The Most-Loved Cars and Car Brands in America

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. 

“The functional, high-value nature of these models aligns with long-term ownership,” said Brauer. “If you’re keeping a car for 15 or more years you want reliability, practicality, and fuel efficiency, traits all of these cars offer.”

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.

“Lexus is the only premium brand on the list, and only Asian brands appear on the list,” said Brauer. “As with the overall Most-Loved Vehicles list, these brands all represent high value and relatively low cost, with even Lexus offering models that undercut American and European luxury pricing.”

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.

“SUVs have become the most popular vehicle segment because of their durability and wide range of uses,” said Brauer. “This makes SUVs more effective for long-term ownership, as they can handle the shifting needs of owners who keep them for 15 years or longer.”

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. 

“It’s interesting to see the midsize trucks outranking the full-size models,” said Brauer. “The less demanding use cases for midsize trucks reduces their wear. Add their higher fuel efficiency, and midsize trucks make more sense for long-term ownership.”

“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.”

More from iSeeCars.com

• Longest-Lasting Cars

• Most Reliable Cars

• Best Used Cars

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.

About iSeeCars.com

This article, Most Loved Cars and Car Brands in America, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.