These Are the 8 Most Reliable Used Cars

Finding a reliable used car is easy when you have the right tools for the task. You might have loved your new car the day you drove it off the dealer's lot, but that's not worth a whole lot when your car is broken down on the side of the road and going nowhere.

That's why it's vital to look ahead and understand how the car of your dreams will hold up when the odometer is ticking higher and the warranty winds down. Car and Driver's first drives, instrumented tests, and long-term road tests are always a great way to find out how any car, truck, or SUV stacks up against the competition. But when it comes to knowing how real owners are faring with their vehicles after several years of use, it's smart to use one of the most valuable research tools available.

J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS)

J.D. Power asks the original owners of three-year-old vehicles about any issues or problems they've encountered. These results cover everything from serious mechanical issues to problems with the car's overall fit and finish and complaints about the infotainment system or other interior controls. In total, 177 potential issues are covered, and scores are calculated per every 100 vehicles to provide an overall result for vehicle dependability. (If a car recieves a score of 85, that means there are, on average, 85 issues per 100 cars—or less than one per car.) A lower score is better, since it means a car has received complaints about fewer issues which could translate to a more reliable used car.

Remember, this dependability study is different from J.D. Power's own Initial Quality Study (IQS), which surveys car buyers only 90 days into their ownership. The IQS study provides a good first look at potential trouble spots like overly confusing dashboards or awkwardly placed controls. But since very few cars exhibit major problems only three months after rolling off a dealership lot, it's not the best gauge of real-world, used-car reliability.

We've compiled J.D. Power's top-rated cars from its 2018 Vehicle Dependability Study—which represents he most recent data available from the company. As you'll see from the variety of vehicles on offer, having a dependable used car doesn't mean you can't enjoy the drive, too.