A little while back we put together a list of “10 Used Cars That Seem to Last Forever,” and it generated an awful lot of discussion, both from folks who agreed and disagreed with our picks – the latter group led by fans of Buick and other American sedans disappointed not to see their faves represented.
This time we've decided to zero in on trucks that seem to keep going forever. (Click here for our picks for top long-lasting SUVs). And for this round, American auto fans are not likely to be disappointed. If you're looking for honest-to-god truth in advertising, just rewind a few years to those old slogans for Ford and GM trucks - “Built Ford Tough” and GM's claim to building the “longest-lasting, most reliable trucks on the road” - they still remain backed up by thousands of satisfied truck owners.
Ford and GM trucks so dominate the market that there aren't really enough bona fide, consistently long-lasting trucks to fill out a top ten list, so we came up with six, plus an honorable mention. We're crowning the Ford F-Series and the Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra with a shared crown for longevity, but beyond that, the list is in no particular order.
One more note: This list is far from scientific; it's based on professional ratings and reviews, anecdotes we've heard or seen, even comments from Vehix users. And of course, taking care of a truck, performing routine maintenance and changing the oil are the best ways to help make any truck last forever, but these seven seem to keep going longer without breaking the bank on repairs. Oh, and just for the record, the author believes his Dodge Dakota will also keep running forever, even though it didn't make the cut this time.
We didn't spend much time trying to track them down, but we've been able to verify at least one Silverado that made it to a million miles without major repairs, and the claims of others are plentiful. And Ford's F Series, particularly the F-150, are so popular that they made our first list of long-lasting cars – this vehicle has been a bestseller for decades for good reason. All three offer power and comfort and solid all-around performance, not mention maintenance that's easy and often cheap after the warranty runs out, and parts that seem to fall from the sky when needed.