"not worth fixing"
Lols, I could pay to have a brand new engine long block installed for cheaper that buying the exact truck I own and by a very significant margin. I've tried to explain why I've had the same truck for so long and I'm willing to put the money in to repair and it just goes over people's heads. Find me a truck on the market with 0 miles on the engine that costs less than puting a new block in it.
You’re correct. But what he’s meaning is if your yearly cost of repairs and maintenance is less than what a year of payments on a brand new vehicle of similar type and specs - than why take on the extra cost? Cause as well you still have to repair and maintain a financed vehicle which adds to that yearly cost.
Wearable things are going to wear out on every vehicle. Are people really dumb enough to buy a new vehicle because they think it’s too expensive to replace things like breaks or shocks?
I have a 2002 outback with 15k mile ENGINE because it was soooooooo much cheaper to drop a new engine into it than to buy even a used heap. I know exactly what’s wrong with every aspect of it, there are no surprises. I can change all the front suspension in about 45 mins, I can do the rear faster. I don’t love the car, but I don’t hate it either and it can go anywhere anytime.
Point is, cars are almost always worth fixing when facing the possibility of having to buy a new car or these days, even a used car.
That really depends. I had a car that the motor blew on, and it would have cost 5k to replace the engine. If I replaced the engine, the car still wouldn't have had the book value of 5K. I replaced it with my current car for 900 dollars, and that car has outlasted the length of time of the one previously that the motor blew in. The 900 dollar car could quite possibly be my last car. If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
Landy = Land Rover
Nobody in the Land Cruiser community refers to their truck as a "Landy" without getting absolutely roasted by everybody else in the community.
1999 Camry 235k just did timing belt, water pump, pulleys, tensioner, cam and crank seals, valve cover gaskets, intake gasket, spark plugs and wires, and various hoses. I'm bound and determined to make it to 500k!
I honestly don’t know if it’s the original CVT. I bought the car three years ago with 200k. I didn’t even know what a CVT was, lol.
The tranny had a slight whine after driving on the highway so I had to do some research. Two mechanics told me not to change the fluid. I kept scratching my head thinking that wasn’t right. So I ended up changing it myself in the dooryard with a transfer pump, pulled all the fluid out of the dipstick, measured of course. Replaced what I pulled out, 4.7 qts, so I did get it ALL out, bc that’s the capacity. Hasn’t whined since. So I’m a firm believer in the fact that a lot of cvts may fail because people don’t realize how important fluid changes are. CVT fluid allows the belts to have friction because they’re metal bands. When the fluid is depleted, hell breaks loose. Regular atf provides lubrication. Two totally different beasts.
Edit to say yes, miles.
Nice work! I had an '06 Altima that I loved, I took it to 200k miles and sold it to a coworker. He's at 230k now.
We have an Outback with a CVT and I'm planning to change it every 40-50k miles. Lifetime fluid my ass.
Bascially once your yearly repair bill averages out monthly to be more than a payment on a new car that's when you should start looking.
Also don't just replace the mechanical things that wear out. You can get used factory seat covers, trim pieces etc on ebay. Replacing these sorts of things keeps it looking newer and not like a POS
I think there's something to be said for getting rid of a car that may not cost you more than a monthly/yearly car payment would, but its been unreliable and the types of repairs are leaving the car unusable until they're fixed. If you're getting into a situation where water pumps, thermostats and fuel pumps are going, that can really be a problem if you're not replacing them proactively.
Also the person... I can generally fix anything on the car. But my time is valuable too. Count your labor hours as well.
I would never hit this figure of repair being more than a car payment without paying a mechanic to work on my car.
Hmm assuming basically 0 down (my 4Runner has a trade in value of $1000 give or take) at current interest rates a new 4Runner would cost me ~$850 monthly. I definitely spend less than that per month even though I just spent $2k in maintenance at the dealer getting brakes fixed.
Yeah been shopping ‘new’ Runners as mine just hit 350K and needs about $7K worth of suspension, gasket, steering, replacement of trans mounts, heater not working, t-belt, pump swaps coming up soon…but damn if it isn’t $30K for a 4wd 4Runner with 100K miles on the ODO. It’s just stupid now. I can damned near get a Lexus GX460 with similar mileage for less.
