When a buyer is faced with the dilemma of choosing a large family SUV, the brilliance of digital screens and luxurious details quickly give way to far more pragmatic questions. “How often will I have to visit the service station?“ is the question that worries every sensible driver.
The experts from the Topspeed publication decided to shed light on the topic, analyzing surveys of real owners and calculating the exact number of technical malfunctions per 100 vehicles. The results of this new reliability ranking turned out to be, to put it mildly, startling, bringing to the fore unexpected favorites. Although the ranking is for the US market, it is interesting to find out who the excellent drivers are.
At the top of this prestigious ranking is the Chevrolet Blazer, which literally took the hat off the traditional Asian excellent drivers. The American crossover won an impressive 85 out of 100 possible points, becoming an absolute benchmark in its segment. The best thing in the whole story? The model has absolutely no service recall, and the annual maintenance costs are a ridiculous $431 - a real balm for the family budget.
With almost the same point asset, the Kia Telluride emerged in the honorable second position. The South Korean giant has apparently managed to cure the “childhood diseases” of its flagship, despite the three service campaigns registered so far. A step behind it, adorning itself with bronze, was its technological brother Hyundai Palisade, which managed to earn a serious 84 points.
The fight in the top five was so contested that it literally came to a photo finish. Fourth place was occupied by the Nissan Pathfinder with the same result of 84 points. The credit for this huge leap in durability goes to the Japanese engineers, who in 2022 finally made the right decision to throw out the capricious CVT and replace it with a classic and reliable automatic. It is immediately followed by the Chevrolet Traverse, which scored 83 points after its major update in 2024.
The muscular Dodge Durango (83 points) is anchored in sixth place. Although it demonstrates enviable toughness on the road, it hides a catch - its ten-year maintenance will drain your wallet by nearly $11,400. The list of the toughest family cars is completed by the Toyota Grand Highlander (82 points and two recalls), the Honda Passport (82 points), which sets a record with a paltry $371 per year for servicing, the veteran Toyota Highlander (82 points) and the adventurous Subaru Outback with an asset of 81 points.