Toyota Dominates Longevity Study as One Model Refuses to Die
Americans are holding onto their cars longer than ever before.
The average age of vehicles on the road has jumped to 13.6 years as families look for ways to stretch their dollars.
And a new study reveals one Toyota that just won’t quit running – giving owners the best chance of reaching the quarter-million mile mark.
Toyota Sequoia leads the pack with nearly 40% survival rate
The folks at iSeeCars crunched the numbers on over 174 million vehicles to figure out which cars are most likely to hit 250,000 miles and keep going.¹
The winner wasn’t even close.
Toyota’s full-size Sequoia SUV topped the list with a stunning 39.1% chance of lasting at least 250,000 miles.
That’s more than eight times better than the average vehicle, according to Karl Brauer from iSeeCars.
"The top-ranked Toyota Sequoia is truly impressive," Brauer said. "With a 39.1% predicted chance to reach 250,000 miles, the Sequoia is more than eight times as likely to hit that milestone as the average vehicle."²
The Sequoia’s success makes perfect sense when you think about it.
These big SUVs are built for families who need reliable transportation that can haul kids, gear, and tow boats or trailers for years on end.
Toyota designed the Sequoia to handle whatever American families could throw at it – and the durability numbers prove they succeeded.
Japanese automakers sweep the top spots
Toyota didn’t just win the top spot.
They completely dominated the entire list.
The Japanese automaker claimed the first four positions and 14 of the top 15 spots overall.³
Here’s how the top 10 shook out:
- Toyota Sequoia – 39.1%
- Toyota 4Runner – 32.9%
- Toyota Highlander Hybrid – 31%
- Toyota Tundra – 30%
- Lexus IS – 27.5%
- Toyota Tacoma – 25.3%
- Toyota Avalon – 18.9%
- Lexus GX – 18.3%
- Lexus RX Hybrid – 17%
- Honda Ridgeline – 14.7%
Notice a pattern there?
Toyota and its luxury division Lexus absolutely crushed the competition, with Honda’s Ridgeline sneaking into the tenth spot as the only non-Toyota product in the top 10.
The 4Runner’s second-place showing shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s spent time around these trucks.
These boxy, old-school SUVs have legendary reputations for running forever – and the data backs up what Toyota owners have known for decades.
Bigger vehicles built to last longer
The study revealed something interesting about which types of vehicles tend to go the distance.
Big SUVs and pickup trucks dominated the rankings, which makes sense since these vehicles prioritize ruggedness and capability over performance luxury.
You buy a Sequoia or 4Runner because you need something that won’t leave you stranded.
Nobody’s shopping for heated massage seats when they’re hauling a boat to the lake every weekend or driving three kids to soccer practice in different towns.
Only a handful of cars made it into the top 25, including the Lexus IS sedan, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, and Acura ILX.
But even those cars come from Japanese manufacturers known for building vehicles that refuse to quit.
Hybrids prove their staying power
For the first time, the study separated hybrid vehicles into their own category – and the results were impressive.
Seven hybrid models had enough data to be ranked, and five of them were Toyotas with two from Lexus.
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid led the hybrid category, followed by the Lexus RX Hybrid.
Toyota’s hybrid technology has proven itself reliable enough to keep these family haulers running well past the quarter-million mile mark.
What this means for your wallet
Car Edge research shows families can pocket between $8,000 and $15,000 by keeping the same vehicle for a decade instead of trading up after five years.⁴
That’s based on initially buying a $35,000 vehicle – and the savings come from lower insurance costs and avoiding new financing charges.
For families watching every dollar, choosing a vehicle that’s likely to hit 250,000 miles could mean the difference between years of reliable transportation and expensive repair bills or early replacement costs.
The Toyota reputation for reliability isn’t just marketing hype anymore – it’s backed up by hard data from millions of real-world vehicles.
Look, here’s the bottom line for anyone shopping for a vehicle they plan to keep for the long haul.
Japanese automakers – and Toyota in particular – have figured out how to build cars and trucks that just keep running.
The Sequoia’s nearly 40% chance of hitting 250,000 miles isn’t an accident.
It’s the result of decades of engineering focused on durability over flashy features that break down after a few years.
For families who do their maintenance and take care of their vehicles, buying Japanese could mean years of reliable service and thousands of dollars in savings.
The numbers don’t lie – if you want a vehicle that refuses to die, Toyota should be at the top of your shopping list.
¹ Karl Furlong, "The Toyota That Refuses to Die — Meet the Industry’s Longevity King," Autoblog, October 10, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
