To others, vehicle brand is very important — although maybe not for the right reasons.

What are the best car brands?

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you might want to take care in selecting your car brand. It’s simply not true that all are alike.

Value
The old adage “you get what you pay for” is not the same today for the automobile market as it was, say, 25 years ago. In those days, an inexpensive car would probably get you poor reliability, poor quality, few safety features, and minimal creature comforts. For more money, you could get more luxury and creature comforts and possibly a little more in the way of improved reliability, quality, or safety. 

Today, the car you get for your money is light-years ahead of those of 25 years ago with significant improvements in quality, reliability, safety features, comfort, construction materials, paint, fit-and-finish quality, rust protection, engine technology, fuel efficiency, emissions control, sound systems, navigation systems, and luxury features. The lowest priced cars today are far better than the most expensive cars of yesterday.

Today, different car brands are more alike than they are different. A Honda Pilot Touring at $39,000 is not so much different than a Land Rover Range Rover at $79,000 — same quality, same features, same technology, same safety, similar styling, most luxury features same, same reliability (actually, the Land Rover brand is rated by Consumer Reports as having much poorer long-term quality than less expensive Honda).

Stated a little differently, there may be a difference in perceived value between a Honda (or other moderately priced brands) and a Land Rover (or other expensive luxury vehicles) but very little, if any, difference in actual value. The incorrect notion that more money gets you a better car has been successfully propagated by high-end car makers using slick advertising. 

Overall, the best value brands are Honda, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, and Mazda.

Resale Value
The best car brands are those that have high future resale or trade-in values. It’s the cars that people will most want to buy in the future as used cars. They’ll want cars that hold their value, have proven to be reliable, have good safety records, have not been discontinued, and have not changed dramatically in style. Honda and Toyota hold the high spots in this list.  Many luxury brands, such as Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, and even Land Rover fall high in this list not so much for reliability but for long-term luxury appeal and value retention (as used cars).

Reliability
According to Consumer Reports annual surveys of actual owners, the car brands that have the fewest problems are, in general, Japanese models. Next are American models. And last are the high-priced luxury brands from Europe. It doesn’t make sense that the brands that cost the most money are the ones you can depend the least on, but it’s true. Other than surveys such as those by Consumer Reports and JD Powers, new car buyers can also check Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) issued by car manufacturers to dealers regarding known problems. Expensive luxury brands have, by far, the greatest number and most serious TSBs. 

Safety
There can be significant differences in safety ratings between different car makes and models. All are not the same. If you can buy a car with a 5-star safety rating versus one with only a 3-star rating for the same price, which would you choose? Check Vehicle Safety Ratings online before making your decision. 

Luxury Image
Although many car brands have luxury features such as leather seats, power/memory seats, navigation systems, high-end sound systems, faux wood trim, and heated steering wheels, these features are not limited to “luxury” car brands. High-end car brands no longer have an exclusive on such features. In fact, there are few if any “luxury” features offered on luxury brands that are not also offered on much less expensive brands. Luxury cars have a luxury image, but not much more.

Performance and Fuel Economy
Many car buyers who are “price” shoppers overlook the fact that the lowest priced cars are those that have the smallest 4-cylinder engines. This is great for price and fuel economy but make sure you do a test drive before you decide to buy. Although an everyday car doesn’t require high performance, it does need to have sufficient response for emergency situations and highway driving. For most cars with small engines this is not a big problem, but don’t assume you have to give up performance for good fuel economy. Many cars with larger engines get excellent gas mileage too.

Reputation of Company – American vs Others
Unfortunately, American car brands have not enjoyed the same reputation for quality and customer service as many foreign brands in past years. However, this has been changing lately. American companies have made great strides in making improvements that put many American car models on par with similar foreign models. Ford has made the most improvement; Chrysler the least. Before you buy, check online for test-drive reviews from companies such as Consumer Reports and Edmunds.

Insurance Cost
Auto insurance rates car be dramatically different between car brands and models. For example, rates for a Honda Accord are much lower than for a similarly priced Mitsubishi Lancer. Why? The Misubishi is wrecked more often by young drivers, which increases insurance rates for all of us who own that vehicle. When you are trying to decide between car models, check Auto Insurance Rates online first.

Cost of Ownership
Cost of car ownership varies between brands, models, and styles. It is a combination of many factors, some of which we’ve already discussed — initial vehicle cost, gas mileage, insurance cost, reliability, cost of scheduled maintenance, tire replacement cost, repair cost. In general, luxury cars cost more to drive and own than economy cars but there can be significant differences even between vehicles in the same price and size category. Online sources such as Cars.com and Edmunds usually have this kind of information.