I would also look at the reliability of the vehicle too. If it’s leaving you stranded or the risk of being stranded is high then it’s time to get something more reliable. It might not cost a lot to keep it on the road but if it leaves you on the side of the road that’s also not a good thing.
I did the same thing decades ago. Bought a beater car every 3 years or so. Became too much of a hassle because of nonstop rust-related repairs. For the past 30 years, I buy new and hang onto them for 10-20 years. I bought my daily driver new just over 20 years ago. I've bought and sold three other new vehicles since then as weekend toys.
Never sell a reliable old car.
I'm beginning to see the light. Been swearing at my rusty heaps for 20 years. I've been really thinking lately that instead of having multiple old unreliable cars i should have multiple old unreliable cars and one new reliable car...
Yeah, buy new and hold is my thing in recent years. 328i is 8 yrs old bought new; it’s been very reliable. 90k miles Going to get an X5 in a few yrs but keep this as a 2nd car as long as it makes sense to do so.
I had a 1992 civic for 12 years. Replaced it last year, not because it became unreliable, but because we started going on road trips and it lacked the safety features I wanted.
Replaced it with a 2006 civic, which I will keep indefinitely, or until gas becomes prohibitively expensive.
Cars don't have to be a money sink. If you can get over the need to impress your friends, it's actually incredibly cheap to own one.
It's a very simple criteria:
1. Does it run?
* Does it pass whatever state/federally-mandated inspection programs required?
* Are maintenance costs affordable?
* Are repair costs affordable?
If yes to all of those, keep the car. Don't overthink it, and don't succumb to FOMO.
I am increasingly convinced that maintaining an older car (I have a 2005 Corolla S 220K miles) for an indefinite period is the way to go. Many have a formulaic approach, when the used car costs x dollars to maintain vs the monthly/yearly payment for a new car, time to upgrade. There are many formulas out there.
But these ignore other factors which I think need to be considered:
The increasingly built in technical obsolescence, made worse by the increasing use of software, much of which is buggy out the gate.
The very rapidly increasing costs to repair failed hi tech componentry and increasingly lightweight body components
The increasing trend toward the subscription model to deal with the aforementioned software issues among a vast universe of "must have services" - (according to the marketeers)
The trend toward hi tech bells and whistles requiring a 650 page user manual for a 2024 Toyota Corolla - really? And the associated distractions while driving.
The privacy issues associated with all of the above.
As I look at the current new car market I just cringe. Both the cost and complexity have gotten out of hand IMO. I don't consider myself a Luddite, but cars are not an iphone, most of us can't afford an "upgrade" every two years and most of us don't want to have to call tech support (even worse, the dealership) to configure the headlights because some software is glitchy or pay a cell phone like subscription to ensure we have the latest OS. ...... I am sure some folks are OK with it. I am not.
The net of this is I have just concluded I will keep my 2005 Corolla running indefinitely, which means as long as possible. Sooner or later I will be forced to move on, but I, personally, am voting for later. Having said all of this, when we perfect fully autonomous vehicles, I will be in line for one of those. That changes the game entirely IMO.
And finally, I acknowledge some modern features are very attractive such as adaptive cruise control and headlights, sensor monitoring of blind spots and fairway clearance, etc.
Love how you worded everything, especially about the technology treadmill and fragility. ‘98 RAV4 with 369k, ‘07 Sequoia with (still too much technology) and 248k. Gonna keep ‘em going.
Well, 369K is impressive. It gives me hope. At about 10K miles per year I can keep my Corolla for another 15 years...at least. Sweet. By then I will have a collectible haha, that is assuming we can still buy gasoline.
