Most Reliable Small Cars for 2024
Reliability ratings for small cars are calculated based on analyzing over 12 million vehicles to assess a model’s long term durability.
The most reliable small car is the Honda Civic (coupe) with a 9.1 out of 10 reliability score. The Honda Civic is the second most reliable small car with a rating of 8.8 out of 10. The average reliability score for the small car category is 7.8, with 17 models scoring above average for reliability. iSeeCars.com has ranked 34 small cars based on their reliability scores, which represents the likelihood of a vehicle to reach a high mileage threshold on the odometer.
The most reliable small car is the Honda Civic (coupe) with a 9.1 out of 10 reliability score. The Honda Civic is the second most reliable small car with a rating of 8.8 out of 10. The average reliability score for the small car category is 7.8, with 17 models scoring above average for reliability. iSeeCars.com has ranked 34 small cars based on their reliability scores, which represents the likelihood of a vehicle to reach a high mileage threshold on the odometer.
1. Honda Civic (coupe)
- Reliability score 9.132302 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 21050
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 9.132302 / 10
- Value Retention 9.055715 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 8.829082 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 23950
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.829082 / 10
- Value Retention 9.044978 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- Reliability score 8.512923 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 22050
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.512923 / 10
- Value Retention 8.869395 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
4. Toyota Yaris
- Reliability score 8.46263 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 15650
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.46263 / 10
- Value Retention 9.005716 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.428975 / 10
- Value Retention 9.275364 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 8.377815 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 24950
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.377815 / 10
- Value Retention 9.049725 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- Reliability score 8.220099 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 17690
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.220099 / 10
- Value Retention 8.744353 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Reliability score 8.177615 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 24170
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.177615 / 10
- Value Retention 8.430796 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
9. Volkswagen Golf
- Reliability score 8.151849 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 23195
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.151849 / 10
- Value Retention 8.354966 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 8.151227 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 25690
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.151227 / 10
- Value Retention 8.289901 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 8.117592 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 21435
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.117592 / 10
- Value Retention 8.262933 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 8.027956 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 19795
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.027956 / 10
- Value Retention 8.657759 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
13. Ford Fiesta (hatchback)
- Reliability score 7.974186 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 14560
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.974186 / 10
- Value Retention 8.598347 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
14. Ford Fiesta
- Reliability score 7.971762 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 14260
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.971762 / 10
- Value Retention 8.622494 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
- Reliability score 7.889801 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 20790
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.889801 / 10
- Value Retention 8.125554 / 10
- Safety 9.1 / 10
16. Volkswagen Beetle
- Reliability score 7.859329 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 20895
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.859329 / 10
- Value Retention 8.576503 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 7.812252 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 21625
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.812252 / 10
- Value Retention 8.424148 / 10
- Safety 8.64 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.743743 / 10
- Value Retention 8.703048 / 10
- Safety Not Available
19. Hyundai VELOSTER
- Reliability score 7.741554 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 18900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.741554 / 10
- Value Retention 8.758658 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
20. Chevrolet Sonic (hatchback)
- Reliability score 7.689237 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 17220
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.689237 / 10
- Value Retention 8.286177 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score 7.676523 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 16290
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.676523 / 10
- Value Retention 8.581678 / 10
- Safety 9.54 / 10
22. Chevrolet Sonic
- Reliability score 7.665667 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 16720
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.665667 / 10
- Value Retention 8.313331 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.605497 / 10
- Value Retention 8.710206 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.6 / 10
- Value Retention 8.450009 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
25. Hyundai ACCENT
- Reliability score 7.461584 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 16645
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.461584 / 10
- Value Retention 8.708354 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
- Reliability score 7.3 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 31965
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.3 / 10
- Value Retention 8.326651 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
27. Hyundai ELANTRA GT
- Reliability score 7.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 20650
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.1 / 10
- Value Retention 8.319274 / 10
- Safety 8.58 / 10
- Reliability score 7.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 16695
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.1 / 10
- Value Retention 8.509251 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
29. Chevrolet Spark
- Reliability score 7.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 13600
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.1 / 10
- Value Retention 8.602711 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Reliability score 7.1 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 17795
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.1 / 10
- Value Retention 8.115656 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Reliability score 7.0 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 32735
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.571573 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.155388 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Reliability score 6.7 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 26800
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.7 / 10
- Value Retention 8.473623 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Reliability score 6.3 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 32200
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 6.3 / 10
- Value Retention 8.5171 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
Toyota Yaris Hatchback
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 17750
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 9.131203 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 23505
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.7639 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 36500
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.737281 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 45665
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.932513451200563 / 10
- Value Retention 8.441106 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 32900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.356753 / 10
- Safety Not Available
Nissan Versa Note
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 15650
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.9927715917474185 / 10
- Value Retention 8.335879 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 28085
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.250764 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
Chevrolet Cruze
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 17995
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.113570993397742 / 10
- Value Retention 8.014562 / 10
- Safety 9.02 / 10
Chevrolet Cruze (hatchback)
- Reliability score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 19620
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.132110938746706 / 10
- Value Retention 7.977151 / 10
- Safety 9.4 / 10
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How We Rank These Cars
The iSeeCars reliability ratings indicate how dependable and long-lasting each vehicle is within its vehicle segment.
Each vehicle is rated on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest reliability rating. Vehicles within a given category are sorted to show the most reliable ones first. If two cars have the same ratings, then we break the tie by seeing which vehicle has the higher overall iSeeCars Score. Along with the Reliability ratings, we show comprehensive iSeeCars ratings for each model, because we believe multiple factors should be taken into account when buyers are seeking the best overall vehicle. Two of these factors are safety and resale value, both of which are included in our ratings system.
The overall iSeeCars Score is an analysis of these three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability | 33.3%
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention | 33.3%
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety | 33.3%
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).