There are a huge number of vehicles on the global car market, but mileage of more than 1 million km is very rare. Too much mileage when selling a car does not work in favor of the seller, as it raises doubts about the reliability of the vehicle. However, there are monsters that prove otherwise. The cars of the Toyota Motor Corporation are considered the most reliable, but they are not the only ones that can travel 1 million km or more. Our rating will be useful to those who choose a car.
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Toyota Prius 1997 – covered 1 million km
As the first record holder, consider the product of the Toyota concern – the 1997 Toyota Prius. This is one of the first hybrids to go into mass production. It’s hard to believe, but this car has covered more than 1 million km while working as a taxi in Austria. By the way, the owner of this taxi fleet has about 200 more Prius in his arsenal, and he is going to increase the number of these cars, since they have shown their reliability.
Mercedes-Benz w124 1992 – covered 1 million km
Masterpieces of the German automobile industry have rightfully won the title of one of the most reliable in the world. For this reason, there are always buyers for Mercedes-Benz cars, despite their far from the lowest prices. Moreover, both new models and cars with high mileage are popular. And this is not surprising: their working life is designed for long-term operation.
The Mercedes-Benz w124 model was produced from 1984 to 1996. The model replaced the outdated w123 modification. For its time, the car was considered advanced, as it combined the latest innovations during several restylings.
German citizen Michael Nickl, who previously worked at the plant, bought a new Mercedes-Benz w124 with a diesel engine in 1992. But it turned out to be too expensive to maintain, so after a year of operation the owner decided to sell it. But already in the second year I fell in love with my car so much that I changed my mind about selling it.
Today his Mercedes-Benz is still running, although it has been in several accidents. But Michael carefully restored his “iron friend” every time. In 31 years, the car covered 1 million km. More than 50 thousand euros were spent on its maintenance and a similar amount on refueling.
“Moskvich 2140” 1976 – covered 1 million km
Nowadays, representatives of the Soviet automobile industry are not in honor. Nevertheless, on the streets you can find rarities from the last century, which are still on the move. One of these cars is a 1976 Moskvich 2140. This modernized car was discontinued in 1989, but today it can be found on the streets of cities in the former Soviet republics and even in Europe.
This model has an impressive working life of the power unit. “Moskvich 2140” was actively used in motor sports, not to mention the fact that it was “in service” in almost all government organizations.
This car was also exported to the GDR. In 1976, such a model was purchased by German citizen Gerhard Schott, and it still drives! According to the owner, the car has been in various circumstances, but its reliability was never doubted. And today Herr Schott drives his Moskvich and regularly changes consumables. As for the power unit, in 47 years the owner changed it only once.
The main problem that Gerhard Schott points out is the tendency of the body to rust. The appearance of corrosion could not be avoided even with very careful care. But such a durable car can be forgiven for this small problem!
Porsche 930 1976 – covered 1.25 million km
A Canadian resident purchased his brand new Porsche 930 (911 Turbo) in 1976. He still drives it today, using it as his daily means of transportation. In 2009, the car was in a serious accident, but the owner restored it. To date, the sports car has traveled over 1.25 km, and its resource has not yet been exhausted.
BMW 3 Series 1990 – covered 1.6 million km
Among the cars of the Bavarian concern, the BMW 3 Series 325i coupe model has the highest mileage. Actually, this car was produced by Mobil Oil to test the effectiveness of its brand of synthetic motor oil. The car drove around the clock for four years at a speed of 136 km/h, stopping only to change the oil and carry out routine maintenance. When the experiment ended, it turned out that the mileage of this BMW 3 Series was 1,672,899 km.
The power unit of the rear-wheel drive BMW 3 Series was a 2.5-liter inline-six with 166 hp, paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Having disassembled the engine, experts saw that there were virtually no signs of wear on it.
Saab 900 SPG 1989 – covered 1.6 million km
In the 1990s, the Saab brand was at the peak of its popularity in Russia, and many people dreamed of purchasing such a car. The 900 SPG has been produced since 1979 in sedan, hatchback and convertible body styles. She was also popular in her homeland in Sweden and in other European countries.
