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What vehicle has the "best" automatic transmission?

This is a question that I get asked over and over, but, it very hard to answer, because there is quite a bit of personal preference that weighs heavily on what is "best". For those of you shopping for a "new" vehicle, I will attempt to answer this question, based upon my personal experience, in a transmission shop. These opinions are just that; Opinions, and I am sure that there will be many that disagree with me, but, my opinions are formed, primarily, by the frequency of automatic transmission failures I see, from a particular model. While this is not "scientific", I believe that when I see many failing transmissions, of a particular transmission model, while the vehicle has very low mileage, I can assume that the transmission has problems. These opinions are not based on a particular case, but, rather, problems that I consitently see, day to day, that I base these opinions. There will be many exceptions to the rules I have stated here, so just because you may have gotten more, or less mileage, out of your transmission, than I have stated here, does not invalidate the "norm".

First off, it is impossible to answer this question without determining what type of vehicle you are asking about, so I will answer this question, in many parts, that include many of the different type of vehicles that a person may consider. The first section will discuss "cars", such as 2 and 4 door vehicles, and station wagons. The second section will include information about small pickups, minivans and sport utility vehicles. The third section will include information about full-sized pickups and 4 wheel drives.

Section 1: 2 and 4-door Cars and Station Wagons

In this section, the Honda Accord and Civic, and the Toyota Camry seem to be the best, in terms of transmission reliability. Although there are exceptions to every rule, these cars seem to have transmission failures, consitantly, at mileage in excess of 150,000 miles.
The GM frontwheel drive vehicles(beit Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, etc... they all are about the same) use the 4T60E transmission, for the most part, which holds up reasonably well, with average transmission failures at, or around, 80,000-100,000 miles.
The Ford car line, whether it be the Taurus/Mercury Sable, or the rearwheel drive cars (T-bird, etc.) seem to be one of the worst, in terms of transmission reliability, with many having transmission trouble at, or around the 40,000-60,000 mile interval. Lately, Ford has made some changes in their torque converter apply surface, but problems still are evident with their lockup converters, with many failing, causing a shuddering problem as early as 20,000 miles. Recently, Ford has come out with a service bulletin that recommends changing the transmission fluid, to eliminate this torque converter shudder, but, in my opinion, it is a pathetic attempt to get the transmissions out of warrantee before the problem developes again.
The Chrysler products(Dodge Spirit, Chrysler New Yorker, etc.) seem to be the favorite of transmission technicians (because the Chrysler products put lots of food on our table), frequently failing at, or around the 40,000-60,000 mile interval, with few making it to the 80,000 mile mark. It is debateable which transmission is less reliable; the Ford or the Chrysler, but, I suppose, if I had to choose between the two, I would pick the Ford products because they seem to be better built, with higher quality dash boards, etc.(perhaps if I had to choose, I would ride my bicycle....,<grin>) These Chryslers typically come with the 604/606 transmission, which has been around for a while (the 604 came out in 1989), but, although there have been some improvements, they still do not hold up well, and there has been no indication that Chrysler has made any changes that will affect my opinion, in the 1998 model year. I would stay away from Chrysler products when considering any type of automotive purchase, at this time.

Summary

It is my opinion, in terms of transmission reliability, the Hondas, Acuras, Lexus', Toyotas, etc. have a much better record, and I would consider these types of cars, if you do not want to have transmission trouble, than any of the U.S.-made vehicles on the market today. I have found that although the Isuzus, Mazdas, Nissans, etc. tend to also have good transmission reliability, that a person is better to stick with more of a "name brand", such as Honda, Toyota, etc., because they command a higher resale value, in the U.S. I, personally, bought a '96 Honda Accord Wagon, for my wife, because I work on cars 40-hours a week, and do not want to work on my own, when I get home.

Section 2: Small Pickups, Minivans, and Sport Utility Vehicles

Unfortunately, for my country, the "best", in terms of transmission reliability goes to the Toyota pickup, fourrunner, and minivan (Although the Cienna has not been out long, it is based on the Camry, which has proven to be quite a reliable drivetrain). Again, the Toyotas seem to go, often in excess of 150,000 miles, without automatic transmission failure. In addition, when considering a sport utility vehicle, the Honda Passport can be a wise choice.
If I had to choose an American minitruck, or sport utility, or minivan, I would choose GM. The S10/S15 trucks and blazers, and the Astro Van, come with the 4L60E transmission, which is not designed for towing, but is adequate for what these trucks are designed for. These transmissions can be expected to last to around the 100k mile mark, if not used severely.
Ford's AeroStar Van, Ranger pickup, and Bronco II, hold up reasonably well, with many of their transmissions failing at, or around the 80,000 mile mark.
Chrysler's minivan line uses the same transmission as the Chrysler cars... My mother always taught me that "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all...", so I will not say anything about these vehicles. The "mid-sized" Dodge Dakota comes with the 500, or 518 transmission, which has more than it's share of problems, with failures often seen, in our shop, at, or around 60,000 miles.

