These Are The Most Reliable Cars in Every Category

J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, which is based on responses from 34,175 original owners of 2022 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership, found that Lexus makes the most dependable cars sold in America.

But that’s only part of the story. Every automaker has some cars and trucks that are more reliable than others, and some vehicles with a reputation for reliability can occasionally fail to live up to their lofty standards. With that in mind, J.D. Power says the most dependable car overall in its study was the Toyota Avalon.

J.D. Power’s annual Vehicle Dependability Study ranks vehicles based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles reported by owners. J.D. Power says the study “covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features/controls/displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats.”

There’s no distinction for severity, which is why the top-reported problem across all vehicle categories are connectivity problems with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Those are irritations for sure, but aren’t the type of dependability problems that could leave an owner stranded and calling for a tow truck.

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By Jeremy Korzeniewski

Compact: Toyota Corolla

The results from the 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study suggest that the Toyota Corolla is the most reliable compact car in America. This comes as little surprise, as the Corolla has long been one of the top cars in its class and has established a well-earned reputation for reliability.

Behind the Corolla in the rankings are the Kia Forte and Subaru Impreza. Notably absent on the charts is the Honda Civic, another extremely popular compact.

these are the most reliable cars in every category, Compact Toyota Corolla

Premium: BMW 3-Series

In the compact premium car category, BMW takes the top two spots with its 3 Series and 4 Series line. The four-door 3 Series and its two-door 4 Series coupe counterpart are the only cars in this category that performed better than average in J.D. Power’s 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study.

Midsize: Toyota Camry

The highest-ranked midsize car for 2025 is the Toyota Camry, which, again, is not a shocker. What is slightly more surprising are the Nissan Altima and Hyundai Sonata taking second and third in the category. We’ll go out on a limb and say most Americans would have expected to see the Honda Accord make the list, but there isn’t a single product from Honda on any of J.D. Power’s 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study category lists.

these are the most reliable cars in every category, Midsize Toyota Corolla

Minivan: Toyota Sienna

The Toyota Sienna was the only minivan to earn a spot on the most dependable list.

Small SUV: Nissan Kicks

Moving over to SUVs, the top-ranked small SUV on the 2025 report is the Nissan Kicks. The diminutive crossover took the victory ahead of the Subaru Crosstrek and Buick Encore GX.

Compact Utility: Toyota RAV4

Moving up a notch to the compact utility vehicle class, the Toyota RAV4 came in first, followed by the GMC Terrain and Mazda CX-5.

Premium CUV: Mercedes GLC

On the premium side, the Mercedes-Benz GLC took top honors, followed by the BMW X4 and X3 twins.

Midsize SUV: Nissan Murano

As we keep climbing the SUV size ladder, the Nissan Murano came in first place in the midsize category ahead of the Chevrolet Blazer and Toyota Venza.

Premium Midsize SUV: Lexus GX

The premium midsize race was won by the Lexus GX, which was followed by the Lexus RX and Cadillac XT5.

Upper Midsize SUV: GMC Acadia

We’re not entirely sure where the line is drawn from “midsize” to “upper midsize”, but J.D. Power’s rankings put the GMC Acadia ahead of the Buick Enclave and Mazda CX-9 in that category.

Upper Midsize Premium SUV: Cadillac XT6

The upper midsize premium SUV segment was won by the Cadillac XT6 ahead of the BMW X5, and in a shocking twist, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport. As a brand, Land Rover came in 26th place out of 30 total brands ranked.

Midsize Pickup: Toyota Tacoma

The midsize pickup truck segment was led by the Toyota Tacoma. This will be an interesting segment to watch in the coming years – the 2022 Tacoma ranked here was replaced by an all-new design with an equally new powertrain setup. The GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado twins came in second and third in the midsize category.

Large Light-Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The Chevrolet Silverado earned top honors in the large light-duty and was one of only two trucks large to appear on either list.

Large Heavy-Duty Pickup: GMC Sierra HD

The GMC Sierra HD tops the large heavy-duty pickup segment. That means none of the entries from Ford, Ram or Toyota scored above average in dependability, according to J.D. Power’s survey results.

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