10 Best Cars of Model Year 2005

The 10 Most Reliable and Durable Cars of Model Year 2005 

This page lists the top ten cars of model year 2005 by reliability-and-durability grade point average (Reliability-Durability GPA or more concisely, R-D GPA). It has been updated from the original by including the including the rating for the Exhaust System, whenever available. Although there are very minor changes in order, the changes will help make comparison with R-D GPAs of earlier years more exact.

2005's Top 10 (Top 11 by Tie) Cars 

The 11 best cars of 2005 are listed below in descending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (best first). The equipment of each model is that offered in the U.S.

  • The Toyota 4Runner V6, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.90

The 2005 V6 Toyota 4Runner came with a 4.0-Liter, 245-horsepower engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission. It takes either regular or premium gasoline and has an overall fuel efficiency of approximately 16 miles per gallon, per Consumer Reports. Kelly Blue Book gives a fuel efficiency of 16 miles per gallon in city and 20 miles per gallon on highway.

The base price of the 2005 4Runner was $27,495. Consumer Reports gives a base price of $13,800 if bought used in 2010 or 2011. If in excellent condition and with typical mileage (84,000 miles), Kelly Blue Book has a starting price of about $19,500 on 29 June 2011.

  • The Toyota Prius, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.90

The 2005 Toyota Prius came with a 1.5-Liter, 4-cylinder, 76-horsepower engine, a battery-powered motor (67-horsepower), and a continuous variable transmission. This hatchback offers front-wheel drive. It takes regular gasoline and has an overall fuel efficiency of approximately 44 miles per gallon, per Consumer Reports. Kelly Blue Book gives a fuel efficiency of 48 miles per gallon in city and 44 miles per gallon on highway.

The base price of the 2005 Prius was $20,875. Consumer Reports gives a base price of $10,200 if bought used in 2010 or 2011. If in excellent condition and with typical mileage, Kelly Blue Book has a starting price of about $16,400 on 29 June 2011.

  • The Toyota RAV4, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.89

The 2005 Toyota RAV4 came with a 2.4-Liter, 4-cylinder, 161-horsepower engine and either a 4-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual transmission. Two editions were offered - a front-wheel-drive edition and an all-wheel-drive edition. It takes either regular gasoline and has an overall fuel efficiency of approximately 21 miles per gallon, per Consumer Reports. Kelly Blue Book gives a fuel efficiency of 21 miles per gallon in city and 27 miles per gallon on highway.

The base price of the 2005 RAV4 was $18,550. Consumer Reports gives a base price of $11,100 if bought used in 2010 or 2011. If in excellent condition and with typical mileage, Kelly Blue Book has a starting price of about $14,400 ($15,600 for an automatic transmission) 29 June 2011.

  • The Toyota Tacoma 4-cylinder 2-wheel-drive, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.88
  • The Honda Civic sedan, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.87
  • The Toyota Camry Solara 4-cylinder, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.86

The 2005 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara came with a 2.4-Liter, 157-horsepower engine and was offered in two editions - a convertible and a coupe. This front-wheel-drive sporty car has four trimlines - SE, SE Sport (coupe only), and SLE. It takes regular gasoline. Kelly Blue Book gives a fuel efficiency of 21 miles per gallon in city and 30 miles per gallon on highway for the SE and SE Sport coupe (20 mpg and 29 mpg for the SLE coupe) and a fuel efficiency of 18 miles per gallon in city and 26 miles per gallon on highway for the for the convertible.

The 2005 base price of the 4-cylinder Solara was $19,220. Consumer Reports gives a base price of $8,100 if bought used in 2010 or 2011. If in excellent condition and with typical mileage, Kelly Blue Book has a starting price of about $11,600 on 29 June 2011.

  • The Honda Pilot, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.86
  • The Lexus LS, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.86
  • The Toyota Camry V6, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.85
  • The Honda Accord 4-cylinder, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.85
  • The Toyota Camry 4-cylinder, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.85

In 1985 Honda dominated the list of the best accounting for 4 of the Top 10, but in 2005 Toyota accounted for 8 of the 11 best automobiles.

Another notable difference between the best of 1985 and the best of 2005 are the averages of their Reliability-Durability GPAs; the average R-D GPA of 1985's Top 10 was 3.75 and the average R-D GPA of 2005's Top 11 is 3.87. This is a jump of 0.12.

Note the diversity among the 12 best - one small sedan (the Honda Civic), one small hatchback (the Toyota Echo), 3 family-size gasoline-powered cars (the Toyota Camry V6, the Honda Accord Inline 4, and the Toyota Camry Inline 4), one family-size hybrid (the Toyota Prius), one sporty car (the Toyota Camry Solara Inline 4), two midsize SUVs (the Toyota 4Runner V6 and the Honda Pilot), one pickup truck (the Toyota Tacoma Inline 4 2-wheel-drive), and one luxury sedan (Toyota's flagship Lexus LS).

