Toyota, Honda Dominate List of Cars Kept for More Than 10 Years

Nearly 30 percent of buyers who purchase a Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 or Prius car will keep that car for more than 10 years, according to data from iSeeCars.com.

Data from 400,000 car purchases was analyzed for the poll, according to the study group. The industry average for owners keeping their cars 10 years or longer was 13.5 percent.

Of those top 15 vehicles whose buyers keep them longer than a decade, nine of them were Toyotas; 5 were made by Honda. The Honda CR-V was tops at 28.6 percent of buyers who kept that car for 10 years or more.

The group noted that the big three domestic pickup truck makers all scored below the industry average. Of its buyers, 13.1 percent of Chevrolet Silverado buyers reported keeping their trucks 10 years or longer, 11.7 percent for Ram 1500 buyers and 11.4 percent of Ford F-150 buyers.

The pickup buyers likely had a different reason for turning their trucks around quicker.

“One reason that may be is because these cars are often used as work vehicles, such as in construction. Work vehicles log many more miles than average, likely requiring them to be replaced sooner,” said iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly.

The company reported that all of the cars in the top 15 were import brands, although only two of the top 15 are annual best-sellers in America: the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Many of the cars in the top 15 are SUVs and minivans.

“While it’s not surprising that many Toyotas and Hondas made the list as they have based their reputations on reliability, what is surprising is the makeup of the cars,” Phong said. “These vehicles tend to be largely family cars, so if people buy these cars when they are just starting their families, it stands to reason that these cars would suit them for many years,” said Ly.