Reliability is perhaps one of the biggest key metrics when it comes to the cars we own. While it's great to have speed and fun, you can't have any fun at all if your car is constantly breaking down. I can attest to this personally. My first car was a Porsche 944. It was fabulous when it ran. I was constantly fixing little things here and there and then finally big things started breaking.
You don't have to be like me though. This list will guide you to the stoutest cars for any budget. We're going to feature a wide swath of performance cars from all over the planet that has proven their strength.
Additionally, I'll help you avoid 5 of the most catastrophically disappointing cars ever. Honestly, these 5 should've been recalled and replaced with a new version without the same issues for being such unreliable junk.
15 Porsche 911 (All Years)
Yes, yes, I hear you with the complaints about the 996 and the IMS bearings. Stop typing. We know that those were limited numbers and ultimately there is no other high-end sports car as reliable as the 911. There are other reliable sports cars but none as steady as the Porsche.
14 Audi B5 A4 (2.6 or 1.8)
I know it may look kinda boring, but for the money, there are few cars capable of what these little sedans are. Quattro came standard and it shows in how this thing will out-handle many sports cars of the day. If you get the smaller 1.8 engine you can tune it to have pretty serious power too.
13 Buick Regal GS
The only downside of this Regal is that it's stuck in FWD. If you can get over that, the Series 2 GM 3800 engine is supercharged and can take serious modification before you face issues. Couple that with a super nice interior and a dirt-cheap price and you have a real value.
12 Nissan 350Z
The VQ engine in the 350 is legendary. It can handle added boost without flinching and if you leave it alone it'll go hundreds of thousands of high rev miles. Add to that an excellent suspension and chassis setup and you end up with a terrific bargain for the money.
11 Lexus IS300
The IS300 is considered a glorious answer to the M3. This little car produces over 200 horsepower naturally aspirated and that's more than enough for such a light sedan. I've had the pleasure of driving one with three pedals and they're truly special. There's no doubt that the guys at Lexus nailed this one.
10 E46 BMW M3
We all know this is the pinnacle of M3 and it really just comes down to simplicity. It doesn't break as often because it isn't overly complex. It's a blast to drive because it's analog. It's special because it's not trying to be a bunch of different things. It's one thing, "whole-assed" as Ron Swanson would say.
9 Ford GT
It looks like a million bucks because it is a million bucks. Maybe a few million actually. At the end of the day, this stunning machine is a Ford and thanks to that, it's easy to maintain and doesn't require much in the way of that, to begin with.
8 Chevrolet Corvette (C4 - Present)
Corvette is a halo brand surely, but during the past few decades, it has solidified its place as a stout sports car with very few issues, more so than most others. A simple pushrod V8 and development of that LS set of engines has been a major factor. Simple but effective.
7 Dodge Viper
While it's true that the V10 in the Viper was co-developed with Lamborghini, it's still a Dodge at heart. The suspension, mechanical parts, and interior are all fairly simple and easy to work on. The body parts are really the only wildly expensive bits of the Viper.
6 Pontiac GTO
Hopefully, you're aware that this car was originally a Holden build in Australia. That's how GM made it so cheaply and managed to make it handle so well. We've already mentioned the capability of the LS engine and this holds over for the GTO. Its advanced suspension is great too and it's interior is one of the best GM made in the 2000s.
5 Sucks - R53 Mini Cooper S
Full disclosure, that's my MINI in the photo above and despite my good experience, I can tell you that there wasn't a day I wasn't worried that major issues were right around the corner in my R53.
The clutch, for instance, is a known issue and takes a shop over 13 labor hours to replace. The CV axles take over 4 apiece. The valve cover gaskets go bad and take over 3. It's a ticking timebomb.
4 Sucks - E60 BMW M5
It hurts to admit this as an E60 owner. I bought the twin-turbo 535i though, specifically because the M5 is known to chew through its rod bearings on the regular. There's no way to predict it either. Just one day they'll be gone. Additionally, the SMG cars all ride the clutch as they go down the road. Everywhere they go!! There is no avoiding it.
3 Sucks - B6 Audi S4
It's so sad that such a pretty car with such awesome potential was so badly designed. The timing chain tensioners on the 4.2 V8 in the S4 would go bad over time and require the whole motor to be removed to remedy the issue. What a joke.
2 Sucks - Volkswagen CC
Really I could've just said Volkwagen anything I think here. They're known for being unreliable but the CC takes it to a new level. The 1.8 motors were just part of a lawsuit. There's a perpetual oil leak that VW admits there is NO fix for that causes the water pump to fail, which kills the motor.
1 Sucks - Subaru WRX
Apparently I just like unreliable cars because I own a 2002 WRX. Well in 2011 they started having issues getting the cylinders sealed properly. This causes huge oil consumption issues and ultimately a loss of compression. Subaru has replaced thousands of engines thanks to their mistake.