Vehicle owners are adding insult to injury for the traditional sedan.
Not only are new SUVs now outselling cars, a new study suggests owners also keep them longer.
Which new cars owners keep the longest and how long they keep those vehicles depends on a lot of things such as how well a vehicle continues to fit an owner’s lifestyle, according to iSeeCars.com, automotive research firm, search engine and car news website.
The company analyzed more than six million used vehicles sold by original owners to identify which new cars owners keep the longest and how long they keep them.
The winner: Ford Expedition, one of five SUVs in the Top 10, said iSeeCars in reporting the study. Original purchasers keep them about nine years or 1.6 years more than average of 7.4 years.
The Expedition was one of three Fords, with three Toyotas, two Hondas and two Chevrolets.
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“The Expedition is joined on the list by two other SUVs with standard seating capacity of at least seven passengers – the Toyota Sequoia and Chevrolet Suburban,” said iSeeCars. “The two remaining SUVs on the list, the Toyota 4Runner and the Ford Explorer, have optional third-row seating in select models.”
“These vehicles tend to be family haulers, which means parents are likely to keep them longer than average and not replace them until a large vehicle is no longer necessary,” said Phong Ly of iSeeCars.
Here is the complete Top-10 list with years original owners keep them:
- Ford Expedition, 9.0 years
- Chevrolet Corvette, 9.0 years
- Toyota Sequoia, 8.9 years
- Toyota 4Runner, 8.8 years
- Toyota Avalon, 8.6 years
- Ford Explorer, 8.4 years
- Chevrolet Suburban, 8.4 years
- Honda Accord, 8.3 years
- Ford Taurus, 8.3 years
- Honda Odyssey, 8.3 years
The three sedans listed – Avalon, Accord and Taurus – are spacious cars offering “ample” cargo room, while the Corvette is the only sports car and the Odyssey the lone minivan.
Most-popular vehicles
The iSeeCars study also found only eight of the nation’s 20 most-popular new vehicles – including three Toyotas and three Hondas – were kept longer than the average 7.4 years. They are the Ford Explorer (8.4 years), Honda Accord (8.3), Toyota Camry (8.1), Toyota Highlander (7.9), Toyota Corolla (7.8), Jeep Grand Cherokee (7.8), Honda Civic (7.6) and Honda CR-V (7.6).
Top passenger cars
Among new passenger cars, the website’s Top 10 comprises Chevrolet Corvette (9.0 years), Toyota Avalon (8.6), Honda Accord (8.3), Ford Taurus (8.3), Toyota Camry (8.1), Ford Mustang (8.1), Chevrolet Impala (7.9), Volkswagen Passat (7.9), Mazda Mazda6 (7.9) and Toyota Corolla (7.8). All were kept by the original owner longer than the 7.3-year category average.
And one pickup truck
Only one pickup truck purchased new was kept longer by the original owners than the 7.7-year category average – the Toyota Tacoma at 7.8 years – according to the iSeeCars study, although the Nissan Titan and Nissan Frontier both matched the category average.