FREE RESOURCE FOR EVERYONE: We are throwing caution to the wind and publicly sharing OnRamp's internal list of the best used vehicles to buy for reliability. This list is the result of careful accounting of every penny spent on every OnRamp vehicle (over 120 so far). This may perturb fans of certain brands we've omitted. Sorry, but these are the cars we've found last our clients the longest for the least cost of repairs. This list has saved our bacon many times. Feel free to reply with questions and please share this with anyone looking for a reliable used car.
Three important notes:
(1) This list is about older used vehicles, not new vehicles. We typically buy 8-12 year old vehicles in the $8-10k value range. If you are buying a newer vehicle, these trends may not apply.
(2) This list is about reliability, not about fun, looks, towing capacity, technology, etc. My car is not on this list because it takes a lot of work to keep on the road, but that's ok because I enjoy doing my own maintenance and prioritize fun over reliability. But I'm weird that way. Most people need absolute reliability above all else. So here's your guide.
(3) There are ALWAYS exceptions. Some Corollas die young. Some Audi's go forever. This list is not a promise of reliability. It's based on averages. YMMV.
