Dead-set on buying domestic, and want to know which are the most reliable new cars on the market?
Look no further, because out of its latest Annual Auto Reliability Survey, Consumer Reports has broken down the most reliable American cars, trucks, and SUVs in every category and for every budget.
It may or may not surprise you to find that most of them are made by General Motors. After all, GM’s brands are the only ones to rate in the top half of the survey. Buick is the first American brand to land on CR’s podium, and Chevy won more initial quality and dependability awards this year from J.D. Power than any other brand.
There are a few top contenders from Ford as well – but not a single one from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, whose vehicles, lamentably, continue to lag at the bottom of just about every category when it comes to reliability.
Subcompact Car: Chevrolet Sonic
Want the smallest, cheapest new domestic car that will last? According to Consumer Reports, that’s the Chevy Sonic – specifically in LT spec with the 1.8-liter engine. It’s available in both sedan and hatchback bodystyles, and starting at just over $15k.
Compact Car: Chevrolet Cruze
Need something a little bigger than a Sonic? Step up to the new Chevy Cruze LT, which topped the rankings among domestic compact cars. GM just rolled out the second-gen Cruze for 2016, but apparently already worked out the teething issues often present in a new model after having introduced the model in China two years ago.
Midsized Car: Ford Fusion
The ladies and gentlemen in downtown Detroit will have to step aside a second and let their colleagues from nearby Dearborn take this one, because the best midsize car in CR’s reliability rankings isn’t a Chevy – it’s a Ford. Namely the Fusion, which customers in other markets may better recognize as the Mondeo. The sedan is offered with a 1.5- or 2.0-liter turbo four, or even with a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6, but for reliability’s sake, CR recommends the base engine in SE trim.
Large Car: Chevrolet Impala
Step up a size class and you’ll be back in Chevrolet territory with the Impala in 2LTZ trim, which CR describes as “roomy, comfortable, quiet, and enjoyable to drive.” Chevy has used the Impala name off and on through ten generations now, having reintroduced it in 2000. This latest model was rolled out in 2014, so it’s had plenty of time to work out any kinks.
Luxury Compact Car: Buick Regal
Buick may not be as high-end a brand as, say, Mercedes or Jaguar, but its products are sufficiently premium for CR to classify them as luxury automobiles. Now towards the end of its lifecycle, the current Regal is soon to be replaced by a new version based on the latest Open Insignia – but in its current form, it’s been on the market now long enough to boast rock-solid reliability.
Luxury Midsized Car: Cadillac CT6
One of the newest cars on the list is Cadillac’s flagship, the CT6. But its gestation hasn’t been as tough as the much smaller ATS. Caddy’s strategy has the big new sedan positioned, for example, in between the Mercedes E-Class and S-Class, making it something of a value proposition that gives buyers near full-size space for midsize money.
Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette
Reliability may not be the prime concern for most sports car buyers, but if you actually want to drive your low-slung performance machine, you’re going to need it to actually run. Enter the Chevy Corvette, which CR recommends particularly in base Stingray form. The current C7 was introduced in 2013 as the latest in a long line of front-engined Corvettes stretching back to 1953. The next one may be a complete reset as we anticipate a mid-engined model to follow.
Compact SUV: Ford Escape
Ford regains territory on its chief rival when it comes to SUVs, and that starts with the compact little Escape. The Blue Oval automaker just introduced a series of updates to the 2017 model, but underneath it’s essentially the same model that it’s been selling in America (and overseas as the Kuga) since 2012.
Midsized SUV: Ford Edge
Ford edges out GM in mid-size SUV territory as well, where CR recommends the Edge in SEL spec with the base 2.0-liter turbo four (instead of the 3.5-liter V6 or 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6). Now in its second generation, the current Edge is still near the beginning of its lifecycle, but has been out for long enough to work out any major issues.
Large SUV: Chevrolet Traverse
The best large domestic crossover in Consumer Reports‘ estimation is – you guessed it – a Chevy. Specifically the Traverse in LT spec, which packs three rows of seating, a 3.6-liter V6. It’s been around since 2008, so it’s the established player in the segment, but is soon to be replaced with a model based on the same building blocks as the new GMC Acadia.
Luxury SUV: Buick Enclave
Like the Traverse but want a bit more in the area of creature comforts? Check out its upscale counterpart, the Buick Enclave. It has also been on the market for a long time, and is due to be replaced. But in the meantime, the current model is built well, especially in CXL trim.