Which Car Lasts the Longest? – 14 Most Reliable Vehicles
If you drive a lot of miles each year or if you keep your vehicles for a longer than average amount of time, you’d probably like to know which car lasts the longest before you go and buy one. Each year, the automotive research firm and car search engine iSeeCars.com compiles a list of vehicles that have the highest percentage of their number that reach 200,000 miles, so it’s a pretty good guide to which are likely to be the most reliable vehicles out there.
When you look at used vehicle classified ads online you won’t see a lot of vehicles listed with 200k miles or more on the odometer, so it really is something of an achievement for a car, truck or SUV to reach that landmark number.
Here I’m going to list the top 14 longest-lasting cars with a few important details about each to help you decide if one of them might be the right choice for you. After all, it would be no good listing a vehicle if I didn’t give you an idea of how much it costs to buy and run, so let’s take a look at the top 14.
The details I’m going to list immediately below each vehicle are as follows:
- Vehicle type (SUV, pickup, sedan, etc.)
- Years in production
- Price to buy new today (from)
- Predicted depreciation over 5 years*
- The average cost to insure per year*
- The average cost of fuel per year*
- Percentage of models that reach 200k miles
*Based on KBB.com research over a 5-year period being driven 15,000 miles per year.
14. Lincoln Navigator
- Type: Full-size luxury SUV
- Production: 1997-Present
- New: $73,205
- Depreciation: $44,754
- Insurance: $1,939
- Fuel: $2,105
- 200k 2.2%
Obviously, the Lincoln Navigator isn’t a cheap vehicle by any means, but you have to be impressed that a vehicle of this stature makes it onto the list. It’s up for debate as to how much of a luxury brand Lincoln really is, but if you put that issue to one side for a moment, the Navigator pretty much checks all the boxes for a full-size luxury SUV.
The Navigator seats up to 7 people, its standard engine is a 450-horsepower twin-turbo V-6, and it has a maximum trailering capacity of 6,200 pounds. If you want a vehicle that can pretty much do it all and is unlikely to let you down, the Lincoln Navigator is worth considering.
13. Honda Odyssey
- Type: Minivan
- Production: 1994-Present
- New: $30,190
- Depreciation: $13,632
- Insurance: $1,255
- Fuel: $1,723
- 200k 2.5%
Hands up if you dream about owning a new minivan, anyone? No? Although minivans have to be among the least-loved and least desirable vehicles on the market, you have to admit that nothing else carries off those family duties quite as well as a family minivan. And when it comes to minivans, the Honda Odyssey has to be one of the most desirable, and now we can reveal that it is probably the most reliable one too.
Hondas have a reputation for reliability, and the Odyssey certainly lives up to that reputation with 2.5 percent of them reaching the 200,000-mile mark. It’s probably about as stylish as a minivan gets right now, and only depreciating by about 30 percent over a five-year period is pretty impressive too. It won’t beat any land-speed records, but it can seat up to eight people and accommodate a load of cargo without trying too hard.
12. Toyota Avalon
- Type: Large sedan
- Production: 1994-Present
- New: $35,650
- Depreciation: $17,020
- Insurance: $1,632
- Fuel: $1,458
- 200k 2.5%
Cars are not exactly flavor of the month right now, especially full-size sedans like the Toyota Avalon. That’s a bit of a shame really, because the Avalon is now a sportier, more desirable model than it’s ever been after a recent redesign, and it has enough interior space to put some SUVs costing considerably more to shame.
Depreciation is par for the course over five years, but the relative unpopularity of sedans means you can probably snag a pretty good deal on one if you’re prepared to put up with the stigma of not following the crowd into an SUV or a pickup truck.
If Honda has a reputation for reliability, Toyota sees it and raises it. The Avalon is the first Toyota to feature on this list, but it’s only one of five, and no other manufacturer comes close.
It’s something of a cliché that Japanese vehicles are reliable, but it’s a cliché that’s underpinned by an awful lot of evidence that shows it’s true.
11. Toyota Tundra
- Type: Full-size pickup truck
- Production: 1999-Present
- New: $34,720
- Depreciation: $9,753
- Insurance: $1,460
- Fuel: $2,370
- 200k 2.6%
If you’re someone who wants a full-size pickup truck and you’re going to keep it a long time and do a lot of miles in it, you could do an awful lot worse than a Toyota Tundra. It might not be the highest-rated pickup truck on this list, but as an overall buy, it’s hard to beat. Yes, there are more capable full-size pickup trucks in the market than the Tundra, but the Toyota holds its value better than almost any vehicle you care to mention.
The base engine is a decent 4.6-liter V-8 that boasts 310 horsepower, but it is a bit of an aging engine and fuel economy certainly isn’t a strong point. However, the Tundra can tow between 8,800 and 10,200 pounds, it can haul up to 2,080 pounds, and the stories about how reliable this truck is and how long it lasts really are the stuff of urban legend.
