The Most Reliable Luxury Car Brands, According To Consumer Reports

Imagine the frustration of saving up to buy that comfortable, luxury vehicle with the latest tech only for it to suddenly break down while you're driving. Not only does poor reliability betray the expectations we typically have for luxury cars, but pricey vehicles can also be very expensive to fix. For example, the Porsche 911 is hated by some people because its repair costs are notoriously steep.

Consumer Reports, a non-profit founded in 1936 that analyzes the performance of various products, ranked the reliability of vehicle brands sold in the United States. And while the organization could not get enough info on Porsche to include the brand in its latest reliability index, three luxury brands made it to its list of the most reliable cars: Lexus, BMW, and Acura. The report assessed predictions on how well new cars from these brands would perform based on surveys for at least two model years between 2023 and 2026. However, Acura, BMW, and Lexus also made Consumer Report's top 10 for being among the best used vehicles on the road. 

The luxury brand of Japanese car maker Honda, Acura was ranked as the seventh most reliable new car brand by Consumer Reports. Its four recommended models include luxury SUVs ADX, RDX, and MDX, as well as the four-door hatchback (and luxury version of the Honda Civic) Integra. According to CarEdge, the Acura is the fourth least expensive luxury brand to maintain in its first 10 years on the road, with typical fees amounting to $8,414. The figure is lower than the average luxury car maintenance cost by $3,538. During the 10-year period, there is a 26.3% chance that an Acura will need significant repairs, which is 9.8% better than other luxury cars, per CarEdge.

One of the best testimonies of the Acura's reliability was that Consumer Reports named it the fifth most reliable used car. Indeed, the 2022 and 2023 MDX used Acura models could be a good investment for retirees. But for those who prefer newer models, Consumer Reports named the 2026 Integra, with retail prices starting at $33,400, as Acura's most reliable model. The 2026 Acura Integra was also named as the second-best subcompact car and the most affordable luxury car by Car and Driver and the top-rated small luxury car by U.S. News & World Report.

Named by Consumer Reports as the top luxury brand vehicle of 2026, BMW also earned the fifth place for reliability. That's despite the fact that in 2024, the German automaker embarked on the largest car brake recall in recent history, which led to more than 1.5 million cars getting recalled all over the globe. Nevertheless, Consumer Reports noted that BMW was the only European-made vehicle that was rated among the top 10 most reliable. And of BMW's 14 recommended models, the one that rose to top of its customer reliability surveys among European brands was the 2026 2 Series, a coupe with a 255-horsepower engine and a starting retail price of $39,600. This vehicle also got good marks for braking, acceleration, handling, and fuel economy. 

That said, reviewers at Car and Driver named the 2026 BMW 3-Series as the best compact luxury car. Apart from its luxury accoutrements, it's filled with safety features and comes with a complimentary maintenance warranty of three years, or 36,000 miles. Speaking of maintenance, BMW cars are expensive to fix, costing on average $16,021 in the first decade of service, per CarEdge; that's $4,069 higher than the average luxury brand. They are still built to last, though, which is why Consumer Reports ranked BMW as being the sixth best reliable used car brand.

Lexus is ranked third on Consumer Reports' most reliable brands list, just behind Subaru and Toyota. In fact, Lexus is the luxury division of Toyota, a Japanese car manufacturer that built six out of Consumer Reports' 10 most reliable 2026 models, including one of the world's top-selling cars, the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross.

But Lexus has its own reputation for reliability and luxury (named as the third best luxury brand by Consumer Reports). Among luxury brands, Lexus is ranked first by CarEdge, as it manages to keep 61.7% of its value after five years. Lexus is also the second cheapest car brand to maintain, per CarEdge, costing an average of $7,110 — that's $4,842 less than what you'd pay to service and repair a typical luxury car in the first decade. It's unsurprising, then, that Lexus is the best used brand for vehicle reliability per Consumer Reports.

As for Lexus' newer brands, Consumer Reports says the Lexus NX SUV is one of the most reliable models of 2026. Per Consumer Reports, the 2026 Lexus NX, which starts at $44,175, has improved significantly in reliability from previous model years in relation to its powertrain system, suspension, steering, internal climate system, and brakes. Also, Consumer Reports projected that the 2026 Lexus IS (starting retail price of $40,535) will be Lexus' most reliable and far more dependable model than the typical new car based on how its 2023 and 2024 model years performed.