The car has undergone several restylings, so on the secondary market you can find various modifications with different power plants. But they are all distinguished by one thing – a huge working resource, allowing them to cover a large mileage.
US resident Peter Gilbert bought a brand new Saab 900 SPG in 1989 and actively used it. As a result, the car covered 1.6 km. During this time, the owner changed the cylinder head gaskets and transmission. Also, the car “demolished” 88 tires. As for the engine, it was not changed, as it remained in good condition. Years of use have only affected the body, but now this is not important – the car no longer drives on American roads, it has found its place in a museum.
Lexus LS 400 1996 – covered 1.6 million km
The Lexus LS 400 in question has a rich history. It was released in 1996 and has changed many owners, among whom could be our compatriots who left stickers on the side window. In 2014, this car was bought by an American journalist in Los Angeles. By this time, the range of the Lexus LS 400 had already exceeded 1.5 km, that is, 980 thousand miles.
But the owner wanted to reach 1 million miles, and he achieved his goal. To do this, he had to involve his acquaintances, since he himself rarely traveled. As a result, in 2019 the odometer showed 1 million miles, which corresponds to 1,609,344 km.
Honda Accord 1990 – 1.6 million km
Despite the fact that Honda brand cars are capricious in operation and demanding on fuel quality, they cannot be denied reliability. In addition, owners note the ease of maintenance.
The Japanese manufacturer has been producing the Honda Accord model since 1976. At first these were compact cars, and since 1989 mid-size modifications have been produced.
The fourth generation cars are equipped with a double wishbone suspension. These are front-wheel drive cars with gasoline engines in several sizes. They were mainly exported to the USA. There they were well bought and valued for their availability and reliability.
In 1990, the Honda Accord was purchased by American Joe LoCicero. He drove this car for 20 years, and all he did was change the steering column and upholstery once. During this time, the car covered 1.6 million km. As for the body, there was not the slightest sign of rust on it, which the owner is very proud of. The power unit and transmission also remained “native”.
Honda awarded Joe LoCichero a new car for his dedication to the brand. And the old one respectfully went to his well-deserved rest.
Lincoln Town Car 1983 – 2 million km
The Lincoln Town Car was produced from 1981 to 2011. Chet Belisle purchased this 1983 car and drove it 2,092,147 km over 25 years. The car owner is delighted with his “iron horse”! What he likes most is the spacious interior and economical fuel consumption: 11 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway.
Chet Belisla’s rear-wheel drive Lincoln Town Car is equipped with a 5.0 liter V8 engine producing 145 hp. and a four-speed automatic transmission. The car was regularly serviced, so it entered the “millionaire club.”
The fact is that in the 1980s, the Lincoln automaker, without doubting the reliability of its cars, gave them a lifetime warranty. Chet took advantage of this offer. Over the years of using his car, he applied for free restoration of the power unit and gearbox.
Volvo 200 Series 1979 – covered 2.6 million km
In the entire history of the Volvo concern, the 200 Series is considered the best car. The mileage record holder was a 1979 Volvo 245 GL – a corporate car that belonged to a Finnish company. Under the hood of the car there was a 2.1 liter engine with a power of 107 hp, coupled with a four-speed manual transmission. The car covered 2623230 km. At the same time, according to company employees, nothing else was done to the vehicle except regular maintenance.
Volvo P1800S 1966 – covered 5 million km
The record holder for mileage listed in the Guinness Book is a Volvo P1800S, owned by a school physics teacher from the USA, Irwin Gordon. He bought it in 1966. The record was officially registered in 1998, when the car traveled 2,719,791 km. But by 2018, the mileage had almost doubled and reached 5,230,781 km.
Irwin Gordon’s Volvo P1800S features a 1.8-liter inline-four engine, four-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. Over 52 years of operation, the owner reconstructed the engine twice, but did not change other components. To keep the car in good condition, Irwin never violated the maintenance schedule: oil change – every 5.6 thousand km.