These are the top 15 cars that American drivers tend to keep the longest before trading in for a new one or until they end up sold as junk cars.
Toyota models dominated the list taking out the top five spots, according to the new study. Fourteen of the top cars predicted to last more than 15 years are Japanese models, with the exception of German Volkswagen. The Toyota Highlander model took out the top spot with more than 18 percent of original owners keeping their car for at least 15 years.
The Toyota Highlander model took out the top spot with more than 18 percent of original owners keeping their car for at least 15 years
Along with nine Toyotas, Honda was the only automaker to earn multiple spots on the list with two.
Other manufacturers joining Volkswagen with one model on the list include Acura, Subaru, and Nissan.
The automotive research firm analyzed more than 650,000 cars from the 1981-2002 model years sold last year.
‘While a decade on the road used to be a significant milestone for vehicle life expectancy, the elevated quality of cars being produced has raised this standard to beyond ten years,’ said Phong Ly, CEO of the automotive research firm.
Toyota Sienna was second on the list with 17.1 percent of owners keeping the car for more than 15 years
The Toyota Tundra ranked third with 15.7 percent of owners keeping hold of it long-term
‘Japanese automakers are known for setting quality and reliability standards, so it is no surprise that they are the most likely to reach the 15-year milestone.’
The only hybrid vehicle on the list, a Toyota Prius, earned the fourth spot.
‘Hybrid owners have the added incentive to keep their cars on the road for longer in order to accrue fuel savings to offset the increased upfront cost of these vehicles,’ Ly said. ‘Despite consumers’ concerns about battery durability and the associated high replacement cost, its appearance on the list shows that the reliability of the Prius measures up to Toyota’s conventional fuel counterparts.’
But some of the nation’s most popular vehicles were noticeably absent from the overall top 15 lists. Only three of the eight American models were above-average. Three American-made pickups were close to average but failed to come close to the overall third-ranked Japanese Toyota Tundra. Popular compact and midsize sedans, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Honda Accord all fared above average but did not place on the Top 15 list.
The Toyota Prius was 4th with 15 percent of owners waiting at least 15 years to trade-in
The Toyota RAV4 was fifth on the list with 14.3 percent of owners keeping hold of the model for 15 years