Maxima has a powerful 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine to appeal to drivers who want a powerful sedan with the characteristics of a sports car. It comes standard with a touch screen infotainment system, AppleCarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Maxima’s standard safety features include automatic high-beam headlights, rear cross traffic alert, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, and rear door alert.

Most Reliable Luxury Cars

Small Luxury Cars

1. Lexus IS 350

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.9

Average New Car Price: $48,532

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $42,806

The most reliable compact luxury car is the Lexus IS. The IS is known for its premium materials and comfortable ride. It also has a perfect 5-star safety rating and comes standard with the Lexus Safety System+ suite of features, including lane departure warning, lane keep assist, pre-collision system, automatic high-beam headlights, and pedestrian detection. A new Lexus IS costs between $36,748 and $47,859, and a three-year-old used Lexus IS costs between $24,931 and $33,997.

2. Volvo S60

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.7

Average New Car Price: $45,359

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $35,654

The compact Volvo S60 has a sophisticated cabin with soft-touch materials and comfortable seats. It comes with a suite of standard safety features typical of the Volvo brand, including road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition to name a few. The S60 also includes standard infotainment features like Apple CarPlay and Android auto. It comes standard with a 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and two additional engines are available, including a 316- horsepower supercharged four-cylinder and a 400-horsepower plug-in hybrid variant. The plug-in-hybrid version gets 69 MPG -equivalent when using only electric power and 30 combined mpg when using electric and gasoline (hybrid) power.  

3. BMW 3 Series

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 7.0

Average New Car Price: $50,102

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $42,224

The BMW 3-Series is among the top performing cars in its luxury small car class, and its sporty handling and comfortable seating make it a popular choice for those entering the luxury car market. The sports sedan also comes with three powertrain options, including the standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a turbocharged six-cylinder, and a plug-in hybrid that combines a turbo 2.0-liter engine and an electric motor. 

Most Reliable Luxury Midsize Cars

1. Lexus ES 350

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.9

Average New Car Price: $47,830

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $42,058

The Lexus ES 350 luxury midsize car ranks first. As Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus has a reputation for being the most reliable brand among luxury automakers. The ES has a spacious and luxurious interior as well as a long list of standard safety features, including forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, road sign detection, and automatic high-beam headlights. It comes with two engine options: a four-cylinder that offers all-wheel drive (AWD), which was new for the 2021 model year, and a front-wheel drive V6. 

2. BMW 5 Series

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 7.0

Average New Car Price: $61,941

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $46,175

The BMW 5-Series is among the best luxury midsize cars in its class thanks to its powerful engine, impressive fuel economy, and near-ideal balance of smooth ride and confident handling. It also comes loaded with standard safety and entertainment features, including a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Engine choices start with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 248 horsepower and continue with five additional powertrain options. The most powerful is a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 617 horsepower.

3. Mercedes-Benz E-Class

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.5

Average New Car Price: $84,285

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $83,610

The third most reliable midsize luxury sedan is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The E-Class provides a comfortable ride and has the upscale cabin characteristics one expects of the Mercedes brand. It’s base engine is a powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 255 horsepower. The 2020 E-Class earned the highest Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and it comes with standard safety features including Mercedes Pre-Safe (rolls up windows and tightens seatbelts in advance of a collision), forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. 

Most Reliable Large Luxury Cars

1. Mercedes-Benz S-Class

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 7.0

Average New Car Price: $138,073

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $99,989

The most reliable large luxury sedan is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class super luxury car. It is one of the most opulent sedans on the market, as reflected by its six-figure starting price. The full-size S-Class has luxurious features, including 16-way power-adjustable front seats with an available message feature, a two-foot long high-tech dashboard with a side-by-side digital instrument gauge and infotainment screen, along with park assist technology. The S-Class’ base engine is a 362-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, and its most powerful engine is a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with 603 horsepower. 

2. BMW 7 Series

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 7.3

Average New Car Price: $108,717

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $75,965

The BMW 7 Series super luxury car ranks second. It comes standard with a 335-horsepower turbocharged six-cylinder, and middle trims have a twin-turbocharged V8. The top-trim M760i has a 600-horsepower V12. It comes with a full list of standard safety features including driver drowsiness monitoring, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning. 

3. Audi A8 L

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.7

Average New Car Price: $92,700

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $80,647

The Audi A8 L superluxury car ranks third. It has a sophisticated cabin with ample passenger room. The long wheelbase version of the A8 is the only version of the sedan available for sale in America. The luxurious vehicle features 22-way adjustable front seats and a dual-touchscreen infotainment system and comes standard with a 335-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine.

Most Reliable Sports Cars

1. Mazda MX-5 Miata

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.6

Average New Car Price: $32,414

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $31,038

The most reliable sports car is the Mazda MX-5 Miata two-seat roadster. The Miata project began as an effort by the Japanese automaker to build an affordable sports car in the European tradition. The Miata has excellent fuel economy for its class at 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. It has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. While it does not measure up to its competition for power, the MX-5 Miata makes up for this with nimble, responsive handling and low weight.

2.  Ford Mustang

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.5

Average New Car Price: $49,128

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $36,338

The Ford Mustang uses a simple rear-wheel drive platform and has multiple engine options with a proven history of reliability. It comes standard with a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. There are three V8 engine choices, including two 5.0-liter V8s with 460 horsepower or 480 horsepower and a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 with 760 horsepower offered in the Shelby GT500. 

3. Chevrolet Camaro

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.0

Average New Car Price: $51,646

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $40,151

Known as “everyman’s sports car,” the Chevrolet Camaro ranks third. The Camaro has four engine choices ranging from its standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 275 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 with 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. The Camaro is praised for its responsive steering and swift acceleration. The iconic Chevy Camaro is available as a convertible or coupe and has a starting MSRP of $25,000, making it among the most affordable sports cars on the market.

Check out our Most Reliable Sports Cars article for the complete list. 

Most Reliable Hybrid Car

Toyota Prius

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 8.9

Average New Car Price: $29,481

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $25,233

The most reliable hybrid is none other than the Toyota Prius, which is the car that put hybrids on the map. Its hatchback design gives it more cargo space than its competitors and makes it an attractive choice for drivers who want an efficient family vehicle. The Prius gets up to 58 mpg city and 53 mpg highway, among the highest fuel-efficiency ratings for its class.

Most Reliable Electric Car

Tesla Model S

iSeeCars Reliability Score: 9.4

Average New Car Price: $167,229

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $89,895

The Tesla Model S is an electric vehicle with sedan practicality and the performance of a sports car. It offers rapid acceleration and can go from 0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds. The base Model S can travel 390 miles on a single charge, which is the best in its class. It also offers cutting-edge technology features that can remain current thanks to over-the-air software updates.

A new Tesla Model S starts at $69,420 and its most expensive trim, the Plaid+ costs $149,990. A three-year-old used Tesla Model S costs between $46,470 and $79,403.

Bottom Line

Whether you are buying a new vehicle or a used vehicle, you can find a reliable car in every segment. These vehicles are proven to go the distance for their owners, and you might end up keeping them for longer than you intended because they are so dependable. If you want a durable vehicle you can rely on, turn to the vehicles on this list. For vehicles from additional automakers like Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, and Volkswagen, check out our full lists of Best Cars.

If you’re in the market for a new or used car you can search over 4 million used and new trucks, cars, and SUVs with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check and Best Cars rankings. Filter by vehicle type, rear- or four-wheel drive, and other parameters in order to narrow down your car search.

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This article, Most Reliable Cars, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.