1 Luxury Car Has Proven More Reliable Than the Toyota Tacoma
The yearly iSeeCars reliability study analyzes the registration of 174 million vehicles to rank the makes and models most likely to still be going strong at 250,000 miles. For years, the Toyota Tacoma has been king, but this year, a luxury sedan finally beat out America’s favorite midsize truck. Fans of the Toyota Motor Corporation won’t be surprised to hear it’s the Lexus IS, a compact luxury sedan closely related to the Tacoma. Here are the top 10 winners for 2025.
| Rank | Model | % Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Sequoia | 39.1% |
| 2 | Toyota 4Runner | 32.9% |
| 3 | Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 31.0% |
| 4 | Toyota Tundra | 30.0% |
| 5 | Lexus IS | 27.5% |
| 6 | Toyota Tacoma | 25.3% |
| 7 | Toyota Avalon | 18.9% |
| 8 | Lexus GX | 18.3% |
| 9 | Lexus RX (hybrid) | 17.0% |
| 10 | Honda Ridgeline | 14.7% |
As you can see, Toyota and the Lexus luxury vehicles built by Toyota Motor Corporation nearly swept the top 10 places. Honda just barely got its foot in the door with its Ridgeline pickup truck. But note that the Pilot and Odyssey’s durability rankings aren’t far behind.
The Lexus shakeup
Now for the big shakeup. The 2024 rankings gave first place to the Tundra, second to the Sequoia, while the 4Runner came in third and the Tacoma got fourth place. The Lexus IS didn’t even break the top 10, though the Lexus GX earned number nine. Now, we get three Lexus vehicles in the top 10.
The Lexus IS is a compact luxury car with a front-engine, RWD layout. This means it has less in common with Toyota’s FWD Corolla and Camry, as it’s Lexus’ competitor to the BMW 3 Series and Cadillac ATS. One of the IS’s most popular engines has historically been a 3.5-liter V6 from Toyota’s GR engine family. This power plant is closely related to the V6 in the 2005–2023 Toyota Tacoma.
Obviously, Toyota/Lexus reliability is still tops. But it looks like Lexus vehicles are staying on the road longer than certain Toyotas. Perhaps this is just because the drivers who originally buy the Lexus versions have the budget to keep up with the maintenance, even well into high-mileage territory.
Another possibility is that enthusiasts who buy a Lexus IS are looking for a nimble sedan with a RWD powertrain or an AWD with a RWD bias. With fewer options for a comparable new sedan, they’re holding on to their IS longer.
You can use MotorBiscuit’s handy car buying tool to check out listings for dependable Lexus IS luxury cars near you.
