25 Cars Almost Guaranteed to Last You Over 250,000 Miles

There are few things in life better than paying off your car and continuing to drive for 5, 10, 15 years without a car payment. Here are 25 cars guaranteed to last you over 250,000 miles with regular care and routine maintenance, letting you live that sweet car payment free life for many years.

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Lexus ES 350
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Lexus ES 350

Scooping up a top prize as the most dependable compact premium car in the 2018 J.D. Power dependability study, the Lexus ES 350 sedan is a standout 300-horsepower vehicle for both luxurious appointments, long-standing quality, and reliable V6 performance over the long haul. These are the 10 things you should never do to your car.

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Toyota Prius
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Toyota Prius

The Prius has long been the benchmark for a dependable hybrid capable of lasting 250,000 miles, or more. It remains both a cultural touchstone and an affordable compact car that will last for the better part of a lifetime, with the help of several, still-pricey battery pack replacements. It is no accident that this green, eco-friendly Toyota is the polar opposite of a disposable ride. Here are tips to keep your electric vehicle running smoothly throughout winter.

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Subaru Forester
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Subaru Forester

Subaru’s flagship SUV may just be the dictionary definition of a family car going on and on well past 250K miles. For many years, the Forester, which gets over 30 MPG and starts under $25,000, has been thought of as one of the most dependable, visually unique, and transcendent 4WD vehicles on the road. This remains true as we head into the second decade of the 21st century. Discover the best used cars to buy.

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Kia Rio
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Kia Rio

It may be hard to believe that any vehicle in the lineup from the brand that once gave away a free car with a purchase—let alone the one with the lowest price tag—would rank here, but those who have been paying attention to the auto industry know that Kia has quickly become one of the most reliable car brands in the world. To get 250,000 miles from a car that barely dents your bottom line (Rio starts at just over $15,000) is a dream which is why the Kia Rio, one of J.D. Power’s most dependable rides, makes the grade. Here are the best car deals under $18,000 and how to wheel your way to a deal with a used car.

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Toyota Tundra
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Toyota Tundra

Any car or truck that can not only no longer see 250,000 in its rearview mirror but has witnessed the odometer max out at 999,999 as it drives on past a million miles easily makes the cut as dependable in our book! You may not need your Toyota Tundra for a million miles but it is nice to know that you could still be driving your truck long after the final payment! And if you opt for the evocative rich orange leather of the 1794 Edition Tundra, you will never tire of the interior design. Keep that interior clean with these 46 car detailing tips.

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Honda Accord
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Honda Accord

Thanks to an unassailable record of reliability year after year, no midsize sedan can compete with the Honda Accord‘s reputation for long-lasting performance with minimal to no maintenance issues. Helping you keep your ride on the road year after year, the 2019 Accord comes standard with Honda Sensing, a smart suite of safety tech to assist in avoiding collisions. Check out the 13 ways in which you’re shortening the life of your car.

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Toyota Camry
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Toyota Camry

America’s most famous reliable car for racking up over 250,000 miles now comes in a tidy hybrid iteration. Getting over 50 MPG city and highway means that you will be saving money, and the planet, with every single one of those miles put on the trusty Toyota Camry’s odometer over the span of decades if you treat her right. Every Camry comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense which includes smart cruise control and high beams, lane departure alert, and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, all tools that not only will keep your car safe from harm but will make driving it for well over a decade more pleasant. If you want better gas mileage then you’ll need to know these money-saving tips.

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Toyota Corolla
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Toyota Corolla

She may not win any best-dressed awards, but the Corolla is a bona fide star on and off the red carpet. This classic Toyota sedan is as steady as it gets when it comes to a car that can cruise on up to and beyond 250,000, at a price point (starting under $19K) that fits within many budgets. Every Corolla has Toyota Safety Sense P standard. Its lane departure alert with steering assist and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection will keep you and your car safe from harm and make driving it for well over a decade more enjoyable.

