The average vehicle has an 11.8% chance of exceeding the 250,000-mile (402,336 km) mark in its lifespan, but there are some models boasting significantly better durability. Predictably, trucks and Toyotas dominate the latest study results, although there’s a surprising winner that isn’t a Japanese model.
The 10th annual study for the longest-lasting vehicles, conducted by iSeeCars, analyzed a sample of over 260 million units sold between 2012 and 2022, to ensure the results are accurate. The study found that the majority of vehicles in the top spots were trucks and large SUVs, which proved to be more durable than cars and minivans.
More specifically, the likelihood of exceeding the 250k-mile mark is higher for trucks, with an average probability of 25.9%, followed by SUVs at 15%, passenger cars at 8.6%, and minivans at 5.9%. This breakdown shows that trucks are the most durable vehicle type for long-lasting and hard-working use. Heavy-duty vans were excluded from the results due to insufficient data.
The Top 23 Longest Lasting Models
The best performer overall was the Ford F-350 Super Duty with an impressive 49.1% chance of surviving beyond 250k miles, which sounds like a requirement for heavy-duty trucks. The rest of the list is dominated by Toyota which takes up 8 out of the 23 spots. The usual suspects from the Japanese automaker are the Land Cruiser (2nd), the Tundra (3rd), the Sequoia (4th), the Tacoma (7th), the 4Runner (10th), the Avalon (11th), and the Camry (23rd). Toyota also comes first in the separate lists for the longest-lasting SUVs, passenger cars, and minivans.
Read: These Are The Longest Lasting Cars That Will Take You Over 200k Miles
Honda also had a notable presence with five models making it to the list – the Pilot (6th), the Element (14th), the CR-V (15th), and the Accord (16th), plus the Acura MDX (13th). As for the American-bred automakers, Chevrolet had three entries, and each of the Ford, GMC, and Ram occupied two spots. Interestingly, no European automaker made it to the top 23 list for the longest-running models.
Contrary to popular belief, the lifespan of modern vehicles is longer compared to the past. Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst at iSeeCars, said that “For most of the automobile’s history, 100,000 miles was considered the maximum usable lifespan”, adding that “over the past 30 years we’ve watched an increasing number of cars reach 200,000-plus miles”. Supporting this claim, the findings of the latest study show that “more than 20 models have a “20% or better chance of lasting at least a quarter million miles”.
Trucks Most Likely To Last Over 250,000 Miles
Top 14 SUVs Most Likely To Last More Than 250,000 Miles
Top 16 Passenger Cars Most Likely To Go Over 250,000+ Miles
Minivans Most Likely To Last Over 250,000 Miles