According to an analysis conducted by iSeeCars.com, the Ford Expedition is currently the... [+]
Though short-term new-vehicle leasing is more popular than ever, with about a third of the car-buying population now turning over their rides as quickly as they do their cell phones, some owners apparently still prefer to wring every last mile out of their automotive investments.
According to IHS Markit, the average age of all cars and light-duty trucks on the road is up to a record 11.6 years, with the average length of new and used-vehicle ownership likewise reaching record levels at 6.6 and 5.5 years, respectively.
“Quality of new vehicles continues to be a key driver of the rising average vehicle age over time,” says Mark Seng, global automotive aftermarket practice director at IHS Markit. To be sure, owner surveys and published reviews tend to convict the latest generation of cars and trucks more for what can seem to be petty crimes like difficult to master infotainment systems and voice commands than overt mechanical difficulties.
While just about any recent model-year vehicle can reach the 200,000 – even the 250,000-mile threshold – with proper maintenance and ongoing repairs, the truth is that some models are easier, cheaper, and more amenable to keep running over time than others.
So what are people literally driving into the ground these days? According to an extensive analysis of more than 13 million cars conducted by the used-vehicle website iSeeCars.com, 11 out of the 14 vehicles that are most likely to remain running with 200,000 or more miles on the odometer are either pickup trucks or truck-based SUVs.
The champ in this regard is the full-size Ford Expedition SUV, with 5.7% of all versions currently on the road registering more than 200,000 miles; the industry average among all vehicles in 1.3%. Eight of the 14 longest-lasting vehicles come from either General Motors or Ford, with the remaining five sold by Toyota or Honda. We’re featuring the full list of long-distance runners in the accompanying slideshow.
"Super-sized SUVs, such as the Ford Expedition, Toyota Sequoia, and Chevrolet Suburban, are often workhorses for families,” says iSeeCars.com CEO Phong Ly. “For parents who don't want to drive a minivan, these are the vehicles of choice to transport the kids from one activity to the next. They typically transport eight people and usually have significant towing capacity for active families who boat or camp."
Pickup trucks, with four models represented on this year’s highest-mileage list, have an average mileage of 74,777 miles on the odometer, according to iSeeCars.com data, which is 37 percent higher than the average passenger car. For many owners this is out of sheer necessity. "These pickup trucks are often essential to the owner's livelihood, so there's a greater incentive to keep them in top shape," Ly explains. "When you depend on your pickup not just to get you to and from your job, but also to get you from one job to the next and carry your work gear, you are going to stay on top of maintenance and necessary repairs." What's more, new truck prices have gotten prohibitive, with top versions of full-size models now cracking $50,000, and even the $60,000 mark.
But what about good old passenger cars – remember them? Digging deeper into iSeeCars.com’s stats, if you’re looking for longevity, the top five are still on the large side, namely the Toyota Avalon, Honda Accord, Ford Taurus, and Chevrolet Impala sedans and the Honda Odyssey minivan. What’s more, the longest-lasting models among luxury vehicles are also trucks, with the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, and Acura MDX SUVs leading the pack.
As they say with financial investments, past results are not necessarily an indication of future performance, but both new- and used-vehicle shoppers who prefer to forge long-term bonds with their vehicles would be advised to consult the website’s longest-lasting lists, along with Consumer Reports and J.D. Power owner surveys to help identify cars and trucks that will last the longest.
In Pictures: 14 Longest-Lasting Vehicles.
"For any consumer looking to buy a used car that will last for the long haul, these cars are likely to go the distance successfully," Ly said. "And for current owners of these vehicles who aren't anxious to buy something new, these cars can keep you out of a car payment for a long time if you choose."
The fine print: iSeeCars.com analyzed over 13 million pre-owned cars sold in 2016 from model years 1981 through 2017. Models that were not in production as of the 2016 model year, heavy duty vehicles and models with fewer than 10,000 cars sold were excluded from further analysis. For each model, the percentage of the number of cars with at least 200,000 miles was calculated.
