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Cars That Can Run for Over 200,000 Miles

Acura RL
While the full-size RL sedan is neither the fastest nor the flashiest luxury car on the market, it’s roomy, quiet and comfortable and its V6 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and advanced all-wheel-drive system perform stalwartly.

For most cost-conscious consumers, keeping a car running for as long as possible is a financial issue – it’s typically cheaper to repair a car that’s otherwise in serviceable condition than it is to make payments on a new one. For others, however, it’s a mission. Case in point is Irv Gordon of East Patchogue, New York, who holds the Guinness world record for racking up the highest mileage in the same vehicle. At last count he’s clocked around 2,800,000 miles on the Volvo 1800 S coupe he purchased back in 1966 and is aiming for a cool 3 million. If you’ve ever seen it, it looks like a museum piece, which is a testament to Gordon’s meticulous care.

Trivia buffs know the Volvo 1800 S as Roger Moore’s ride of choice as adventurer Simon Templar in the TV series “The Saint” back when the car was new, but you don’t need divine intervention to wring the most miles possible out of your automotive investment. With proper maintenance and timely replacement of worn parts just about any of today’s cars and trucks can stay on the road for 200,000 miles or more. This is enabling American motorists to hold onto their rides for longer than ever – the average passenger vehicle on the road today is 10.6 years old, according to the Car Care Council.

For those with an eye on owning a car or truck for the long run, we’ve identified a list of 14 model-year 2012 vehicles that are statistically among the least likely to encounter major mechanical problems in at least the first several years of ownership. Our list consists of 14 cars and trucks that received top scores in both the most-recent Consumer Reports Car Reliability survey, based on problems reported by 1.3 million owners of model-year 2005-2010 vehicles, and the J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Vehicles Dependability Study based on responses from more than 43,700 original owners of 2008 model-year vehicles.

Honda CR-V
A redesigned version of this popular compact crossover SUV debuts in early 2012, but it should remain as dependable as the current generation (pictured here). Its 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and 5-speed automatic transmission will carry over, though the new model will be more stylish and receive assorted upgrades.

We also consulted repair-cost predictions from Intellichoice.com to ensure that any of the cars and trucks in our “200,000 mile club” would not become prohibitively costly to keep running once parts needed replacing. And at that, we chose models that, for the most part, “keep it simple,” and (at least in their base models) eschew complex gadgetry that could require expensive repair or replacement down the road.

Our picks include budget-minded small cars like the Honda Fit and Scion xB, stalwart sedans including the Acura RL and Lincoln MKZ, sporty cars like the Ford Mustang and Mazda MX-5 Miata, purposeful people-movers such as the Subaru Forester and Toyota Highlander and tough trucks including the Toyota 4Runner and Tundra models. While most of the models on our list are from Asian automakers, based on past model-year performance, we expect additional domestic models to make CR and J.D. Power’s most-reliable lists in the years to come.

Of course, no matter which model a motorist ultimately chooses, only a well-maintained car or truck will last long enough to go the distance. The road to 200,000 miles begins with following the automaker’s maintenance schedule to the letter, particularly during the 1st few years of ownership to prevent voiding the vehicle’s warranty. Have the oil and filter changed according to the automaker’s so-called “severe use” schedule, which by definition applies to those who frequently drive in stop-and-go traffic, live in extremely hot or cold climates or dusty areas or who tow a trailer (which accounts for the majority of motorists).

What’s more, astute owners need to take a proactive attitude toward car care that reaches beyond the occasional trip to the shop. This means opening the hood and perhaps even getting your hands dirty from time to time. For starters, check all of the vehicle fluids regularly – including engine oil, coolant and brake, power steering and transmission fluids – and top them off as necessary. Your car’s owner’s manual will show where and how to check them. If any fluid levels are chronically low, have the car examined by a technician.

Inspect the hoses and belts regularly. Have them replaced whenever they appear cracked, brittle, frayed, become loose or show signs of excessive wear. Check the level of fluid in the battery at least once a month; it typically resides under a removable plastic cover to the left or right of the engine. Either remove the battery caps or look through the small “window” provided for this purpose. If the fluid level is low, top it off only with distilled water. Keep the terminals clear of corrosion to ensure a good connection using a soft wire brush dipped in ammonia or baking soda, then flush with clear water.

