Reliability is a top concern with car buyers these days, especially since so many cars seem to be doing so badly, and this concern is even more relevant when buying a cheap small car.

Somebody who gets a cheap car may not have all that much money for repairs, or a second car on hand if things go really wrong…

Consumer Reports reliability survey conducted this year has revealed which cars to go for and which to avoid. Of the pool of small cars tested, there were more on the wrong side of average, and fewer that did well.

For instance, the popular Ford Fiesta cannot be recommended, while the boxy Scion xB or Honda Civic can. The latter two plus the Toyota Yaris proved to be more reliable than models of comparable size from other manufacturers.

Oh, and avoid the Fiat 500L as it’s reportedly problem-ridden, in the true recent spirit of the Fiat-Chrysler group.

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