Most reliable 15 year old used cars

Based on technical inspection annual reports and other sources, we offer most reliable used cars over 15 years old rating. The main criteria for determining the reliability of a car is amount of defects found in the annual roadworthiness tests, as well as subjective rating of the car users - how many car owners would recommend to buy this car to a friend. You'll also find suggestions for improving the reliability of your car at the end of this article.

1 Porsche 911 2008 2008 - 2011 Price ~ 57 000 €
345 to 530 HP 9.8 to 11.4 l/100km
2 Toyota Corolla Verso 2002 2002 - 2004 Price 1200 to 2000 €
90 to 135 HP 6.2 to 8.2 l/100km
3 Mazda 2 2006 2006 - 2007 Price ~ 1500 €
68 to 100 HP 4.7 to 6.7 l/100km
4 Toyota Starlet 1996 1996 - 1999
75 to 75 HP 6.8 to 7.8 l/100km
5 Toyota Picnic 1996 1996 - 2001
90 to 128 HP 7.7 to 9.5 l/100km
6 Toyota RAV4 2000 2000 - 2003 Price 2700 to 3300 €
116 to 161 HP 7.1 to 9.3 l/100km
7 Volkswagen Golf Plus 2005 2005 - 2009 Price 2300 to 3800 €
75 to 170 HP 5.4 to 8.6 l/100km
8 Porsche Cayman 2005 2005 - 2009
245 to 295 HP 9.3 to 11 l/100km
9 Subaru Legacy 2003 2003 - 2006 Price 1400 to 2500 €
138 to 245 HP 7.7 to 11.9 l/100km
10 Subaru Forester 1997 1997 - 2000 Price 1600 to 1800 €
125 to 170 HP 9 to 10.5 l/100km
11 Mercedes SL 1998 1998 - 2001 Price 11 500 to 19 500 €
204 to 525 HP 10.7 to 15.9 l/100km
12 Volkswagen Phaeton 2002 2002 - 2010 Price 2800 to 6500 €
224 to 450 HP 9.6 to 15.6 l/100km
13 Subaru Impreza 1993 1993 - 1997 Price 5000 to 7500 €
90 to 211 HP 8 to 9.3 l/100km
14 Audi TT 2007 2007 - 2010
160 to 272 HP 5.5 to 10.4 l/100km
15 Toyota Yaris 1999 1999 - 2003 Price 1000 to 1100 €
68 to 106 HP 4.4 to 6.9 l/100km
16 Toyota Corolla 2000 2000 - 2002 Price ~ 1100 €
69 to 110 HP 5.8 to 8 l/100km
17 Mazda Demio 1997 1997 - 2003 Price ~ 600 €
63 to 75 HP 6 to 7.9 l/100km
18 Mercedes SLK 1996 1996 - 2000 Price 2900 to 3500 €
136 to 193 HP 9.1 to 9.5 l/100km
19 Honda Jazz 2002 2002 - 2004 Price 1400 to 1500 €
78 to 83 HP 5.3 to 5.8 l/100km
20 BMW X1 2009 2009 - 2012 Price ~ 8500 €
143 to 258 HP 5.2 to 9.4 l/100km

What is a reliable used car?

We consider a reliable car to be the one that, as rarely as necessary, requires unplanned (emergency) repairs and that unexpectedly does not stay on the roadside. It should be understood that every car has parts and consumables that need to be replaced regularly, such as brake pads, tires, oils and other fluids, battery, wiper blades etc.

How to improve used car reliability?

Of course, the reliability of a used car is greatly influenced by how well and thoughtfully the manufacturer has been able to design it and by the quality of its components. But just as important is the attitude of the car owner towards his car. In the case of a used car, though, the reliability of the car will also depend on how carefully it has been handled by previous owners and you cannot influence it. However, by following these tips you can ensure the highest possible reliability of your car:

  1. Perform regular car maintenance at scheduled intervals
    For almost every car, the manufacturer has defined service intervals - a list of jobs to be performed after a certain time or mileage. Most of this tasks involves inspection and preventive maintenance of various vehicle parts. However, there are also parts or assemblies that need to be replaced after a certain time, otherwise the consequences can be very sad, such as not replacing the engine timing belt timely, in case of it's rupture the car's engine could require serious overhaul or even replacement, which will cost tens of times more than changing a timing belt. Service intervals can usually be found in your vehicle manual. If your vehicle does not have one - try to find it on the internet or consult a qualified car service center.
  2. Prevent defects in a timely manner
    Cars are a complex set of mechanisms that work closely with each other. A minor damage to one car node can negatively affect several other units and result in a much more expensive car repair. For example, almost any damaged suspension component (shock absorber, wheel bearing, ball bearing etc.) significantly increases the load on the other suspension components and wear of these parts. Therefore, if your car starts to make any suspicious noise, changes its behavior on the road, there are changes in instrument readings or other nuances - contact a qualified car service, diagnose and repair the damage if needed! The "turn the louder music out of the noises" approach does not pay off, as early or late (even before sale) car will need to be repaired anyway.
  3. Use quality spare parts and competent car mechanics
    Nowadays, most cars have a wide range of non-original spare parts, which are much cheaper and more affordable than original spare parts. Some non-original spare parts are of the same quality or even better quality than the original ones. Others (usually the cheapest) only look like the originals, but their materials and workmanship are very poor. It should be understood that the cost of repairing each car unit consists of parts and labor, and the amount and labor of the unit is independent of the cost of the part. Correspondingly, choosing a low quality part that costs half as much as a quality part, but paying the same amount of work, you end up saving a few tens of percent. However, the life of a low-quality part will probably be several times shorter, so you will overpay for the next repair. That is why it is important to find a knowledgeable and honest car mechanic who will advise you on which parts to choose.
  4. Use the car for its intended purpose Each car model has its own basic purpose of use, such as urban travel, freight transport, driving on poor quality roads, and so on. When using a car for other purpose, such as regularly transporting hundreds of kilograms of construction material in a small city car, or using a crossover (i.e. a "parquet jeep") on serious off-road, the following repairs must be taken into account and the car's reliability will be significantly reduced.
Alfa Romeo Audi BMW Chevrolet Chrysler Citroen Dacia Dodge Fiat Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Isuzu Jaguar Jeep Kia Lada (VAZ) Land Rover Lexus Mazda Mercedes Mini Mitsubishi Moskvich Nissan Opel Peugeot Porsche Renault Rover SAAB Seat Skoda Smart Subaru Suzuki Toyota Volkswagen Volvo
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