By Morf Morford, Tacoma Daily Index
There is a lot to love and hate about cars. At one level, there is nothing we Americans love (and obsess over) more than cars. At another level, there are few things that frustrate us more than cars – either our own or those pesky cars of other people. And, of course, those crazy “other drivers” out there.
Unlike too many household appliances like refrigerators (which seem to be designed with an eye on pre-scheduled obsolescence more than anything like reliable, useful service) the typical car, with minimum maintenance, can easily last an impressive amount of miles – and years – of stable, affordable and safe transportation.
Oddly enough, cars don’t need to be expensive to be reliable. In fact, of the top ten most reliable cars, so-called luxury cars are barely listed.
One of the most reliable cars, contrary to our expectations is a 2006 Honda Civic which flew past a million miles (with an odometer that only goes to 999,999) with the original engine and transmission. You can see details on this particular car here .
If you take care of your car, it’ll take care of you
Like everything else in life, if we take care of our cars, they will take care of us. But cars are more public than most, if not all, of our other possessions.
And cars are vulnerable to all kinds of accidents, vandalism, theft and weather conditions that our refrigerators are unlikely to encounter. But, even so, who among us has a refrigerator from 2006?
{Editor’s note; I drive a 2009 Toyota Yaris, which I expect to keep driving for many more years. It is long paid for and has nowhere near a million miles on it.}
The top ten
As you might guess, a listing of the top ten most reliable cars holds, and excludes, the usual suspects.
In the categories of sedans and SUVs, Toyotas and Hondas dominate the list. In fact, of the top ten standard passenger sedan and hatchbacks, there was only one American made car on the list – the Chevrolet Impala, one of the most widely used rental cars in the U.S.
Each of the top ten averaged more than 200,000 miles for the life of the vehicle – more than double the lifespan of cars from the 1960s and 1970s, which typically lasted about 100,000 miles.
Much to no one’s surprise, Lexus was the only luxury brand in this list. This is more than likely due to the fact that Lexus and Toyota often share drivetrain components. As to why more luxury cars were NOT on the list, I can only guess that luxury car buyers are interested in something other than reliability.
Somehow it doesn’t fit the popular image of billionaires to be driving a 2006 (or so) Honda or Toyota. But for the rest of us, affordable and dependable are likely to be the ultimate criteria.
Trucks
When it comes to trucks, Toyota, Honda and Nissan dominate the top five, with the Ford F-150 coming in at number five. Even though they tend to last longer, Japanese truck sales are not even close to their American competition.
You might see an increasing number of electric cars on the road, but when it comes to their reliability, the jury is still out. Reliability, after all, in vehicles (or refrigerators) is measured in years, if not decades.
Stay tuned to the Tacoma Daily Index for an article sometime around the year 2030 exploring the durability of electric vehicles.
To see details on a recent study and see where your favorite vehicle stands, take a look here.
In short, if your philosophy of driving is still, “drive it ‘til it drops”, you could be driving that vehicle for a long, long time.
