Lexus and Toyota are the most reliable used-car brands, Consumer Reports says

Americans in the market for a used vehicle can cut their risk of having trouble down the road by considering some brands over others, with Lexus and Toyota topping a newly published list by Consumer Reports.

The nonprofit research and advocacy group's first-ever ranking of 26 brands has Lexus and Toyota holding a commanding advantage over third-placed Mazda. All three brands have held consistent average or better reliability ratings over the years, Consumer Reports noted.

"Brands like Lexus and Toyota have a history of conservative redesigns, incrementally improving their entire product line, rather than introducing many all-new systems," said Steven Elek, senior automotive data analyst at Consumer Reports. "Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new and they continue to be reliable as they age," he added.