10 cars with 250,000-mile lifespans
When purchasing a car, most shoppers look for vehicles that are affordable and durable. As the quality of cars improves and prices soar, Americans are holding on to their vehicles for longer. In fact, the average age of vehicles on U.S. roadways rose to 12.2 years in 2022. This trend became prominent during the pandemic, partly due to the skyrocketing prices for new cars, which made used cars a more attractive option.
The main factors to consider when buying a vehicle—old or new—are longevity, maintenance costs, and fuel economy. Aesthetics and comfort may count for something, too, since many of us want a ride that looks and feels good.
While used-car sellers are making huge profits, even from vehicles with tattered parts, there’s no sign of prices declining anytime soon. As more car owners fix their aging cars rather than invest in an expensive new vehicle, car repair and maintenance shops are also poised to benefit from the rising longevity of vehicles.
CoPilot analyzed data from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey to find which types of cars have been reaching 250,000 miles or more. The survey tracks U.S. travel and car ownership trends including the make, model, and mileage. This list includes models with the highest rates of respondents reporting odometer readings over 250,000 miles.
Data used in this analysis was from 2017, the latest available. This list does not account for changes in popularity or availability over time and was limited to vehicles that appeared at least 1,000 times in the survey.
Pickup trucks are generally used for work purposes so they typically accrue more mileage than other cars. Chevrolet models appeared the most frequently on the list, followed by Ford and Toyota. Read on to learn about other vehicles with long life spans.
