06:03 31-12-2025

High-mileage cars that topped 1-2 million km and the maintenance behind them

Amid downsizing and the rush for efficiency, the idea that modern engines don’t last like they used to comes up more and more. History, though, remembers cars that outlived their owners and sailed past a million kilometers. Autocar magazine gathered seven such cases, and in almost all of them the secret wasn’t some engineering magic but disciplined servicing and huge, steady mileage in everyday use. In practice, the odometer tends to reward consistency more than heroics.

The standout is a 1996 Lexus LS 400 with Toyota’s 1UZ-FE V8. At 1,443,000 km it found its fourth owner, the U.S. auto journalist Matt Farah, who then drove it to the symbolic 999,999 miles mark—about 1.6 million km. In the same league was a 1989 Saab 900 SPG: the sedan covered over 1.5 million km and, after a long stint with an American sales representative, ended up at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum.

The diesel standard-bearer is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D. Its owner changed the oil every 5,000 km and, without drama, accumulated nearly 2 million km. Japan’s entry is a 1990 Honda Accord IV with the F22A engine: by the owner’s account, more than 1.5 million km came without major repairs thanks to regular fluid changes and attentive care. Flying the American flag, a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado with a Small Block V8 towed trailers, averaged roughly 129,000 km per year, and by 2008 had reached 1.5 million km.

The only 21st-century car in the set is a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. A Texas courier reportedly logged nearly a thousand kilometers a day, pushing the total to 1.5 million km; the figure was said to have been verified after inspection. Rounding out the list is a 1990 BMW 325i that reached its million on bench tests, with oil changes stretched to every 12,000 km—less frequent than recommended. Different badges, same lesson: steady use and disciplined service turn durability from myth into routine.