Why Buying a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris May Be the Safest Choice

Finding a car that is reliable, fuel efficient, safe, and financially wise, is often no easy task for the modern consumer. It seems that car owners and buyers end up having to sacrifice in one way or another, whether it is monetarily or security wise. In order to find the best car, consider this list when narrowing down your options. Also, proper insurance goes hand in hand with automobile safety and security.

The Ford Fusion scored well in Consumer Reports' annual new car reliability survey; in fact it even beat out the traditional top quality cars of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. However, Japanese brands still rate the highest in automobile standards.
Of the 47 vehicles on the list, 39 are Japanese and they are hard to beat. Toyota and Honda in particular are the winners of the highest ratings world wide.

The good news for American Motor companies is that American vehicles are continuing to improve in reliability and many other ways.

Six of the most reliable vehicles are from General Motors or Ford.

The Ford Fusion, in fact, scored especially well and beat out many brands of Japanese cars. Also, the Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr made the list along with GM's Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. The Pontiac Vibe Wagon from GM also made the list.

Only one European car made the list, the Mini Cooper. Unfortunately for European car companies, 19 of the 45 least reliable cars come from Europe. The least reliable list also contained 5 models from Nissan. The best of the best is strikingly different from the worst of the worst. The owners of Mercedes-Benz M-class SUVs were said to expect at least 10 times as many problems as the owners of the top rated Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

What makes the Toyota Hybrid so superior? They have shown excellent reliability in the past and are continuing to remain reliable. The reliability is based on survey data from approximately 1.3 million vehicles owned by subscribers to the magazine and website of Consumer Reports.

The reliability scores are based on the past three years of surveys. Also, for the newer models the predictions are based on any data available.

Concerning smaller vehicles, the most reliable is the Honda Fit. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Corolla were the next three inline. The least reliable car listed was the Chevrolet Cobalt, closely followed by the 2006 Nissan Sentra, the Volkswagen Jetta (5 cyl.) and the Chevrolet Aveo.

The Most Reliable Family Car was the Honda Accord Hybrid, followed by the Toyota Prius, Honda Accord (4-cyl), Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan.

The least reliable family car included the Volkswagen Passat (4cyl.) It is apparently not a good year for the Volkswagen Company when it comes to surpassing reliability standards.

The most reliable Upscale/Large car is the Lexus ES350 followed by the Lincoln Zephyr, Hyundai Azera, Acura TSX and Acura TL. The least reliable family car is the Jaguar X-type, followed by the Chrysler 300 (V8) and the Saab 9-3.

So just how much does the Honda Fit cost? Is its reliability rating worth the financial commitment? The starting price for the vehicle is $13,850. This includes standard front, front side and side curtain airbags; plenty of storage compartments, 109 horsepower, 1.5-liter, VTEC engine and four distinct interior configurations. This five door vehicle also has a 60/40 split 2nd-row magic Seat. The Fit Sport is available at a starting price of $15,170.

The Toyota Yaris, which made the number two position on the list, is available as a hatchback or sedan. The Yaris is noted for its outstanding fuel mileage and safety features. The first generation of the Yaris won 2000 car of the year.

The Ford Fusion was also highly rated for its reliability.

This vehicle is well known for its All-Wheel Drive option available with the V6-powered Fusion SE and SEL. The vehicle has options for 4-way manual driver and front cloth bucket seats in the 14 S. The 14 SE and SEL also have front cloth bucket seats with a 6 way power driver height adjustment and fold-down front passenger seat back as well as seat back map pockets.
Also, the Fusion has side impact air bags, 1st and 2nd row air curtains (side impact) and unibody construction with energy-absorbing design and side-impact door beams available in all models. The Belt-Minder system is also included with the driver and passenger.

LATCH system and rear door child safety locks as well as emergency glow-in-the-dark inside trunk release is also included in all models.