Let’s face it. A vehicle is an investment. For most Americans, buying a car is one of the most expensive purchases a person will ever make. And with the average cost of a new car sailing past the eye-watering $50,000 mark, many owners are looking to hold on to their wheels or buy something that promises to go the distance, like a Toyota with a reputation for bulletproof reliability.
Good news: if you know where to look, you can find a car with a much better than average shot at racking up 200,000, 250,000, or even 300,000 miles. Frankly, there’s a chance you already have one of these mile-munching marathoners in your driveway or garage. When it comes to relatively ordinary passenger cars, these five nameplates offer the best chances of covering a quarter of a million miles and beyond. From the now-discontinued Toyota Avalon to the posh Lexus IS and workhorse Honda Civic, proper care and maintenance can keep these sedans (and one hatchback) on the road for years to come.
Models are listed in descending order, from the highest probability of reaching 250,000 miles to the lowest.
Lexus IS
10.6 Times More Likely To Hit 250,000 Miles Or More
So you want a car that promises enough longevity to drive to the moon? But you also want that sedan to wear a luxury badge and waft you about in comfort? The Lexus IS lives at the intersection of long-lasting and luxurious. In fact, the subtle Lexus sedan took the top spot in a longevity study listing the passenger cars most likely to reach or exceed 250,000 miles. In some cases, these cars may even push past 300,000 miles or more.
According to an iSeeCars study ranking the longest-lasting cars of 2025, the Lexus IS takes the top spot among sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks. Factoring in average odometer readings for popular models, analysts gave the Lexus IS a 27.5 percent chance of reaching or exceeding 250,000 miles. That’s 10.6 times the 2.6 percent average for sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks.
Frankly, online forums are nearly brimming with long-time Lexus IS owners touting their 300,000-mile odometer readings. Better yet, the Lexus IS takes Toyota’s reputation for reliability and adds some poshness without breaking the bank. Depending on the generation, you can get a used Lexus IS for well under $10,000 or over $30,000.
- Average used price: $24,929 (CarGurus)
- Average annual repair cost: $551 (RepairPal)
- Years produced: 1999-2026
- Drivetrain options: RWD, AWD
Toyota Avalon
7.3 Times More Likely To Hit 250,000 Miles Or More
At a glance, it looks like someone stretched a Toyota Camry on a smartphone screen. No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. It’s the Camry’s full-size sibling, the Toyota Avalon. And although Toyota discontinued the fifth-generation Avalon back in 2022 and closed the book on the model, it’s one of the passenger cars most likely to reach or exceed 300,000 miles.
Taking average odometer readings into account, Toyota’s now-discontinued full-size sedan has an 18.9 percent likelihood of cruising right on past 250,000 miles. That puts the Toyota Avalon at 7.3 times the average for the segment. Even when compared with large trucks and SUVs, the Avalon promises longevity. Specifically, the Toyota sedan is 3.9 times more likely to hit 250,000 or more miles than the average for all vehicles across the board. With proper care and maintenance, a 300,000-mile Avalon is a very real proposition.
If that wasn’t enough, the Avalon was something of a Swiss Army Knife among sedans. Depending on the generation, you could have one with a muscular, 301-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 or a fuel-sipping hybrid. Later models even offered grippy, winter-weather-friendly all-wheel drive when paired with the 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder engine.
- Average used price: $17,327 (CarGurus)
- Average annual repair cost: $463 (RepairPal)
- Years produced: 1995-2022
- Drivetrain options: FWD, AWD
10 Most Reliable Cars Ever Made
If you’re looking for reliable and dependable cars that can last you a lifetime, you simply can’t go wrong with the models on this list.
Toyota Prius
4.7 Times More Likely To Hit 250,000 Miles Or More
The Toyota Prius. When it first rolled out to the American market as a 2001 model, it was met with mixed reviews. Now, nearly a quarter-century later, Toyota has sold millions of the popular little hybrid across five generations. Better yet, many high-mileage examples are still on the road. In fact, the Toyota Prius with the highest mileage in the world as of last year had a record-shattering 546,896 miles on the clock.
That Prius likely lived most of its half-million-mile driving life ferrying passengers around for a rideshare service. It’s not alone. The Toyota Prius is much more likely than other hatchbacks to reach or exceed 200,000, 250,000, or even 300,000 miles. In the iSeeCars vehicle lifespan survey, the Prius has a 12.2 percent chance of hitting a quarter of a million miles. That’s nearly five times the segment average.
