10 Cars that can last to 200k Miles

[desy]

"With regard to specific models, only the Honda Accord and Civic and Toyota Camry and Corolla are produced in both North American and Japanese plants. Honda Accords built in Japan have a nearly 25 PP100 advantage over those built in North American plants, while Civics built in North America have a nearly 15 PP100 advantage over their Japanese-built counterparts. Toyota Corollas built in both Japan and North America are almost identical in initial quality. There was insufficient sample to provide the same analysis for the Camry."


http://www.jdpower.com/corpora...elease.aspx?ID=2003028

Seems that 'where its built' isn't significant these days

 

[M2008S]

got a 92 chevy 1500 2 wheel drive orig powertrain and drivetrain ex. driveshaft (snapped in half). @ 238,041 and still going, never any major engine work/failures same with trans. only valve seats starting to go... burns a hair at morning startup.

rusty as shiiiiiii.... yay ohio

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: geokilla
We used to have a 1994 Volvo 850 with 232km before we sold it to our friend. Now, he's sold the car for a new Civic coupe, but he says that the 850 has a total of around 330km on the odometer. Pretty impressive. Engine still ran strongly. Tons of power. Practically service-free when we had it, but our friend was a bit less lucky. For 12 years, the muffler never had to be changed. That proves how reliable the Volvo was.

Volvo FTW.

The older 100% Swedish Volvos were more reliable than the current models that platform share with Ford. Much as I hate to admit it, the robust-ness of Volvos has declined since the Ford takeover. They're still average to slightly above average for reliability, but some reliability was sacrificed for comfort.

We had an old 240 wagon that was an absolute tank of a car. Ran forever. But it was slow, not terribly comfortable, the A/C was worthless, loud, handled poorly, etc. On the other hand, it was impossible to kill and it never got stuck in the winter.

ZV

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Top Tier : Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus
Better than Average : Nissan/Infiniti, GM, Volvo
Average : Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, VW, Mercedes, Suzuki, Saab
Worse than Average : Audi, BMW
Terrible : Mitsubishi, Dodge

i'd argue that one. ghosn took the quality out as a cost-cutting measure.

and i'd also put VW in 'Terrible.' it can't be better than audi.

I don't think Nissan has ever rated as highly as they do now on quality comparisons, so I'm not sure what you mean about Ghosn taking quality out. If anything, he's put it in.

maybe that's it, then, and everyone only thinks nissan is as reliable as toyonda until they have the misfortune of coming across one.

lower than mitsubishi

You do realize that JDPower looks at cars for the first three years only, and that minor/cosmetic things weigh rather heavily in their scoring? Something like a power window making a slight noise, one of the fins in a vent being 10 degrees offset, etc, will all reflect on a car's score. As this post is about vehicle longevity/200k milestone, I'm of the mind that JD power surveys are absolutely worthless in this regard. Mitsubishi is much much much worse than Nissan in the real world.

 

[mset]

Originally posted by: Ktulu
This types of reports are so fucking stupid. Any car model will last over 200k if taken care of properly.

This is total bs. There have been plenty of models that had systemic build quality and component problems which no amount of 'good care' would have solved. This is a known fact and it's not just limited the US car manufacturers, although they have been responsible for some very bad cars over the years. If the transmission is a piece of junk, the dealer can replace it 5 times and it will still fail on the 5th time (wasn't it the Dodge Caravan...?)

Re: the 7th Generation Accords, they haven't been up to Honda's reliability standards.

I'm not even saying that these reports aren't biased. They probably are. Just saying that it's ridiculous to claim that any car will last 200k if 'taken care of properly'.

 

[geokilla]

Zmmervolt, what you said is absolutely true. Before Ford bought Volvo, Volvo was as reliable as a rock, just like your 240. Hope BMW or someone buys Volvo. As long as an American car maker doesn't buy Volvo, I'm fine with that. My dad had a bad experience with a Ford years ago. He was driving in the city when the car's engine and everything suddenly shuts down. And no, the fuel tank or the battery was not dead or empty.

BTW, our 2nd Volvo is a 2000 S70 SE with I think 175K on it. Still running strong!! Just a little underpowered compared to our 2000 BMW 528i....But that I-5 sounds great at high revs! It's got the music, but not the punch.

