Hybrids, Plug-In Cars Score Well In Reliability SurveyHybrids, Plug-In Cars Score Well In Reliability Survey

Buyers of hybrids have long known that they can be surprisingly reliable, as well as costing little to run on a daily basis.
The 2012 Annual Auto Reliability Survey from Consumer Reports has confirmed this once again.
As reported via The New York Times, the Consumer Reports survey predicts the reliability of 2013 model-year cars based on reports of the reliability of 1.2 million vehicles up to 10 years old.
With a bloodline as strong as the Toyota Prius, it’s no surprise that the 2013 Prius, the Toyota Prius V and the Toyota Prius Plug-In are all rated above average in predicted reliability.
So too is the Chevrolet Volt, proving its increasing owner base is still happy with the car, despite its previous life as a poster child for negativity towards plug-in cars.
And despite the recent troubles over battery life in Arizona, the 2013 Nissan Leaf also rates highly in the survey–the best of any Nissan model. Time will tell if that rating changes following battery woes…
It’s no surprise that electric cars and hybrids are scoring highly though. Electric cars are very simple, and even hybrids are often no more complicated than non-hybrids–the planetary gearset in a Prius hybrid has fewer moving parts than a regular automatic, manual or CVT.
If recent studies by Consumer Reports on battery life are anything to go by, that’s not proving a problem either. “We’ve got Priuses out there with 200,000 miles on them and 12 years in service,” explains Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports.
And our own research into battery replacement cost suggests that even when a battery needs replacing, the cost isn’t quite as prohibitive as some expect. The longevity of newer lithium-ion batteries is yet to be fully ascertained, however.
Only the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid scored lower than average for predicted reliability in the tests.
Own a hybrid? Let us know how it’s holding up, by leaving your thoughts below.
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