Paying more for a new car doesn’t guarantee that it will be reliable. Inexpensive small cars and midsized family sedans are the most reliable vehicles according to our 2009 Annual Auto Survey, which is based on our subscribers’ experiences with 1.4 million vehicles.

Twenty of out of 37 small cars and 21 out of 41 family cars have above-average predicted reliability. Minivans are at the bottom of the list, but there are not as many minivan options. See how the other vehicle categories fare below.

Car type	% of models rated average or better
Family cars	91%
Small cars	84%
Small SUVs	83%
Upscale cars	78%
Compact pickups	74%
Midsized SUVs	74%
Full-sized pickups	68%
Luxury cars	67%
Sporty cars	62%
Upscale/luxury SUVs	55%
Large SUVs	50%
Minivans	43%

When it comes to buying a new car, you do not need to spend top dollar. It pays to do your research and find the model that meet Consumer Reports’ stringent requirements to be recommended, as well as your budget.

For more details on our 2009 Annual Auto Survey including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability as well as owner satisfaction.

—Liza Barth