Surprise! Toyota Has the Most Reliable SUVs Likely to Pass 250,000 Miles
It’s not just reputation – Toyota SUVs really are more reliable, according to a new report. Toyota SUVS are more likely to reach reach 250,000-mile than any other automaker.
What are the longest-lasting Toyota SUVs?
The longest-lasting Toyota SUVs are the Land Cruiser, Sequoia, 4Runner, RAV4, and Highlander.
Business Insider recently compiled a list of the 14 SUVs most likely reaching 250,000 miles. According to the report, Toyota led all brands with five SUV models on the list. Here are the five Toyota SUVs reliable enough to reach a quarter-million miles.
- Toyota Land Cruiser: 47.9 percent
- Toyota Sequoia: 47.1 percent
- Toyota 4Runner: 41 percent
- Toyota RAV4 18.1 percent
- Toyota Highlander 17.5 percent
Unsurprisingly, Toyota had the most SUVs on the list, while Honda trailed in second place with four models on the list. Business Insider compiled the list via ownership data on models purchased between 2012 and 2022.
According to the report, the average SUV has a 15 percent chance of reaching 250,000 miles. As you can see, these models have far higher chances of passing a quarter-million miles.
Large Toyota SUVs continue to go the distance with reliability
Toyota’s Land Cruiser, 4Runner, and Sequoia truck-based SUVs earned top spots for the most reliable models.
In keeping with its reputation, the Toyota Land Cruiser took the top spot. For decades, Toyota’s flagship SUV has been known as the industry’s nearly indestructible vehicle. The data appears to back up that reputation.
The Toyota Sequoia trails just slightly the Land Cruiser, with 47.1 percent of examples reaching 250,000 miles. Both full-size Toyota SUVs have nearly a 50/50 shot of reaching a quarter-million miles – an astounding feat.
The ubiquitous Toyota 4Runner makes an appearance in the top five as well. Long regarded as one of the industry’s most reliable SUVs, the 4Runner reaches 250,000 miles at a 41 percent rate.
Toyota crossovers offer solid reliability
Two Toyota crossovers are more likely to reach 250,000 miles than their peers. However, they fall short of the durability of the brand’s truck-based SUVs.
According to Business Insider, 18.1 percent of Toyota RAV4s and 17.5 percent of Toyota Highlanders were reliable enough to reach 250,000 miles. Both are above average compared to other SUVs – but they appear less than half as reliable as the larger Toyota SUVs.
An important detail – both the RAV4 and Highlander sell at higher volumes than the three truck-based Toyota SUVs. The sheer scale of units on the road may skew reliability data with more instances of wrecks and irresponsible ownership. While the Toyota crossovers may be viewed as relatively disposable appliances, the more rugged models are likely purchased by niche drivers who pay close attention to maintenance.
Why are Toyota SUVs reliable?
Toyota SUVs are reliable because the brand tends to stick to tried-and-true engineering rather than race ahead to cutting-edge technology.
Critics often cite this strategy as a knock against Toyota SUVs since the models tend to have less refinement than their peers. But years later, Toyota SUVs earn back the respect with their outstanding reliability.
The 4Runner, Land Cruiser, and Sequoia each went more than a decade without redesigns. It’s no coincidence that they rank in the top four most reliable SUVs of the last 10 years. As long as Toyota sticks to its slow-and-steady development strategy, its SUVs should keep racing past 250,000 miles relatively easily.
