Highlights:
- The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is the most-loved car, with the highest percentage of owners keeping it for 15 or more years
- Toyota has seven models in the top 13 rankings of most-loved cars, more than any other brand, with the Camry Hybrid, Highlander (non-hybrid), Tacoma, Prius, RAV4, and Tundra also ranked
- Non-Toyota models on the most-loved lis include the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape Hybrid, Lexus IS 350,Nissan Versa, Honda Ridgeline, and Subaru Forester
- Five of the top 13 models are hybrids, suggesting high fuel efficiency and low cost of operation are key considerations when owners keep their cars for 15 or more years
- At the brand level, Toyota has the highest percentage of long-term owners
It’s not easy to define “love” for a car, but when an original owner keeps a vehicle for more than 15 years it’s safe to assume they’re pretty happy with their ride. iSeeCars’ latest study has identified the 13 cars that more original owners keep for at least 15 years more than all other cars. While previous iSeeCars research found the average length for new car ownership is approximately eight years, keeping a new vehicle for 15-plus years shows nearly double the devotion to these models.
iSeeCars analyzed over 929,000 cars from model years 1981-2009 sold from January-September 2024 to determine which older cars are most likely to be kept by their original owners. Among the top 13 models, Toyota accounts for seven – three of which are hybrids.
“Most consumers can’t commit to a single vehicle for more than a decade, but those that do save a lot of money on their vehicle costs,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Keeping a car for 15 years means no loan payment for most of that time, along with falling insurance and registration costs. Those reduced expenses can counter higher maintenance costs as a car ages, especially in durable models that hold up well over time.”
The Most-Loved Vehicles
Toyota dominates the list of vehicles owners keep the longest, taking the first five slots and having a total of seven models in the top 13. Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division, also makes an appearance with the IS 350, giving the automaker a total of eight top-ranked cars. Toyota’s long tradition of producing hybrids likely contributes to the automaker’s dominance, with four of these top 13 cars featuring a hybrid drivetrain.| Top 13 Most-Loved Vehicles - iSeeCars Study | |||
| Rank | Model | % 15-Year-Old+ Cars Kept by Original Owner | Compared to Average |
| 1 | Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 7.0% | 1.9x |
| 2 | Toyota Camry Hybrid | 6.9% | 1.8x |
| 3 | Toyota Highlander | 6.6% | 1.8x |
| 4 | Toyota Tacoma | 6.4% | 1.7x |
| 5 | Toyota Prius | 6.3% | 1.7x |
| 6 | Honda CR-V | 6.3% | 1.7x |
| 7 | Ford Escape Hybrid | 6.3% | 1.7x |
| 8 | Toyota RAV4 | 6.2% | 1.6x |
| 9 | Lexus IS 350 | 5.8% | 1.5x |
| 10 | Nissan Versa | 5.7% | 1.5x |
| 11 | Toyota Tundra | 5.5% | 1.5x |
| 12 | Honda Ridgeline | 5.5% | 1.5x |
| 13 | Subaru Forester | 5.5% | 1.5x |
| Overall Average | 3.7% | -- | |
The Most-Loved Brands
Given the overall Most-Loved Vehicles list, it’s not surprising to see Toyota with the highest percentage of 15-plus year ownership at the brand level. Honda and Lexus, ranked second and third, also have at least one model in the top 10. After that Mazda, Hyundai, and Subaru all rank above the industry average.| Most-Loved Brands - iSeeCars Study | |||
| Rank | Brand | % 15-Year-Old+ Cars Kept by Original Owner | Compared to Average |
| 1 | Toyota | 5.6% | 1.5x |
| 2 | Honda | 5.3% | 1.4x |
| 3 | Lexus | 4.4% | 1.2x |
| 4 | Mazda | 4.3% | 1.1x |
| 5 | Hyundai | 4.2% | 1.1x |
| 6 | Subaru | 4.1% | 1.1x |
| Overall Average | 3.7% | -- | |
The Most-Loved SUVs
Toyota again dominates, taking six of the top 10 SUV slots for long-term ownership. Honda’s popular CR-V and Pilot also make this list, along with the Ford Escape Hybrid and Subaru Forester. Most of these models are also among the best-selling vehicles in their respective categories.| Most-Loved SUVs - iSeeCars Study | |||
| Rank | Model | % 15-Year-Old+ Cars Kept by Original Owner | Compared to Average |
| 1 | Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 7.0% | 2.0x |
| 2 | Toyota Highlander | 6.6% | 1.9x |
| 3 | Honda CR-V | 6.3% | 1.8x |
| 4 | Ford Escape Hybrid | 6.3% | 1.8x |
| 5 | Toyota RAV4 | 6.2% | 1.8x |
| 6 | Subaru Forester | 5.5% | 1.6x |
| 7 | Toyota Venza | 5.2% | 1.5x |
| 8 | Honda Pilot | 5.0% | 1.4x |
| 9 | Toyota 4Runner | 4.8% | 1.4x |
| 10 | Toyota Sequoia | 4.7% | 1.3x |
| SUV Average | 3.5% | -- | |
The Most-Loved Trucks
While full-size American brands dominate the truck market in terms of sales, Asian brands rank the highest for long-term ownership. Toyota’s Tacoma and Tundra rank number one and two, followed by the Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Frontier. While several additional midsize and full-size trucks are available, only these four midsize models rank above the industry average for long-term ownership.| Most-Loved Trucks - iSeeCars Study | |||
| Rank | Model | % 15-Year-Old+ Cars Kept by Original Owner | Compared to Average |
| 1 | Toyota Tacoma | 6.4% | 1.7x |
| 2 | Toyota Tundra | 5.5% | 1.5x |
| 3 | Honda Ridgeline | 5.5% | 1.5x |
| 4 | Nissan Frontier | 5.2% | 1.4x |
| Truck Average | 3.7% | -- | |
“Ongoing improvements in vehicle design, engineering, and build quality contribute to improving durability and lower maintenance costs in modern cars,” said Brauer. “Consumers can take advantage of these trends by keeping cars longer and leveraging their growing lifespan. This is particularly true of high-quality, high-value models that offer a wide range of uses, low maintenance costs, and high fuel efficiency.”
Methodology
iSeeCars analyzed over 929,000 cars from model years 1981-2009 sold from January - September 2024. The percentage of cars sold by their original owners was calculated (“original-owner” cars were bought as new by the owner) and used to rank each model. Low volume models, heavy-duty vehicles, and vehicles not in production as of the 2023 model year were excluded from further analysis.
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