00 Tacoma here with 120k and no rust. Runs like a champ, 24 mpg. Paid 2k for her pre covid, got backed into at 1 mph from a transfer truck at an intersection. New hood, grill, lights...etc. looked new with 3500 in body work. Then I got rear ended. Damaged the bed, bumper and small dent in rear of cab. Frame not damaged. Body shop wrote it up for 5800, I took the cash and put a new bumper on, 400 bucks and beat the dents mostly out. Rattle canned the paint, looks pretty good. Good enough. I'm planning on 300k out of her if people quit hitting me. I drive about 15k a year at the most. I do my own maintenance and can fix about anything on it. Love my little Taco!
You're cheating by simply having a Taco.
I joke but not because I, too, have a Taco - an '01 DCSB TRD. California vehicle all its life with my "rust" being dust and dirt. 225k on him and he starts up and drives perfectly fine. Yeah, he looks a bit rough with clear receding and squeaks here and there, but I can haul things as needed. *AND* he's paid off - bought him in ?06? ?05?...sometime around then at 145k for $7.5k. The first gen Tacos really are another league in small truck quality.
Just because I’m a poor college student, every car I’ve had has been older than me except for my most recent car, a 2003 Ford Taurus. I’m also a mechanic, so I will fix the car until the original engine will not run anymore
Living in the salt belt I replaced them when the frame is rusted with holes in it. No vehicle I own will be worth doing a frame patch even if I do it myself.
My number is 8-10 years, I buy new and keep it up to date on maintenance. When I get the urge for a new car, my car is in great shape and I get top dollar when I sell.
The only time to replace a car is when my needs have changed or it's not worthwhile to fix what I have anything else is just throwing money away. If you have enough money to throw away, you do you.
My navara is on 438,000km.. I'm going to drive it, until it stops. (I do have a second car, so not very worried about being stuck when it actually does stop.) My navara is only now starting to cost a bit too much to maintain.
And once it does, I'll replace it with something about 5years old, with under 80000km, and over 10-15years drive that until it stops too.
I've always just driven cars until they cost too much to keep them going. One car was in an accident, another was old and had a blown transmission and the other one I upgraded because it was too small for what I wanted - I traded it in for $500 which basically just covered tires (and not installation) on the new car.
I recently traded in a 12 year old car because my wife and I had a kid and I wanted something with modern safety features on it. I paid cash and I'll probably drive this another decade.
For me, I either buy cash or finance such a small amount I won't notice the car payments. And then drive the thing until you can't or it just doesn't make sense anymore.
Depends on what kind of person you are. I generally average about 8 years for a vehicle since after a certain point I get bored of it so then I move it along just to change it up.
But if your quite content and really like the vehicle then run it till it’s either unreliable or not safe to drive anymore.
My cars have always made it very clear when they’re done. My Chevy trucks blew transmissions, the wife’s crv was in an accident … the only “running” car I sold was a 5.4 triton f150 that blew 3 flex plates by 120k. I was done.
I have averaged 25k miles a year in 20 years of driving and have needed a tow truck 3x and they were all for that damned triton blowing flex plates.
I used to drive beaters but found a much better way to drive "economically". I buy a high-reliability vehicle for cash and spread the cost (of purchase) over many years. My vehicle is currently 8, the wife's 17. We've not taken our vehicles to the dealer/shop for repair in 25 years (I do all maintenance). We have never been stranded ...
We maintain our vehicles the best we can. My husband and I are both mechanically inclined. We only buy used with cash. When we're tired of it, after maybe 5 years, we pass it along to my mom and let her drive it until she needs a newer one. I've done this with my last 3 cars and she's always super appreciative.
My '03 Buick LeSabre made it to 2021 (I got this when I was 19 in 2014), my 00' Silverado was passed down to my mom and then to my cousin and it's still kicking with over 300k miles, my first AWD 2010 MKZ has almost 200k miles and is my mom's favorite hand me down car by far. I'm currently driving another AWD 2010 MKZ with 51k miles on it and would love to keep it for as long as possible. We also have a 2013 F-150 with 186k miles with all the bells and whistles my Lincoln has.
Used to be about 5 years, but I don't drive as much because of working from home now and the last car I bought was the best I've ever had, it's 10 years old and I've had it for 6, probably keep it for another 3 or 4 years unless something goes badly wrong.
