Today we’ve got a list of the 20 most enduring vehicles on the road, a big move from BYD, a bad update from Renault-Nissan, and reasonable news about the chip shortage.
Welcome to The Morning Dump, bite-sized stories corralled into a single article for your morning perusal. If your morning coffee’s working a little too well, pull up a throne and have a gander at the best of the rest of yesterday.
The Toyota Sequoia Is Reportedly The King of Lifespan
The prevailing wisdom around The Autopian is that the most reliable car is the one built with cheap, easy-to-source parts that you can work on yourself. Still, not everyone wants to spend every waking minute wrestling bolts under a Chevy Tracker. A new study from iSeeCars, the used car/VIN check site, shows what analysts at the site think are the most durable cars sold within the last 20 years.
Up top is the Toyota Sequoia at 296,509 miles of “potential lifespan,” followed closely behind by the Toyota Land Cruiser and Chevy Suburban. What’s conspicuous on this list are the numerous Toyotas, though there are a decent number of GM and Honda products on here. There are two Fords (Expedition and F-150) and one Nissan (Titan).
A lot of these “studies” from car websites are questionable, but well-known analyst Karl Brauer put this one together and the methodology seems sound. Here’s how iSeeCars made the determination:
iSeeCars analyzed over two million cars produced and sold for at least 10 of the past 20 model years, ranking each model by its highest mileage-achieving cars. All 20 models had at least 2.5 percent of the top-ranking 20 models clear 200,000 miles, and the top 1 percent of these vehicles delivered between 230,000 and 297,000 miles over the last two decades. For example, 1% of Toyota Sequoias on the road have at least 296,509 miles on the odometer.
I’m curious what the corpus is, but with all the data that iSeeCars has at its fingertips this isn’t a difficult study for them to produce, and the concept of “lifespan” being determined by having at least 1% of these higher mileage cars on the road is interesting.
“What we see is a list of highly-durable vehicles, capable of more than a quarter-million miles of use if properly maintained,” said Brauer. “And to be clear, this study isn’t reporting the maximum lifespan of these vehicles. This is simply a measure of current odometer readings. Most of these cars are still in use and going strong.”
That’s right, if you’re at 252,360 miles on your GMC Yukon XL, keep on truckin’ baby.
Big trucks and SUVs make sense, both because they’re engineered to be durable and because their value as second- and third-hand work or adventure vehicles (hello Landcruiser) makes it profitable keep these on the road. It’s possible that you can keep a Honda Fit on the road for this long, but the residual value likely drops to the point where there’s less economic incentive to keep those on the road.
The Sequoia is mostly a Tundra underneath, so the durability makes sense, but they don’t seem to be as popular as the LC as an off-road rig. It’s worth noting that the analysis excluded heavy duty vehicles, which are designed for higher mileage.
[Editor’s Note: It seems that, based on how this data set was produced (basically, iSeeCars figured out which cars had the highest percentage of registered vehicles above a certain odometer reading), we can’t really conclude that these cars are the best built (though there’s likely some truth to it), since there are many factors that might lead a vehicle to keep going longer than other vehicles. The way a vehicle is driven and the way it’s maintained play big roles; an expensive car may get better treatment than a cheap one. A work-vehicle (like Matt mentioned) may stay on the road longer since its ability to perform its intended function doesn’t diminish as much as, say, a minivan (which after 10 years isn’t as safe or efficient as its competitors — and these are super important traits to shoppers in this segment).
I myself have owned a 265,000 mile Toyota Land Cruiser and a 265,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The former was still worth a lot, since these vehicles are known to last this long with few issues. A 265,000 mile Jeep, though, is worth very little, as people are suspicious that it won’t last much longer. Is it because the 4.7-liter V8 in the Toyota is better than the Jeep’s 4.0? No. I think serviceability plays a big role (the Toyota is a little easier to fix and maintain, in my experience), and so does initial value. The Land Cruiser is an expensive machine, so it tends to be treated better. Jeeps get beaten on.
Unrelated: I welcome you enginerds discussing the technical definition of “durability” in the comments. -DT]
Renault And Nissan Still Haven’t Figured It Out
Last week I mentioned that those lovable scamps at Nissan and Renault were trying to repair their troubled alliance and even had a planned announcement to explain how they were going to fix it all.