10. Toyota Tacoma
- Type: Midsize pickup truck
- Production: 1995-Present
- New: $25,850
- Depreciation: $5,644
- Insurance: $1,319
- Fuel: $1,804
- 200k 2.6%
That didn’t take long, did it? The next model on our list at position number 10 is the second Toyota and our second pickup truck. This time it’s the midsize Tacoma, but much of what I said about the full-size Tundra still applies here in terms of low depreciation and stellar reliability.
As this is a midsize offering the standard engine is a 2.7-liter inline-four that develops just 159 horsepower. The majority of models you’ll come across on used car lots will have been upgraded to the 278 horsepower 3.5-liter V-6, but it still means the Tacoma is a bit of lightweight in the current pickup market.
Even so, if you can be happy with a maximum towing capacity of 6,800 pounds and a maximum payload of 1,175 pounds, the Tacoma is a pickup truck that holds its value and will probably keep going longer than you.
9. GMC Yukon
- Type: Full-size SUV
- Production: 1991-Present
- New: $49,600
- Depreciation: $25,319
- Insurance: $1,417
- Fuel: $2,105
- 200k 2.8%
The GMC Yukon is another full-size, truck-based SUV to make it onto our list, and most of you will probably know that the Yukon is effectively the GMC version of the Chevrolet Tahoe. It’s supposed to be a little more upscale than its Chevy close relative, but it’s a disputable point and the price difference is less than a couple of thousand dollars.
But while the Tahoe has a long-wheelbase version that goes by a separate name with the Suburban, the long-wheelbase version of the GMC Yukon is the imaginatively named Yukon XL.
The Yukon is a good choice if you want truck-like capability in an SUV package, especially if the idea of being able to accommodate up to 8 people and plenty of cargo is something you need. In terms of towing, the GMC Yukon can handle up to a maximum of 8,500 pounds, and there are two V-8 engine options of 5.3 and 6.2-liter displacements with 355 and 420 horsepower, respectively.
8. Honda Ridgeline
- Type: Midsize pickup truck
- Production: 2004-2015 and 2016-Present
- New: $29,990
- Depreciation: $?
- Insurance: $?
- Fuel: $?
- 200k 3.0%
As this current production run of the Honda Ridgeline doesn’t yet stretch back five years, there isn’t the data to present a five-year picture for insurance and depreciation. It’s probably fair to assume the Ridgeline will hold its value pretty well, it will probably cost around the same to insure as a Toyota Tacoma, and fuel won’t be too much of an issue thanks to EPA ratings of 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg combined in two-wheel drive format.
All versions get the same 3.5-liter V-6 engine that develops 280 horsepower and comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The payload is about the same as the competition at a maximum of 1,569 pounds, but the 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity is a little below-par, even for a midsize.
7. Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Type: Midsize hybrid crossover SUV
- Production: 2005-Present
- New: $37,320
- Depreciation: $?
- Insurance: $?
- Fuel: $?
- 200k 3.1%
The Highlander is the only hybrid to make it onto our list, so it’s hard to work out what that actually means. Is the Highlander a particularly reliable and durable hybrid, or is it just that a lot of people who buy hybrids at the moment don’t tend to drive them all that much? If the latter is the case, it would probably suggest most people buying hybrids are buying them for reasons other than purely their low fuel consumption.
Once again, we don’t have enough data to give a complete picture of the true running costs of the Highlander Hybrid, but it’s going to be pretty frugal. The Highlander Hybrid seats up to eight people in relative comfort, but its hybrid drivetrain still manages to deliver EPA fuel economy ratings as good as 29 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined. Not bad at all for such a sizeable and heavy vehicle.
6. Chevrolet Tahoe
- Type: Full-size SUV
- Production: 1995-Present
- New: $48,000
- Depreciation: $22,839
- Insurance: $1,360
- Fuel: $2,105
- 200k 3.8%
The Tahoe is Chevy’s take on the GMC Yukon, and from what we see here it’s hard to argue against the Chevy being the better buy. It’s a little cheaper than the Yukon, it’s cheaper to insure, and it doesn’t depreciate as badly as the Yukon. More Tahoes make it to the magical 200k-mile mark as well, so it’s hard to make much of a case for the GMC unless you really do prefer a little extra bling.
Even in its base form, the Tahoe can accommodate up to nine people, so it could even give most minivans a run for their money when it comes to family-friendly mobility. This is a tried, tested and proven model, but there’s an all-new Tahoe on the horizon very shortly. The good news is that if you hang on for a runout model you could get a great deal on a very impressive full-size, truck-based SUV.
