This new study shows the car, SUV and truck models most likely to last beyond 250,000 miles.
You know the old adage about getting what you pay for — but that rings painfully true with just how damn expensive new cars are these days. A new iSeeCars study looks into the vehicles most likely to get you your money’s worth by distance, measuring the odds they will last at least 250,000 miles. That’s farther than the Earth to the moon, and some models have a remarkably high chance of hitting that mark.
Of course, you probably know what’s coming next: I’ll go “Toyota, Toyota, Toyota, Toyota,” you’ll yawn and that will pretty much be the end of the matter. There’s a ton of truth to that impression, as the brand does make its fair number of appearances among the 260 million car, truck and SUV units sold between 2012 and 2022 that iSeeCars analyzed. However, a decent number of American vehicles make the list (namely trucks), as well as a couple models you might not expect to pass the quarter-million-mile mark so frequently.
On the whole, the average chance of a vehicle hitting 250,000+ miles is a surprisingly high 11.8%.
At least I found it surprising, but perhaps that speaks to modern cars and trucks being relatively robust compared to their forebears. Vehicles that sit well above that average, mind you, are also popular sellers that are more prominently represented in the cross-section of vehicles this research study looked at. The Ford F-Series is the most popular nameplate in America by far, so it makes sense that some models in the lineup make the list.
Among the longest-lasting cars, the Honda Pilot actually lands in the top three, with a staggering 42.7% chance to make it past that 250K ballpark. Now, these are family car and SUV models that folks tend to hang onto, as are most of the others on this list. Nevertheless, for a model that’s only been around 21 years (the Pilot started production in April 2002), that really speaks to how well Honda engineers that particular vehicle.
The list: Top 25 Cars and SUVs most likely to last 250,000 miles or more (excluding trucks)
Slicing iSeeCars’ data, we’ll look at the vehicles most likely to go beyond 250,000 miles excluding trucks. We’ll cover the pickup side of the equation over on TFLtruck.com.
| Rank | Vehicle | Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Mitsubishi Lancer | 11.2% |
| 24 | Volkswagen Jetta | 11.7% |
| 23 | Honda Odyssey | 13.8% |
| 22 | Volkswagen Golf | 14.2% |
| 21 | Honda Civic | 14.7% |
| 20 | Acura RL | 14.9% |
| 19 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | 15.6% |
| 18 | Lexus GS 300 | 15.9% |
| 17 | Nissan Xterra | 16.2% |
| 16 | Subaru Legacy | 16.2% |
| 15 | Toyota Matrix | 16.7% |
| 14 | Toyota RAV4 | 18.1% |
| 13 | Ford Expedition | 19.9% |
| 12 | Toyota Camry | 20.4% |
| 11 | Subaru Outback | 22.3% |
| 10 | Toyota Sienna | 23.3% |
| 9 | Honda Accord | 27.1% |
| 8 | Honda CR-V | 27.5% |
| 7 | Honda Element | 27.8% |
| 6 | Acura MDX | 29.2% |
| 5 | Toyota Avalon | 33.1% |
| 4 | Toyota 4Runner | 41.0% |
| 3 | Honda Pilot | 42.7% |
| 2 | Toyota Sequoia | 47.1% |
| 1 | Toyota Land Cruiser | 47.9% |