We’ve got an update from Automotive News Europe this morning on how that’s going:
Oh well.
BYD Is Coming To Japan Next Year
If I haven’t already made it abundantly clear: I think BYD is the most interesting carmaker to watch over the next five years. The Shenzen-based carmaker is, first and foremost, a battery maker (the company rose to prominence making the batteries that might have powered one of your cellphones). BYD has managed to keep costs in China lower than the competition while also building cars capable of getting five stars in crash test ratings from EuroNCAP.
The company has been running a pilot sales program in Norway and they’re going to be for sale across the continent over the next few months.
Now we have a new story from Reuters that says BYD is going to enter the Japanese market in early 2023.
The Shenzhen-based auto and battery producer, which includes Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway as an investor, held a brand conference in Tokyo and announced plans to start selling a small all-electric battery car called the ATTO 3 at the start of next year, followed by two additional EV models later in 2023.
Japan’s market has not, historically, been a great place for foreign automakers to sell cars. It’ll be interesting to see how BYD manages.
No North American Car Plants Are Cutting Production Due To Microchips
Here’s a little bit of sunshine on your Monday morning from Automotive News, which is reporting that automakers are not cutting any vehicle production at North American plants this week because of chip shortages.
That doesn’t mean there are no cuts anywhere, however:
While more modest than many other production schedule modifications this year, the latest cuts bring the global industry to a loss of nearly 4.2 million cars and trucks in 2022 to date, according to AutoForecast Solutions.
That’s a lot of cars, but the story goes on to note that the original forecast of vehicles delayed this year dropped by more than 90,000 vehicles. Does this mean we’ve reached the bottom? I’m cautiously optimistic, even with disruptions from COVID and the global economy, as well as war in Europe.
The Flush
What’s the highest mileage vehicle you’ve ever had? How many miles do you have on your daily?
Photos: BYD, Toyota, Ford, iSeeCars, Renault
My highest mileage vehicle was a ’95 4wd 4cylinder Tacoma with a 5 speed manual. I bought it with 225000 and drove it/lived in it for 5 years. When I sold it there were about 340,000miles on it, but the odometer stopped working at 227,000 so that’s a best guess +/- 10k. I drove it cross country half a dozen times and regularly roadtripped it around the mountain west. In my 5 years of ownership it only ever needed tires, oil, a distributor, and a battery (and maybe minor brake work? I don’t really remember). In the end, compression was getting low so it was having trouble starting in cold weather. I was planning on putting a new 4cylinder in it when it died unexpectedly a few days before I needed to move several states away so I didn’t have time to sort it out with a new engine and reluctantly sold it.
2012 Toyota Tundra – 183,000 and counting…knocks on wood. My daily up until a few months ago. basic maintenance items performed by your truly, lots of gas and tires otherwise zero issues.
My highest mileage is my 97 F150, currently sitting in my barn with a dead heater core and about 30 lbs of bird crap on it, over 320,000 miles.
Right now I daily an 01 lx470 “lexus land cruiser” with 447k miles on it. Yes, I did some maintenance on it when I bought it and I would drive it anywhere. My wife has a 2012 sequoia with 190k miles on it and and I just $1500 on a new set of 70k mile michelins because I know the car will outlast the tires.
The highest mileage vehicle I ever had was my first RX-7, a 1991 non-turbo model. It was up to 230k miles in December of 2004 when it was stolen. I often wonder how long I would have kept that thing going had it not been stolen. It was recovered a few weeks later, but the thieves had stripped the engine and some other goodies, then lit it on fire in a field.
Bought an 82 Subaru GLF for $200 in 92 with 220+ on it from a drunken car-painter(seriously: the trunk was stuffed FULL of flattened Busch Light suitcases). Junked it at just over 260k miles due to rust after a brake pad fell out of its holder when I let off the brake one afternoon.
Now I’m rolling the dice with 184k on a stock early Bugeye WRX. Not too concerned: I’ve had way more than $3k of fun in it, so I’d grumble, then install a hybrid 2.5 to gain a few torques.