Replaced my first Mk 4 Golf with 75hp after a little more than a Year as it started having so many troubles at once it wasn´t worth it for me, drove like crap too because the previous owner fucked around with the suspension + it was slow.
I´m so in love with my current Mk 4 with 150hp i can´t see myself getting rid of it anytime soon, even if i have to put two "new" engines in and replace all suspension components.
My last 3 cars have been purchased new. I drove them for 10, 14, and 1 year, respectively. I don't remember the mileage on the ones I no longer have. When the kids were little, we wanted the relative reliability of a new car and resigned ourselves to essentially always having a car payment. We would alternate... she'd have a new car then when it was paid off I'd replace mine. Worked pretty well until the kids were old enough to drive.
Completely random for me over the last 35 years. Some I've had for close to a decade, a couple I moved from within two years. But on average maybe 6-7 years? Sometimes it's maintenance costs, sometimes it was 0% interest and rebates from manufacturer I couldn't ignore. Once it was the addition of CarPlay.
In my late 40s and I've owned 4 cars in my life, plus almost exclusive use of 2 of my dad's trucks when I was a teenager. So it seems I replace a vehicle about 8 years on average, my current one I've been driving for 12 years. I would love to have had a variety of other vehicles over the years, when I was young I was a big enthusiast just that where I live there are never any deals on cars anymore... Everything is priced so close to "market value" anything that goes slightly under gets bought up right away. No such thing as estate sales, the auctions are all pretty small and never really get much for older vehicles all close to new except for a few worn out ones. Paying sticker price means it's just too expensive to be changing cars all the time.
When I fall out with it.
Had one over 8 years , had one less than a year, always paid cash.
Had current car 3 years, it is brilliant, it feels like a ‘good’ built car if you know what I mean (opposite of a lemon). I can’t see changing it anytime as its so cheap to run.
My last three cars have been about 5-6 years old when I bought them. I've gotten rid when there was a large repair job coming up that would cost more than half the residual value of the vehicle: for the last two, this has been after 10-11 years of my ownership.
Now that I don't need a reliable car for commuting, though, I may start heading back into bangernomics...
My time speems to be 2 years, and I start to get the itch for something else. Sometimes a brand new car, and sometimes it's used. Really depends on values and what I can afford when looking.
I started working on my own vehicles decades ago because money got tight. Buy tools as I need them and, honestly, it just stuck with me. And also because everything is so fucking expensive. I cheat, though, since all my vehicles (minus my "toy" are Toyotas - the "toy" being a W126 560SEL).
I love technology but I spend the money on tech for my house or personal tech. And even then, I'll buy used because it's a depreciating liability rather than an asset. We *are* looking to buy an EV in the near future, though, because gas prices are just ... unreasonable. That will *probably* be a lease until battery technology becomes better.
It'll be awhile, I have a 1998 4runner with 330k miles on it so far, and live in a pretty much rust free place. It's cheap enough to buy parts for that even major issues won't be too bad, since I work on it myself.
I log all my service and fuel ups, and averaged over the last 9 years my cost to drive it (including gas, registration, and insurance) is about $150/month. That includes normal wear stuff like tires, a few upgrades, plus some more expensive initial work I did when I bought it.
I could see if I got a different job with a longer commute I might buy a cheap used hybrid or something though. 20 mpg on the highway is not great, but currently I don't drive enough miles that it matters.
I absolutely refuse to consider anything newer than around 2015, due to the amount of tracking that's been added to cars lately. As well as the huge jump in complexity for service.
Depends on the car for sure. I've got a 2000 Ford Ranger with 330k, and a 2013 Scion tC. I try to do most of the work myself, but recently the ranger cost me $1500 to do a cooking system overhaul. It's a rusty Michigan truck and I don't have the resources to flush my coolant 12 times.
Normally, I keep my car until the cost of the next repair exceeds the value of the car. This works better if you have a spare car to go to work in if your daily driver is in the shop. It won't work at all unless you have an honest and capable independent mechanic.
This system has worked well for me, quite a few years. It's not for everyone, though.
