17 Great Cars To Own for More Than 15 Years
Every driver eventually stares down the dreaded decision of whether it's worth putting another dollar into a trusty and beloved old vehicle. Cars depreciate quickly, they fall victim to the cumulative effects of wear and tear, and their technology and safety features are eventually rendered obsolete.
With some vehicles, however, that fateful moment doesn't come for many, many years.
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GOBankingRates used data from iSeeCars.com, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Edmunds to analyze tens of thousands of vehicles for their value as a long-term investment. The results of the survey profiles vehicles from all over the spectrum of categories -- but one brand dominates the list like no other. Two hints. One, it's a Japanese automaker with a reputation for dependability, and two, if you bought one of their cars less than 200,000 miles ago, chances are good it's still on the road.
Toyota Prius
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 13.70%
Compared to average: 2.2x
If You Buy a 2021 Model:
2021 starting MSRP: $24,525
True cost to own after 5 years: $35,252
15-year depreciation: $21,531
Value of car in 2036: $2,994
Toyota Highlander
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 12.40%
Compared to average: 2.0x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $35,085
True cost to own after 5 years: $49,044
15-year depreciation: $30,802
Value of car in 2036: $4,283
Toyota Tacoma
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 11.60%
Compared to average: 1.9x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $26,400
True cost to own after 5 years: $42,703
15-year depreciation: $23,177
Value of car in 2036: $3,223
Toyota Sienna
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 11.50%
Compared to average: 1.9x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $34,460
True cost to own after 5 years: N/A
15-year depreciation: $30,254
Value of car in 2036: $4,206
Toyota Tundra
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 11.30%
Compared to average: 1.8x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $34,025
True cost to own after 5 years: $54,714
15-year depreciation: $29,872
Value of car in 2036: $4,153
Honda CR-V
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 10.70%
Compared to average: 1.8x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $25,350
True cost to own after 5 years: $39,840
15-year depreciation: $22,256
Value of car in 2036: $3,094
Honda Pilot
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 10.40%
Compared to average: 1.7x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $32,550
True cost to own after 5 years: $48,504
15-year depreciation: $28,577
Value of car in 2036: $3,973
Subaru Forester
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 9.80%
Compared to average: 1.6x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $24,795
True cost to own after 5 years: $42,324
15-year depreciation: $21,768
Value of car in 2036: $3,027
Toyota 4Runner
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 9.40%
Compared to average: 1.5x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $36,765
True cost to own after 5 years: $52,062
15-year depreciation: $32,277
Value of car in 2036: $4,488
Toyota Sequoia
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 9.10%
Compared to average: 1.5x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $50,400
True cost to own after 5 years: $70,523
15-year depreciation: $44,248
Value of car in 2036: $6,152
Toyota RAV4
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 8.70%
Compared to average: 1.4x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $26,250
True cost to own after 5 years: $41,168
15-year depreciation: $23,046
Value of car in 2036: $3,204
Nissan Frontier
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 8.50%
Compared to average: 1.4x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $27,190
True cost to own after 5 years: N/A
15-year depreciation: $23,871
Value of car in 2036: $3,319
Acura MDX
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.90%
Compared to average: 1.3x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $46,900
True cost to own after 5 years: N/A
15-year depreciation: $41,175
Value of car in 2036: $5,725
GMC Canyon
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.80%
Compared to average: 1.3x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $26,800
True cost to own after 5 years: $46,998
15-year depreciation: $23,529
Value of car in 2036: $3,271
Chevrolet Colorado
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.60%
Compared to average: 1.2x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $25,200
True cost to own after 5 years: $45,138
15-year depreciation: $22,124
Value of car in 2036: $3,076
Hyundai Tucson
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.60%
Compared to average: 1.2x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $24,950
True cost to own after 5 years: $40,731
15-year depreciation: $21,904
Value of car in 2036: $3,046
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.60%
Compared to average: 1.2x
If you buy a 2021 model:
2021 starting MSRP: $26,830
True cost to own after 5 years: $46,318
15-year depreciation: $23,555
Value of car in 2036: $3,275
More From GOBankingRates
John Csiszar contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GoBankingRates, in order to find 15 cars that are great long-term investments, referenced iSeeCars' report on cars people keep the longest, which analyzed more than 66,000 cars from the 1981-2005 model years that were resold for the first time in 2020. Vehicle types included SUVs, pickup trucks, luxury vehicles and sports cars. From this report, GOBankingRates looked at the 15 cars that were most likely to be kept for 15 years or longer in recent years. Then, GOBankingRates identified each car's 2021 model and MSRP from its manufacturer's site. GOBankingRates used Edmunds Inc.'s True Cost to Own calculator to find the true 5-year cost to own each 2021 model in its most basic style. GOBankingRates kept the location for the calculations constant, using the ZIP code 90245 (El Segundo, California). The Edmunds Inc. True Cost to Own calculations use the following assumptions:
-You will drive 15,000 miles per year
-You are financing the vehicle using traditional financing, not lease financing
-You have an above-average credit rating for the purpose of determining your finance rate
-You are making a 10% down payment on the vehicle at purchase
-Your loan term is five years, or 60 months
Finally, GOBankingRates used Navy Federal Credit Union's car depreciation calculator to find how much of each car's MSRP will be lost to depreciation in 15 years and used this to project the value of each car in 2036.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 17 Great Cars To Own for More Than 15 Years