Highest mileage vehicle I’ve owned was a 2001 sequoia with 395,000 miles on it. The frame gave out so my current daily is a relative spring chicken 2006 Sequoia with 231,000 miles. I really don’t like Toyotas that much either, aside from the big trees.
Highest mileage I’ve ever had on a car is 221k, which happens to be my daily, my newest vehicle, and one of the vehicles on the list. 2004 Yukon Denali.
Comparing a Toyota V8 reliability to anything built by Jeep is like comparing a Japanese samurai to a greenbelt middle schooler at your local strip mall dojo. We love you, David, but your commitment to Jeeps is nothing short of delusional.
According to ASQ, reliability is defined as “the probability that a product, system, or service will perform its intended function adequately for a specified period of time, or will operate in a defined environment without failure”. Serviceability has nothing to do with it. Nighty-nine out of one hundred people in the world just want to get in their cars and drive them.
1999 Jeep TJ has 265,000 miles. It was my daily for 6 years until a lift kit made it more adventurous for highway use than my liking.
Longest running vehicle in our family is a 2001 Volvo V70 T5, currently with 278k miles. Twenty two plus years in the rust belt, survived 2 teen boys’ high school driving, many family vacations, etc.
Original engine, head and, most proudly, clutch. It has been tended steadily – never more than 3k miles between oil changes, for example – and many many bits have been replaced as needed. My younger son has it now, and a few rust spots are showing again. But the engine keeps ticking over (knock wood).
When considering whether to repair a vehicle, I never consider cost versus resale value. I consider its value to our family. The cost to replace a functional car with a new one, even new-to-me, is almost always greater than the repair cost.
An encouraging read, as a Prius owner.
This 2012 Prius v is only my second car. Got it used at 116k and now at 137k.
My old conversion van (’97 Econoline-150) had about 160k when I sold it, but that had been mechanically cursed since we got it at 97k. Like something supernatural from one of the “Would you rather” articles. I still have an Excel sheet of all the repairs we’d gotten done.
The ordinary passenger ’99 Econoline-150 my family had before that made it all the way to 240k before my brothers took it to the scrapyard. Apparently it was running rough and needed new “coil-on plugs” or something pretty involved to get to with the engine? Given its age, it wasn’t an unexpected thing, but it was enough to decide it had had a good run, considering we’d had it from new.
That feels like a factor that gets left out of these. The Prius goes 150-200K on oil changes and tire replacements. Other stuff may last 200K miles, but with regular repairs of stuff actually failing.
I have a 2006 Silverado with 267,000 miles on the odometer. it was a hand me down from a grandparent that passed and required a bunch of missed maintenance, but the old girl is still smoothly floating down the road when needed.
accord 4cyl auto. 239k and used every day
My top 5, as far as I recall:
1991 Nissan Pathfinder: 364,000
1995 Toyota Corolla: 261,000 and counting
1991 Mazda Miata: 235,000
1989 Chevy K1500: 207,000 and counting
1989 Cadillac Coupe DeVille: 196,000
Highest ever was a ’92 Corolla that we gave to a friend at 180k miles. She added 30k, then sold it because she needed something bigger. I am sure it is still going.
Currently 78k on a ’12 Toyota Highlander and 60k on a ’15 Nissan Leaf (with a remaining range of 83 miles, 24 kWh battery, 85% SOH).
Curious what high-mileage early EVs might be out there?
Not my truck, but a friend had a 89 (IIRC) Chevy 1500 go an estimated 850 000km. Estimated because the odometer broke around 750 000. Only major repair was a transmission overhaul at 600 000 for a dead 2nd gear.
It also looked really good at its demise.
The Wife bought a 2006 Pilot with 123K on it. Traded it in 3 years ago after putting another 100K on it. It still ran perfectly fine. The timing belt lasted 175k, at least the mechanic was pretty certain it was the original belt and water pump.
Highest mileage (and most miles put on 1 car): ’07 Honda Fit bought new and sold in ’19 w/ ~175k miles.
Also racked upto ~170k on my 5th gen Civic (started at 68k), but it was getting to be clapped out (broken A/C, broken moon roof, broken mirror).
Highest mileage vehicle I’ve owned was an Xj Cherokee, I bought it for $800 at 220K miles and sold it for $450 around 258K miles. Functionally the thing was still really good, structurally, it was rusting out from under itself, and the death wobble was a problem at anything above 30 MPH. Sold it to a local Jeeper that was going to turn it into a trail rig.
