Car Reliability Ratings 2010 - The 10 Most Reliable Convertibles at 4 Different Age Intervals

Convertibles are fun cars to drive. Many people, teenagers to middle-agers, await the first warm day of spring to take a spin through the country, to downtown, or on an outing. And a chance encounter with friends in the city or suburbs will result in a lively and carefree conversation lasting minutes to hours.

In this article, I list the 10 most reliable of these transports to fun from the fast lanes of modern life. I do this for each of four different age intervals, followed by a list of those most consistently reliable convertibles that appear in each of the preceding four 4-year age intervals.

For the age interval 0-to-4 years, the 10 best convertibles, together with their 2010 Car Reliability GPA for this age range, are:

Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus SC, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00,
The V6 Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Honda S2000, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.67,
Toyota's Lexus IS300, IS350 convertible, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 3.50,

The V6 Ford Mustang convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Mazda MX-5 Miata, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Nissan Z convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Porsche 911 convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00.

Of these 10 most reliable convertibles, Toyota Motor Corporation accounts for 4 and Honda Motor Company, Ford Motor Company, Mazda Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Nissan Motor Company, and Porsche AG each account for one.

For the age interval 2-to-6 years, the 10 (13 by tie) best convertibles, together with their 2010 Car Reliability GPA for this age range, are:

Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus SC, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00,
The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The V6 Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Honda S2000, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
Toyota's Lexus IS300, IS350 convertible, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 3.50,
The Mazda MX-5 Miata, with a 2010 GPA of 3.25,
The V8 Ford Mustang convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Porsche 911 convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 2.67,
The rear-wheel-drive BMW 325i, 328i convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 2.50,

The BMW Z3, Z4, with a 2010 GPA of 2.50,
The V6 Ford Mustang convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 2.50,
The Volvo C70 convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 2.50.

Of these 13 most reliable convertibles, Toyota accounts for 4, Ford and BMW AG each account for 2, and Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche AG, and Volvo each account for one.

For the age interval 4-to-8 years, the 10 best convertibles, together with their 2010 Car Reliability GPA for this age range, are:

Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus SC, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00,
The V6 Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
The Honda S2000, with a 2010 GPA of 4.00,
Toyota's Lexus IS300, IS350 convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,
The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,

The Mazda MX-5 Miata, with a 2010 GPA of 3.75,
The BMW Z3, Z4, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The V8 Ford Mustang convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
The Volvo C70, with a 2010 GPA of 3.00,
General Motors Corporation's Chevrolet Corvette convertible, with a 2010 GPA of 2.75.

It should be noted that General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette has a GPA of only 1.50 for the most recent 4-year age range.

Of these 10 most reliable convertibles, Toyota accounts for 4 and Honda, Mazda, Ford, BMW AG, Volvo, and General Motors Corporation each account for one.

For the age interval 6-to-10 years, the 10 (12 by tie) best convertibles, together with their 2010 Car Reliability GPA for this age range, are:

Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus SC, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00,
The Honda S2000, with a 4.00,
The Mazda MX-5 Miata, with a 3.75,
Toyota's Lexus IS300, IS350 convertible, with a 3.67,
The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara convertible, with a 3.25,

The BMW Z3, Z4, with a 3.25,
General Motors Corporation's Chevrolet Corvette convertible, with a 3.00,
The Jaguar XK Series convertible, with a 3.00,
The V8 Ford Mustang convertible, with a 2.75,
The Mercedes-Benz SL, with a 2.50,

The Mercedes-Benz SLK, with a 2.50,
The Porsche 911, with a 2.50.

Of these 12 most reliable convertibles, Toyota accounts for 3, Daimler AG accounts for 2, and Honda, Mazda, BMW AG, General Motors, Ford, Jaguar, and Porsche AG each account for one.

The consistently most reliable convertibles, those that are common to all four of the above age intervals, are:

Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus SC, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00 over a 7-year data history,
The Honda S2000, with a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00 over a 8-year data history,
The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara convertible,
Toyota's Lexus IS300, IS350 convertible,
The Mazda MX-5 Miata.

In addition, the V6 Toyota Camry Solara convertible has a 2010 GPA of a perfect 4.00 over a 5-year data history.

Choosing a Reliable Used Car - Which Models to Watch For

When you are buying a used car, there are a lot of different brands to choose from. Knowing which the best for the long haul are can often make your decision much easier. Some people are well aware of brands that are better than others, but there are some people who simply pick a car that has a cool style or that has a low price, when that isn't what is important at all. Shopping for used cars requires you to look at brands that rank among the best for used sales, of which the Japanese brands seem to hold the lead.

The Honda family of cars has two leaders in the used car rankings: the Accord and the Civic. These two cars are built to last and designed to stand the test of time. If you aren't sure about buying a Honda, do some research and you'll quickly see experiments where people have kept their cars until they reach 500,000 miles, proving that these are great used cars for anyone. One-owner cars are ideal but a Honda could have had 2-3 previous owners and still be a reliable car.

