The Most Reliable Car Brands of 2020, According to Consumer Reports

Which automaker will give you the least issues overall on the new car market? Consumer Reports has the answer, with its list of the most reliable car brands of 2020.

Brand loyalty is a real thing, and reputations for reliability play a key role. Like previous years, Japanese brands dominate the list, locking out the 2020 podium. Past that, however, the island nation only shows up one more time in the top 10. Korea gets a strong showing with no less than three entries, plus there are appearances by German and American brands. It’s here where a few surprises show up…

Dropping by two spots over last year, Dodge still benefits from a venerable lineup of well-known models. The Charger and Challenger keep pumping out increasingly powerful models, sure, but according to CR, they can take it: the Challenger is the most reliable vehicle Dodge makes.

SEE ALSO: 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Review: The Friendly Demon

Last year this was the only American brand to make the cut, but there’s a few higher up the list this time around…

Porsche is a moving back and forth on the CR list. Two years ago it was ninth, then last year it was fifth. It’s back to the the earlier ranking for this year, though Consumer Reports was only able to report on two models through its surveys: the Cayenne and Macan, of course.

SEE ALSO: 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo Review: Truly Electrifying

The company did rescind its Recommended rating for the new Taycan EV, but did so based on the predicted reliability based on other EVs—it’s too early to tell for the Porsche.

The Pleiades-badged brand continues to tumble this year, though it only dropped a single spot over last year’s result. CR cites the continued issues with the Ascent three-row crossover as the main culprit.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Review: First Drive

Nonetheless, the brand held on thanks to the strong reputation of the rest of the lineup. Perhaps most surprising is the Subaru with the best track record: the BRZ. Then again, it is the oldest model in the line.

Stellantis’ truck brand got a big boost this year, showing up in the seventh slot. This comes shortly after news that the brand has now overtaken Chevy for the title of second-best-selling truck in America. So it’s good to know they’re reliable too.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Review: First Drive

The Ram 1500 does most of the heavy lifting for the brand. While still quite new, this generation has benefitted from a high-quality interior and an infotainment system that’s reliable and intuitive. And for those that want wild, there’s the Ram 1500 TRX.

Hyundai’s tradition of value and dependability keeps it at the pointy end of the charts again this year. The Korean brand bucks the trend of older models tending to be more reliable thanks to the Kona being its strongest performer.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Hyundai Elantra Review: First Drive

The next year will see a bevy of changes in the Hyundai lineup, with an update to the afore-mentioned Kona, and whole new versions of the Elantra and Tucson.

After a few years outside of the top 10, Honda has jumped up from 12th this year. According to Consumer Reports, that’s due to the reliability of most of its lineup balancing out the continued issues with the Odyssey and Passport.

SEE ALSO: 2020 Honda CR-V Review: A Cross For The Weekend?

Up next year is a wholly new Civic generation, which continues to be a big draw for Honda: it remains the best-selling car in America.

Lexus rarely strays from the top of CR’s list, and it’s not hard to see why. The brand sticks to tried-and-true platforms, offering peace of mind with a heavy dose of luxury. The brand averages an 71 out of 100 on CR’s scale, a solid 50–100 percent higher than the average across the industry. That’s huge.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Lexus LC Convertible Review: A Future Classic

This year sees the addition of the stunning LC Convertible seen above, as well as a thoroughly re-engineered—but still on the same platform—IS sport sedan.

Toyota stays on the podium for another year, moving up from third. Year after year the largest Japanese automaker sticks to the top of the list, made all the more impressive by it having the largest tested lineup of all the brands.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime First Drive Review: Plug-In Power

Unsurprisingly, it’s the Prius and Corolla that lead the way for the brand, with ratings of 93 and 90, respectively.

Mazda continues to impress, moving further up the list to nab the top spot. The manufacturer has made a history of bucking trends: if it’s not the rotary engine, it’s remaining an independent in an increasingly shacked-up industry—hello, FCA and Peugeot—or imbuing its mainstream models with some sports car sparkle.

SEE ALSO: 2021 Mazda3 Sport 2.5 Turbo Review: First Drive

The MX-5 Miata topped the list of most reliable cars, showing the value of Mazda’s roadster. Seriously, 98 out of 100. But it isn’t all roses: the redesigned 3, which launched this year, sits as the brand’s least-reliable model. However, the CX-30, which shares its platform with the car, is already the second-highest-ranked Mazda with a score of 95.