Which cars prove most reliable over the first five years? Lexus ranks highest in the most recent Vehicle Dependability Index Study, conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, a California-based market research firm.

Imports in general and Japanese makes in particular dominate the list of most-dependable nameplates. Of the 15 manufacturers ranking above average in J.D. Power’s study, eight are Japanese. Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Honda, and Toyota placed first through fifth, in order; Subaru, Nissan, and Mazda ranked 13th through 15th. Three European nameplates also scored above average: Porsche (6th), Jaguar (9th), and BMW (10th). Four of the top 15 were domestic makes: Buick (7th), Cadillac (8th), Lincoln (11th), and Mercury (12th).

One European manufacturer is conspicuously absent from the most-dependable list. Mercedes-Benz failed to score above the industry average for the first time since J.D. Power began its annual dependability study 13 years ago.

In rating dependability, the firm surveys over 30,000 original owners of ’98 models, quizzing them about problems in 137 specific areas over the five-year life of their vehicles. Industry analysts consider the five-year mark an important milestone, because that’s when most consumers begin to think about buying a new car. The study’s five-year window also makes it useful for used- as well as new-car shoppers.

In analyzing the results, researchers noted that 6 of the10 problems most commonly mentioned in the dependability study also showed up in J.D. Power’s separate Initial Vehicle Quality Study, which covers the first 90 days of ownership—suggesting that many problems arising early in a new-car’s life not only persist, but worsen over time.

J.D. Power rates not only manufacturer but also specific models for five-year dependability. Here is their list for the three most dependable models in each vehicle class:

Compact Car
   Honda Civic
   Mercury Tracer
   Toyota Corolla

Entry Mid-Size Car
   Chrysler Cirrus
   Nissan Altima
   Plymouth Breeze

Premium Mid-Size Car
   Oldsmobile Regency
   Honda Accord
   Toyota Avalon

Full-Size Car
   Mercury Grand Marquis
   Ford Crown Victoria
   Buick LeSabre

Entry Luxury Car
   Lexus ES 300
   Infiniti I30
   Acura TL

Mid-Luxury Car
   Lexus GS 300/400
   Acura RL
   Lincoln Continental

Premium Luxury Car
   Lexus LS 400
   Infiniti Q45
   Lexus SC 300/400

Sporty Car
   Honda Prelude
   Acura Integra
   Ford Mustang

Premium Sports Car
   BMW Z3
   Porsche Boxster
   Mercedes-Benz SLK

Compact Pickup
   Toyota Tacoma
   Nissan Frontier
   Mazda B-Series

Full-Size Pickup
   Toyota T100
   Ford F-150/F-250
   Chevrolet Silverado

Entry SUV
   Honda CR-V
   Toyota RAV4
   Subaru Forester

Mid-Size SUV
   Toyota 4Runner
   Nissan Pathfinder
   Isuzu Trooper

Full-Size SUV
   Ford Expedition
   Chevrolet Tahoe
   GMC Yukon

Luxury SUV
   Infiniti QX4
   Lexus LX 470
   Toyota Land Cruiser

Compact Van
   Honda Odyssey
   Mercury Villager
   Toyota Sienna

Full-Size Van
   Ford E-Series/Club Wagon
   Dodge Ram Van
   Chevrolet Express