5. Toyota 4Runner
- Type: Midsize SUV
- Production: 1983-Present
- New: $35,310
- Depreciation: $9,594
- Insurance: $1,360
- Fuel: $2,105
- 200k 3.9%
Speaking of tried-and-tested, and definitely old-school, number 5 on our list is the less-than-evergreen Toyota 4Runner. It baffles in a time with so many SUVs, trucks, and crossovers in the market that Toyota continues to build the 4Runner and that people continue to buy it.
There’s nothing new, interesting, or exciting about it, and there are plenty of vehicles around that can do everything the 4Runner can do, and often do it better.
Dependability and reliability are obviously its key virtues, because why else would anyone today spend at least $35k on a truck-based SUV that’s not very spacious inside and still uses an archaic five-speed automatic transmission?
It’s not as if the Toyota is particularly powerful either, as the 4.0-liter V-8 it comes with only puts out 270 horsepower and 278 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s a ponderous, lumbering beast that’s well past its sell-by date, and it’s not even nice to look at. Still, some people appear to like it, so good for them.
4. GMC Yukon XL
- Type: Full-size, long-wheelbase SUV
- Production: 1991-Present
- New: $52,400
- Depreciation: $28,744
- Insurance: $1,479
- Fuel: $2,105
- 200k 4.0%
The GMC Yukon XL is GMC’s version of the Chevrolet Suburban, although the styling of the Yukon XL is a little curvier than the Suburban and gives it a look that’s more elegant and upscale. Even so, it’s hard to justify the extra cost of going for the Yukon XL over the Suburban, especially when the Suburban appears higher on our list.
Most versions come equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8 that puts 355 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque at the GMC’s disposal. There is a more appropriate 6.2-liter V-8 available that ups the power ante to 420 hp and 460 lb.-ft., but it does require shelling out serious money for the Denali or by paying extra on top of the SLT Graphite Performance Edition package.
3. Ford Expedition
- Type: Full-size SUV
- Production: 1996-Present
- New: $52,130
- Depreciation: $25,035
- Insurance: $1,455
- Fuel: $1,896
- 200k 5.0%
The Ford Expedition represents a pretty hefty investment for a Ford, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that a decent number of them have been driven to and beyond the 200k-mile mark. The fourth generation of the Expedition arrived for the 2018 model year, and it has to be the best vehicle of its type in its segment.
It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a full-size SUV for towing, third-row comfort, styling or reliability, you’re going to have to go some to beat the mighty Ford. It’s not exactly pretty, and it’s a seriously big unit, but it’s hard to come up with something the Expedition isn’t good at, apart from fuel economy and squeezing into tight parking spaces.
All versions get Ford’s sensational 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo engine that produces 375 hp and 470 lb.-ft. in most cases, but ramps things up to 400 hp and 480 lb.-ft. in the Platinum trim level.
2. Chevrolet Suburban
- Type: Full-size SUV
- Production: 1935-Present
- New: $50,800
- Depreciation: $29,929
- Insurance: $1,447
- Fuel: $2,105
- 200k 5.0%
It’s built like a tank, it’s as big as a supertanker with a turning circle to match, but everyone seems to love the Chevrolet Suburban. It’s a particular favorite of government agencies like the CIA, NSA, and FBI, but only in black. At least it appears to be if you ever watch TV or movies where the government agents drive black Suburbans and the bad guys drive black Escalades.
Four-wheel drive versions are not a particularly good idea if you’re planning on exploring mountain trails, but there’s not much else this mighty hauler can’t handle. It can tow up to 8,300 pounds, seat up to eight people, and the 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V-8 engine gets the Suburban down the road surprisingly swiftly.
It’s not a luxury SUV, but it can do a pretty decent impression of one if you’re prepared to go for a higher trim level. What is there not to love about this magnificent SUV that even has the honor of being the longest continuous use automobile nameplate still in production?
1. Toyota Sequoia
- Type: Full-size SUV
- Production: 2000-Present
- New: $49,050
- Depreciation: $21,518
- Insurance: $1,544
- Fuel: $2,527
- 200k 7.4%
It probably hasn’t come as a surprise that the number one vehicle on this auspicious list is yet another Toyota, but be honest, were you really expecting it to be the Sequoia? Then again, as the Tundra pickup has already featured on the list and the Sequoia is based on the Tundra, it probably stands to reason that this enormous SUV has made it too.
Even so, that 7.4% of them making it to 200k miles and beyond is almost 50 percent higher than its closest rival, which really is a ringing endorsement for this huge Toyota.
Although the Sequoia is number one on our list of cars that last the longest, it would still be a tough ask to recommend it over some of the other vehicles we’ve already covered here. Its depreciation isn’t bad, but it’s nowhere near as impressive as the Tundra, and this is a model that quite obviously survives on its manufacturer’s reputation for reliability and durability over anything else.
How long Toyota can keep producing aging leviathans like this and the 4Runner is anyone’s guess, but the ones it does produce in the coming years will probably survive long after most of us have long departed. Toyota, however, is always a safe bet when you’re looking for the most reliable vehicles around.