4 Japanese Car Brands Likely To Reach 250,000 Miles (According To iSeeCars)

Depending on our individual needs and requirements, we all choose different features, gadgets and attributes when buying a new car. If you have a large family and live in a colder country, cargo space, passenger occupancy, and features like heated seats and a heated steering wheel will likely be a priority. However, if you live alone and like to carve canyon roads every weekend, then a two-seater with nimble handling and a powerful engine will probably be a better fit.
Whether it’s a Miata or a Suburban we’re looking for, one of the features we all want to ensure when buying a new car is reliability and durability. Unfortunately it’s not always guaranteed. Some cars are known to be unreliable and it may struggle to even crack the 100,000-mile mark, which is pretty disappointing—especially when you consider that the average price of a new car is currently heading north of $50,000.
Fortunately, we can refer to data iSeeCars to give ourselves a better chance at purchasing a car that can go long distances. The outlet checked data on 174 million cars to determine which brands were most likely to produce cars that can exceed 250,000 miles (excluding heavy-duty models). Overwhelmingly, the best performers were Japanese automakers; Therefore, we decided to shed light on the best Japanese brands in terms of durability. Interestingly, the top four in the iSeeCars survey were all Japanese, and these four were the only brands (out of 32) to cover 250,000 miles. Without further ado, here are your top performers.
Read more: 10 Toyota Models With Terrible Resale Value
toyota
Rear view of the 2022 Toyota 200 Series Land Cruiser – Toyota
If you’re even remotely interested in cars, which you probably are if you’re here, then it probably won’t come as a surprise that iSeeCars has pegged Toyota as not only the number one Japanese brand, but also the automaker most likely to produce cars that have a chance of breaking the 250,000-mile mark. The brand has a reputation for reliability, and this didn’t come out of nowhere. Perhaps the best example of Toyota’s mind-blowing durability is Vic Sheppard’s million-mile Tundra. Or rather: Tundras have pushed two of Vic Toyota’s full-size pickups past the elusive million-mile mark.
Last year we took a look How easy it is to break the half-million-mile threshold with a Toyotaand we concluded that plenty of Toyota models are up to the task, as long as you keep up with maintenance and don’t drive everywhere like American rally driver Ken Block. Therefore, it does not surprise us at all that iSeeCars puts the brand first. In terms of statistics, iSeeCars gives Toyota cars a 17.8% chance of reaching 250,000 miles. At this percentage, Toyota cars’ chances of breaking the quarter-million-mile mark were 3.7 times higher than the industry average.
Lexus
Dynamic front view of the Lexus LS400 – Lexus
Apologies if you’re looking for some enlightening revelations from this piece, but second place turned out to be just as predictable as first place, with Lexus taking the prize. For those who don’t know, Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota, and the brands share powertrains, transmissions, and undoubtedly engineering practices. iSeeCars also chooses Lexus as the most durable luxury brand, beating major American brands such as Cadillac, Tesla and Lincoln.
There are notable examples of Lexus models breaking mileage barriers, as we saw with Vic Sheppard’s Tundra duo; perhaps the most famous is Matt Farah’s Lexus LS 400. The 400 was the first generation of the legendary LS luxury sedan and arrived in the late 1980s as an attractive alternative to the industry’s strongest German brands, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.
Matt Farah got his $1,200 ’91 LS 400 for just $1,200, and although it looked battle-worn (wouldn’t you after 897,000 miles?), the 1UZ engine had never even been turned on. While Matt’s LS is a great example of what Lexus can achieve, it’s an anomaly. Still, data provided by iSeeCars at least supports the fact that Lexus cars are a solid bet for those looking to put 250,000 miles on them. According to the report, Lexus cars have a 12.8 percent chance of reaching that mileage, which is exactly four times that of the average luxury car.
honda
Top shot of the 2026 Honda Accord SE – Honda
Honda is next, with iSeeCars placing the brand in third place overall. According to the publication, the Japanese automaker has a 10.8% chance of hitting 250,000 miles. At 10.8%, you’re 2.3 times more likely to put a quarter of a million miles on a Honda compared to a brand near the industry average of 4.8%.
However, not all Honda models are created equal, so for your best chance of getting big miles without too many hiccups, you’ll want to choose one of the following: The most reliable Hondas ever built. Among these are models such as the evergreen CR-V, which has had multiple generations; so you can spend as little or as much as you want. Other options include Fit, Accord and Odyssey; But for more performance-oriented drivers, it’s worth knowing that the sporty S2000 is also a proven asset.
Honda was one of the first Japanese automakers to gain a foothold in the United States as imports began to grow in popularity, and by continuing to produce high-quality, reliable and durable models at affordable price points, the brand has managed to gain a reputation stateside. Interestingly, the Accord was also the first Japanese car to be assembled in the United States, proving how well Honda appealed to American audiences with solid, reliable options.
Acura
Rear dynamic view of the 2025 Acura ADX – Acura
Just like Lexus is the flashy version of Toyota, Acura is the flashy Honda, so it makes sense that we’d see the brand being closely watched for durability. If you’re wondering why the luxury arms of these two brands rank lower than the parent brands, it’s probably because luxury cars are more complex with additional features and functions. This is all well and good, but as cars age and accumulate high mileage, these once desirable amenities and extras can result in higher operating and repair costs. As a result, cars tend to reach a point where it becomes uneconomical to repair them, while cheaper, simpler versions may continue to operate for some time.
Regardless, iSeeCars ranked fourth overall and second overall in the luxury brands rankings. Acure has a 7.2% chance of meeting 250,000 miles on the odometer, which is 1.5 times better than the industry average. There are many highly reliable Acura models You can choose from the highlights, which include the NSX supercar, the MDX Hybrid SUV, and the more compact ILX sedan. All of them not only show promise in terms of durability, but will also provide plenty of creature comforts. Typically, Acura models come well-equipped as standard, with great audio systems, comfortable leather-trimmed seats, and smart exterior trim like chrome accents and large alloy wheels.
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