Also note that the Mercedes-Benz line has no automobile in the Top 10, unlike the Top 10s of 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1985.

A version of the Toyota Pickup has made the Top 10 list for all of the years for which Reliability-Durability Grade Point Averages have been computed to date - 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 2005.

Manufacturers of the Top 10 

Toyota Motor Corporation accounted for 8 of the most reliable and durable cars of 2005; Honda Motor Company accounted for 3 of 2005's best.

Cars engineered by Japan-based corporations accounted for all of 2005's best cars; Germany-based corporations accounted for none.

Note that in 2005 (as in 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1980, and 1979) none of the Detroit 3 had a car among the Top 10.

The following chart gives each car maker's percent share of the Top 10 of 2005.

This is a pie chart of each auto manufacturer's share of the Top 10 cars and trucks of model year 2005 by Reliability-Durability Grade Point Average (GPA). Honda Motor Company has 27% of 1986’s best cars and Toyota Motor Corporation has 73%. The Reliability-Durability GPA of a car model is a composite score based on the category and overall reliability ratings of Consumer Reports for age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years. The chart and computations are by James Benjamin Bleeker, January 12, 2012.

The Next 9 Cars of 2005

The next 9 cars of the Top 20 are listed below in descending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (best first). 

  • The Lexus ES, with a R-D GPA of 3.84
  • The BMW Z4, with a R-D GPA of 3.83
  • The Honda Accord V6, with a R-D GPA of 3.83
  • The Honda Element, with a R-D GPA of 3.82
  • The Toyota Echo Hatchback, with a R-D GPA of 3.82
  • The Toyota Highlander V6, with a R-D GPA of 3.80
  • The Acura TL, with a R-D GPA of 3.80
  • The Toyota Camry Solara V6, with a R-D GPA of 3.80
  • The Toyota Tundra V8 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.78

The 20 best automobile models of 2005 were engineered by companies headquartered in either Japan (95%) or Germany (5%).

Note that all of the 20 most reliable and durable cars of 2005 had a Reliability-Durability Grade of a high A.

Auto Company shares of the Top 20 Cars of 2005

The car manufacturer shares of the Top 20 vehicles are:

Toyota Motor Corporation: 60%

Honda Motor Company: 35%

BMW AG: 5%

The Next 10 Cars of 2005

The next 10 cars of the Top 30 are listed below in descending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (best first).
  • The Mazda Tribute V6 fwd, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.77
  • The Lexus RX, with a R-D GPA of 3.76
  • The Lexus SC, with a R-D GPA of 3.76
  • The Scion xB, with a R-D GPA of 3.76
  • The Scion xA, with a R-D GPA of 3.75
  • The Toyota Tacoma Pickup Truck V6 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.75
  • The nonturbo Subaru Impreza Wagon, with a R-D GPA of 3.75
  • The Toyota Corolla, with a R-D GPA of 3.75
  • The Toyota Tacoma Pickup Truck V6 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.75
  • The Toyota Matrix badged as a Pontiac Vibe, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.74

The 30 best automobile models of 2005 were engineered by companies headquartered in either Japan (97%) or Germany (3%). 

Note that in 2005 all of the third-tier cars had a Reliability-Durability Grade of A, but in 1985 all of the third-tier cars had a Reliability-Durability Grade of B. This points to a sizable jump in quality of the Top 30, resulting mainly from expanded offerings from Toyota Motor Corporation and Honda Motor Company.

Auto Company shares of the Top 30 Cars of 2005

The car maker shares (rounded to the nearest percent) of the Top 30 vehicles (with 1985 shares in parentheses) are:

Toyota Motor Corporation: 67% (50% in 1985)

Honda Motor Company: 23% (17% in 1985)

Subaru Division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd: 3% (0% in 1985)

BMW AG: 3% (3% in 1985)

Mazda Motor Corporation: 3% (10% in 1985)

By 2005, Toyota had increased its share of the Top 30 by 17 percentage points (from 50% to 67%) and Honda Motor Company had increased its share by 6 percentage points (from 17% to 23%). BMW AG held on to its 3%. The Detroit 3 accounted for none of the Top 30 in both 1985 and 2005.

Chart of the 30 Best Cars of 2005

The following bar graph depicts how much above average the Top 30 cars of 2005 are. The 30 best are listed in descending order (best first).

This is a bar graph of the Reliability-Durability GPAs of the 30 best cars of model year 2005. The Reliability-Durability GPA of a car model is a composite measure based on the category and overall reliability ratings of Consumer Reports for age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years. Brand R-D GPA is an average of model R-D GPAs. Chart by James Benjamin Bleeker, January 14, 2012.

It is worth noting that all of the 30 best cars of 2005 have a Reliability-Durability GPA greater than that of the 8th best car of 1985.

