What are the most reliable car brands and which ones should I avoid?

I'm looking to get a used car. I have even heard about two lesser known Japanese brands, Subaru and Suzuki, but I'm a bit skeptical of Suzuki in particular. I'm honestly not a supporter of Mitsubishi and Mazda.

Added (1). I would not say having AWD/4WD is necessary for me. It is not very snowy where I live. The reason I said that I do not like Mazda was because it used to be partnered with Ford and I do not like American car companies. I'm not so keen on German cars.

Honda, Toyota, Mazda.

Subaru are great if you live in a northern climate and need awd. Little more maintenance, but you get what you pay for.

Toyota and Honda are the most reliable manufacturers of cars. Subaru is not a lesser known brand, they are very well known. Subaru is infamous for making all wheel drive cars. If you live someplace where is snows a lot, you will see lots of Subaru's on the road.

Mazda makes a good car in my opinion, maybe not as reliable as a Toyota or Honda, but still a nice car.

I would agree with you regarding Suzuki and Mitsubishi. I also consider a Hyundai a poor quality vehicle. Everyone I know who bought a Hyundai has had issues with it.

Read reviews of cars on Edmunds.com, you can also go to the library (or pay to subscribe to the website) and read the Consumer Reports reviews of cars.

I have never owned any of those vehicles, but I have two co-workers that do.

My first co-worker has a 2012 Subaru Legacy. It's a great built car, and feels rock solid. She barely has over 10,000 miles on it, so it's not been in use long enough to develop any issues. Regular maintenance has been easy fairly for her, but a little costly since it uses synthetic oil. That being said, she still loves it and can't see herself in anything else.

My other co-worker has a 2008? Suzuki SX4. It was not what she wanted originally, but it was the best she could afford at the time. It has a little over 80,000 miles and she is already looking for a replacement. The main issue is with parts. It needed some engine work, as well as having the AC unit checked. Thankfully, this was covered under the warranty she purchased, but it took longer to repair due to not having the parts on hand. It's not the smoothest driving thing on the road, and it's a little noisy. I've driven it once when she borrowed my SUV and the though of it breaking down on me was constantly in the back of my head. No wonder Suzuki pulled their vehicles from the US market.

Personally, I drive a Ford, and it's one of the best vehicles that I have ever owned.

Honda, Toyota, and Mazda are all extremely reliable. Subaru, Hyundai, and Nissan are not far behind. Suzuki and Mitsubishi have historically received poor reliability ratings.