It's Sporty, It's Fun, and Now, It's Proven Reliable Too: Mazda MX-5 Tops Reliability Study

Quick: what’s the most reliable car out there? If you’re thinking Toyota, you’re not far off, they’ve got a sizeable chunk in the Top 10 Most Reliable List. But you know what’s most impressive? A little two-door sportscar managed to beat them all. That’s right. For the 2020 Model Year, it’s the Mazda MX-5.

In this particular case, the title of “Most Reliable” was bestowed by Consumer Reports and their Brand Reliability Sturdy. The US-based non-profit and independent consumer advocacy organization (this means they don’t ask for test drives, do ads, or hold weekly raffles) collected data on 420,000 vehicles and deep dove into the numerous things that can go wrong in a car.

Studying 17 problem areas from little nuisances (squeaky brakes, broken interior trim) to major issues (troublesome drivetrain, out-of-warranty repairs), they created a Predicted Reliability Score for each vehicle.

With this, the Mazda MX-5 came out on top with a score of 95 out of a possible 100. It was followed by the Toyota Prius Prime with 94, Toyota Prius with 92, Lexus GX with 91, and the Hyundai Kona rounding out the Top 5 with a score of 90.

Meanwhile, as a brand, Mazda jumps up two points in the 2020 Consumer Reports Brand Reliability Survey to rank second overall among 30 automotive brands studied. The study shows Mazda garnering a total of 77 points in its 0-100 points scale.  This is just 4 points shy from the top-ranked brand, Lexus on the list. For those who’re curious, the least reliable model in the Mazda stable is the all-new Mazda3 (bummer).

Going back to the MX-5, Steven Tan, President and CEO of Mazda Philippines seems to be elated at the news. He says, “It is no surprise that Mazda continues to improve not only in terms of design and performance, but more so in overall quality and reliability. The fourth generation MX-5s we see on our roads today come from the same manufacturing plant in Hiroshima as the rest of the MX-5s around the world. As such, they benefit from the same attention to detail that Japan-made Mazda vehicles have been known for over the past few decades.”

Tan adds, “Speaking on behalf of Mazda’s engineering, design, and production discipline, the level of commitment to quality in order to achieve this high level of reliability is extraordinary for a company of this size. Mazda’s unrelenting commitment to quality from the start of a model’s lifecycle, while at the same time pioneering innovation and building-in improvement processes into its products, ensures reliability throughout its lineup. Being ranked just behind a known luxury brand likewise speaks highly of our current direction towards achieving Mazda Premium. It shows Mazda and its products are consistent and focused to answering the challenges that lie ahead of the premium path the brand has taken.”