A twin to the Ford Ranger, the compact Mazda B-Series pickup has changed little in the past 12 years. The two-wheel drive (RWD) model with a manual transmission is the most statistically reliable, reports Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.

The Subaru Forester’s reliability has been spotty, the most serious problem being head gasket troubles with the non-turbocharged 2.5-litre engine, reports Contributing Editor Chris Chase. Foresters were also available with a turbocharged engine which offers perkier performance, he says.

The Nissan Quest minivan has had quite a few reliability problems, but "none of its common flaws are super-serious," says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. And most of its competitors have also experienced problems, he notes.

A full-size rear-wheel drive sedan, the G8 was imported from Australia. Problems have been few so far, but Contributing Editor Chris Chase notes that there have been a couple of Technical Service Bulletins about the suspension and driveshaft.

Based on the compact Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups, the Hummer H3’s butch looks hold a certain appeal for the "tattoos, big biceps and bottle-blonde crowd," but its reliability record isn’t great, says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.

Though it was one of the best cars to come out of a General Motors division in some time, the first-generation CTS "hasn't held up terribly well, reliability-wise," says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.

Toyota’s full-size sedan, the Avalon, has proven largely reliable, but there have been a few flaws, reports Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. The most serious of these is a problem with a leaky oil line to the engine's variable valve timing system.

As it’s based on the Nissan Armada/Titan truck platform, the luxurious Infiniti QX56 has similar problem areas, writes Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. These include troublesome brake rotors, differential problems, and electronics glitches. Chris tells you what to look out for.

For A-to-B transportation, a used Cobalt actually doesn't look like a bad choice, says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. Problem areas to look out for include the brakes, suspension, and in manual transmission cars, the shift linkage, he says.

Very little statistical reliability information is available for Volkswagen Canada’s entry level "City" models, but as they were based on the fourth-generation Golf and Jetta, buyers should watch for potential electrical and water pump issues, says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.

Though it has earned an above-average used vehicle reliability rating from Consumer Reports, the Kia Sportage has a few reliability issues to look out for, says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. Still, it’s much more affordable than CR-V and RAV4, he notes.

"There's no doubt that the CLK is a lovely car: it looks expensive and is a nice driver, but its typical Mercedes reliability concerns are a turn-off, though, particularly in out-of-warranty models," says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.

The seven-seat Jeep Commander could be had with three available engines and three four-wheel drive systems, but all model years have had well-documented reliability issues, says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. Read more to find out what they were.

Fourth-generation Toyota 4Runners are built to take the abuse of off-roading and V8 models are good for towing, says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. But there are some reliability issues to look out for, he warns.

Hyundai sold its Entourage minivan in Canada for only three model years before discontinuing it. Though roomy, well-equipped and powerful, the Entourage had a number of reliability issues that buyers should be aware of.