I enjoy reading Car Talk in the Sunday newspaper. I’m curious which car brands you consider to be the most reliable and well manufactured. I had a 1990 Honda Accord which had only 1 repair (brake master cylinder)in 20+ years. I loved that car. However, I now drive a 2006 Acura and it is nothing special and has had a handful of mechanical repairs (power steering pump, starter, throttle sensor, blue tooth, door handle).
Thank you,
Ken
Hi Ken, Ray and the other lackeys of Car Talk Plaza don’t post here (that we know of, at least) but I’m sure others have some information and opinions for you.
There are lots of opinions about that subject. All must be based on past performance since changes occur every model year. Some for the good, some for the bad. We’ve all had experiences like yours - the awesome 1990 Honda and the problematic Acura - in Honda (Acura is made by Honda) and other brands. Your latest experience is 12 years old. A lot can change in 12 years.
Searches on 10 best cars for xxxxx will show you lots of articles and choices. A confusing array with many different yardsticks. Surfing around CarTalk can show you lots of car models with problems in 3, 6, 9 or more years. Places like Carcomplaints.com can show you problems associated with a specific car model for a specific year. 1-3 year old model complaints show a hint of what might be an issue with a new car you are considering.
The winners in “best reliability” might not be the winners of “Best manufactured (or delivered quality).”
It is tough to pick a specific brand, like Toyota or Honda or Ford as the best as they all have models with issues. A general winner for quality is tough to pick but Toyota, Honda are usually in the top 10 as are Porsche, Hyundai and Nissan.
Here’s a recent discussion with some links: