Asklemmy

Don’t trust what people say from their individual stories. You need statistics of hundreds of cars, not single anecdotes. There must be sites that evaluate cars reliability, average spending on repairs and so on, model by model. Find those.

Can't go wrong with Honda and Toyota. They are basically tanks that keep running even when you abuse them.

Toyota Prius. I've seen people in central Asia rock mud and dirt trails with it, that most Westerners wouldn't dare to go on with their SUVs

I am not native and wanted to say I always swear on SUVs, Pickups and unnecessarily loud or stupid cars.

Dont get one of those, please.

Depending on where you live, you might be able to consider not getting a replacement. Public transportation and cycling is vastly superior if the infrastructure is available. Costs less, keeps you healthier, better for the environment, less noisy cities, more flexible, etc etc.

I'm currently driving a company owned Toyota corolla Fielder, with a cool quarter million KMs on the clock, 260-something thousand to be exact.

Toyota have a legendary reputation for reliability, for good reason.

My mechanic buddies all swear by Toyota, the Prius is rated the kind of car least likely to seen in a shop and pretty much any other Toyota is bullet proof.

Flipside, I will never own a Nissan. Worked at an auto auction for 6 months as an inspector. One thing that was hammered on us is check engine oil even before it went to the auctions mechanic for sludge. The reason it was hammered so hard is because it was a problem. Only with Nissans. In 6 months, hundreds of cars a day, Nissans were the only ones with the engine sludge issue.

Flawed premise.

You don't care about brands generally, you only care about the car you buy specifically.

Every brand / model has good and bad cars. If you're unlucky enough to get a shit one, it doesn't really help you if people swear by that brand.

Just figure out the format (SUV, hatch, etc), then your budget, then buy the lowest kms you can.

You know what "Ford" stands for, eh?

Fix It Again, Tony.

But to add something to the conversation, my vote goes to Toyota and Honda.

Anecdotally: Had a 1999 Corolla that I drove into the ground, ignored oil changes, was a stupid teen, and it ran fine until I wanted automatic windows. Currently riding in a Nissan Altima, which seems to be pretty great (as long as the transmission doesn't fail, which they can do sometimes).

Parents had a Ford Eacort that was a lemon, and a Ford Escape that was a money-pit.

Honda. The answer is Honda.

I have had mazadas and toyotas run for decades with zero problems but they are also decades old and may not be reflective of the current quality of the cars. See: BMW and Mercedes. they used to be quality in the 20th century, now they are a bit shit.

Toyota or lexus are most reliable, Honda (Acura) is a close 2nd. After that it isn't even close.

Yes ford's aren't all bad, especially their international designs are not bad.

After Toyota and Honda the reliable cars to buy are going to be specific models and specific years, you're going to have to find the many youtube mechanic commentary videos "buy this not that" and do your research.

It may be that rather than buying the most reliable vehicle you avoid buying one of the known worst vehicles. I've been there and now I own 2 Toyotas and a Honda.

And it goes without saying, before you buy anything have it inspected by an impartial mechanic you trust.

You will see that Toyotas cost a lot more than other cars. It's because the cheaper cars end up costing thousands more in the long run because of the many repairs you're going to have to do. Pay now or pay later.

Honda and Toyota last forever. Incredibly reliable cars.

Toyota Yaris, most reliable car ever in my eyes

I swear by any car. That is to say, I swear near any car. Get out of my lane! Three feet of space to pass at a minimum!

My Honda Civic is 12 years old. I just put new shocks and tires on and it feels like it's brand new. The thing is rock solid. It's needed very little work beyond maintenance for normal wear and tear.

Honda, Toyota, Subaru. Specific models with high sales and as such high parts availability. I'd avoid new models or low sales. It'll be harder to pick-n-pull parts. The prius claims to be low maintenance and I believe it based on experience. Most issues I've had with those brands have been fixable and not too soul crushing. Even the worst prius issue i ever had with a stuck coolant valve I was able to fix myself wigh youtube vids.

Of course this comes with the caveat that you take care of your vehicle. Don't drive like a moron being harsh on it, perform regular maintenance at proper intervals, do your fluid and filter checks and changes, don't swing for only cheap products, use full synthetic oil when you can. Use higher quality oil, air, cabin, etc filters within reason. Follow the manual. Set maintenance reminders for yourself. Don't add unnecessary performance mods. Don't go to jiffy lube. Be skeptical of mechanics that will screw up your car. Check their work when you can, or do it all yourself. If your car allows it, use better fuels.

