Top 10 Most Dependable Cars of 2016: J.D. Power
You rely on your car to get you through the day, so why wouldn’t you want a dependable one?
The J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study has been released, surveying 33,560 vehicle owners to see how many problems they’ve experienced with their vehicles after three years of ownership. It’s worth noting that the study surveys original owners of 2013 model year vehicles, and not 2016 model year vehicles. Still, it’s a great indicator of whether a vehicle will have problems after three years of ownership.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Most Dependable Automakers of 2016: J.D. Power
To determine how dependable a vehicle is, J.D. Power determined the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles and has pulled winners from each vehicle category.
City Car: Fiat 500
Although Fiat as a brand didn’t fare well in this year’s study, the Fiat 500 ranked highest among city cars. That might not be saying much however, since there isn’t a ton of competition in the segment, with the Smart Fortwo being the only other city car that scored above the industry average. Smart however, is the second-least dependable automaker in this year’s study.
Small Car: Honda Fit
Honda on the other hand, performed fairly well in this year’s study and the compact Fit took top honors in the small car category. Also topping the segment is the Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent.
Compact Car: Buick Verano
Topping the compact car category is the Buick Verano, followed by the Toyota Corolla and the Toyota Prius. Buick as a brand performed well this year, ranking in third with an overall 106 problems per 100 vehicles.
Compact Sporty Car: MINI Cooper and MINI Coupe/Roadster
The MINI Cooper, MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster models all received recognition in the compact sporty car category. The Volkswagen GTI was also one of the most dependable in the segment. MINI as a brand however, ranked lower than the industry average of 152 problems per 100 vehicles with owners reporting 155 problems.
Compact Premium Car: Lexus ES
For the fifth consecutive year, Lexus was the most dependable brand, so it’s no surprising that it has a couple of models topping their segment. For the compact premium car segment is the Lexus ES. Also receiving recognition is the BMW 1 Series, while the Acura ILX and Audi A4 tied for third.
Midsize Car: Chevrolet Malibu
There’s an all-new Chevrolet Malibu and if it’s as reliable as its previous model, then it should be a hit. The sedan took the midsize car segment, ahead of the Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry.
Midsize Sporty Car: Chevrolet Camaro
Topping the midsize sporty car segment is the Chevrolet Camaro. It’s also the only segment that had a top performer as no other model in this segment performed above segment average. It appears the Ford Mustang is having some dependability issues since it was at least mentioned last year.
Midsize Premium Car: Lexus GS
The Lexus GS took the midsize premium car category, besting out the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Last year, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class topped the segment, along with the Lincoln MKS and Infiniti M. Neither the Lincoln MKS or Infiniti M made an appearance this year.
Large Car: Buick LaCrosse
The Buick LaCrosse is a repeat winner for the large car segment, and there’s an all-new model on the horizon that looks stunning. Also being recognized in the large car segment is the Nissan Maxima and Toyota Avalon.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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What, no Honda Accord? It's JDP heresy. ;
Japanese and GM car lover. Bias is obvious.