Opinion=What is the 'best-most reliable car in the world' Is it the Prius,or another car??

my opinion is, it is impossible to know. even the question defies definition.

 

It is possible to know! The best and most reliable car is the Mercedes-Benz 240D. Unfortunately, these have not been available new for 33+ years.

 

I see a late 80s Integra every day. It has the same pop-up headlights as the Accord. It is my spouse's daily driver, which I bought new for her before we got married. She's afraid that if she gets rid of it, I'll get rid of her too.

Then there is my late 80s Accord, which I sold when buying my first Prius nine years ago. It is still running, just six blocks away. We see it very often on our not-quite-daily park walk, including yesterday. Lots of parking lot rash now , but still running.

 

some 80's and 90's japanese cars were probably the peak of long term 'get you where you need to go' reliability.
i don't know how much that has changed, since most of todays reliability studies focus more on satisfaction.

 

Our 81 Civic had no radio, no AC, manual choke, sealed beam headlights ($20 to replace the whole thing), hydraulically mounted 5 mph bumpers, rear drum brakes, mechanical Heat/Vent controls (all mechanical sliders and knobs).

Interesting read on bumpers:

Tests show most bumpers are bad

(Search for "best ever bumpers" near the bottom.)

 

Where’s a Jeep when you need one .

 

If you Google most reliable cars you get a bunch of lists based on various criteria such as models that go over 200,000 miles, cars kept the longest by original owners, etc. Bottom line, Toyota/Lexus models dominate followed by Honda. Prius seems to be on just about all of them.

I believe I saw a survey based on auto registrations that said that 75% of car models, on average, are off the road by 15 years, 90% or more gone by 20 years. Seems about right. I don't know how you would find the data on which models beat that 20 year average.

Here is the biggest problem: Just because there are quite a few 1998 Subaru Outbacks on the road, for example, doesn't necessarily mean that one built today will last that long.

 

I wouldn't necessarily say "best". I used to drive a 240D, and it was miserable. Flooring the gas pedal would barely keep you up with traffic. People constantly honking, tailgating, and zooming around me. It would go half the usual slow speed up hills, and belch clouds of smelly smoke.

But yes, it was indestructible. I once ran it without oil for a week. I noticed the dry dipstick, filled her back up, and drove it for another few years after that!

 

I had a 1989 Toyota Corolla All-Trac wagon I drove for 21 year and gave to my daughter who drove it for 9 years and gave it to a young mother who still uses it for her winter car. (no A/C, does not seat all her kids)

The first generation of a Toyota with new technology is engineered very well, as proof of concept. Later, bean counters will try to save money on the car, but the first generation is bullet proof.

 

except for 2010.

 

I think @JimboPalmer meant the first generation of a new model (like the gen1 Prius).

But I take exception to your statement.

180 k miles on our 2010 and keeps running strong.

 

you, mendel and tide are the exception to the rule. i'm not sure that the 2001 prius was built like a tank, but maybe.

 

I still see at least one a day out here.

Sometimes more.

 

We also just worked on another 2010 at yesterday’s meet up that was at 133 k miles and did not burn oil.

We just hear about the exceptions here, not the rule.

That ones due for some serious preventative maintenance soon though (egr circuit style).

 

but doesn't that scream 'less reliable'?

 

Yep, the 2010 Prius is at the 'cutting edge' of seeing how long these Gen3's will last.

The community here has turned up some substantial 'design defects' ( EGR clogging, etc.. ). If no more major issues show up, hopefully the Gen3's wlll give us many more years of service! I'm certainly not ready to say they are the 'most reliable' quite yet though.