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.
“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.
