One Of The World's Top-Selling Cars Is Also The Most Reliable, According To Consumer Reports

Toyota's ability to sell over 2.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2025 — 8% more than in 2024 — was in large part due to the Japanese carmaker's reputation for building reliable cars. That reputation was only further enhanced by the Consumer Reports most reliable cars of 2026 list. Out of the 10 vehicle models named, six were Toyotas — or seven if you include the Toyota-made reliable luxury model Lexus NX.

And of those six or seven reliable Toyotas, the model that received the highest reliability score was the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross, a subcompact SUV that comes in gas-powered and hybrid-versions. Consumer Reports gave this vehicle a predicted reliability score of 79 out of 100, which was second only to the Subaru Impreza's score of 80. The Corolla Cross also blew away its cousin model, the Corolla, which received a reliability score of 76. Aside from being reliable, the Corolla Cross was also Toyota's third bestselling SUV in 2025. Indeed, according to Toyota Motor North America, 2025 was the model's best year, with 99,798 vehicles sold — an increase of 7.3% from 2024.

The five-seat Corolla Cross is fuel efficient, easy enough to operate, and safe, according to Consumer Reports. With a retail price of between $24,935 and $33,330, it's also quite affordable thanks in part to not being subject to too many tariffs. Although the maker is Japanese, Corolla Cross is able to avoid import taxes because it's assembled in Huntsville, Alabama.

Owning and driving the Corolla Cross doesn't put a lot of wear and tear on a wallet either. According to CarEdge, it will cost $5,831 to repair and maintain a Toyota Corolla Cross in its first decade of service — that's $2,335 less than it would cost to maintain most other popular SUVs. There is also a 16.6% chance that a Corolla Cross will need significant repairs during that period, which is 7.98% lower than for a typical SUV, per CarEdge.

Reviews from Car and Driver, Edmunds, and U.S. News & World Report also describe the Toyota Corolla Cross as a practical, functional, and reliable car. That said, these reviews also find the car to be thoroughly boring, with a dull interior, lethargic transmission, and mediocre acceleration. Notably, the acceleration on Corola Cross' hybrid version is reportedly better than on the gas-powered model.

The Consumer Reports reliability score for the 2026 Corolla Cross isn't based on actual data from that model year. Instead, the predicted reliability score of 79 for the 2026 model reflects data collected on the 2023, 2024, and 2025 models. In other words, the car earned its above-average reliability score because the Corolla Cross usually scores high in this metric. The 2023 model, for example, received an exceptional reliability score of 98, while its 2024 counterpart got a score of 95. But the 2025 model didn't do so well, receiving a score of 37 out of 100 due to complaints about its infotainment system, transmission, and noise.

In comparison, another Toyota SUV model, the 2025 RAV4, got a reliability score of 76 from Consumer Reports. And, according to Car and Driver, with more than 479,000 sold in 2025, the RAV4 is Toyota's top-selling vehicle and the third bestselling car in the U.S. It comes in just behind the Ford F-Series and the Chevrolet Silverado (a frequently stolen car). As of January 2026, Consumer Reports has not yet graded the 2026 RAV4 — which was redesigned as a hybrid — on its reliability.