Toyota Tops Car Reliability List for 2017, Audi and BMW Trail Behind Kia

Toyota

Consumer Reports has released the extensive results of its Car Reliability Survey 2017, and the findings are quite interesting, to say the least. Of note is the fact that Toyota is this year’s winner in brand rankings. Surprisingly, Audi and BMW trail behind Kia Motors in this list.

When you look at specific models, the Kia Niro comes out on top as the most reliable car of 2017. The 1.6-liter hybrid engine delivers a not-too-shabby 139 hp on the six-speed dual-clutch transmission combination. Miles per gallon tops out at 43, which is impressive but perhaps not as good as the Ioniq from Hyundai or the Toyota Prius.

The Subaru BRZ (Toyota 86) grabbed second place. The BRZ was developed in collaboration with Toyota and features a 2.0-liter engine delivering 205 hp at 7000 rpm, but a not-so-fuel-efficient 21 to 29 mpg. Not the best of cars for long-legged back-seat passengers, but from behind the wheel it paints a completely different picture.

Third place was nabbed by the Lexus ES, which gives an impressive 25 mpg with its 3.5-liter V6 engine with automatic transmission. The hybrid version takes that up to 44 mpg on the highway and 36 mpg overall, which puts it near the top of its class. The Lexus ES is one of very few Lexus models that doesn’t offer an F Sport package, choosing instead to focus on comfort and quietness.

Now for the flip side of the survey.

Among the most poorly ranked cars for 2017 in terms of reliability are the Cadillac Escalade, the GMC Acadia, the Ram 3500 and the Dodge Journey. The first three had average reliability scores (across all models of that particular manufacturer) of 30 or less out of 100.

Another way to look at the reliability of an automobile is to see how long the average owner keeps it. By those standards, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is the clear winner, with an impressive 32.1% of owners choosing to keep it for at least 10 years. The surprise second-placed is the Subaru Forester, which has never really gotten good ratings from J.D. Power and Associates, one of the most reliable consumer resources. Nevertheless, US News found that 24.2% of Forester owners still had their vehicles after 10 years.

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