Perhaps your personal opinion explains why there are so many Crown Vic's and Grand Marquis in Florida and Arizona. There are a large percentage of older folks in those states, that are more highly educated with higher incomes, who maintain their vehicles better and will be less likely to drive in a way that will total the vehicle, than the purchaser of many of the small or midget cars that do not do nearly as well with longevity because they are more likely to keep them till they, or the car, dies.
I th>> The numbers are misleading, however. You can have a Lexus that has
> 200,000 mi going strong after 20 years, and a Ford Focus that has been
>> worn out after 500,000 after 3 years.
>
> And the reverse could also be true. There are always outliers, but of all
> the possible reasons for the results, the one you gave is probably the
> least likely to affect the results.
>
> Remove the luxury makes, the niche brands, and the makes that were not in
> existence for the full 20 years, and the brands that were the most likely
> to be on the road for 11-20 years are:
>
> 1. Toyota
> 2. Honda
> 3. Mazda
> 4. Buick
> 5. VW
> 6. Buick
> 7. Chrysler (or is this a luxury brand?)
> 8. Nissan
>
> The top two are very consistent with what you see on the road, at least in
> the state I live in. Tons of older Hondas and Toyotas, VWs, and Nissans. >
> What the survey doesn't take into account is the demographics of the
> owners. Someone that purchases a Toyota or Honda is more likely to be more
> highly educated and higher income, and will maintain their vehicles better
> and will be less likely to drive in a way that will total the vehicle,
> than the purchaser of many of the makes that did poorly in longevity.