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Ford F-150
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Ford F-150

This classic American workhorse just runs and runs, like the wild horses its meaty V-8 engine conures as it tows, pulls, and delivers the goods for ranchers and regular drivers alike. The “Built Ford Tough” catchphrase isn’t just an iconic three-word slogan, it speaks to the long-lasting quality under the hood of every F-150 truck. You may not need to haul raw materials like an independent contractor but if you need a reliable vehicle that will last you a lifetime, the Ford F-150 is a perfect fit.

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Chevy Silverado
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Chevy Silverado

You know vehicles last a long time when a manufacturer officially names the club of owners who successfully log hundreds of thousands of miles in them. The “Truck Legends” is the exclusive club of Chevy owners who have put over 100,000 miles on their trucks, with nearly 5,000 Chevy lovers soaring past the quarter-century mark (and several over a million miles!) The 2019 Silverado 1500 is the next-gen V-8 beast in a long line of strong, dependable Chevy trucks built to last a lifetime. Add these pickup truck bed tricks to your bag for better hauling.

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Toyota Sienna
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Toyota Sienna

Maybe you don’t need or wish for your minivan to outlast childhood. But, if you don’t mind cruising around town in Toyota’s original swagger wagon as an empty-nester, you likely will be doing so because the Toyota Sienna is a well-built, extremely reliable family vehicle that can give you over 250,000 miles of faithful service and Goldfish crumb accumulation. If you have a minivan, then you need to see these hauling hacks.

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Honda Pilot
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Honda Pilot

Because Pilot owners are a loyal bunch, there is ample evidence to older models of Honda’s boxy SUV lasting for hundreds of thousands of miles. In fact, a whopping 27 percent of Pilot owners hold onto their boxy Hondas for over a decade, which speaks to the technical quality and low maintenance costs associated with racking up the miles in a Pilot. Here are the 9 most reliable cars that rarely need a mechanic.

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, November 9 2017 : Honda Civic Type R, presented at the Malaysia Autoshow 2017 in Kuala Lumpur .
Sallehudin Ahmad/Shutterstock

Honda Civic

For decades, the Civic was lumped into the long-lasting but unattractive heap of cars but a recent stunning makeover (check out the new Civic R Type) has shifted the paradigm on the second half of that equation while retaining the safe and steady reputation of Honda’s flagship compact sedan. You need to check out these 5 totally brilliant IKEA hacks.

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Subaru Outback
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Subaru Outback

A large percentage of all the Outbacks ever built are still on the road today, making this small SUV staple of the Subaru car lineup a sturdy choice when you want a ride that will last for a decade or more. Despite recent head gasket issues denting the brand’s pristine reputation for rugged dependability, the Subaru Outback stands the test of time, retains much of its value, and allows you to drive well beyond 250,000 miles. Do you know the brands known for the best customer satisfaction?

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Acura RDX
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Acura RDX

With a unique blend of refinement and relative affordability in the luxury segment of the auto industry, the Acura brand stands apart for discerning car consumers. The Acura RDX is their reliable, luxury V6 crossover that comes with AcuraWatch, an intuitive safety system that will go a long way to ensure you are still driving your RDX at 250K miles. Learn these safe driving tips with 4x4s.

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Toyota Sequoia
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Toyota Sequoia

It’s no mistake that not a lot of V8s or 4WD vehicles are expected to join the 250K mile club but the Sequoia bucks this trend. It’s another Toyota on our list of cars that you can expect to still be driving beyond 250,000 miles. One of the largest vehicles in Toyota’s impressively dependable lineup, no large SUV has scored higher than Sequoia in Consumer Reports reliability scores for the past decade meaning you can buy a used one (to save on the hefty $50K+ price tag when new) and still get many years of reliable service and many more miles out of it.

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Honda CR-V
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Honda CR-V

With studies showing that 25 percent of CR-V owners keep their vehicles on the roads for more than a decade, it is easy to see what Honda’s popular crossover SUV can be expected to deliver 250K performance. Consumer Reports ranks the popular CR-V as a car proven to deliver a long life expectancy, and when you consider the 2019 models start at under $25,000, that’s a lot of mileage for your dollar. See this one crazy reason why you should wrap your key fob in tinfoil.

