Friday, May 29, 2009

Most Reliable and Least Reliable Used Cars

used-cars-image Economic conditions have created many more value-minded shoppers. One product segment that may have been most affected by the constraints of the weak economy is the automotive segment. Specifically, more consumers are looking for reliable (and affordable) used cars, rather than pricier new cars. Helping to make the process of finding that reliable used car a little easier, Consumer Reports has released a list of what they believe are the most reliable and least reliable used cars in regards to vehicles within the model years of 1999 to 2008.

To make things even more helpful, Consumer Reports also broke the list up by category. Most of these categories were dominated by Honda and Toyota, perhaps to no one’s surprise according to one New Jersey used cars dealer. The most reliable used cars are listed below.

Small Used Cars

Honda Civic, Toyota Echo, Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda 3, Mazda Protegé and Subaru Impreza.

Family Used Cars

Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Toyota Camry (except ’08 V6), Subaru Outback (6-cyl.) and Nissan Altima.

Used Minivans

Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey.

Small Used SUVs

Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Mitsubishi Outlander.

Midsized and large SUVs

Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota 4Runner, Infiniti FX35, Acura MDX, Infiniti QX4, Lexus GX, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Xterra (’05-’08) and Toyota Sequoia.

While these vehicles are considered the best used cars to buy, Used Cars Allentown says that Consumer Reports wanted to go a step further and educate consumers are vehicle to avoid. Below is the list of used cars to avoid, which were dominated by German and American brands. Koons Honda Used Cars say that late models are increasingly reliable regardless of brand, but Consumer Reports reveals that some brands certainly have better luck than others.

Buick Rendezvous (AWD)
Buick Terraza
Chevrolet Astro
Chevrolet Blazer
Chevrolet Colorado (4WD)
Chevrolet S-10 Pickup (4WD)
Chevrolet Uplander
Chevrolet Venture
Chrysler Town & Country (AWD)
Dodge Grand Caravan (AWD)
GMC Canyon (4WD)
GMC Jimmy
GMC S-15 Sonoma (4WD)
GMC Safari
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Kia Sedona
Land Rover Discovery, LR3
Lincoln Aviator
Mercedes-Benz SL
Nissan Armada (4WD)
Nissan Titan (4WD)
Oldsmobile Bravada
Oldsmobile Silhouette
Pontiac Aztek
Pontiac G6
Pontiac Montana, Trans Sport, Montana SV6
Saturn Relay
Volkswagen Cabriolet
Volkswagen Jetta Sedan (turbo)
Volkswagen Jetta Sedan (V6)
Volkswagen Touareg

Consumer Reports compiled data from surveys that millions of vehicle owners have participated in. Philadelphia Used Cars stresses that the surveys found that many of the most reliable used cars actually have fewer maintenance issues and problems than many new cars as well. With more consumers looking for great value, Belleville Used Cars says this list is particularly important. The economy has helped fuel used car sales, which makes the best and work lists of reliable used cars more important than ever. With great value, and better reliability than many new cars, used cars are certainly worth considering if you’re looking to buy a car.

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When shopping for a used car check out this blog for buying tips.

8 comments:

Mary Shane said...

I need a compact car. I am a student and working on a budget. I hope you could find me a cheap car in good condition. Thank you!


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Unknown said...

I've been driving Toyota cars ever since graduating from high school. It is indeed a reliable and affordable car for many drivers like me. True enough, Toyota cars are the fastest selling used cars according to my trusted Orange County used car dealers whom I spoke with last week.

Unknown said...

Thanks for this useful info shared. I bought a car for my daughter recently from acar2go. It was really worth buying.

World News said...

Read all about used cars and their problems plus top ten cheapest cars in the world !

Nicole said...

This post would help me shortlist cars until I'm finally able to choose the perfect one. I'm a first-time car buyer and I'm getting all the tips I can, from the internet and from my friends.

Thanks a lot for sharing this list. Hopefully, I can buy one of these awesome Indianapolis cars. Until then, I'm weighing my options (financially and specs-wise). I've also found a good car dealer. Indianapolis is indeed a haven for buying cars.

SBT SEO said...
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jackie100 said...

Wow, I am surprised to see SL by Benz on the list. I'm sure a car on that level will cost tons to fix, however I am surprised that it's unreliable. I used to drive a 92 Accord and it went over the 6 figure mark (over 150k miles) with ease.



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Unknown said...

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