 

[jtvang125]

I drive a Lexus. I should have little or no problems exceeding 200k miles right?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

You do realize that JDPower looks at cars for the first three years only, and that minor/cosmetic things weigh rather heavily in their scoring? Something like a power window making a slight noise, one of the fins in a vent being 10 degrees offset, etc, will all reflect on a car's score. As this post is about vehicle longevity/200k milestone, I'm of the mind that JD power surveys are absolutely worthless in this regard. Mitsubishi is much much much worse than Nissan in the real world.

while that is true (i've done their survey, there is a lot of cosmetic stuff, then again nissan is tied with mitsu in the powertrain segment) no one has any real hard data on 200K cars. we do have hard data for 3 year cars.

also, my post was in regards to nissan's reliability vis-a-vis their own historic reliability and general perceptions of big japanese automakers. so, while you are right in that this thread in general is about 200k cars, that isn't what i was responding to.

jdpower chooses 3 years (down from their old 5 year) because a) 3 year problems are more likely to be manufacturer's fault than owner's fault (whereas 5 year might be due to not following maintenance schedule, etc.) and b) portion of original owners keeping their car to 5 years has probably dropped precipitously (with the popularity of leases).

yes, i'm mad that my car pings on the recommended gas (i run chevron with the occasional shell), that it has issues with starting (nissan claims to know that it is a problem with the QR25DE but hasn't been able to resolve it, suggested fix of a more powerful starter didn't help), 4 or 5 recalls (still need to take it in for one), the inability to get a proper thermostat for it from any dealer in houston (10 dealers or so), etc.

i'd really like an infiniti but i'm skeptical of the quality.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: geokilla
Zmmervolt, what you said is absolutely true. Before Ford bought Volvo, Volvo was as reliable as a rock, just like your 240. Hope BMW or someone buys Volvo. As long as an American car maker doesn't buy Volvo, I'm fine with that. My dad had a bad experience with a Ford years ago. He was driving in the city when the car's engine and everything suddenly shuts down. And no, the fuel tank or the battery was not dead or empty.

BTW, our 2nd Volvo is a 2000 S70 SE with I think 175K on it. Still running strong!! Just a little underpowered compared to our 2000 BMW 528i....But that I-5 sounds great at high revs! It's got the music, but not the punch.

Actually I really like Ford, I think that they're in the best position of all the domestics right now overall, and the Fusion is one of my favorite "appliance" family sedans. It drives very well and is put together quite nicely. Ford has come a long way since the 1980's and early 1990's.

I love my S70 T-5. The hole-shot could be better (turbo lag) but it's plenty good on the freeway. Great seats and I'm loving the Pro-Logic stereo.

ZV

 

[PrinceofWands]

Any car has the potential to last that long...hell, my cavalier is still running (albeit with some issues) at 185k.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Top Tier : Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus
Better than Average : Nissan/Infiniti, GM, Volvo
Average : Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, VW, Mercedes, Suzuki, Saab
Worse than Average : Audi, BMW
Terrible : Mitsubishi, Dodge

i'd argue that one. ghosn took the quality out as a cost-cutting measure.

and i'd also put VW in 'Terrible.' it can't be better than audi.

The thing about the VW is though, if it isn't lemon or built in mexico, it probably has a good shot at 200K. The engines are built pretty well. Its just the other shit that is often screwed up.

 

[SithSolo1]

My parents had an '88 Chevy Astro hit 260K, a '96 GMC Safari that hit 210K, and mother has a '02 GMC Denali that has 180K and counting.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Arkaign

You do realize that JDPower looks at cars for the first three years only, and that minor/cosmetic things weigh rather heavily in their scoring? Something like a power window making a slight noise, one of the fins in a vent being 10 degrees offset, etc, will all reflect on a car's score. As this post is about vehicle longevity/200k milestone, I'm of the mind that JD power surveys are absolutely worthless in this regard. Mitsubishi is much much much worse than Nissan in the real world.

while that is true (i've done their survey, there is a lot of cosmetic stuff, then again nissan is tied with mitsu in the powertrain segment) no one has any real hard data on 200K cars. we do have hard data for 3 year cars.

also, my post was in regards to nissan's reliability vis-a-vis their own historic reliability and general perceptions of big japanese automakers. so, while you are right in that this thread in general is about 200k cars, that isn't what i was responding to.

jdpower chooses 3 years (down from their old 5 year) because a) 3 year problems are more likely to be manufacturer's fault than owner's fault (whereas 5 year might be due to not following maintenance schedule, etc.) and b) portion of original owners keeping their car to 5 years has probably dropped precipitously (with the popularity of leases).

yes, i'm mad that my car pings on the recommended gas (i run chevron with the occasional shell), that it has issues with starting (nissan claims to know that it is a problem with the QR25DE but hasn't been able to resolve it, suggested fix of a more powerful starter didn't help), 4 or 5 recalls (still need to take it in for one), the inability to get a proper thermostat for it from any dealer in houston (10 dealers or so), etc.

i'd really like an infiniti but i'm skeptical of the quality.

Good post, good points, thanks

I still think Nissan > Mitsu, but that's primarily my discrimination based upon personal experiences, and not broad research on the subject.

