11. Vehicles That Can Last Past 200,000 Miles

• Eric Schaal
• March 28, 2016

Source: Honda

Everyone wants a car with a reputation to last forever, or at least something close to it. To help in the fight, the folks at iSeeCars.com looked at 12 million cars, ranging from model years 1981 through 2016, to see how many had 200,000 miles or more on them at the time of resale in 2015. Using this system, they were able to determine which models had the most editions currently on the road.
The only thing we know about these models is the number on the odometer. We don’t know how much they cost to fuel, how many repairs were required, or how many times they got on their owners’ nerves. However, having the highest percentages of long-lasting models on the road tells us they were doing something right. Here are the 10>11 (one added by the MCF) cars with the most models that covered 200,000 miles or more.

Note: Wherever possible, we pulled a classic image from the archives to give you a look at the likeliest look of survivors on the road. Otherwise, pics from a recent model year were used. Per the iSeeCars study, minivans were classified as cars, and cars that sold fewer than 10,000 units in 2015 were excluded. Number 11 was overlooked and added because it has been proven to be worthy by many owner's on the Monte Carlo Forum (edit)


11. Chevrolet Monte Carlo
History of the Monte Carlo, Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe
Click above link


10. Nissan Quest

Source: Nissan

The Nissan Quest may not be a household name or be on the road in force, but whatever sold in America has had staying power. (Quest sales peaked at 46,430 in 2004 and plummeted below 10,000 in 2014.) At least we can be sure more than 10,000 models changed hands on the resale market in 2015, and 1.3% featured a number higher than 200,000 on the odometer. These vans last.
9. Chevrolet Impala

Source: Chevrolet

From its epic 1950s debut to the swinging ’60s coupes and the regrettable ’80s eyesores, the Chevy Impala has had quite a history. As unremarkable as the models of the past 35 years have been, they have been among those lasting longest among passenger cars, with 1.3% of those covering over 200,000 miles wearing the Impala badge. We’re guessing rental fleets here.
8. Subaru Legacy

Source: Subaru

Subaru customers are a loyal bunch, so we wonder how many hit 200,000-mile counts in the same ride. Whatever the number, 1.4% of the longest-lasting models changing hands last year were Legacys. This car peaked in popularity in the early 2000s, so were guessing the lion’s share of ones iSeeCars counted are about 10 years old.
7. Toyota Sienna

Source: Toyota

Last year, the Sienna minivan had its best sales year (137,497) since the segment’s heyday in the mid-2000s. There is a usefulness of these vehicles that appeals so strongly to multi-child families, and we expect a great deal of shuttling to soccer practices took place in the Siennas on America’s roads. Among those cars sporting at least 200,000 miles, Sienna made up 1.4% of the lot.
6. Honda Civic

Source: Honda

The Honda Civic is something of American icon, despite its badge and automaker home country. Now in its 10th generation, there is a remarkable number of these cars on the road sporting 200,000 miles or more — equal to 1.6% of those that changed hands last year. While we guess the majority are four-door models like the one pictured, many Civic coupes are undoubtedly on the road with them.
5. Toyota Camry

Source: Toyota

Camry has been America’s best-selling car for years, and it turns out these cars have staying power. Some 1.6% of all the cars reading 200,000 on the odometer that sold last year were Toyota’s midsize sedan. Even as talk of the sedan’s demise rattles around the auto industry, Camry keeps plugging away, barely falling off its pace of recent years.
4. Ford Taurus

Source: Ford

Talk about cars that have been around forever: The Ford Taurus made its historic debut in 1985 and was a powerhouse until the end of its fourth-generation run (2007). In the later part of that span, it became a favorite of police departments and rental car fleets, which is where many of these long-lasting models (1.8% of those with 200,000 miles) covered so much ground.
3. Honda Odyssey

Source: Honda

The iSeeCars research would seem to point to minivans’ enduring value for young families, and the Honda Odyssey is the most durable of the bunch that sold last year. Some 2.2% changing hands already covered 200,000 miles on their lives and were gearing up for more. Nothing changed since the last time the numbers were ran. Odyssey was in third place for 2014, too.
2. Honda Accord

Source: Honda

Honda’s three cars in the statistical top five can serve as shorthand for the brand’s popularity in America. Lasting forever has a way of winning over friends and neighbors of Honda owners, who never see them disappear from the driveways once they arrive. In 2015, 2.3% of the cars that sold with 200,000 miles or more on them were Accords.
1. Toyota Avalon

Source: Toyota

Like Honda, Toyota claimed three of the top 10 cars when it comes to 200,000-mile lifespans, and the full-size Avalon tops the list with 2.7% of the share. This model has a lot in common with the minivans on the list, specifically its size and role as a family mover. The Avalon is also a staple of rental fleets, but with the right amount of care, this car will easily be a mainstay in the family for a decade.

 

Honestly any car can hit 200k without major repairs if properly maintained. Getting to 300k is a whole nother story.

 

You see a lot of folks trade in their car or sell it when it hits 100k....they just don't want to spend the money to maintain it. cant blame some folks in a way it does get expensive but if you can do some or all of it even yourself you can save a boatload and have a car that will easily hit 200k. I had a 96 gmc with the 4.3l and I sold it with 256k miles on it. it ran like a clock. course I wouldn't have driven it across country but it never left me stranded.


down here in the south cars last a lot longer as they don't have to deal with the frigid cold and road salt. when I lived in Maine.....by the time your car hit 125k miles it was usually ready for the bone yard . I see cars from the early seventies still on the road all the time here in GA.

 

200K is not much of an accomplishment if you maintain the car, highway miles are a breeze, in town driving will kill a car. The following photo is a 1989 Olds Regency, I got it with about 53K on it and this thing was loaded it had a Bose system and a factory CD, AM/FM, Digital dash, it got 35 miles per gal. 3800 motor. I maintained it regularly and if it cost me less than 2K in maintenance fees tires were the most expensive cost. The computer went bad at 389,000 miles the garage said it wouldn't be smart to replace it. So I sold it to the Junk yard.

 

They had CD players in 89?

 

Yes sir I had a factory unit in this car. with a Bose system. When this thing gave up I found a Touring Sedan 98 olds and it had one also. I think I still have the owners manual and I will copy the section and post it. Here is a link I found all about the CD options. I also found a pic of what it looked like.


1989 Oldsmobile Automotive Electronics Brochure | Autos of Interest

 

i'm following the tahoe/suburban page on facebook (seeing as though i plan on getting one in the near future) and alot of those guys are in the 300k mark...some are even in the 400k, now that's one of the reasons why i want one because they seem to last forever

 

I should be hitting 200k on my 01 this year

 

I got 307k out of my old Suburban before I finally let it go. It still ran well (albeit the fuel mileage had fallen off from what I'd previously gotten), and I might have kept it longer had I been able to fix the heater and had it not leaked everything except rear gear oil and transmission fluid.

My 09 Nissan Titan has 222k on the clock now. Still gets 18 on the highway, which is better than the EPA estimate.