Reliability is unarguably an important factor when choosing a car. You don’t want a ride that keeps stalling or one that requires frequent repairs, so much so that upkeep becomes ridiculously expensive. To help ensure you’re making the right investment, here are five used cars that are known for their dependability on the road.
1. Toyota Sequoia
In addition to owning a car with a fancy and unique name, this bestselling Toyota SUV line has been scoring above the top reliability rating since 2012. It first hit the market in 2000 but didn’t quite get the market’s attention until 2004 when the company decided to upgrade the interior with more space and power. The 2004 Toyota Sequoia came with a roaring 4.7 V8 engine that was capable of dishing out 282 horsepower.
2. Honda Accord
If you spend a lot of time driving, you’ve probably seen a lot of Accords on the road—and for good reason. The Honda Accord is a family-style sedan that can still give performance sedans a run for their money. In fact, the car’s reliability factor is what keeps its resale value high and keeps customers coming back.
3. Hyundai Sonata
The Sonata is another common sedan you’ll find on the road, especially in major cities. Known for being highly fuel-efficient, a 2000 Hyundai Sonata is able to clock in an average of 19 MPG on city roads and 27 MPG on freeways. Compared to similar sedans in its category, such as the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, the Sonata offers a more spacious interior with the same compact dimensions as its competitors.
4. Toyota Prius
When it was first put in the market in 2001, the Prius became the first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the world. And although its debut barely made the headlines, it has since managed to grow a massive following of environmentally conscious consumers who want a greener alternative without losing the reliability of a fully gas-powered machine. But the Toyota Prius isn’t just a “go-green” statement, it’s also a huge money-saver, with the recent 2019 Toyota Prius generating an average of $3,250 in fuel cost savings over a five-year span.
5. Mazda3
The Mazda3 came into production 11 years ago when it was introduced as the successor of Mazda’s compact sedan, the Protege. Since then, Mazda3 has been a consistent crowd-pleaser with its sleek and modern styling, rich set of features, and performance. All of these improvements came without a substantial bump in its price tag. Some of the features that make Mazda3 a safe and reliable ride include radar-technology cruise control, blind-spot monitoring system, dynamic stability and traction control, and bi-xenon adaptive lighting.
Regardless of which used car you decide to buy, always inspect what’s under the hood. The aforementioned specs and features are good on paper, but a visual inspection and test drive can put your mind at ease that you are buying a safe and reliable vehicle for a bargain price.
