17 Great Cars To Own for More Than 15 Years

TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com
TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com
Toyota
Toyota

Toyota Prius

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 13.70%

  • Compared to average: 2.2x

If You Buy a 2021 Model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $24,525

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $35,252

  • 15-year depreciation: $21,531

  • Value of car in 2036: $2,994

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Toyota
Toyota

Toyota Highlander

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 12.40%

  • Compared to average: 2.0x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $35,085

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $49,044

  • 15-year depreciation: $30,802

  • Value of car in 2036: $4,283

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Toyota
Toyota

Toyota Tacoma

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 11.60%

  • Compared to average: 1.9x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $26,400

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $42,703

  • 15-year depreciation: $23,177

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,223

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Toyota
Toyota

Toyota Sienna

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 11.50%

  • Compared to average: 1.9x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $34,460

  • True cost to own after 5 years: N/A

  • 15-year depreciation: $30,254

  • Value of car in 2036: $4,206

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Toyota
Toyota

Toyota Tundra

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 11.30%

  • Compared to average: 1.8x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $34,025

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $54,714

  • 15-year depreciation: $29,872

  • Value of car in 2036: $4,153

Honda
Honda

Honda CR-V

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 10.70%

  • Compared to average: 1.8x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $25,350

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $39,840

  • 15-year depreciation: $22,256

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,094

Honda North America
Honda North America

Honda Pilot

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 10.40%

  • Compared to average: 1.7x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $32,550

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $48,504

  • 15-year depreciation: $28,577

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,973

Subaru
Subaru

Subaru Forester

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 9.80%

  • Compared to average: 1.6x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $24,795

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $42,324

  • 15-year depreciation: $21,768

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,027

Toyota
Toyota

Toyota 4Runner

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 9.40%

  • Compared to average: 1.5x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $36,765

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $52,062

  • 15-year depreciation: $32,277

  • Value of car in 2036: $4,488

Toyota
Toyota

Toyota Sequoia

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 9.10%

  • Compared to average: 1.5x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $50,400

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $70,523

  • 15-year depreciation: $44,248

  • Value of car in 2036: $6,152

Toyota
Toyota

Toyota RAV4

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 8.70%

  • Compared to average: 1.4x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $26,250

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $41,168

  • 15-year depreciation: $23,046

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,204

Nissan
Nissan

Nissan Frontier

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 8.50%

  • Compared to average: 1.4x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $27,190

  • True cost to own after 5 years: N/A

  • 15-year depreciation: $23,871

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,319

MullenLowe / Acura
MullenLowe / Acura

Acura MDX

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.90%

  • Compared to average: 1.3x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $46,900

  • True cost to own after 5 years: N/A

  • 15-year depreciation: $41,175

  • Value of car in 2036: $5,725

GMC
GMC

GMC Canyon

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.80%

  • Compared to average: 1.3x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $26,800

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $46,998

  • 15-year depreciation: $23,529

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,271

Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet Colorado

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.60%

  • Compared to average: 1.2x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $25,200

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $45,138

  • 15-year depreciation: $22,124

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,076

David Dewhurst Photography / Hyundai
David Dewhurst Photography / Hyundai

Hyundai Tucson

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.60%

  • Compared to average: 1.2x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $24,950

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $40,731

  • 15-year depreciation: $21,904

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,046

Mazda
Mazda

Mazda MX-5 Miata

  • Percentage of owners that kept their vehicle 15+ years: 7.60%

  • Compared to average: 1.2x

If you buy a 2021 model:

  • 2021 starting MSRP: $26,830

  • True cost to own after 5 years: $46,318

  • 15-year depreciation: $23,555

  • Value of car in 2036: $3,275

More From GOBankingRates

John Csiszar contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GoBankingRates, in order to find 15 cars that are great long-term investments, referenced iSeeCars' report on cars people keep the longest, which analyzed more than 66,000 cars from the 1981-2005 model years that were resold for the first time in 2020. Vehicle types included SUVs, pickup trucks, luxury vehicles and sports cars. From this report, GOBankingRates looked at the 15 cars that were most likely to be kept for 15 years or longer in recent years. Then, GOBankingRates identified each car's 2021 model and MSRP from its manufacturer's site. GOBankingRates used Edmunds Inc.'s True Cost to Own calculator to find the true 5-year cost to own each 2021 model in its most basic style. GOBankingRates kept the location for the calculations constant, using the ZIP code 90245 (El Segundo, California). The Edmunds Inc. True Cost to Own calculations use the following assumptions:

-You will drive 15,000 miles per year

-You are financing the vehicle using traditional financing, not lease financing

-You have an above-average credit rating for the purpose of determining your finance rate

-You are making a 10% down payment on the vehicle at purchase

-Your loan term is five years, or 60 months

Finally, GOBankingRates used Navy Federal Credit Union's car depreciation calculator to find how much of each car's MSRP will be lost to depreciation in 15 years and used this to project the value of each car in 2036.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 17 Great Cars To Own for More Than 15 Years

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