The Remaining Models of 2005 with a Reliability-Durability Grade Point Average Greater Than 3.00

There are 53 cars with a Reliability-Durability GPA greater than 3.00. The remaining cars of the Top 53 are: 

  • The nonturbo Subaru Impreza, with a R-D GPA of 3.71
  • The Toyota Tundra V8 2-wheel-drive, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.69
  • The Honda CR-V, with a R-D GPA of 3.47
  • The Honda S2000, with a R-D GPA of 3.47
  • The Acura RSX, with a R-D GPA of 3.45
  • The Lexus LX, with a R-D GPA of 3.44
  • The Toyota Matrix, with a R-D GPA of 3.43
  • The Mercedes-Benz Crossfire badged as Chrysler Crossfire, with a R-D GPA of 3.42
  • The Lexus IS300, with a R-D GPA of 3.41
  • The Acura MDX, with a R-D GPA of 3.41 
  • The Lexus GS rear-wheel-drive, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.40
  • The Subaru Impreza WRX, with a R-D GPA of 3.40
  • The Infiniti FX35, with a R-D GPA of 3.37
  • The Mazda3 sedan, with a R-D GPA of 3.37
  • The Mazda MX-5 Miata, with a R-D GPA of 3.36
  • The Honda Civic Hybrid, with a R-D GPA of 3.32
  • The Porsche 911, with a R-D GPA of 3.14
  • The Lexus GX470, with a R-D GPA of 3.05
  • The Toyota Avalon, with a R-D GPA of 3.05
  • The Acura TSX, with a R-D GPA of 3.05
  • The Ford Escape Hybrid, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.03
  • The Infiniti G sedan rear-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.03
  • The Toyota Sienna V6 front-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.03

The 53 best automobile models of 2005 were engineered by companies headquartered in either Japan (92%), Germany (6%), or the U.S. (2%).

The all-wheel-drive Ford Escape Hybrid accounts for the one U.S. entry among the Top 54. The Toyota Group provides Ford with the continuous variable transmission housed in the Escape Hybrid.

In 1985 there were only 29 automobiles with a GPA greater than 3.00, but in 2005 there were 53. Nearly all of the increase may be attributed to a greatly increased product offering by Toyota Motor Corporation and Honda Motor Company. However, Subaru Division of Fuji Heavy Industries made a solid contribution to the Top 53 (3 models), as did Mazda Motor Corporation (3 models), and the Infiniti Division of Nissan Motor Company contributed 2. 

Auto Company shares of the Top 53 Cars of 2005

The car manufacturer shares (rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent) of the Top 53 vehicles are:

Toyota Motor Corporation: 52.8%

Honda Motor Company: 24.5%

Subaru Division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd: 5.7%

Mazda Motor Corporation: 5.7%

Nissan Motor Company: 3.8%

BMW AG: 1.9%

Mercedes-Benz: 1.9%

Porsche AG: 1.9%

Ford Motor Company: 1.9%

Computations

To compute the reliability-durability grade point average of the MY 2005 cars, Consumer Reports' reliability ratings for the age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years are used. The April 2010 and 2011 issues of Consumer Reports are the primary sources of CR's reliability ratings, with supplementation by CR's 2010 and 2011 New Car Buying Guides and Used Car Buying Guides.

CR's ratings are converted to numerical values following the standard academic pattern: a grade point of 4.0 (an A) is accorded a rating of Much Better Than Average, a 3.0 (a B) is accorded a rating of Better Than Average, a 2.0 (a C) is accorded a rating of Average, a 1.0 (a D) is accorded a rating of Below Average, and a 0 (an F) is accorded a rating of Much Below Average.

Then, for each age range, the grade point of CR's overall reliability rating is weighted 2/3 and the average of the grade points of the category ratings is weighted 1/3.

Finally, the average for the two age ranges is taken.

The 4-cylinder, 2-wheel-drive Toyota Tacoma, the 4-cylinder Toyota Camry Solara, the V6, front-wheel-drive Mazda Tribute, the non-turbo Subaru Impreza, the non-turbo Subaru Impreza Wagon, the V6, 2-wheel-drive Toyota Tacoma, the V8, 2-wheel-drive Toyota Tundra, and the Porsche 911 offered only one age range of data.

Best and Worst Vehicles of Each Model Year

The Best Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1975  1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  ...  2004  2005

The Worst Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  ...  2004  2005 

Additional Resources

The Best Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Worst Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Best Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Worst Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

Best Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 

Worst Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

Best Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid: 1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

Worst Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

For additional car quality information, visit www.AutoOnInfo.net and CarsOnInfo.net.

In particular, for additional durability information, see:

http://www.AutoOnInfo.net/SharesOfHighMileageVehicles.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/ToyotaAgeEquivalents.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/ToyotaMileageEquivalents.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/Top25OfAutoonInfosHighMileageRoster.aspx

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