GS69

Best & Worst Used Cars
Reliable models to look for—and troublesome ones to avoid.

Is it time to replace your car? Owners of 27 percent of the vehicles in our latest Annual Car Reliability Survey acquired them used last year, and they're definitely on to something. Data from our exclusive survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, show that hundreds of used-car models provide good reliability. And they can be safe, fuel efficient, and affordable.

Used vehicles are often some of the best values you'll find because you sidestep the biggest expense associated with buying a new car: depreciation.

For example, a seven-year-old Lexus RX SUV, a safe and reliable vehicle that typically costs $40,000 when new, can be found for $12,000 to $14,000. And young drivers don't have to settle for a new small car like the Toyota Yaris when they can find a fairly new, roomier, and better equipped used vehicle in the same price range, such as a Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, or Toyota Camry.

To minimize the risks, look for vehicles that have proved to be reliable. The following lists of models from 1998 through 2007 will steer you to the gems (and away from the duds) among the thousands of used vehicles on the market.

The Best of the best and Worst of the worst are based on our larger lists of Reliable used cars and Used cars to avoid (both available to subscribers).

These comprehensive lists give you a rundown of all the models that were found, from our data, to be above or below average in reliability. Owners reported on any serious problems they had had with their cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickup trucks in the previous year.

BEST OF THE BEST
These are models that have performed well in CR road tests over the years, and have proved to have several or more years of better-than-average reliability. Listed alphabetically.

Acura Integra
Acura MDX
Acura RL
Acura RSX
Acura TL
Acura TSX
BMW M3
Buick LaCrosse
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Honda Civic Hybrid
Honda CR-V
Honda Element
Honda Odyssey
Honda Pilot
Honda S2000
Infiniti FX
Infiniti G20
Infiniti G35
Infiniti I30, I35
Infiniti QX4
Lexus ES
Lexus ES
Lexus GS (RWD)
Lexus GX
Lexus IS
Lexus LS
Lexus RX
Lexus SC
Lincoln Continental
Lincoln Town Car
Mazda Millenia
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Mazda Protegé
Mazda3
Mitsubishi Endeavor
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Nissan Murano
Pontiac Vibe
Porsche 911 (except '03)
Scion tC
Scion xB
Subaru Baja
Subaru Forester
Subaru Impreza
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Avalon
Toyota Camry (except '07 V6)
Toyota Camry Solara
Toyota Celica
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Echo
Toyota Highlander
Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Matrix
Toyota Prius
Toyota RAV4
Toyota Sequoia
Toyota Sienna
Toyota Tundra (except '07 V8 4WD)
Volvo S60


WORST OF THE WORST
These vehicles showed multiple Used Car Verdicts that were much worse than average, according to our survey respondents. They consistently had more problems than other models overall.

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


About these lists
The lists on these pages are compiled from overall reliability data covering 1998-2007 models with above-average or much-below-average reliability. CR Good Bets and Bad Bets include only the models for which we have sufficient data for at least three model years. Models that were brand-new in 2006 or 2007 do not appear. Problems with the engine major, engine cooling, transmission major, and drive system were weighted more heavily than other problems.

The full Ratings and recommendations for more than 200 vehicles, along with the latest information on thousands of other products and services, are available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers. Find out how to subscribe today.

mmarshall

Several Korean-designed vehicles have recently improved to a better-than-average or much-better-than-average reliability rating (the Hyundai Azera is the best example). The Azera was CR's top-rated sedan for reliability last year. It would probably be on the above list also, except that it hasn't been on the market long enough...only about 2 years.

Gojirra99

I know the Mercedes SL have issues, but don't realize it's as bad as this - the only Mercedes model that makes the worst of the worst list Such a nice looking car too, sigh . . .

inxexisten

ya it that bad.... those cars depreciate like no other! haha

LexFather

You can't bish about surveys....I mean people are telling it how it is. I am also sad to the the SL stlll having issues, beautiful car.

MD350

My Mother in Law has an 07 Pontiac G6 GTP with the 3.6L 6 speed auto. She loves it. Same drive train as the new Malibu. In fact, those cars share many of the same parts.

So, the G6 is yet the new Malibu is getting

Also, the Saturn Aura is recommended by CR and also shares the same platform as the G6.

So, I just don't get it.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

very much expected list, every Lexus model is on there.

<VENOM>

I know a guy who has a Grand Caravan with 270k on it, his motto is change the fluids, let the car warm up and come to a complete stop before shifting gears

LXotic

Surprisingly, the LX isn't on the list.
Most of the cars in the Best list are Japanese.
Most of the cars in the Worst list are American.
Go figure.

mmarshall

Simple. Though the G6, Aura , and Malibu all share a common platform and drivetrains (except for the G6 folding-hardtop model), most people, including CR, think that the Malibu and Aura are far nicer cars overall, with much nicer interior fit/finish. Not to be rude or insult your mother's purchase (she obviously had her reasons for buying it), but the G6's almost all-black interior, to me, looks like something out of a West Virginia coal mine.

Reliablity also plays a factor. Sometimes, for reasons that are hard to decipher, vehicles designed and built on the same platform will sometimes vary in reliability. A good example is the Hyundai Tuscon and the Kia Sportage. Both started out poor in reliability their first year. The Tucson had a major improvement after that to better-then-average; the Sportage didn't, and remains well below average.....one of the few remaining unreliable Korean-designed vehicles.

MD350

Good point. The G6 was recommended and now the recommendation was removed due to the surveys from owners. The G6 came out in 2005, the Aura in 07 and Malibu in 08. So, I guess we'll see if those models remain recommended in a few years.

As to the black interior, I hear ya! But, the car doesn't look bad in the GTP package.

GS69

As far as I can tell, the Tacoma is the only Toyota not on the list ... that is pretty surprising. If I had to pick one, I would have thought the Echo ...

marshmallo

Except the GS AWD. I'm owned