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The "Forever Vehicle" Study: Cars and Trucks Americans Refuse to Sell

AT Staff
By: 

AT Staff

 / Jun 11 2026
The "Forever Vehicle" Study: Cars and Trucks Americans Refuse to Sell

For some people, a vehicle is just a means of transportation. For others, it becomes something they would never sell. A new survey by American Trucks of 1,005 U.S. vehicle owners finds that most people already have a "forever vehicle," and that what cements the bond often has less to do with resale value than with paid-off loans, hard-earned mileage, and the modifications owners keep adding.

Key Takeaways

  • 4 in 5 American vehicle owners (79%) have a "forever vehicle" they would never willingly sell.
  • Toyota is the top brand among forever-vehicle owners, narrowly ahead of Ford and Honda.
  • The top 3 names forever-vehicle owners give their cars are Betsy, Big Red, and Black Beauty. Over 1 in 4 forever-vehicle owners (28%) have named their car, with women doing so nearly twice as often as men (34% vs. 19%).
  • Nearly 9 in 10 forever-vehicle owners (86%) plan to drive their car until it is no longer safe to operate.
  • 1 in 8 people who own their forever vehicle (13%) would rather keep their car than inherit a dream home, with the share rising to 20% among baby boomers.
Contents

America's Forever Vehicles

Most owners already have a vehicle they would not part with, and the brands and models that earn that status lean less toward exotic and more toward the cars people rely on daily.

Infographic ranking America's most loved vehicle brands and top forever vehicles, highlighting Toyota, Ford, Honda, and the Ford F-150 among the most-owned long-term vehicles.

  • 79% of American vehicle owners have a forever vehicle they would never willingly sell.
  • The top 5 forever-vehicle brands are Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chevrolet, and Subaru. The Ford F-150 is the highest-ranking truck.
  • 86% of owners plan to drive their forever vehicle until it is no longer safe to operate.
  • 1 in 8 people who own their forever vehicle (13%) would rather keep their car than inherit a dream home, with the share rising to 20% among baby boomers.

The 10 most common forever vehicles include:

  1. Honda Civic
  2. Toyota Camry
  3. Toyota Corolla
  4. Honda Accord
  5. Subaru Crosstrek
  6. Ford F-150
  7. Honda CR-V
  8. Toyota RAV4
  9. Ford Mustang
  10. Ford Explorer.

Why Owners Hold On

  • The top reasons owners keep a forever vehicle are financial (paid off, 24%), lifestyle fit (18%), reliability (15%), and sentiment (10%).
  • Reasons shift by body style: performance and driving experience rank in the top 3 for coupe and sports car owners, while a paid-off loan is the most common for sedan and SUV owners.
  • The average forever vehicle is 11 years old. Nearly half (49%) have crossed 100,000 miles, and 1 in 10 have passed 200,000.
  • Gen X owns the oldest forever vehicles (12 years, on average), followed by millennials and baby boomers (11 years, each) and Gen Z (9 years).
  • Among forever-vehicle owners, 39% drive an SUV or crossover, 30% a sedan, 12% a pickup, and 8% a coupe or sports car.

Naming the Car

  • More than 1 in 4 owners (28%) have given their forever vehicle a name, with women doing so nearly twice as often as men (34% vs. 19%).
  • The five most popular forever-vehicle names are: Betsy, Big Red, Black Beauty, Luna, and Sally.

How Modifications Deepen the Bond

For many owners, modifying a vehicle is part of the reason they keep it. Pickup owners take that further than any other group.

Infographic showing pickup truck owners lead all vehicle types in modifications, with wheels, tires, comfort upgrades, and tech enhancements among the most common vehicle modifications.

  • Pickup owners modify their forever vehicle at the highest rate of any vehicle type (71%), followed by coupe and sports car owners (63%), sedan owners (46%), and SUV or crossover owners (44%).
  • Wheels and tires are the single most common modification across all owners (22%), ahead of interior or comfort upgrades (19%), exterior aesthetics (15%), tech upgrades (13%), engine rebuilds (9%), performance upgrades (9%), suspension or lift kits (7%), and off-road or utility mods (7%). For truck owners, that first set of wheels and tires is often where a daily driver starts becoming a keeper.
  • About half of forever-vehicle owners (51%) have made at least one modification.

What Modifiers Spend

  • The average modder has spent $2,316 on their forever vehicle over time, plus $558 a year on maintenance and repairs.
  • Spend varies by vehicle type:
    • Coupe and sports car modders spend the most over time ($3,569), even though pickup owners modify the most often.
    • Pickup modders average $3,099.
    • SUV owners spend $1,609, followed by sedan owners ($879).
  • Nearly 3 in 10 owners (29%) have spent more on a single modification or repair than they would on a monthly car payment.

Mods and Attachment

  • 38% of owners say modifying their vehicle has made them more attached to their vehicle and less likely to sell.
  • That feeling is strongest among coupe and sports car modders (74%), followed by sedan (70%), pickup (67%), and SUV owners (61%).

Methodology

We surveyed 1,005 American vehicle owners about their "forever vehicles," the cars, trucks, and SUVs they refuse to sell, including the modifications that deepened their bond, what they would give up to keep them, and the names they call them by. Among respondents, 49% were millennials, 25% were Gen X, 15% were Gen Z, and 12% were baby boomers.

 

About American Trucks

American Trucks specializes in aftermarket parts and accessories built for hardworking pickups. Truck owners can find truck wheels, tires, and packages from American Trucks that enhance style, durability, and performance on and off the road.

 

Fair Use Statement

The data and findings in this article are available for noncommercial use. If you share or reference this content, please include a link to this page with proper attribution to American Trucks.