Yahoo Autos Top 10 vehicles that owners keep the longest
Americans are holding on to their vehicles longer today than ever before. But how long is too long? According to automotive research site iSeeCars.com, just 6.1% of owners keep their vehicles for 15 years. Owners of some cars and trucks, though, tend to hold on to their rides that long at a much higher rate.
Interestingly, the list is made up mostly of sport utility vehicles and crossovers, with a couple of pickups, a minivan and a sedan thrown in for good measure. Even more interestingly, all of the vehicles come from Japan, and one automaker in particular dominates the charts.
To come up with these stats, iSeeCars analyzed over 660,000 used cars from model years 1981-2005 sold in 2020.
Heavy-duty trucks, work vans and vehicles no longer in production were excluded, and if a vehicle sells in very low numbers, it was also kept off the list.
10: Toyota Sequoia
Percent kept by original owner for at least 15 years: 9.1%
How much longer than average: 1.5 times
The Toyota Sequoia is the only full-size, body-on-frame three-row SUV on this list of vehicles that owners keep the longest. We're not surprised to see the Sequoia on the list, but we are surprised that other big SUVs like the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition didn't make the cut. Large families tend to buy these durable people movers, and they tend to rack up lots of miles and take a beating.
9: Toyota 4Runner
Percent kept by original owner for at least 15 years: 9.4%
How much longer than average: 1.5 times
You'd better get used to seeing a lot of Toyotas on this list of vehicles that owners tend to keep the longest. The 4Runner is known for reliability, which is one solid reason why its original owner might want to hold on to it so much longer than average.
8: Subaru Forester
Percent kept by original owner for at least 15 years: 9.8%
How much longer than average: 1.6 times
The Forester is the only Subaru you'll see on this list of the 10 vehicles owners are most likely to keep for 15 years or more. Nearly 10% of owners will hold on to the Forester that long; the next-best Subaru is the Outback at 6.8%, which is still higher than average.
7: Honda Pilot
Percent kept by original owner for at least 15 years: 10.4%
How much longer than average: 1.7 times
The Pilot is the first of two Hondas to make the top 10. In case you hadn't noticed, all of the vehicles so far have come from Japan. Spoiler alert: the rest of the list will, too.
6: Honda CR-V
Percent kept by original owner for at least 15 years: 10.7%
How much longer than average: 1.8 times
Right after the Pilot comes the Honda CR-V. “The Honda CR-V is among the most spacious vehicles in its class, while the Pilot rivals a minivan in terms of appearance and cargo room,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “These vehicles also have stellar safety and reliability ratings, which make them popular and practical choices for family vehicles.”
