Wouldn’t it be great if cars never wore out? You could just drive the car that you bought when you were seventeen forever – if you wanted to – not having to worry about service costs. It sounds like a fairy tale. But that’s only because we’re used to cars wearing out after a mere five or ten years.
There are cars, however, that last a lot longer than you might think. In fact, they last so long that many of them can break the 200,000-mile mark without breaking much of a sweat. In other words, some of these cars have been doing 10,000 miles per year since 1996. Not bad.
So what is it about these cars that set them apart from the rest? We’re about to find out.
Toyota Corolla
The Corolla was always designed by Toyota to be a basic driving machine. It’s functional, and that’s about all there is to say about the car. Well, except for the fact that Corollas make it to the 200,000-mile mark more often than practically any car.
The Corolla still has a four-speed transmission, something that Toyota introduced back in the 1990s. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Honda Civic
The fact that the Civic is on this list should surprise nobody, given the presence of the Corolla. The cars are almost identical and built to the same robust standards. Just like the Corolla, the Civic is an entry-level car that just wants to run and run and run.
What’s more, the Civic has some longevity-enhancing aftermarket options. Most cars suffer poor performance in the exhaust department, and the Civic is no exception. Exhausts just don’t seem to last that long. But now aftermarket car modification sellers are doing their bit. The solution is to take a stainless steel sheet and transform it into a stainless steel exhaust. Unlike a regular exhaust, it won’t rust away over time, thanks to the added chromium in the metal. It’s just one more step down the road to automotive immortality.
Subaru Outback
Big 4x4s have a reputation for being robust, but not very reliable. It’s a strange mix, partly driven by the poor reliability of Landrovers historically. But now Subaru have muscled in on the game with their Outback. And the part wagon, part crossover, is setting new benchmarks in the reliability stakes.
Thanks to its reliability, it makes regular appearances on used car lots. Consumers and resellers know it’s a safe bet and something that won’t come back to bite them in the future.
Ford Crown Victoria
The last car on the list is also the first non-Japanese car on the list. And that should tell you something about the Crown Victoria. Though the car has been out of production for nearly a decade, you’ll still see these cars stalking the streets. But why?
It all comes down to tried and tested design principles. In other words, the car doesn’t take any risks in design. There’s no fancy electronics or engine management, just an old-fashioned pushrod V8 that works.
