10 Most Reliable Sedans

2019 Toyota Avalon 900x600 ・ Photo by Toyota

There are lots of great qualities that can make a car appealing. But if your car breaks down, its fetching styling, lots of features, spacious interior, nimble handling, quiet ride, or bargain price can lose their luster.

When you want the maximum confidence in finding headache-free transportation, you want one of these 10 most reliable sedans. We’ve chosen selections across a variety of sizes and prices, all of which have scored well in third-party reliability surveys, and we’ve sorted them by base price. Click through to find the right one for you.

1. 2020 Subaru Impreza

The 2020 Subaru Impreza is a compact sedan with a reputation for hardiness and longevity. Its standard all-wheel-drive means that it will tackle any weather throughout its long life, and its base price of $18,695 is the lowest on our list of the 10 most reliable sedans.

The Impreza provides a smooth ride, a spacious rear seat, and lots of advanced safety technology. It’s not the most fun-to-drive, fuel-efficient, or stylish small sedan you can buy, but it promises to be one of the most reliable.

Photo by Subaru

2. 2020 Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai didn’t develop a great reputation for reliability in its first decade in the U.S., but the South Korean automaker consistently scores well these days — particularly for tried-and-true small cars like the 2020 Hyundai Elantra.

The Elantra is a solidly built, well-executed compact sedan that provides affordable, safe, and reliable transportation without much fuss. It includes generous safety and infotainment technology even on affordable trim levels, along with an industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance. A redesigned Elantra is coming later this year as a 2021 model; it will bring more visual pizzazz, but most models will keep this year’s dependable 2.0-liter engine. Prices for the 2020 Elantra start at $19,150, and frequent discounts make it especially affordable for a compact sedan.

Photo by Hyundai

3. 2020 Toyota Corolla

The 2020 Toyota Corolla compact sedan is fully redesigned this year, with more upscale styling, a more modern-looking and better-appointed interior, and improved driving manners. What’s more, while redesigns can often mean unexpected glitches to iron out, two things give us particular confidence in the new Corolla.

First of all, Toyota introduced most of the new changes a year earlier as the 2019 Corolla hatchback, giving extra time to address any issues before rolling out the more popular four-door sedan. Secondly, the Corolla sedan’s other two engines — a base 1.8-liter four-cylinder and a gas-electric hybrid powertrain — have been in production for years; the former was optional on the previous-generation Corolla, while the latter is shared with the best-selling Toyota Prius. We weren’t blown away by the Corolla’s driving experience despite this year’s improvements, and its rear seat has lost some legroom, but it’s a solid value that should be dependable. Prices start at $19,600, including a long list of advanced safety features.

Photo by Toyota

4. 2020 Nissan Altima

Moving on from compact sedans, the mid-size 2020 Nissan Altima has also shown strong performance in reliability surveys. A 2019-model redesign transformed the Altima from an also-ran into a class leader, standing out for its comfortable yet composed driving manners, its spacious and comfortable interior, and its updated infotainment. Other perks include optional all-wheel-drive and above-average fuel economy.

Don’t expect the Altima’s massive grille to signal that it’s a performance leader, and the interior isn’t the fanciest you’ll find in this class. Still, the Altima is a lot of car for the money — with base prices starting at $24,100 — and it should provide dependable service.

Photo by Nissan

5. 2020 Mazda6

The Nissan Altima is a comfortable yet capable family sedan. The 2020 Mazda6, meanwhile, aspires to more. This sleek, stylish four-door combines family-friendly spaciousness with a luxury vibe and extra handling poise.

The Mazda6 is priced from $24,100, and you don’t have to spend much more than that to get upgrades like leatherette upholstery, big dressy 19-inch wheels, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. What’s more, the Mazda6’s sporty handling provides more substance than this on-paper value would suggest. Best of all, since the current-generation Mazda6 has been around since 2013, the company has had plenty of time to demonstrate and steadily improve its long-term reliability. You won’t get the industry’s best infotainment system or the class’s biggest backseat, but the Mazda6 is all-around competitive while also standing out from the norm.

