Toyota Dominates List of Longest Lasting Models - Is Your Toyota on the List?

A just-completed study by our friends at iSeeCars.com reveals which models are the longest-lasting. More specifically, the study analyzed nearly 16 million used vehicle transactions to see which models owners keep over 200,000 miles most frequently. Toyota dominates the list with Honda doing very well in some key high-volume segments. In addition to having the vehicle with the highest rate of 200K mile transactions, the Toyota brand also topped six categories and was named the longest lasting brand by the study researchers.

One notable category win for Toyota was the Tundra taking home the award for the top full-sized truck. Automakers like GM, Ford, and RAM spar over whose trucks last the longest. At least as far as this study goes, the answer is Toyota's Tundra!

“Of all vehicle types, pickup trucks are the most likely to reach 200,000 miles with a 1.8 percent average for the segment, double the average for SUVs,” said Phong Ly, CEO of iSeeCars. “Pickup trucks are commonly used as work vehicles and are likely to accrue more miles than a typical passenger car while being more likely to undergo preventative maintenance and necessary repairs.” Overall, the Honda Ridgeline edged out the Tundra and the Tacoma was third.

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Toyota did well in many segments with a truck, SUV, crossover, a green vehicle, and a sedan on the list. “Toyota is known for building reliable long-lasting vehicles with below-average ownership costs, which helps explain why it is so well-represented on the list across all vehicle types,” said Ly. One surprise we noted was the lack of any win for the venerable Toyota FJ Cruiser, well known as a high-mileage vehicle.

In the green vehicle segment overall, the Highlander Hybrid tops the Prius. And not by a little. The Prius and Camry Hybrid are the other podium finishers and the only hybrids above average. “Because many hybrid and electric vehicles didn’t come into the marketplace until recently, there aren’t many models that have been on the road long enough to reach the 200,000-mile mark,” said Ly. “Owners have the incentive to keep the Toyota Prius and the Toyota Camry Hybrid on the road for longer to accrue fuel savings to offset the higher upfront cost,” Ly noted. “These vehicles also attract practical buyers who want to take advantage of Prius’ low cost of ownership due to its reliability and fuel efficiency by keeping the vehicle on the road for as long as possible.”

Honda deserves an honorable mention in this story as well. “Given the track record for reliability among Toyotas and Hondas, it’s no surprise that they earn the top two spots on the list,” said Ly. You can view the full report at iSeeCars' focus page here.

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. John's focus areas are technology, safety, and green vehicles. In the 1990s, he was part of a team that built a solar-electric vehicle from scratch. His was the role of battery thermal control designer. For 20 years he applied his engineering and sales talents in the high tech world and published numerous articles in technical journals such as Chemical Processing Magazine. In 2008 he retired from that career and dedicated himself to chasing his dream of being an auto writer. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and connect with him at Linkedin.