Longest-held vehicles: Japanese models dominate top 10

Karl Brauer describes Toyota Prius owners as eco-minded consumers who want to hold on to their vehicles as long as they can.

Owners of Priuses who have kept their vehicles on the road for at least 15 years are early adopters of hybrid vehicle technology, said Brauer, who is executive analyst for iSeeCars.com.

“Priuses also attract practical drivers thanks to their fuel economy and their low ownership costs, and prolonged ownership of the vehicle helps drivers maximize their fuel savings,” Brauer said in a news release.

Brauer’s comments were part of a new iSeeCars study on which vehicles owners keep the longest. Led by the Prius in the top spot, Toyota made up the top five vehicles on the list. Honda, with the CR-V and Pilot, placed sixth and seventh on the list, with the Subaru Forester coming in eighth.

The top 10 longest-kept cars are exclusively Japanese models.

“Japanese vehicles, especially Toyota and Honda, are known for their reliability and durability and attract practical consumers who want vehicles that can be kept on the road as long as possible,” Brauer said.

With the Toyota 4Runner and the Toyota Sequoia rounding out the last two spots on the top 10, that meant that seven Toyota vehicles placed in the list of the top 10 longest-held vehicles.

Prius owners keep their vehicles the longest, with original owners keeping 13.7% of cars that are 15 years or older. For all vehicles, the average is 6.1%.

On that top 10 list, the longest-kept vehicles includes six SUVs, two trucks, a hatchback, and a minivan.

For the study, iSeeCars.com analyzed more than 660,000 used cars from model years 1981 to 2005 sold in 2020.

Regarding the second-ranked Highlander midsize SUV, Brauer said is it among the most spacious three-row crossovers. Because of that, it is popular as a practical family vehicle.

“The midsize 4Runner and the full-size Sequoia are truck-based SUVs that are known for their durability,” Brauer said of the No. 9 and No. 10 vehicles on the list.

The two Toyota pickups on the list, the Tacoma and Tundra, are among Toyota trucks known for being indestructible, Brauer said, adding that because owners use those trucks as haulers, they replace the vehicles less often.

Regarding the Toyota Sienna, the only minivan to make the list, Brauer said the minivans’ accessibility and convenience features are ideal for families with young children. But iSeeCars data shows that the Sienna owners hold onto the vehicle even after these features become unnecessary.

Commenting on the two Honda SUVs to make the list, Brauer said the Honda CR-V is among the most spacious vehicles in its class and described the Pilot as being a rival to a minivan regarding appearance and cargo room.

“These vehicles also have stellar safety and reliability ratings, which make them popular and practical choices for family vehicles,” Brauer said.

Subaru made the list with the Forester, and Brauer said that vehicle is known for reliability, safety and affordability.”

Brauer said of the Forester, “The vehicle offers standard all-wheel drive and impressive fuel economy, which furthers its appeal to practical consumers.”

Breaking the study out by vehicle segment, the Toyota Highlander is the SUV owners keep the longest, the Tacoma is the longest-kept light-duty pickup truck, and the Mazda MX-5 Miata is the longest-kept sports car. For the Miata, original owners kept 7.6% of them for 15-plus years.

The top five car brands that people keep the longest are Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Acura and Mazda.  

The study went on to show the top cities where original owners keep their cars the longest. San Francisco is the top area with 11.7% of original owners keeping their cars for at least 15 years.

“The areas that tend to keep vehicles the longest tend to be areas with a high cost of living in temperate climates or tend to have populations that are eco-minded,” Brauer said.

But overall, people in the market for a new or used car should consider the vehicles on the iSeeCars list of longest-held vehicles.

Brauer said, “Even if you aren’t the type of consumer who plans on owning a car for at least 15 years, purchasing a vehicle that earns high loyalty with its owners is a smart purchase decision.”

Top 10 vehicles owners keep for 15 years or longer