These are the most reliable used car brands according to consumer reports

If you are looking for a used car, you should check this out. Consumer Reports has released its first brand ranking for used cars, based on reliability data from model years 2014 to 2019, and it has some surprises in store.

While new car supply problems have eased during the COVID crisis, higher interest rates than many consumers are used to, combined with cost pressures, are pushing consumers into buying used cars, even though used cars are still more expensive than many are used to. As Alex Knizek says, Consumer Reports“, said the deputy director for autotest development to the Detroit Free Press:

Although prices have dropped from their pandemic-induced highs, the average price of a used car is nearly $30,000, so we put a lot of emphasis on value when selecting these 10 vehicles, looking for the hidden gems that offer the right mix of reliability, performance and safety at the most affordable prices

Unsurprisingly, Lexus is the big winner, closely followed by Toyota. Mazda rounds out the podium, and while the gap between that brand and Toyota is considerable, the Mazda lineup from 2014 to 2019 is still a solid used car bet, especially if you're looking for powertrain reliability. Plus, used Mazdas are often not as expensive as used Toyotas or Hondas, so if you're looking to save some money, a Mazda could be a surprise hit.

Further down the list, things get weird, but in an interesting way. Buick snags the sixth spot, making it the most reliable American car brand by a wide margin. While there are still engines to avoid in the Buick lineup, like the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine in the Verano and the 3.6-liter V6 in older Enclave crossovers, it's still fascinating to see Buick rank 12 spots higher than Chevrolet.

BMW is in seventh place, ahead of Subaru and Nissan, but behind Honda and Buick. Given the brand's reputation and the fact that this survey covers several years of the trouble-prone N20 four-cylinder engine, it's surprising that the brand ranks so high, but that probably speaks to the reliability improvements made with the B48 four-cylinder and B58 six-cylinder engines.

Perhaps contradicting stereotypes surrounding electric vehicles, Tesla ranks far down the list, at number 24, between Jeep and Dodge. Although electric vehicles are much less demanding than internal combustion engine cars in terms of regular maintenance, Tesla's score could be in the basement due to a combination of teething issues with early Model S sedans and quality control issues with early Model 3 sedans, since this study only includes cars from 2014 to 2019.

While Consumer Reports' general brand rankings make sense, some of the recommended individual models may not be the best option for you depending on your needs. For example, the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze, recommended as a used car under $10,000, may be feature-rich with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but its turbocharged engine has more potential failure points than a naturally aspirated engine, including reports of cracked pistons, and while owners are unlikely to experience any problems in the short term, anyone looking to drive a car to the point of exhaustion may want to look for something mechanically simpler.

Likewise, the publication's recommendation for a 2019 Hyundai Elantra for under $15,000 is great in the short term, as it comes with a whole host of amenities. However, the two-liter Nu engine hasn't proven to be quite as robust as Mazda's naturally aspirated Skyactiv inline-four or Toyota's two-liter four-cylinder. So if you're looking to keep a used car long-term and value powertrain reliability above all else, it might not be a bad idea to go by brand rating rather than individual model recommendations.

Still, it's always interesting to take a look at serious studies on the reliability of used cars, because the data from these studies can steer people away from potentially problematic vehicles and may even dispel some prejudices. Who knows? Maybe buying that used BMW isn't such a stupid idea after all.

(Image credits: Lexus, Consumer Reports, BMW, Tesla, Hyundai)

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