The Most Dependable - according to J.D. Power

The annual J.D. Power vehicle dependability study came out last week, which is essentially a recognition of quality that automakers often tout (or avoid mentioning altogether) based on the placing of their results. Cars, trucks, and SUVs are placed in categories and subcategories based on size and utility, and winners are recognized on the results of the previous three years of customer reports for each.  It's something I came to pay attention to since the early 90's when I noticed that a certain company, Lexus, became a repeat winner year after year, and would include it in so many of their advertisements.  (Remember this?) Even though we didn't own a Lexus back then, I was a Toyota fan, and somehow this gave me glee. Yep, I was a bit strange now that I think of it....

Cars nowadays are generally put together in much better fashion than they were 20 or 30 years ago, regardless of brand or country of origin, and things like expensive or catastrophic breakdowns early in their lives are few and far between.  I've noticed that this and similar awards actually irk owners or fans of certain brands that are not so well represented in the results (i.e. European marques.) Because the surveys include such things as electronic glitches and defects that don't impact the car's ability to perform it's main function, which is to drive, they dismiss its importance altogether. However, with so much emphasis and reliance on technology and assistance systems in modern cars, I think it's fair to include those in the study because, let's face it; if it's a feature you paid for and use regularly in your car, and it has issues, why not report it?  Regardless, it's worth noting this because, like many survey-based studies, it can be taken with a grain of salt.

That said, the full listing can be seen in the link above, as well as winners of previous years.  If you want a full breakdown of what's measured, click here.  But I'll just give an overview of the standouts down below:

The Champ:
This year Lexus took the winning slot in several categories:

• Small Premium: CT200h - underappreciated alternative to the Prius and now no longer sold going forward.
• Compact Premium: ES350 - surprising only because its listed as "compact."
• Midsize Premium: GS350 - mostly great things to say here, read all about it!
• Midsize Premium SUV: RX350 - loved by suburban Mom's nationwide.

No Suprises: 

• Large light-duty pickup: Chevy Silverado - GM has been winning this category multiple times over recent years. Will the more popular and newly updated Ford F150 re-take the category down the road? We'll see.
• Minivan: Honda Odyssey - though this tends to switch places with the Toyota Sienna now and then, the Odyssey has become supreme in all minivan-related functions, and Honda reliability makes this a perennial best seller.

Wait, really though?:

• Midsize Sporty Car: Dodge Challenger - holy smokes I was not expecting this, especially with how many people hoon these things about. But I'm actually happy to learn that it appears this Chrysler product is built properly. Hoping it's not a one-off fluke.
• Small Premium SUV: Audi Q3 - I can't recall when I've last seen an Audi on this list, but no one argues that upon initial impression, they look and feel great. Is this the beginning of a new trend for Audi?

Also listed are many of the usual suspects that you see at your favorite rental car store; and now you know why! If you're in the market for a new car, it's in my opinion that you take a look at these sorts of lists but not rely solely on any one.  Look at the reviews from other outlets, magazines, and perhaps most importantly, the owners themselves in their various forums and message boards if you really want to know what to expect during ownership.  We're lucky we live in a time where its possible for every man or woman to read pretty much everything they want to know about the nuts and bolts of a car, for free, wherever you have an internet connection. Just don't get stuck in information paralysis; get out there and test drive for yourself!