The Most and Least-Driven Cars

(iSeeCars) –

Highlights:

• The average electric car is only driven 10,686 miles a year while the average hybrid is driven 12,924 miles
• Electric cars are also the most expensive vehicle type, with an average new price of $68,692 versus hybrids that cost the least, with an average new price of $38,495
• This disparity between use and cost makes electric cars more than twice as expensive for every 1,000 miles driven compared to a hybrid vehicle: $6,428 versus $2,978
• The 20 most driven cars are all almost all SUVs and minivans; the 20 least driven cars are mostly performance cars and electric cars 
• The most driven car is the Chrysler Pacific, which is driven an average of 20,882 miles a year and costs $2,280 for every 1,000 miles of use
• The least driven car is the Mazda MX-5 Miata, which is driven an average of 5,073 miles a year and costs $6,540 for every 1,000 miles of use

With car prices still near all-time highs, consumers aiming to reduce vehicle expenses should meticulously evaluate how much they intend to drive their forthcoming new car as part of their budgeting strategy. Although the typical new car costs $3,593 per 1,000 miles driven, high-use vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica average 20,882 miles annually and only cost $2,280 per 1,000 miles. In contrast, low-use models like the Mazda MX-5 Miata average a mere 5,073 miles per year and incur a cost of $6,540 for each 1,000 miles driven.

iSeeCars examined the odometer readings and historical new car prices from over 1 million 3-year-old used cars sold between November 2024 and April 2025, discovering that the average new car price is $44,223 with an average annual usage of 12,307 miles. The study also highlighted a substantial variation in driving costs based on fuel type, with hybrids costing 15.0% less and electric vehicles costing 85.5% more per mile driven in comparison to gasoline vehicles.   

Cost to Drive by Fuel Type

Despite gasoline remaining the predominant fuel type for new cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles are gradually increasing their market share. Hybrids, as a group, are the most economical to drive since many are budget-friendly models like the Honda Insight, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Prius. On the other hand, electric vehicles are the priciest to operate, costing over twice as much as hybrids for every 1,000 miles driven.

“Hybrids tend to be lower-priced models that are also driven the most per year, likely due to their low fuel costs,” said Brauer. “This gives them a cost-to-drive advantage over every other fuel type, particularly electric cars.”

The 20 Most Driven Cars

The Chrysler Pacifica is the most driven car, averaging over 20,000 miles of use per year. It’s followed by the Chrysler Voyager, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, and the Chevrolet Malibu, all of which average over 19,000 miles of annual use.

“Given the dominance of SUVs and minivans on the most driven list, it’s impressive to see sedans like the Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Dodge Charger, and Toyota Camry on the list of most driven models,” said Brauer. “All of these sedans see a certain amount of rental fleet use, which is likely pulling up their annual mileage numbers.”

The 20 Least Driven Cars

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the least driven car, followed by the GMC Hummer EV, Mazda MX-5 Miata RF (Retractable Fastback), and the Mini Hardtop 2 Door. Of the 20 least driven vehicles, eight are either SUVs or a truck (F-150 Lightning), and four of those are electric vehicles.

“It’s telling that vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV, Mazda MX-30 EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Volkswagen ID.4 are among the least driven models,” said Brauer. “These are all utility vehicles that should be seeing a lot of use, but their electric drivetrains appear to limit their annual miles.”

More from iSeeCars:

• Cars that Hold Their Value Best
• Most Reliable New Cars
• Most Reliable Used Cars for the Money

Methodology

iSeeCars analyzed the odometer readings from over 1 million 3-year-old used cars sold from November 2024 to April 2025, and then compared these mileage numbers by model to the list prices of the same models when they were sold new. Average MSRP was used for cars where average list price was not available, notably cars from Tesla. The average miles driven per year were calculated for each model as well as drivetrain, and the average new car price was expressed as a cost per 1,000 miles driven per year.

About iSeeCars.com

iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, including the iSeeCars VIN Check report and Best Cars Rankings. iSeeCars has saved users over $437 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

This article, The Most and Least Driven Cars, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.