Hybrids Dominate Consumer Reports List of Most Reliable Cars

Consumer Reports recently released its latest list of most reliable cars. Among the top eight spots, five of the most reliable vehicles feature hybrid technology. And topping the list as the most reliable car for the year? The brand-new Honda Insight.

Other hybrids that join the Honda Insight on the list include the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

The list was compiled based on the Consumer Reports 2009 Annual Auto survey, which documented the magazine subscribers' driving experiences with 1.4 million vehicles.

The strong showing of hybrid technology is impressive, especially considering that no hybrids made the list in 2008. Other vehicle classes that scored well for 2009 include small cars and family cars. Small cars had the strongest showing, with 20 of 37 vehicles in the class obtaining above-average predicted-reliability scores. For family cars, 21 of 41 vehicles achieved the same feat.

In terms of birth country, Asian automakers dominated the reliability index – 36 of the top 48 models come from Japan or South Korea. Honda earns top billing among all automakers, with every single Honda and Acura vehicle earning average or above average predicted-reliability scores. Toyota had just one vehicle score below average – the Lexus GS AWD.

At home, Ford leads the way in terms of American automakers. Of Ford's three brands (Ford, Mercury and Lincoln), 46 of 51 vehicles returned average or above-average reliability. The carmaker's Lincoln division appears to be the least reliable, with the Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKX and Lincoln MKZ all showing below average numbers.

So what does this list mean for you, the car shopper? Well, vehicles that score high in reliability mean they have a lower likelihood of breaking down or requiring repairs. This should mean fewer trips to the repair shop. Higher perceived vehicle quality also means the most reliable cars are more likely to deliver a high resale value when it comes time to sell the vehicle.

Though the Honda Insight tops the list for reliability, Consumer Reports does not necessarily recommend buying one. The unbiased publication calls the Insight "sluggish" and prefers to recommend the Toyota Prius when it comes to affordable hybrid technology. Similarly, the fuel-efficient Toyota Yaris, which scored high in reliability, also suffers from "lackluster performance" according to Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports also released a list of 2009 most unreliable cars for the year. No hybrid vehicles were present on this list.