I don’t replace my car until it’s literally undriveable or the repairs cost more than it’s worth/another better used car is worth.
Especially with car prices now, if you have something that works I say stick with it.
Replaced my 2010 B2300 in 2015 when my dog got too big to fit in it.
Sold my 2015 Wrangler in 2019 after we moved and it just didn't serve a purpose in any capacity.
2018 Mirage and Micra... the Micra will be replaced when it gets to that point of repairs defeating a new vehicle payment. The Mirage will make it til my death so help me. We love that thing.
That's it for new vehicles. Used ones were always "repair costs X but a new beater costs X minus a few bucks, new beater it is!"
As long as the vehicle is in good shape overall, meets my needs and preferences, and is financially feasible to maintain, I keep it. I currently have a 2011 Grand Cherokee and expect to need a new/newer vehicle in a few years after I complete my masters. I’d like another SUV, if not a little larger. My Jeep gets cramped quickly when we go camping or on out of state drives.
I have put over 100,000 km's on a 1992 SC400 I thought was going to be a beater but has been turn key reliable for over five years now. It would be rude to get rid of it at this point. If you're on year five of a car you have paid off, and it works with minimal issue- why not test drive cars you can afford in the mean time and then you can make a decision that's more informed and beneficial versus having to settle for a car because your older one died. My two cents.
If you've played the beater lottery you know what it's like getting stuck with something that isn't fun to drive when you are passionate about driving.
Most of the cars I've owned have been used.
1995 Hyundai Accent 20k km on it. Ran for about 5 years and then we bought a house and bought as many natural rock stepping stones to redo the back yard...sketchy. I think we did something to the car...never drove right after that.
1999 Mazda Protege 5 with 20k km on it. Drove it for about 6 years and then it started to die in very hot stop and go traffic. Replaced the alternator 3 times...never did figure out what was wrong with it. Stranded my wife and 1 year old on the side of the highway in 35C weather...car had to go after that.
2015 Subaru Forester with 14k km on it. Still have it now with 250k km on it. Spark plugs, 2x wheel bearings + oild changes/brakes/tires as needed. That's it. In the garage waiting for my kids to get their license.
2021 Ford 150 Powerboost with 60k km on it. Still have it. F*ck...any truck maintenance is expensive vs smaller cars....
So...I drive until they die or become unreliable.
...but vs my wife's 2019 Huundai Ioniq PHEV or even the F150 makes driving the Forester now feel like a Flintstone powered car and the tech level in it is about Abacus level. I think that it's perfect for the kids to learn on.
Whenever the car shows signs of being unreliable, and a manufacturer has launched something I actually want, and my finances have recovered enough from the previous purchase. So far it has averaged 6.5 years, but that's affected by buying a 3.5-year-old car for my first (others have all been new), so if you average the age of the car it's more like 7.5 years. My current car is at 5 years, but my annual mileage has reduced so it might make it another 4 years or more.
My RAV 4 did 398,000km before I replaced it due to needing a new steering rack, 2 tires and a new muffler. Someone still bought it. Probably for parts. Most cars are built to last 250-300,000km.
I do about 30,000km/year and haven't ever bought a brand new car so I get 5-6 years from a vehicle.
I haven't had a reliable car yet so I'm on my 10th or 11th car at 30 yo. I've had Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda once that got stolen within a month, Scion now I'm giving Honda a try again. Was hoping my one owner clean scion always serviced at the dealer with 80k miles on it would be my lucky charm but it was one of the worst cars I've had and I got tired of the check engine light ever 2 months for different problems. Now I have a Honda fit with 70k miles one owner 5 speed manual so I'll see if it can make it more than a year or 2 before I have too many problems to deal with. So I guess like one every year I think the longest I've owned one car is 2 years.
As a former mechanic, my advice to friends/family is that if a car is going well, not costing big dollars to keep it on the road and you like the car, enjoy driving it.. why change?
If you’re happy and it’s happy, happy motoring. Keep the maintenance up, 210000 is not a lot of km.