Reliable doesn't equal zero maintenance or zero cost.

On that note. Michelin tires are worth it. Cheap tires are cheap and get replaced more. Tire performance under braking is perhaps the most important safety feature. I've never been disappointed by Michelin for performance, safety, or life. Worth every penny every time.

By the way, if you want some fun, go to the car dealer area of your town on random days and check out their service departments. I laugh every time I see places like Hyundai packed in the waiting room.

Check to see if there's a recall repair.

Recall repairs go beyond the warranty.

I had a Ford Taurus that I swore by for several years.

Well, swore at, mostly.

I'm kind of surprised nobody said Kia (and for that matter, Hyundai) yet?

JD Power has ranked Kia in the top 3 in dependability for the past few years and gave them the #1 spot last year. They also have a 10yr/100k mile warranty so theoretically they'll survive for a very long time.

They do have a bad wrap with the car thefts going on, but that issue is addressed with their newer models. I do suppose though that to a dumb "thrill seeker" that doesn't mean you're immune to attempted thefts.

Hondas and Toyotas are expensive but last well. If you’re in the PNW, look at a suburu so you can blend in if you need to commit a crime. Seriously, if the police are looking for a green suburu outback in Washington they might as well be looking for every Starbucks.

Toyota Landcruiser with the straight 6 1hdfte engine. Plenty of power comes in several different models of car. Unfortunately because of their unparalleled reliability they are expensive and Toyota discontinued making the engine due to emissions.

I have seen these engines go over 1million kms as they are bassed of the original 1hz engine which was really bullet proof but lacked in power.

Then toyota and honda are your best bet. Change the oil a little earlier than recommended and they will last 300k miles.

All of the cars have been Fords because I always heard they were generally dependable and cheap to repair/upkeep, but so far they have all failed me.

I personally would never buy another Ford for many reasons, reliability being one of the main ones. Actually, after all the bad experiences with cars I have had, I would probably never buy another American car unless something dramatically changed.

Toyotas or Hondas are what you want if you want reliable and cheap repairs. That said, they hold their value very well because of their reliable reputation, so even getting a used one is still going to be quite expensive. My wife and I bought a used Toyota Corolla 5-ish years ago and couldn't happier. We've needed to make the occasional repair, overall the car has not cost us much.

Toyota/Lexus or Honda.

Toyota and Honda have the reputation for being the most reliable. I would add Subaru to the list as well out of my personal experience.

Although, I think the best investment a car owner can make is a basic set of tools and the time to learn to do repairs/maintenance yourself. I started by doing my own oil changes and, at first, it wasn't cheaper at all with needing to buy the tools, but in the years since I think I've become quite a handy mechanic and have saved tens of thousands by doing everything myself. There are repair videos online for virtually everything so it's pretty easy to get started with basic stuff and work your way up from there as needed for your car.

If you can afford one, get a Subaru. They have a well-deserved reputation as being one of the longest lasting brands. In addition they are great driving cars, particularly under bad conditions. Finally, they have an amazing safety record.

That last item is not a casual one for me. I was T-Boned in the center of my front passenger door by a car going over 50 mph. My Outback rolled twice and only stopped because the roof hit the side of a van. I can remember my head bouncing off the curtain airbag as the pavement went rolling by. The car was thoroughly destroyed, except for the passenger compartment, which was intact (even the door that took the hit). My passenger and I were both unhurt.

The paramedics who examined us were more than a little surprised. They said they were expecting at least head and neck injuries. Instead, I had a minor bruise on the outside of one knee. That was it. We didn't even have headaches.

I replaced my totaled Outback with a newer one. My friend bought one too, the following year. I expect to drive Subarus for the rest of my life.

America doesn't make reliable and dependable. 3 Chevys have taught me that. Go with something from Toyota, Subaru, Honda or Nissan and you will be so glad you did. I'm never buying American again if I can avoid it.

Unpopular opinion, but Tesla model 3 has been the best car with the lowest total cost of ownership.

Electricity is cheaper than gas by a lot, no moving parts or fluids to replace except washer fluid, brakes last forever since it’s Regen braking.

It’s also pretty fun to drive.

Not a fan of the dude, and never bought into the hype on the tech side, but it’s a solid car.

Miata is always the answer.