Check the air pressure in the tires – including the spare – weekly, and only when the tires are cold (before driving), using a good-quality tire-pressure gauge. Keep them inflated to the maximum pressure recommended in the owner’s manual. Check the tread depth periodically by placing a penny head 1st into the tread; if any part of Lincoln’s head is visible it’s time for new tires (contemporary tires also include built-in tread wear indicators that appear as horizontal stripes running perpendicular to the tread when they need replacing). Have the tires rotated once a year, or sooner if they begin to show signs of uneven wear.

Honda Fit
The subcompact 4-door Fit remains a perfect car for the times – it’s reasonably priced, is fun to drive and its 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine gets stellar fuel economy. It’s roomier on the inside than its diminutive exterior might otherwise indicate, with a tall-roofed hatchback design that maximizes both rear-seat headroom and cargo space.

Pay attention to the way your car drives. Take your car to the service department or repair shop if it’s making strange sounds, is becoming difficult to start, is handling or braking oddly, is overheating or otherwise isn’t operating as expected. Undue procrastination may lead to higher repair bills down the road.

Also, be sure to take care of your ride’s appearance to ensure it ages gracefully from an aesthetic point of view. Have the car washed frequently, waxed at least once a year with a good-quality paste wax and keep the interior looking good with liberal use of plastic-surface conditioner. Dirty seats and carpeting wear out quicker, so be sure to vacuum the interior regularly and freshen it annually with carpet/upholstery cleaner.

Unfortunately, even a meticulously maintained car or truck will need to visit the repair shop from time to time as the miles pile up. Batteries, tires and brake components, for example, usually last no more than a few years at a time before wearing out. Bigger-ticket items that usually need replacement at or near the 100,000-mile point often include an engine’s computer-control unit, timing belt, fuel pump, water pump, alternator and starter, as well as the vehicle’s muffler and exhaust pipes, power-steering pump and universal or CV joint. As a car approaches its “golden years,” it’s a good idea to budget a certain amount of money each year for such repairs to keep a car running in top shape.

You may even be able to give Irv Gordon and his 2.8 million-mile Volvo a run for the world’s record some day.

Have a car that’s still looks and runs great after 200,000 or more miles? Leave a comment and let us know about it.

Jim Gorzelany is author of the Automotive Intelligentsia 2011-2012 Sports Car Guide, available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and the Apple

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not a lot of interesting stuff said about the Acura other than it's picture...but here's the Volvo

oo7spy

Mustang?!? The MKZ was a little surprising, but that bit is amazing.

BuLtL00

Ford and Lincoln???Where is Honda S2000??That car is bulletproof!!!

alfadoctor

Where is the Honda Accord? My mom regretted selling her Accord with 150,000 miles on it as there was nothing wrong with it (my dad wanted a newer model).

TonyCD

I'm not impressed by the data at the basis of this list. They've mingled the engineering of the car with the composition of the owner body. It's like saying a car is bad at accident avoidance because crash-prone drivers own it.

As an example, there's nothing fundamentally different between a Lincoln MKZ and a Fusion, except that older and wealthier people buy the Lincoln, so it's probably driven slower, less and gets better maintenance. Unfortunately, I think the RL falls into the same category, even though it's not as identical to its junior brethren as the MKZ is.

I also don't believe that the Fit or the Scion XB will prove to be among the most physically durable cars on the road; there's just too much compromise required by the cost and weight savings of a high-mileage small car. The Scions are starting to come into use as big-city taxicabs, and I flatly predict that they will not stand up to that duty for long periods without getting tired in chassis rigidity and in other ways.

I don't know if there's any car built today at popular prices that's as incredibly bulletproof over long periods as the Lexuses and Toyotas of the early '90s. Certainly today's Lexuses and Toyotas aren't. But to me, that kind of stoutness is the gold standard that should be at the heart of a story like this, not just a mindless reading of a list of cars that haven't failed yet in the hands of the demographic that's bought them.

SSjTrunks112O

Ah you beat me to the punch.. I just posted a thread about this courtesy of yahoo but I don't know how to delete it (if that's even possible for a non-moderator).