The next most popular used car model is the Toyota Camry. In spite of recent issues with the braking systems on some Camry models, the older Toyota cars make great used vehicles. These cars are built to last and have won reliability tests for many years. This is one of the most popular cars that was ever made, in fact, which translates to the fact that it is a great used car for just about anyone. One non-Japanese model that has made a name for itself is the Hyundai Elantra, which is a Korean car that is known for being built to stand the test of time. Plus, it is smaller and still has power, which is something that everyone loves.

Mazda is another brand that makes great used cars for people. The Miata, specifically, is one of the most popular used cars because it can easily go more than 300,000 miles before developing any major problems. There are tons of great used cars out there, but when you buy these brands you will have the peace of mind of knowing that you are choosing some of the best cars on the market for your used car purchase. Buying used is a great way to save money, and when you choose the right model you can get a great car that can last for many years to come.

Reliable Used Cars - The Best Used Cars You Can Buy

When buying a used car one of the most important factors that consumers consider is reliability. You sure don't want to spend your hard earned money on something that will break down and need costly repairs. If you're in the market for a used vehicle, here is a list of the best reliable used cars you can buy.

This list is taken from Consumer Reports which rates cars on multiple years of reliability from 1999 to 2008. This data is taken from the Annual Auto Survey on more than 1.4 million new and used vehicles in which owners reported on serious problems with vehicles in the previous year. According to the survey results, here are the best ones to look for.

Small Cars

#1 Honda Civic - This car is both reliable and economical to drive. The redesign in 2001 saw its popularity grow even larger and in 2003 the hybrid model was introduced. The redesign in 2006 included standard anti lock brakes, curtain air bags and owners report that the ride is even better than before.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Echo
Scion xB
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Matrix
Pontiac Vibe
Mazda3
Mazda Protege
Subaru Impreza

Family Cars

#1 Honda Accord - This car has been a top choice for years. The redesign in 2003 made this car more agile and even quieter plus standard anti lock brakes were added.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Prius
Ford Fusion
Mercury Milan
Toyota Camry (except '08 V6)
Subaru Outback (6 cyl.)
Nissan Altima

Upscale Cars

#1 Lexus ES - This quiet and comfortable car has tested reliable for many years. In 2004 a stronger more fuel efficient engine was added.

Next Best Choices

Lexus IS
Toyota Avalon
Acura TSX
Lincoln MKZ, Zephyr (FWD)
Infiniti G20
Acura TL
Infiniti I30, I35
Infiniti G35 (Sedan)
Volvo S60
Buick Lucerne (V8)
Nissan Maxima

Luxury Cars

#1 Infiniti M35 - This car has been on the list of reliable vehicles since 2003. The redesign in 2006 added more comfort to this well built car.

Next Best Choices

Lexus LS
Lexus GS (6 cyl., RWD)
Acura RL

Sports and Sporty Cars

#1 Mazda Miata - This car gets points for reliability, easy handling, good performance and affordability.

Next Best Choices

Lexus SC
Honda S2000
Toyota Camry Solara
Acura RSX
Toyota Celica
Scion tC
BMW Z3, Z4
Acura Integra
Porsche Boxster
BMW M3
Subaru Impreza WRX/STi
Ford Mustang (V6)
Nissan 350Z

Minivans

#1 - Toyota Sienna - The 2003 redesign gave this reliable vehicle more power and more room, and is also available with AWD.

Next Best Choice

Honda Odyssey
Small SUVs - Toyota RAV4 - This vehicle has been reliable since it was first introduced in 1996. The 2001 redesign brought more power plus more room inside and in 2006 an available third row was added.

Next Best Choices

Honda CR-V
Subaru Forester
Mitsubishi Outlander

Midsized and Large SUVs

#1 - Honda Pilot - Since first introduced in 2003 this vehicle has had excellent crash test results and reliability. There is plenty of room in this fuel efficient vehicle and it also has flexible seating for eight.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Highlander
Lexus RX
Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota 4Runner
Infiniti FX35
Acura MDX
Infiniti QX4
Lexus GX
Hyundai Santa Fe
Subaru Tribeca
Nissan Xterra ('05-'08)
Toyota Sequoia

Pickup Trucks

#1 - Honda Ridgeline - This vehicle delivers all you need in a truck but handles and rides like a sedan. It has an in-bed, weather-tight lockable trunk and a smooth V6 engine.

Next Best Choices

Toyota Tacoma ('05-'08)
Toyota Tundra
Subaru Baja
Nissan Frontier ('05-'08)

As you can see from the results, Toyota and Honda come out way ahead of the pack for reliable used cars. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, this list will point you in the right direction for reliability.