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Buick LaCrosse
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Buick LaCrosse

Stylish and reliable are two words car buyers love, and the Buick LaCrosse checks both boxes. Ranking high in J.D. Power’s 2018 dependability study, the LaCrosse offers premium touches without the premium price tag, and the chance to drive a car you will still love being inside long after the final payment has been made. Find out how to outsmart car salesmen.

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Honda Odyssey
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Honda Odyssey

Not everyone is crazy about its style, but Odyssey owners are nuts about the dependable performance they can expect while their brood goes from infancy and off to college. At the end of it all, with regular check-ups just like the kids need, the odometer will top 250,000, the seats will be stained with melted crayons and juice box spills of yesteryear, and there will have been miles of family memories made in the long-running Odyssey. Do you know the best time of the week to buy a car? It might surprise you.

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Toyota Avalon
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Toyota Avalon

This full-size sedan doesn’t have the household name value of Camry and Corolla, but Toyota has yet another high mileage, long ownership winner in its lineup with the Avalon. We aren’t sure what kind of tech will exist in a decade’s time but right now, you can lock, unlock and start the 2019 Avalon’s engine from your Apple or Android smartwatch thanks to Toyota Remote Connect. Check out the car buying secrets dealers don’t want you to know and learn the 13 signs your car is about to die.

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Ford Expedition
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Ford Expedition

A winner in J.D. Power initial quality, Kelly Blue Book Best Buy, and dependability makes this big beautiful Ford a wise choice for anyone who needs a lot of space for a growing family or a gaggle of good friends. Ample third-row legroom means you can fit in all sizes of people for your epic road trips as you speed toward 250,000-plus miles getting better than you’d expect MPG (upwards of 24 highway) in the 2019 Ford Expedition. Find out the 100 super simple car repairs you shouldn’t take your car to the shop to fix.

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Mazda 6
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Mazda 6

The 2019 Mazda 6 features a turbocharged SKYACTIVE-G 2.5T engine with a 6-speed transmission that delivers only what drivers need in an acceleration event without playing the “transmission game” throttling up and down. This clever bit of under the hood engineering helps the luxurious Mazda 6 last for 250,000 miles with routine maintenance. Find out these 10 things you should never do to your car.

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Audi A4 allroad
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Audi A4 Allroad

Dynamic and sporty are not words usually associated with what is essentially a 4-cylinder station wagon (packaged as a small all-wheel drive SUV), but this high-tech Audi manages it with style. A 12.3-inch cockpit screen with integrated Google Earth imagery is so futuristic that we think it’ll still be cool even in 15 years when you are still driving your 2019 A4 Allroad past 250,000 miles. Find out what happens to the cars that don’t get sold. If your car won’t start, here’s what you can do.

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Nissan Altima
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Nissan Altima

Thanks to its Traction Control System, intelligent driver alertness, and a smart forward collision warning system, the Altima has enough technology to keep you and your Nissan safe on the road for over 250,000 miles. The construction of the Altima aids in the dependability too. There’s pipe-style steel side-door guard beams and front/rear crumple zones to give you the peace of mind needed to retain a vehicle for well over a decade.

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Kia Sorento
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Kia Sorento

With a third row now standard starting with its 2019 models, Kia’s flagship crossover SUV is proving the perfect long term vehicle for a growing family according to J.D. Power’s 2018 dependability study. Available with a 4 or 6 cylinder engine, Sorento provides as much power as you need as you take road trips, drive to and from work, and be a rugged but stylish weekend warrior—like the Sorento itself—for many years and many miles. Check out these 74 maintenance tips that will continue to extend the life of your car. Check out some of the longest-lasting models of cars still out there.

Reader's Digest
Originally Published on Reader's Digest

Jeff Bogle
Jeff Bogle is a dad of daughters, herder of house cats, award-winning photographer, avid traveler, and English football fanatic who has had the privilege of writing stories for Esquire, PBS, Good Housekeeping, Time Out New York, and Trip Advisor's Family Vacation Critic, among other fine publications.