It’s good news for hybrid fans. For its fifth generation, Toyota gave the Prius the full beautification treatment. Gone were the fourth-gen’s comparably awkward sci-fi styling in favor of a much more handsome exterior. Thanks to new handling dynamics and a much-needed 2.0-liter heart transplant from the Corolla Cross Hybrid, the latest Toyota Prius is, dare we say, fun. But bargain hunters will find similar fuel efficiency in older, more affordable models. For instance, a 2020 Toyota Prius offers up to 56 combined mpg for around $18,555.
- Average used price: $15,582 (CarGurus)
- Average annual repair cost: $408 (RepairPal)
- Years produced: 2001-2026
- Drivetrain options: FWD, AWD
Honda Civic
4.2 Times More Likely To Hit 250,000 Miles Or More
The Honda Civic has been roaming American streets for over 50 years and 11 generations. But time hasn’t slowed the Civic’s success. Last year, Honda sold 242,005 Civics, netting the 10th spot overall in the rankings of the best-selling vehicles in the country. One of the keys to the Civic’s success? A reputation for reliability and the ability to go the distance.
In the iSeeCars Longest-Lasting Passenger Cars 2025 rankings, the Civic had a 10.9 percent chance of reaching 250,000 or more miles. That percentage not only puts the Honda Civic at 4.2 times the segment average, but it also secures the fourth spot among long-lasting sedans, hatchbacks, and coupes. With proper care and maintenance, Honda Civics routinely last 300,000 or more miles. Don’t believe us? A 2006 Honda Civic hit an eye-watering 1,001,043 miles at its last reading in 2019.
Keeping a used Honda Civic maintained doesn’t have to break the bank, either. According to RepairPal, a Honda Civic has an average annual repair cost of $368, the lowest of any passenger car model on this list. Paired with an excellent brand reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0, Honda’s beloved compact car has the potential to be both reliable and long-lasting.
- Average used price: $18,292 (CarGurus)
- Average annual repair cost: $368 (RepairPal)
- Years produced: 1973-2026
- Drivetrain options: FWD, AWD
10 Japanese Cars Known For Their Bulletproof Engines
These are the standouts among some of the most reliable Japanese cars out there.
Acura ILX
4.1 Times More Likely To Hit 250,000 Miles Or More
Acura rolled out the ILX in 2013 as a luxury compact companion to the mechanically similar Honda Civic. However, the Acura ILX didn’t enjoy the same industry staying power as the Civic, bowing out after the 2022 model year. A relatively brief tenure compared to the Honda Civic or Toyota Prius doesn’t mean the ILX isn’t capable of some seriously high mileage, though.
The Acura ILX takes the fifth spot among sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks most likely to reach or exceed a quarter of a million miles. According to the vehicle lifespan study, a well-maintained Acura ILX is a little over four times more likely to hit 250,000 miles than its segment mates. Of the ILX models in the study, the model boasted a 10.6 percent chance of hitting that number. Like the Civic, a shrewdly-maintained example could hit 300,000 miles and keep on going.
Moreover, even with a posher cabin than a comparable Honda Civic, the compact Acura sedan doesn’t need to break the bank. The average used price for an ILX is around $16,914, depending on factors like age, mileage, condition, location, and title status. Annual maintenance isn’t overly spendy either, with owners spending an average of about $435 on upkeep and repairs.
- Average used price: $16,914 (CarGurus)
- Average annual repair cost: $435 (RepairPal)
- Years produced: 2013-2022
- Drivetrain options: FWD
Maintenance And Repair Means Miles
You’ve likely heard assertions that any vehicle is capable of high miles. For the most part, it’s true. However, no vehicle will go the distance without proper maintenance, care, and repair. It’s important to keep up with maintenance timetables, including vital services like oil changes and replacing filters. Still, picking the right car can make hitting high mileages much easier. “The cost of today’s vehicles makes their lifespan more important than ever for value-oriented shoppers,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “While many consumers aren’t interested in a long-term relationship with their car, if you can commit to one model and buy one with a long lifespan, you can save tens of thousands of dollars on your personal transportation costs.”