According to Consumer Reports’ reliability data based on information from the Annual Auto Survey, the most reliable three-year-old vehicles have fewer problems than many newer vehicles – and many of them tend to be Hondas and Toyotas. These vehicles tend to be a good value because the steepest part of the depreciation curve is past and many newer safety features can often be found on these vehicles.

Used-car quality often depends on how a vehicle has been treated by its previous owner. Vehicles that are  well-maintained tend to have a long useful life ahead of them. Still, Consumer Reports found that some models will stand up better over time than others. Overall, the most reliable vehicles come from Asian nameplates. Though domestic cars are getting better, they still trail the Japanese models. European models are also improving, but the older ones tend to be among the most problematic.

Here are more trends that stood out in Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Survey:

See Consumer Reports picks for the best used cars, and research car reliability.

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