New cars that owners keep longest before selling them

Toyota Land Cruisers purchased new cruise longer for their owners before they are sold than any other vehicle.

Land Cruiser owners hang on to their vehicles 11.4 years on average, while other owners sell on average 8.4 years after their new-vehicle purchases, according to a study by iSeeCars.com, an automotive research website.

That means the Land Cruiser also leads the SUV list among the new cars that original owners keep the longest, based on the iSeeCars.com study.

Toyota Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser stands the test of time.

“The current generation of the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser dates back to 2008 and has only had a mild refresh in 2016,” said Phong Ly of iSeeCars.com. “Along with being a reliable and capable off-road SUV that lasts a long time, owners may opt to keep their older models because they don’t look dated.”

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Even more dramatic was the Land Cruiser’s superiority in 17 of the top 20 largest markets in the country, with original owners keeping their vehicles as much as 13 years on average in Seattle-Tacoma, WA, before selling them.

Two other truck-based Toyota SUVs making the top 10 are the 4Runner and Sequoia.

“Toyotas are known for their reliability and longevity, so owners may choose to keep them on the road because they are still running well and don’t require expensive repairs,” said Ly in a report on the iSeeCars.com study.

Otherwise, sports cars dominate the top 10, including the Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Audi TT, Ford Mustang and Porsche 911, “because sports cars aren’t typically used as primary vehicles, [and] owners likely aren’t as concerned with having the latest and greatest technology and safety features.”

10 longest-kept vehicles

Toyota Land Cruiser, 11.4 years of ownership when purchased new.

Chevrolet Corvette, 10.5 years

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, 10.3 years

Audi TT, 10.2 years

Ford Expedition, 10.1 years

Ford Mustang, 10 years

Toyota 4Runner, 10 years

Porsche 911, 9.9 years

Toyota Sequoia, 9.9 years

Toyota Avalon, 9.7 years

10 longest-kept SUVs

Toyota Land Cruiser, 11.4 years

Ford Expedition, 10.1 years

Toyota 4Runner, 10 years

Toyota Sequoia, 9.9 years

Ford Explorer, 9.6 years

Dodge Durango, 9.6 years

Chevrolet Suburban, 9.3 years

Nissan Pathfinder, 9.3 years

Lincoln Navigator, 9.1 years

Chevrolet Tahoe, 9.1 years

10 longest-kept cars

Toyota Avalon, 9.7 years

BMW 3 Series, 9.5 years

Toyota Camry, 9.5 years

Honda Accord, 9.4 years

Ford Taurus, 9.4 years

Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 9.3 years

Nissan Maxima, 9.2 years

Honda Civic, 9.1 years

Toyota Corolla, 9 years

Mercedes-Benz S-Class, 8.9 years

Longest-kept pickup trucks

Nissan Frontier, 9.1 years

Toyota Tacoma, 9 years

Nissan Titan, 8.9 years

Toyota Tundra, 8.8 years

Ram Pickup 1500, 8.7 years

Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 8.6 years

GMC Sierra 1500, 8.5 years

Ford F-150, 8.5 years

“If a vehicle is consistently kept longer than average, it suggests that it is reliable and that its owners enjoy driving it,” said Ly. “Whether you want a large hauler, a practical sedan or a flashy sports car, there is a vehicle … that will stand the test of time.”

Overall, 66 models surpassed the 8.4-year average of time kept after original purchase. The website analyzed more than five million used car sales over five years for the study.

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