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If the car you buy proves to be unreliable and frequently needs repairs or attention it’s not a bargain. You’ll spend time and money not only for repairs and maintenance, but also for the inconveniences and disruptions that result. You’ll also pay with low trade-in or resale value.

When buying a new car and spending multi-thousands of dollars, we want our money’s worth. We expect the car to function as promised and be dependable. In fact, the reason many of us buy a brand new car is that we’re tired of the problems we’ve had with an old car. It’s not fair that we should also have problems with the new car.

Consumer Reports conducts an annual survey of thousands of automobile owners to determine which brands and models have had the fewest problems — and the most problems. Detailed reports even show the type of problems encountered. They then rank all car brands in terms of reliability starting with most reliable to least reliable.

In the newest survey it was found that Japanese brands held the top nine positions as follows:

1. Scion (Toyota)
2. Lexus (Toyota)
3. Acura (Honda)
4. Mazda
5. Honda
6. Toyota
7. Infiniti (Nissan)
8. Subaru
9. Nissan
10. Volvo

Korean brands, Hyundai and Kia, placed next followed by Jeep at #13, the highest ranking American brand. Ford fell to the #18 spot.

Overall, there were 27 brands in the rankings. Jaguar, Porsche, and Audi occupied the bottom of the list. Other European brands such as Mercedes and BMW fall into the middle with many models ranking better than average reliability while others were below average.

American brands Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors all list in the lower half of the rankings, with Chrysler ranking highest

The majority of reliability problems found in the survey were in electrical or electronic systems, power equipment, and body hardware/integrity.

Summary

The best car deals are often the brands and models with the highest reliability. Not only do they save money on operational and repair costs, but also have the highest resale values, which can make them the least expensive to own or lease.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above vehicles from Edmunds.comThe quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

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The answer to that question: It depends.

It depends on whether you’re asking about best looks, best comfort, best cargo space, best styling, best performance, best safety, best future resale value, or best reliability — or the best combination of all these things.

Since most car manufacturers offer a variety of types of vehicles (small, large, coupe, sedan, SUV, minivan) for customers to choose from, selecting the best brand boils down to choosing among those that have the best overall mix of 1) value, 2) reliability, and 3) value retention.

Value is simply a measure of what and how much you get for the money you spend. Some luxury brands, for example, don’t provide much value because you don’t get much for the extra  money, except for some prestige and possible notice from friends and neighbors.  Good value means getting a great car for a relatively low price.

Reliability is a measure of how often a vehicle has problems, particularly the kind of problems that will leave you stranded and require days in the repair shop. An inexpensive car that frequently needs repairs is no bargain. Reliability is also a measure of how well the manufacturer monitors quality control.  The better the quality control, the more consistent the quality of their vehicles.

Value Retention is a measure of how well a car retains resale value in coming years. Car brands with good reputations, good quality, and good reliability will sell for higher prices in the future. This is important when you sell or trade your car in a few years. You lose money on vehicles with low value retention.

So which brands are best?

Every year in reviews and consumer polls, such as those by Consumer Reports magazine, there are two brands that ALWAYS end up on top — Honda and Toyota.

Does this mean you should not consider any other brands?

No.

There are other vehicles by other manufacturers that are very competitive with Honda and Toyota vehicles. Examples are the Ford Focus, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Infiniti G37, Mazda Mazda3, Hyundai Genesis, Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Malibu, and Subaru Forester.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

The overall best car this year is the Lexus LS 460L. It is rated 99 out of a possible 100, which is outstanding.

Other top rated makes and models are as follows:

Best Sports Sedan – Infiniti G37

Best Family Hauler (wagon, minivan, microvan) – Mazda Mazda5

Best Pickup Truck – Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Best Green Car – Toyota Prius

Best Family SUV – Chevrolet Traverse

Best Fuel Economy – Toyota Prius, Smart ForTwo, Honda Insight

Best Overall Safety – Kia Soul (small car), Acura TL (family & upscale car), Honda CR-V (small SUV), Acura MDX (midsize SUV)

Best Roadtest – Lexus LS 460L, Infiniti M35 X, BMW 135i

Best Cars Under $20,000 – Ford Focus SES, Honda Civic LX, Honda Fit

Of course, the magazine has the full details of each car’s evaluation and test results. You can also get the same information (for a small fee) on the magazine’s website at consumerreports.org.  Anyone who is thinking of buying a new car should always consult CR data before making a decision. Not only will you learn which cars had the best results, but you will also discover which cars had the worst results.