- Toyota and Lexus are crowned kings of long-term durability in a new study.
- Together with Honda and Acura they’re most likely to reach 250,000 miles.
- Tesla ranks surprisingly high, finishing ahead of Mazda, Subaru and Porsche.
If you asked a room full of enthusiasts which brands are most likely to build a vehicle capable of lasting 250,000 miles (402,000 km), most would probably guess Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Acura. They’d be right. But tucked among the usual durability champions is a name that might surprise some buyers, especially those still worried about EV battery life: Tesla.
According to a new iSeeCars study covering more than 174 million vehicles, Toyota sits comfortably at the top with a 17.8 percent chance of reaching a quarter-million miles. Lexus follows at 12.8 percent, while Honda and Acura complete a clean sweep for Japanese brands. They’re the only four manufacturers to beat the overall industry average of 4.8 percent.
Related: A Model S Reached 1.2 Million Miles, But Took 4 Batteries And 13 Motors To Get There
But Tesla, in an impressive sixth place, ranks alongside GMC with a 4.6 percent chance of reaching 250,000 miles. That result puts it ahead of brands that we think of as building high quality, long-lasting cars, including Cadillac, Mazda, Subaru, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche. Given the endless online debates about battery degradation and replacement costs, that’s a result you probably weren’t expecting.
In hindsight, maybe it shouldn’t be that shocking. Electric vehicles have their own challenges, but they also eliminate a long list of components that traditionally wear out in gasoline-powered cars. No engine, no oil changes, no timing chains, no fuel injectors, and far fewer moving parts overall. While battery health remains a concern for some buyers, modern EVs may have an easier path to extreme mileage than many people assume.
Tesla Is Third On The Luxury Durability List
Chance Of Reaching 250k Miles (Luxury Brands)
The non-luxury rankings show just how dominant Toyota remains. Its score is more than three times the segment average, while Honda is the only other mainstream brand to finish above average. After that, there’s a sizeable gap to everyone else. Luxury brands tell a similar story. Lexus leads comfortably, Acura takes second, and Tesla joins Cadillac and Lincoln as the only other premium marques to beat the luxury average.
As for the brands at the bottom, well, some stereotypes refuse to die. Land Rover manages a barely measurable 0.1 percent chance of reaching 250,000 miles, while Jaguar and Maserati effectively register zero. BMW, Audi, and Porsche don’t fare much better.
Chance Of Reaching 250k Miles (All Brands)
