12 Timeless Cars That You’ll Love For Years: Best Cars to Invest In

This isn’t true with all cars, though. While most depreciate, some depreciate less than others. That’s thanks to timeless design that evolves rather than rebells, to looks that are distinct and fulfill a promise and a performance that blends thrills with reliability. 

Here are 12 of the best cars that deliver on all those tenets, making them a good investment and not always a pricey one.

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Timeless design is an principle that defines Mercedes-Benz, and it’s almost ironic considering the company’s penchant for innovation, continual improvement and leading design. However, all those ideas fit neatly into the overall design language of the brand’s sedans and SUVs, which carry the familiar look and feel inside and out. Mercedes-Benz is always distinct, always a cut above and always sought after.

Our pick in the Mercedes family?The brand’s C Class sedans, SUVs and convertibles. These offer entry-level luxury with lots of comforts and spoilers but don’t feel ‘entry’ at all.

The Lexus GX has been a classic investible model for years, reliable in its performance, comfort and off-road capability. With a long-awaited redesign it’s even more desirable, thanks to modern new proportions and subtle lines, better visibility and updated technology. And, a new trim lineup that allows customers to go with less expensive and more capable or all-out luxury, making it still one of the best cars on the road.

Who doesn’t look at the Ford Mustang and feel a pang of nostalgia? For the car your dad drove, that the hottest guy in high school tooled around in, or broke your heart due to its impractical nature for trips back and forth to campus.

For years, Ford has been refining the Mustang with more power, subtle style iterations and better performance, but at its foundation, it’s still a Mustang: irrefutably, inarguably one of the most classic cars on the road. Ever.

This one gave us true hope when it made its debut a few years ago: A brand new SUV can be classic, comfortable and reliable, and it can look like a much more expensive (ahem… Land Rover) SUV. Since then, Kia Telluride has leaned into its boxy shape, capable performance and off-roady vibes, even enhancing them with more 4-wheeler like features, and added subtle changes without disturbing its most endearing features: Its size, shape and interior comforts.

If you’ve ever shopped Jeep Wranglers you know one thing: They get older but they don’t get much cheaper. Year after year used Wranglers sell for more than equally aged cars and SUVs, often within a stone’s throw of the price of a similar new model. They are classic, fun to drive and promise adventure at every turn, even if that adventure is a bumpy ride on a cold day in a cloth-top convertible. You’ll gladly make that sacrifice for all the days ahead on the trail soaking up the sun.

One of the most awarded cars on the road, the Honda Accord has defined affordable elegance practically since its introduction in 1976. With classic proportions and flowing lines, it stands between discretion and style, not overly flashy but not overly modest.

And inside it promises all the things we need plus a little more: comfort, conveniences and a fun drive experience.

One of the most awaited cars on the road, the VW ID. Buzz is finally here and it’s spectacular: Its silhouette is heritage iconography, but inside its loaded with luxury features even in the entry-level model.

Cut from classic cloth to fill the size, proportions and promise of its predecessor, the all-electric ID. Buzz has three rows of ample seating, lots of flexible cargo space and upright seating positions that make everyone feel special. Bring it home in a candy color with a white roof and it’ll lend a classic modern to your driveway and neighborhood, too.

If there’s one compliment you can give a car designer, it’s that they compliment the original by making it even more so. That’s what Mini’s design team, led by accomplishment of Mini’s design team, led by Oliver Heilmer, did: gave the 2025 Mini a new look inside, subtle new details on the outside and more trim options for buyers who crave the classic but need the reality of size, space and performance for modern driving. The result is the most fun lineup of Mini models ever, from a larger Countryman to an all electric S.

There is a reason that the Chevy Tahoe, it’s slightly larger sibling the Chevrolet Suburban and its cousin the GMC Yukon represent more than half of large SUV sales: They have been the standard for decades. With powerful engines, true 4WD and space for people and things, they both command the road and comfort the people inside.

For 2025, Tahoe got a makeover with new tech, safety and systems, but in the looks department, it wasn’t a big departure, which is a good thing; Tahoe keeps its iconic look and feel even while taking on a new modernity.

This newish model filled a void in the Toyota family and that’s what makes it an instant classic: It does it all. There are many models in the Toyota lineup that could be named to this list: Toyota Land Cruiser, with modern heritage looks; Toyota Tundra for it’s power and muscle; Toyota Corolla for its sporty hatchback fun. But the Toyota Grand Highlander will be the backdrop for memories of road trips and sports tournaments and precious conversations for generations thanks to its elegant interior comforts, spacious seating and solid technology, not to mention a hybrid option that means fewer gas station stops.

“Classic” and “minivan” don’t often make it into the same sentence, but the Kia Carnival is the exception for its large SUV proportions, ample interior space and great technology. Add to that comfort upgrades that make every passenger feel pampered and we can understand why families fall in love, deeming this one of the best cars on the road. And are loath to sell it even after all the kids have moved out.

This is the OG modern SUV that while being refined and updated year after year, also provides the underpinnings for so many others, from the Audi Q6 e-tron to the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga. That’s not to say they’re all the same by any means, but it does illustrate how this classic size and shape enable designers to both outfit interiors with world-class design and materials and add top-performing engines and suspensions within its frame.

The Audi Q7, for its part, delivers an elegant baseline of luxury year after year and one redesign after another, always evolving its look and feel but never abandoning its design principles. Which is the true mark of a fine design and what makes it a best car to invest in year after year.