Photo by Mazda

6. 2020 Honda Clarity PHEV

Another unconventional but reliable mid-size sedan is the 2020 Honda Clarity PHEV — but it's nothing like the sporty, luxurious Mazda6. This Honda is a futuristic-looking plug-in hybrid that can travel up to 47 miles on purely electric power from the grid, and whose 42-mpg gasoline engine can then take over until you’re able to recharge the batteries.

The Clarity also has a roomy and well-finished interior, making it a sensible family car in addition to an eco-friendly styling statement. The infotainment system is clunky and handling lacks the verve of some Hondas, but this is still a solid mid-size sedan overall even before you consider its all-electric capabilities. Prices start at a steep $33,400, but that’s moderated by a $7,500 federal tax credit and your reduced fuel costs.

Photo by Honda

7. 2020 Toyota Avalon

The 2020 Toyota Camry is America’s best-selling sedan, and it’s also one of the most reliable. But instead of this familiar mid-size family car, we’ve picked Toyota’s flagship sedan — the full-size 2020 Toyota Avalon, which scores even better than the Camry for reliability.

The Avalon’s luxury-level base price of $35,875 may give some buyers pause, but it’s still thousands less than its premium-badged cousin: the Lexus ES. It’s also as little as $1,500 more than a comparably equipped Camry V6. The Avalon also brings more character than the Camry — a far cry from the sedate couches on wheels that were early Avalon models — a more spacious cabin, and a longer list of available features. With a powerful engine, plus handling that matches its assertive looks, this is a big sedan that’s built to excite as well as built to last. And if you want lots of room and high-end features without needing thrills, consider the fuel-sipping Avalon Hybrid that’s EPA-rated at up to 44 mpg in mixed driving.

Photo by Toyota

8. 2020 Genesis G70

Moving to luxury-branded cars, one of the most reliable sedans is the 2020 Genesis G70. Genesis is Hyundai’s recently introduced premium division, and the brands share a focus on reliability along with extra-generous warranty protection. This much warranty coverage — 10 years or 100,000 miles for the engine and transmission, and five years or 60,000 miles on the rest of the vehicle — is particularly valuable on a luxury sedan, where there are more expensive parts that could potentially go wrong.

The G70 isn’t just about reliability. This rear-wheel-drive-based compact sports sedan also delivers an award-winning balance of sterling handling and a smooth ride; an attractive but user-friendly cabin; and a choice of two punchy engines, including a 365-horsepower V6. And it all starts at just $35,540, thousands less than some established competitors that also have worse reliability reputations. Just be aware that adults won’t fit comfortably into the back seat, and that some competitors have more advanced infotainment. 

Photo by Genesis

9. 2020 Audi A4

Many reliable cars avoid pushing boundaries, staying with simple, familiar engineering rather than anything cutting-edge. That’s not a sacrifice you make with the 2020 Audi A4.

This compact sports sedan looks sharp and contemporary inside and out, thanks in part to its gorgeous high-resolution infotainment screens. And you’ll have fun driving it, too, even if you can’t get it with as much power as a V6 Genesis G70. From a base price of $37,400, the A4 proves that technology and reliability can coexist.

Photo by Audi

10. 2020 Lexus GS 350

In contrast to the Audi A4, the 2020 Lexus GS 350 is a tried-and-true luxury sports sedan. This spacious mid-size four-door, priced from $51,065, has a naturally aspirated V6 engine — no fuel-saving turbo — and hasn’t changed much since the current generation debuted in 2013. Both facts are good news for reliability.

But the GS leverages its age in more than reliability. This rear-wheel-drive-based sedan also comes from a time when luxury sedans had to be more connected to the road, before a technological barrier emerged between the driver and the tires. You still get a smooth and quiet ride, but you also get a refreshingly direct feel when you turn the steering wheel. If you’re interested, though, this year is your last chance to get a GS before Lexus discontinues the model.

Photo by Lexus