Do Cars Or Trucks Last Longer? 5 Facts To Know (With Numbers)

One of those decisions that can give you quite a headache is deciding between buying a car or a full-blown pickup truck. This is now becoming a harder decision to make than it was a decade ago.

A good idea is to think about what features you need and what you will be using the vehicle for.

Whichever decision you make, one thing you’ll most certainly want is a vehicle that is reliable and will last you years to come.

Do Cars or Trucks Last Longer?

According to a study done on 13,5 million used vehicles, pickup trucks run for longer periods than cars. The Ford F-250 Super Duty tops the list and is followed by the Chevy Silverado 2500HD as the longest-lasting trucks.

Besides the obvious size difference between cars and pickup trucks, you don’t have to be an outdoor adventurer to fall in love with trucks.

Pickup trucks are now made to be suitable for both family driving and the outdoors. With added safety and comfort features, trucks are now becoming the better option to transport family.

Compared to trucks from a decade ago, where trucks were thought to be more of a workhorse on a farm or more of a construction vehicle, this is not the case with modern pickup trucks.

Today, you can get the same features of a modern car in a full-blown pickup truck. For everyday-driving, you can get features such as:

• Automatic emergency braking (AEB),
• lane departure warning (LDW)
• and blind-spot warning (BSW).

These features are a standard in modern cars and are now available in most modern pickup trucks.

These features make trucks a more appealing option. Not only are trucks longer-lasting but they are more powerful than cars.

Power is certainly why a lot of people purchase trucks over cars. You can use trucks to tow other cars or maybe a trailer for more space on those camping trips.

Speaking of camping trips, trucks are simply a joy in the outdoors. With features such as all-wheel drive and durable suspensions, you can maneuver uneven back trails and rough terrains with simplicity.

All this while in the comfort that is similar to that of a car.

This is due to the built-in features of modern trucks such as:

• Leather seats,
• multi-zone climate control,
• and infotainment systems.

This makes trucks a no-brainer when it comes to reliability. With all these added features, does this mean pickup trucks are now preferred over cars?

To answer that let’s first look at cars and how reliable they are.

We have a full list of demographics on pickup truck owners here.

How Long Do Cars Last In Miles And Years?

A car can last well over 200,000 miles. Japanese brands such as Toyota and Honda have been known to last the longest, taking some happy owners to more than 10 years.

In general, cars sure do last a long time if you are able to look after them very well. Toyotas, in particular, are known to be some of the most reliable cars out there. With the Avalon going well over 250,000 miles.

This is with great care given to the car, and that means regular maintenance checkups and it also depends on the original build quality of the car.

The Toyota Avalon also doesn’t carry a huge price tag when it comes to maintenance. The average cost for maintaining an Avalon comes in at around $400 a year.

This is a welcomed surprise seeing as other cars can blow a hole in your pocket with high maintenance costs.

Among the kings of reliability, we also have the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. Both these can go well over 200,000 miles with good maintenance, and they cost less to maintain.

With good routine maintenance visits, you can expect most modern cars to last well over 10 years.

Which Car Lasts The Longest?

According to a study, the longest-lasting car is the Toyota Avalon, known to reach 200,000 miles and more. The Toyota Avalon can last you more than 10 years if it is well looked after.

Toyotas are known for reliability and efficiency. This is due to the attention to detail that goes into building Toyotas. This most often results in Toyotas passing the test of time.

The Toyota Avalon has been known to pass reliability tests throughout the years with ease. One study done on 12 million cars that have clocked 200,000 miles revealed that 2,7% of those vehicles were Toyota Avalons.

That makes the Avalon the king of reliability in the sedan sector.

But what about pick up trucks? If you have a decision to make between a car and a truck, you most certainly want to have as much information about both types of vehicles.

And so you might be curious as to:

How Long Do Pickup Trucks Last In General?

It’s not difficult to find trucks that have been running for 15 to 20 years on the road. The average pickup truck is expected to run well over 200,000 miles.

It’s also not surprising to find a pickup truck at 100,000 still running like new. This is due to the fact that trucks are built to be tough.

If you’re going to be using a vehicle that will be hauling around work equipment or towing other vehicles, you need more power. And pickup trucks certainly have all the pulling power you need.

Towing and transporting construction equipment is no easy feat. It requires versatility and power. So trucks are made to withstand heavy loads for longer.

One other reason for such long-lasting periods for trucks might be due to the people who usually drive cars. Pickup trucks are generally owned by males, and also males that know their way around the mechanics of a vehicle.

This means that pickup drivers generally know how to take care of a car. They can do basic maintenance on their own vehicles.

This includes regular oil changes and filter changes. These basic maintenance checks can add even more years to the lifetime of a truck.

And what’s even more exciting for pickup truck drivers these days are the modern onboard computers installed that notify you of an upcoming service check. These come built into the truck and it’s great for drivers that aren’t so mechanically inclined.

Why?

Well, everyone’s busy keeping up with life’s responsibilities and it might slip your mind that your truck is due for service.

These nifty little features are handy in these situations because every time you hop into your truck, you’re notified that the big fella needs a checkup. So no excuses.

But with all these modern gadgets installed into the trucks, one might wonder if this doesn’t affect the ability of an owner to self-maintain the vehicle.

In the long run, trucks might become complicated for a regular owner to diagnose and fix, compared to older pickup trucks which anybody who is mechanically inclined could fix.

Even though pickup trucks are not great when it comes to fuel efficiency, they make up for this in other areas. Areas such as maintenance costs. Looking at their size, you might think they’ll blow a hole in your pocket when it comes time for a service check.

But this doesn’t seem to be the case.

For a quick example, the Ford F-150 comes to about $150 on average for maintenance costs and for the Ford Expedition you can expect to pay approximately $450 every year.

These maintenance costs certainly won’t break the bank and these models usually surpass the 200,000-mile mark.

But besides these two models, what other choices in pickup trucks are there?

Well, in terms of reliability, this question usually pops up together with the question:

Which Pickup Truck Lasts The Longest?

According to a recent survey by Consumer Reports on truck owners, the Toyota Tundra is the most reliable pickup truck, with the Ford F-250 coming in second place in terms of reliability.

Now that we know that trucks generally last longer than cars, let’s dive in for a closer look at the official list.

1. Toyota Tundra
2. Ford F-250
3. Ram 2500
4. Nissan Frontier
5. Honda Ridgeline
6. Ford F-150

Even though the Toyota Tundra has been rated low in terms of fuel efficiency, it has enjoyed the number one spot in reliability tests for years.

This just goes to show that a long-lasting pickup isn’t always the best pickup truck. This also helps when reliability and fuel efficiency is what you are looking for.

It’s also no surprise that a Toyota sits on top of the thrown for both pickup and sedan models. Toyota.

Toyotas are usually made to stand the test of time, and it’s no different with the Tundra model. This pickup truck can last you years, and will easily surpass 200,000 miles if take really good care of.

Two American models, the Ram 2500 and the Ford F-250 make it onto the list. These two models are proof that reliability tests change all the time.

Just because a truck rates highest in reliability this year, it doesn’t mean it will be so a year later.

We might see either the Ram 2500 or the Ford F-250 topping reliability scores next year. Or maybe the Toyota Tundra might keep it’s number one spot.

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