Want A Car That Lasts 250,000 Miles? Study Says You Might Want To Buy Japanese, Not EuropeanGuessing HeadlightsAndre NalinFri, September 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleImage Credit: Toyota.Toyota and Honda have spent decades building reputations for producing cars capable of surviving enormous mileage, and a new study suggests those reputations aren't simply the product of clever marketing or devoted owners.Research from iSeeCars analyzed data from more than 395 million vehicles to estimate the likelihood of cars from 33 brands reaching 250,000 miles. Japanese manufacturers didn't merely perform well; they swept the top four positions.Toyota comfortably led the rankings, followed by Lexus, Honda, and Acura. The gap between those four and most of the industry is substantial, particularly when compared with several prominent European manufacturers.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat said, there is an important caveat to keep in mind. The study measures the probability of vehicles reaching a mileage threshold, which isn't necessarily the same thing as measuring reliability or build quality.Toyota Is Way Out In FrontImage Credit: Toyota.According to iSeeCars, a Toyota has a 19.7% estimated chance of reaching at least 250,000 miles. That's 3.7 times the overall industry average of 5.4%.Lexus follows at 14.4%, while Honda sits at 13.3% and Acura at 9.5%. GMC is the highest-ranked non-Japanese brand at 5.8% and the only other manufacturer among the 33 studied to finish above the overall average.Mazda narrowly misses that benchmark at 5.3%, followed by Lincoln at 4.7%, Ram at 4.2%, and Ford at 4.1%. Chevrolet rounds out the top 11 with a 3.6% estimated probability.European Luxury Brands StruggleImage Credit: Porsche.The picture becomes considerably less flattering farther down the table. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo tie at 2.6%, while Volkswagen manages 1.5%.AdvertisementAdvertisementBMW and Audi each score just 0.5%, with Land Rover at 0.4% and Porsche at 0.3%. Jaguar and Maserati are both listed at 0.0%, as is Mini.Those figures require some context before anyone concludes that a Porsche is inherently less durable than a Toyota. iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer specifically noted that Porsche's result likely reflects how little many examples are driven rather than poor quality or durability.Luxury Cars Are Less Likely To Hit 250,000 MilesThat usage difference appears across the wider luxury segment. Premium brands averaged only a 3.4% chance of reaching 250,000 miles, compared with 5.8% for non-luxury manufacturers.Lexus is the major exception, with its 14.4% result coming in at 4.2 times the luxury-brand average. Acura's 9.5% probability is similarly impressive, followed by Lincoln at 4.7% and Cadillac at 3.9%.Longevity Isn't The Same As ReliabilityImage Credit: Honda.iSeeCars calculated average odometer readings for vehicles at each yearly age before using a proprietary model to estimate their probability of surviving to different mileage thresholds. Individual model and generation results were then averaged across each manufacturer's lineup, weighted according to how common each model is on the road.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat means these numbers shouldn't be treated as definitive reliability scores. Maintenance, annual mileage, depreciation, owner behavior, and whether a vehicle remains economically worthwhile to repair can all influence how long it stays on the road.Still, it's really hard to ignore the difference at the top. If reaching 250,000 miles is the goal, this study suggests Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Acura give owners considerably better odds than the average vehicle.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.