Even though Kiwis love to drive, New Zealand’s position being a tiny wee country means that we’re not necessarily a nation of high-mileage motors. Still, there are plenty of taxi-cabs, ride shares, and commercial vehicles that are known to cover huge distances.
For those who shop for cars based on reliability, the ability to cover long distances with minimal issues is vital. And the latest figures from American-based group iSeeCars showing the 16 cars most likely to exceed 200,000 miles (321,000km) provide plenty of food for thought.
If iSeeCars and this study sound a little familiar, it’s because the data company released a similar study last year. Well, over the course of 2020 it’s gathered more information from 11.8 million vehicles that changed hands, most notably the cars that had sold with high mileage attached.
Its findings were … predictable. A jaw-dropping six out of the top 10 vehicles are Toyotas. The Land Cruiser once again topped the study’s list, with 16.3 per cent of second-hand examples sold showing more than 200,000km on the odometer.
The Sequoia, 4Runner, Avalon, Highlander Hybrid, and Tundra also made it into the top 10 in second, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth. Toyota’s representation in the list continued outside the top 10, too, with the Tacoma and Prius ranking 14 and 16.
“Toyotas account for the majority of the top ten longest-lasting cars and is the most represented automaker, which validates the brand’s reputation for building enduring and reliable vehicles,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer.
“While trucks and truck-based SUVs dominate the list, two Toyota hybrids and the Avalon sedan also make the list, confirming there is a reliable Toyota available for a wide range of consumers.
“The iconic and indestructible Toyota Land Cruiser is engineered to last at least 25 years, even under the harshest of driving conditions, as it is relied upon in many developing countries where off-road driving is the norm.”
So, what else made it into the top 16? Well, possibly unsurprisingly, there’s also lots of large American machinery present. The Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon XL ended up third, fourth, seventh, and 10th. The GMC Yukon and Lincoln Navigator also made the list, in 12th and 15th.
A pair of Hondas rounded out the list. Curiously the first of these is the Ridgeline pick-up in 11th; a ute that’s often the butt of jokes among other compact ute buyers in the US due to its unibody platform, but clearly also a ute that sticks together. Interestingly it’s one of just three pick-ups listed on the outright list. The other Honda was the Odyssey people mover, in 13th.
On top of an outright list, iSeeCars has also collated a list dedicated to the reliability of pick-ups, as well as a list that breaks down statistics by brand. In the ute list, the Tundra, Ridgeline, and Tacoma are followed by the Nissan Titan, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500, Ram 1500, Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado, and GMC Canyon.
In brands, meanwhile, Toyota and Honda lead a list that’s dominated by American brands. According to the list, 2.0 per cent of Toyotas sold and 1.6 per cent of Hondas sold had more than 200,000 miles on the clock. Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Ford, and Ram follow — Ram’s 1.1 per cent is a touch above the national average of 1.0 per cent.