JD Power is good for a certain segment of people (those who only keep cars 0-3 years obviously), and of questionable value toward the long-haulers (like myself). I wish that there were more notable ambitious studies of vehicle longevity. I know I'd be a reader

 

[Red]

Most reports/reliability studies show that my car (Infiniti I35) with the VQ35DE is one of the most reliable on the road. It has the Maxima drivetrain. My car was made in Japan.

* Consumer Reports lists it as one of the best used cars ("CR Best Bet") from a February 2007 report. The list is comprised almost entirely of Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti and Subaru.
* March 2007, Consumer Reports showed Lexus dropping from 1st to 5th... Acura and Infiniti moved up on the list of luxury auto reliability
* It's true there seems to be a much higher problem rate in Nissan cars produced in the Canton, MS plant
* Auto On Info (http://www.autooninfo.net/Reli...anksUpscaleLuxury.htm) is a data-driven site with 5 year average reporting. It shows that the I30/I35 is the most reliable Infiniti, beating out the G35 / Q45 / M45

I just want to make a point that based on my personal experience and multiple survey statistics, my 5 year old, Japanese-built Nissan/Infiniti is one of the most reliable vehicles on the road.

 

[Skunkwourk]

On my second Es300. The first one was a 92 at 140K before I sold it, my 2000 is at about 88K right now.

 

[kaiten]

Went driving today in our 1993 Nissan Sentra with 199,012 miles. Basically we're just waiting for something major to happen. No timing belt replacement since 1998, maybe it is still on the original (?). The car is showing its age, but I still use it as a daily driver work car. Hopefully it will reach 200,000 in the next few weeks...

 

[32fear]

CR has always hated American cars though. This doesn't surprise me one bit. I've had 3 Fords over 200k. One of those went over 300k. All were fine on regular maintenance.
1992 Taurus
1995 Thunderbird
2003 Taurus
I'm driving a Saturn now and know it'll make it there too. It has to do more with the demographic of who drives the cars than anything else. Some are more likely to maintain the vehicle than others.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: 32fear
CR has always hated American cars though. This doesn't surprise me one bit. I've had 3 Fords over 200k. One of those went over 300k. All were fine on regular maintenance.
1992 Taurus
1995 Thunderbird
2003 Taurus
I'm driving a Saturn now and know it'll make it there too. It has to do more with the demographic of who drives the cars than anything else. Some are more likely to maintain the vehicle than others.

Surprising with that Taurus ('92 model)

Man, I always liked that series T-Bird/Cougar, I have a weakness for big comfortable coupes. Did you have the 4.6 V8 in it?

 

[imported_Shivetya]

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
WTF...I don't see the Accord, Camry or Corolla listed among the top 10. IIRC, Consumer Reports perennially ranks these models as having among the best reliability.

The rest of the lists seem to make sense.

Only room for 10, betcha they are in the top 20

 

[TitanDiddly]

I'm sort of surprised to see a lot of Mitsubishi haters. I've got a 95 Montero SR, which had an engine rebuild at ~150k, but it all other respects is 100% at 212k. The only thing on it that doesn't work is the CD changer, which was made by Pioneer.
I do want to sell it and get a Toyota pickup, though.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Red
Most reports/reliability studies show that my car (Infiniti I35) with the VQ35DE is one of the most reliable on the road. It has the Maxima drivetrain. My car was made in Japan.

you have no idea how often i've kicked myself for deciding to save money and get a hecho en mexico POS rather than a made in japan maxima SE (which probably would have suffered the paint chipping problem, but nothing else)

 

[Summitdrinker]

I owned 3 cougars, a 92 a 93 and a 95
they were good cars
the 92 was a V6, bought it new, traded in on a the 93 (new) I wanted a loaded V8, plus avoid the bad head gasket issue down the road. I owned it 1 1/2 years, 32,000 miles on it, never a problem

the 93 was loaded, 5.0, limited slip, digital dash, rare high grade all leather seats, ABS etc. I was told less than 400 had those seats, it was a great car, sold for 3000 dollars with 180,000 miles on it. I kinda wish I kept it, but it needed a few things, like power steeering lines and a new radiator. the raditaor was ok but getting weak when pulling my bass boat in the heat

the 95 had a 4.6 i bought used, it was a ok car, but not as good as the 93, I was down on money at the time and it was just a extra car so I sold it

 

[Squisher]

I've been shopping for a '97-'02 F150 in my area. I saw this and could only wonder how you put 439K on a truck in 6 years. :Q

 

[Horus]

Why is the Ford Taurus not on that list?

For that matter, why is the Crown Vic not on that list? Those cars last FOREVER.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Pretty good list IMO. i think i'd still like my 2005 accord tho. going 30k. running 100% no problems so far. i'm sure it will go past 200k easy. i try not to rev it past 2.5k on daily driving and not over 3k ever.