A new study has revealed which cars are bought new and kept by their original owners the longest. So, if you’re looking for a well-preserved one-owner car in 2028, this is what you’re likely to find. The good news is, all but one on the top 15 list is Japanese, with Toyota comprising a full two-thirds of it. There is, however, some bad news.
The list, compiled by research firm ISeeCars, shows that the people who keep their cars for 15 years or more absolutely love crossovers, minivans, and trucks. If you simply adore the first-gen Toyota Highlander then you’re in luck. Personally, I might pick up a 2017 Sienna SE with the quick-shifting 8-speed automatic in 2042. Hopefully, there’s some Forester X/T turbos in to be barn found as well. Trucks like the Tundra, Tacoma, and Frontier will always have some semblance of cool, but the rest of the list isn’t exactly awe-inspiring.
- Toyota Highlander
- Toyota Sienna
- Toyota Tundra
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Sequoia
- Toyota Tacoma
- Honda CR-V
- Toyota Avalon
- Acura MDX
- Toyota Camry
- Subaru Forester
- Nissan Frontier
- Volkswagen Golf
However, it makes sense that popular selling models would rank at the top of the list. Perhaps ISeeCars should compile a different list, one that ranks the top 15 cars whose original owners keep them for 15-plus years as a percentage of how many were actually sold. That would turn a survey of cold, hard stats into a show of how beloved those cars really are.
The future is bleak…
sienna?!?! pos everybody dumps as soon as they can
Not true. We’ve had our 06 since Jan 07, and now it’s my daily. I love this car!! It’s no POS either. Maybe one of teh best built cars we’ve ever owned.
Thinking that they’re all either family-oriented, or utility-minded. You use the sports car to “meet people,” then when you get married and have a kid or 2, time to trade it in and get the family hauler, and keep that budget under control. That means hanging on to it.
The downside is that, much like the station wagons of the past, by the time they get traded in, or put up for sale, they’re more likely to be pretty chewed up – especially the interior pieces.
Trucks that are kept go hunting, and hauling, and off-roading, so they probably don’t get turned back out as often as cars, and get pretty well abused. I’d think the biggest “issues” would be the body/suspension/mechanical, so the repairs and restorations hopefully would be easier.
Plus, there really isn’t all that much of “sports car” on the market anymore…
Thinking of your international market, can you caption the pics in stories like this with make and model?
I have no idea what the silver wagon is but looks to me like a Subaru with a Toyota badge on the grill
Early Highlander.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Highlander#First_generation_(XU20;_2000–2007)
Another vehicle I hadn’t thought of in I-don’t-know-how-long…
I don’t foresee ISeeCars being a credible research firm if this is their best work.
Still trying to think of a comment…
I can only imagine the joy of replacing the intake manifold on a VW GTI 2.0T in 2048.
That is a total troll website list lol!!
I love the 1st gen highlander and surprise that no die cast company had made this model yet.