Summary

It is my opinion that, in terms of automatic transmission reliability, the Toyota minitruck and fourrunner line is the way to go, with the Honda Passport also being a good choice. Again, as in the "car section", I would avoid the more obscure vehicles, like Izusu, Mazda, Nissan, etc. because, although they seem to have a better reliability record than the U.S. made minitrucks, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, they suffer from a low resale value, as compared to the Toyotas, and Hondas.

Section 3: Full-sized trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles

In terms of sport utility vehicles, I believe, hands down, that the Toyota Landcruiser (and it's Lexus equivelant) would be my first choice; these vehicles seem to consistantly last over 150,000 miles before requiring transmission service. The Chevy Tahoe/Suburban is reasonable, in terms of transmission reliability, offering around 100k of trouble-free miles.
As full-sized trucks, and vans, are concerned, the GM truck line seems to be, by far, more reliable, in the automatic transmission department. The 1/2 ton trucks are equipped with the 4L60E, which is not really designed for towing, but, then again, either is a 1/2 ton truck; expect these transmissions to offer around 100k of trouble free miles, unless you use your truck for towing. The 3/4 ton GM trucks use the 4L80E, which seems to be, by far, more reliable, for towing, than the 4L60E; I would not be afraid to tow with a 4L80E transmission. Although the Toyota T100 is considered "full-sized", you may want to sit in it, before assuming it is "full-sized"; if you can put up with the size, and the lack of "real towing capacity", the T100 is quite reliable, and would be my first choice for a mid-sized delivery truck.
If you plan on buying a Ford, or a Chrysler full-sized truck, van, or full-sized sport utility, get to know a good transmission technician....The Fords have been having more than their fair share of problems with their 4R70W transmission (electronic version of the AOD, which did not hold up well, either), with many torque converter shudder problems being reported as early as 20,000 miles, but more typically, at 40,000-50,000 miles. The same service bulletin applies, as mentioned in the "cars" section above. The E40D transmission, although being better, in many ways, than the 4R70W, also has it's share of problems, and although Ford has improved the E40D tremendously, I do not believe it is perfected, with many, many, many E40D's, failing at, or around the 75,000 mile mark. The Chrysler full-sized trucks, and vans happen to be the most overrated trucks on the market, again, in my opinion. The 518/618 transmission has been a real money-maker for transmission shops, with many, many, of these transmissions failing more than once, through the life of the manufacture's warrantee. It is not, at all, uncommon for us to see many 1997 Chrysler trucks, with very low mileage, in a given month, all getting rebuilt transmissions. Between you and me, I would not want to pay $30,000+ dollars for a truck, knowing that I would be battling transmission problems, for the lifetime of the vehicle. Transmission failures vary, with Chrysler full-sized trucks (We have one now, that failed at 4200 miles.... Not 42,000, mind you....), but typically, we see transmission failure around 40,000-60,000 miles.

Summary

Again, if I needed a full-sized sport utitlity vehicle, I would choose the LandCruiser/Lexus, over the Chevy Blazer, Tahoe, or Suburban, although they can be reasonably reliable too. I would choose a GM full-sized truck, before a Ford or a Chrysler, and would choose a 3/4 ton GM truck if I were planning on towing, at all. I believe that the engineers may have a good sense of humor when they set "towing capacities" on their 1/2 ton trucks, and would not consider towing any trailer over 1000 lbs. with any 1/2 ton GM truck, because I do not believe that the 4L60E is designed for it; this is not a heat problem, but rather a "hard part" problem when the 4L60E fails, so I do not believe that a cooler will help in this case. If you are set on buying a Ford, or Chrysler full-sized truck, I suggest buying a used one, because with all of the transmission problems they have had, you should be able to find plenty of people willing to give you a "good deal" on a relatively new truck, because of the problems they have already experienced.