We have had some pretty solid do-it-all SUVs over the past decade. Now, the Japanese have always excelled at offering commendable reliability, even among rugged SUVs. This mostly continues to be the case with this list of the most reliable gas-only SUVs of the last decade.
Among this bunch of Toyota and Lexus offerings, there is a formidable yet forgotten American SUV from Chevrolet that scores high on reliability and low on maintenance and repair costs. Furthermore, two interesting entries on this list are subsequent model years of the same Lexus mid-size SUVs. However, one is more reliable and easier to maintain than the other. Without further ado, here are the top five most reliable gas-only SUVs of the last decade, as per J.D. Power.
This list is organized in increasing order of reliability rating sourced from J.D. Power.
2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Reliability Rating: 90/100
This is an off-roading SUV that we have long craved a comeback for. The FJ Cruiser is one of Toyota’s most bulletproof and capable offerings of all time. It scores impressively with a Quality and Reliability rating of 90/100, according to J.D. Power. This significantly contributes to its overall J.D. score. Power score of 86/100, making it the top-rated offering in the list of ‘Best Compact SUVs of 2014’. It further excels with a Reliability score of 8.1/10 on iSeeCars. The 2014 FJ Cruiser has an average lifespan of 182,166 miles or about 14.4 years. Furthermore, iSeeCars analyzed data to show that the FJ Cruiser is typically driven 11,973 miles over its first 10 years of ownership. It also has a 39 percent chance of 39.1 percent chance of breaching the 200,000-mile mark.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser has a cool retro-styled design, which is also why it is very popular. Inspired by the classic FJ40, this SUV features a rugged, beefed-up look, rear suicide doors, and a unique triple-wiper system for the front windshield. Everything is rugged here, with a washable interior, durable rubberized flooring, and trim. Off-roading duties are taken care of by a robust traditional ladder frame chassis and manual 4WD control that includes a rear differential lock. Its traction control can also be modulated.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $528 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During The First 10 Years: $5,470 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 5 (NHTSA)
2016 Chevrolet Equinox
Reliability Rating: 90/100
The 2016 Chevy Equinox is a surprise entry with a solid J.D. Power reliability score of 90/100. It scores an overall 84/100, claiming the second spot, only after the ever-so-popular Toyota RAV4, in the J.D. Power list of ‘Best Compact SUVs of 2016’. It scores a commendable 7.7/10 in iSeeCars‘ reliability rating, too. Furthermore, this Chevy Equinox has an average lifespan of 135,807 miles, or about 9.2 years. Further analysis by iSeeCars also shows that the Equinox is typically driven 11,824 miles over its first 10 years of use. Hence, it has a 9.6 percent chance of breaching 200,000 miles.
Chevy has designed the 2016 Equinox to be tech-savvy and highly practical. It gets features like 4G LTE Wi-Fi HotSpot, a dedicated software on its seven-inch infotainment screen, Siri Eyes Free, and OnStar with RemoteLink. Comfort and convenience are taken care of with features like a power liftgate, a rearview camera, sliding rear seats, and an available moonroof and heated front seats.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $423 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During The First 10 Years: $9,196 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 1 (NHTSA)
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2018 Lexus GX
Reliability Rating: 91/100
Lexus cars with an elevated reliability quotient are not surprising, given their Toyota backing. However, a rugged and brutish SUV like the Lexus GX, which scored an impressive 91/100 in reliability per J.D. Power, is truly an eye-opener. Its reliability rating single-handedly propels the 2018 Lexus GX‘s overall rating to 80/100. This luxury SUV further makes its mark with an iSeeCars reliability rating of 8.4/10. It takes the top spot among the ‘Most Reliable Luxury Cars with three rows under $60,000’. Also, despite being over eight years old, there have been a total of eight complaints and zero investigations, according to the NHTSA.
The Lexus GX blends luxury with rugged capabilities. It gets a standard body-on-frame construction and available off-road technology like Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select. It further receives a Trailer Sway Control to elevate its towing and trailering capabilities. Also, available is a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System on the Luxury trims for improved articulation off-road and stability on the streets, strengthening its do-it-all nature.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $770 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During The First 10 Years: $8,212 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 2 (NHTSA)
2011 Lexus RX 350
Reliability Rating: 92/100
Yet another Lexus, but this one is a luxury-oriented mid-size SUV that is worth every penny and excels as a peppy urban runabout, too. Its impressive Quality and Reliability rating of 92/100 helps the 2011 RX score an overall 87/100 on J.D. Power, and hence puts it on top of the ‘Best Midsize Premium SUV list of 2011’. Its solid ratings also carry over to iSeeCars, with a reliability rating of 8.4/10. Over at iSeeCars, this midsize Lexus outclasses 68 reliable luxury crossover SUVs and takes the top spot. The 2011 RX 350 has had just one recall and zero investigations to date.
The Lexus RX SUV is all about comfort, convenience, and luxury. The premium trim levels are loaded with cozy features, including heated and cooled seats, dual-zone climate control, and 10-way power-adjustable front seats with memory. Elevating the plush appeal are features such as leather upholstery and genuine wood trim. The technological features were top-notch for the time. Notable bits include the now-popular remote touch interface for the infotainment screen, a Head-Up Display, smart keyless entry with push-button start, and the ability to roll down all windows and the sunroof at once with a single press.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $476 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During The First 10 Years: $7,842 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 1 (NHTSA)
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2010 Lexus RX
Reliability Rating: 93/100
Now, you might think that we have added another very similar entry for the Lexus RX. The differences between the 2010 and 2011 Lexus RX models are not very extensive, as they are confined to the list of standard features and subtle refinements. But the reliability rating is higher for the 2010 RX model, with an impressive score of 93/100 from J.D. Power (compared with 92/100 for the 2011 model). The driving experience score is also higher on the 2010 model, at 78/100 (compared with 77/100 on the 2011 model). The overall rating, thus, is higher by one point at 88/100, slotting the 2010 Lexus RX in the number one spot on J.D. Power’s Best Midsize Premium SUV list of 2010.
Over at iSeeCars, the ratings are unchanged with a reliability rating of 8.4/10. Another aspect to note is that the 2011 model is focused on the 350 trim level; the 2010 model has an elevated rating across its whole lineup, which also includes the RX 330, which, for the record, has zero recalls and zero investigations per the NHTSA. The RX350 differs in one recall. Another difference is in the average yearly maintenance cost, which is lower for the 2010 model ($452) than for the 2011 model ($476), according to RepairPal. Luxury and comfort features are similar to those of the aforementioned 2011 model, with the only exception being the absence of standard navigation or a backup camera.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $452 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During The First 10 Years: $7,842 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 1 (NHTSA)
Sources: J.D. Power, iSeeCars, RepairPal, CarEdge, and NHTSA