Choosing a car is a decision nobody takes lightly. In some ways, the car we choose is much a reflection of our personality. And as we spend more time in our car, we tend to become more attached.
iSeeCars.com, an automotive search engine, recently ran a survey in the United States of over 6 million used vehicles sold by original owners to find which models are held onto the longest after being bought brand new. This is what they found:
The average length of ownership for the top 10 models ranges from 8.3 to 9 years – or 10.9% to 20.9% longer than the overall average (7.4 yrs).
The Ford Expedition Model came out on top, as new car owners kept this for on average 9 yrs worth of ownership. Other SUV’s also proved popular for long term ownership…
The Chevrolet Corvette came in second, also with an average of 9 yrs of ownership, followed by a Toyota Sequoia, which owners were found to have kept for around 8.9 yrs.
The Toyota 4Runner followed in 4th place, at 8.8 yrs. The Toyota Avalon came 5th with an average of 8.6 yrs.
Following the top 5 were the Ford Explorer (8.4 yrs), Chevrolet Suburban (8.4 yrs), Honda Accord (8.3 yrs), Ford Taurus (8.3 yrs) and the Honda Odyssey (8.3 yrs). Other cars were shown to have an average of 7.4 yrs.
“While the average car buyer gets rid of their car 7.4 years after purchasing it new, there is a wide variety of cars that owners are more likely to keep for longer,” said iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly in a press statement. “Many factors could contribute to a car’s longevity such as its function as shown by the dominance of family vehicles, or because of a fondness of a timeless classic like the Chevrolet Corvette.”