Cars are one of the most significant purchases we make in our lifetime. Instead of buying or leasing the latest and greatest models, keeping your car for a long period of time can help you achieve financial freedom more quickly. After a few years, many long-time car owners start to look forward to showing off their miles by joining the 250,000-mile club.
A report from car research site iSeeCars.com shows which makes and models are most likely to last 250,000 miles. To come up with its list, the site analyzed more than 260 million cars sold between 2012 and 2022 to indicate which of them can rack up the high mileage.
Here are some key findings from the report:
- Toyota dominates with eight of the top 23 vehicles, including the #2-ranked Land Cruiser, #3-ranked Tundra followed by Sequoia in the fourth spot.
- The #1 ranked vehicle, the Ford F-350 Super Duty, has an astounding 49% chance of reaching 250,000+ miles in its lifespan.
- The majority of long-lasting vehicles on the list are SUVs and trucks. The only sedans that make the cut are the Honda Accord, Toyota Avalon and Toyota Camry.
Driving a vehicle with big numbers on the dashboard isn’t quite the accomplishment it used to be. Nowadays, it’s common for cars to run well despite having accumulated six digits on the odometer. “Vehicles running a quarter-million miles, which is not at all unusual, that’s normal now,” says money expert Clark Howard.
Top 10 Vehicles Most Likely To Last 250,000 Miles or More
| Vehicles | % Chance of Lasting 250,000 Miles |
|---|---|
| Ford F-350 Super Duty | 49.1% |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | 47.9% |
| Toyota Tundra | 47.9% |
| Toyota Sequoia | 47.1% |
| Ford F-250 Super Duty | 43.6% |
| Honda Pilot | 42.7% |
| Toyota Tacoma | 41.7% |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD | 41.3% |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD | 41.2% |
| Toyota 4Runner | 41.0% |
Read the full report from iSeeCars.com.
How To Make Your Car Last Longer
If you want your car to last past 250,000 miles (or get close to it), there are some things you can do to take care of your vehicle. Here are a few:
Change Your Oil Regularly
We all may have heard that we should change our vehicle’s oil every 3,000 miles. That’s not necessarily the case anymore.
AAA says: “With modern lubricants, most engines today have recommended oil change intervals of 5,000 to 7,500 miles.”
For specifics pertaining to how frequently you need to change your particular vehicle’s oil, refer to your owner’s manual.
Take Care of the Little Problems
It may be easy to brush off an odd engine sound here or there, but you don’t want to continue to ignore little issues with your vehicle. The longer you delay small fixes, the more likely you’ll soon need a big (and more expensive) fix.
How can you take care of the little problems? Bring your vehicle to your local mechanic. Tell them what’s going on with your car and get a written estimate on the repairs.
“Have a relationship with a mechanic you go to for the low-voltage things, by that I mean regular maintenance on your vehicle,” Clark says.
Have you ever had a car last longer than 250,000 miles? Share your experience in our free Clark.com Community!
Best Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses for 2023 - Team Clark spent hours reviewing the market for credit card sign-up bonuses and evaluated them according to the guidelines for usage set by money expert Clark Howard. Clark believes credit cards with exorbitant annual fees are a bad idea for most… 
Best Cell Phone Plans in 2023: The Cheapest Plan for Every Need - Team Clark ranks the best cell phone plans and deals! See our favorites for unlimited data, families and cheap plans starting at $10/month. 