Current mileage title of my drivers is 172K on a 2003 Honda Civic LX currently sleeping in the garage for the winter.
By far the highest-mileage vehicles we had was our ’98 Cavalier. My now-wife bought it in 2012 at 214k miles for $800 and by the time it fought a fire hydrant and sustained mortal wounds it had 258k miles and would have kept on going just fine had that not happened.
And since I can’t edit…
My daily that replaced it in 2017, a ’17 Volt, has somewhere around 35.5k miles. My wife’s ’14 Cruze Diesel (which she bought new, after which I took over driving the Cavalier as a DD) is now at about 132k miles.
Hopefully the BECM on that Volt lasts until they can get it back in stock. Mine just spent 6 months waiting for one, and that year and mileage means it’s about due.
Really soured me on GM, even though the Volt is a way better car than it should be otherwise.
Highest Km ? I owned the highest mileage 2008 Ford Escape in 2008 (According to my dealer) Nov 2008 it had 197,000 KM (123,000 Miles) on it. My 2004 Forester XT had over 400,000 Km (250,000 Miles) on it (3 Turbos, 2 Engines and a Transmission)
Dailies: approx 104 and 51.
Highest mileage as 155, until it was not cost effective to fix. That is my general rule, pay em off, keep up on repairs, and when it is a new car payment a month to fix, trade.
Right now my highest mileage vehicle is my 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid at 177,000 miles. We bought it this past May at 169,000 miles at it still has plenty of life left in it. Despite the high mileage, I bought it because all of the maintenance milestones were done and recorded by the previous owner.
I’m happy to see that my beloved Pearl is at number 10 on this list.
We also have a 1993 Camry with 180,000 miles that’s been in the family since 1999. We’re saving it for my son’s first car in a few years. Not to mention my grandfather’s 1970 F100 truck that has an unknown number of miles and is on its second engine (upgraded from a 240 i6 to a 300 many years ago.)
Our lowest mileage car is my wife’s 2004 Highlander at 137,000 miles.
Considering that the large trucks/SUVs on the list are mostly used for what could be done in a small hatchback, it would be pathetic if they didn’t last a really long time. Take a 6000 lb, body on frame vehicle with a low tech V8 that is designed to tow/haul high loads, and use it 90% of the time to commute and to cart a few people around, and it should last hundreds of thousands of miles given the extremely low use factor compared to what it is designed to handle.
On the other topic, my highest mileage vehicle was an 06 Audi A3 that I bought at 19k miles, and expected it to start falling apart once it got over 100k. Despite it seeing everything from more off road use than most Jeeps, to hauling rock and lumber, and regularly seeing the rev limiter, it was still going strong when I sold it at almost 190k miles. The wife also had an 06 325i wagon that had over 220k miles when sold, that was similarly abused and still going. Based on our experiences with these supposedly fragile German vehicles, I’m kind of surprised that the 1% mark for most vehicles isn’t over 200k miles.
“Considering that the large trucks/SUVs on the list are mostly used for what could be done in a small hatchback, it would be pathetic if they didn’t last a really long time.”
came here to say this.. all of the Suburbans etc around here are carrying one (1) 110-lb woman, maybe a couple of kids on the school run. The big pickups tend to be carrying 2-300lb men, even so that’s nowhere near payload 😉
my record was 300 000 on a 98 Sienna. But, I’ve never had a car that didn’t go over 200 000. 82 Econoline, 89 Geo Metro, 92 Subaru Legacy wagon, 98 Sienna. Currently working on getting my daily 2003 Ford Sport Trac there, it has 162 000 now and running well.
Admittedly both the Econoline and the Subaru needed rebuilt transmissions, still both were under $2k and a lot cheaper than another car, both went for many years after the rebuilds.
I currently own a K2500 suburban with 255,000mi on odometer. It has spent its life dragging car trailers, snowmobiles, boats, etc.
It is also currently collecting dust and bird poo awaiting its 3rd engine rebuild.
This was not meant as brag. It is a bit disappointing considering wife’s 2012 pilot is at 273,000mi and still going strong