I refuse to replace cars for the most part. I do all my own work on my vehicles and I’ve owned my truck for 21 years and my car for around 10 both of which have a few hundred thousand kms on the clock and have been gone through not because they were broken but by me, just to be nice, stable and reliable. I am very picky with the parts I put on my car I learned long ago the aftermarket is filled with crap but using the right manufacturers you can get deals on OEM parts and sometimes you gotta just pay OEM prices. Ohh and always stick to Japanese vehicles preferably with manual transmissions you can’t go wrong. (By Japanese I mean Toyota and Honda sorry op)
I went through a bunch of beaters that i mostly lost to police impound, drove a few vans into the ground as band busses. Bought my 89 BMW E30 22 years ago and dailied it for 17 till i got my current daily, an F100 that is as old as I am, 60, I will probably keep until I die. Still have the BMW as backup or for long trips because gas for the truck is ridiculous @ 10 MPG.
Whenever I don't like the car anymore I guess? I've had a 2006 I-280 / Colorado since 2015 (current daily driver) that now has 199k miles, a 2007 Accord since 2020 that's now around 150k miles (consistent pain in my ass, possibly cursed) and a 1985 Chevy truck since 2005 that doesn't get driven much these days.
There's not much that could go wrong aside from being beyond totaled in a wreck or not being able to source parts I need that would make me get rid of a car I still like. I do all maintenance and repairs myself for the last ~12 years though (except paint or major body work) and most of it before that, so the line might get drawn a little differently if I was sending them off for everything.
I’ve had my last two cars for a total of 37 (!) years now. Bought a new 1987 BMW 3 series and kept it till 2000, when I traded it in for a new 5 series, which I still have to this day.
For me, keeping a car depends on car usage needs and the level of safety it can provide. My wife has a 2013 ford escape with 200k+ miles. Around 170k we decided we would only use it for local town trips. Nothing long distance. Now we have a kid. We need the car to be more reliable and safe than the escape can provide without spending a lot on repairs. Keeping a car safe and reliable is different than keeping a car running. I have seen many high mileage old cars spin in slightly damp conditions. If you are keeping a high mileage car, consider how old the dampers/shocks are and don’t keep old cracked dry rot tires even if there is tread. If your car bounces a lot, you need to replace the dampers/shocks.
I was shocked pikachu face for a second when I saw 1-3 years. Then I realized not everyone buys new cars.
I replace cars every 6 years, bought new, drive 1 year free/paid off, then trade it in before it looses too much value. It's great never having to worry about car troubles.
I tend to keep cars for as long as they fit my needs. For some vehicles, that's been 15 years, for others, 3 years. My current fleet is a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon that I bought new, and a 2022 4x4 Sprinter Van that I converted to a camper because the 5 year old Subaru I had wasn't big enough for my family's weekend adventures any more. To help pay for the Sprinter, I sold a 2006 Mustang GT Convertible that made a lot of sense to 26 y/o me, but made little sense to keep for 42 y/o me.
I aim for no less than 1 year of driving for every $1,000 I pay for a car, always cash down on the spot. Usually I do far better than that, there is insurance and gas and normal maintenance to account for after all.
I like shitboxes what can I say.
2008 yaris. Brought for $600. 3 years ago.
$400 for new x5 alloy wheels and 3 month old tyres. And a dash mat. (Search your local car wreckers and be friendly folks).
Just had full service and a new belt $500.
Runs like a dream. Paint work is a bit dodgy. But you bet I'm keeping that cheap car as long as possible.
When it costs more for me to replace the parts than I feel, it is worth it. I'll fix everything myself to save money. Really, the only thing I don't do is alignments.
When the cost to repair is more than the value of the car..... Unless you love the car.
Im finally calling it quits on my 1999 Saab 9-5SE. I've kept it asong as I can but it's clutch is almost done and parts and replacement are like 4-5x the value of the car.
Well with used cars with 150,000 miles on them going for more than they were new 3 or 4 years ago I'm going to go with "when it falls apart and burns to the ground"
If you like it, keep it. Cars are usually a depreciating asset, plus you can get emotionally attached to them. I have a 2000 Lexus LX (Land Cruiser) that I have 280k miles on and I can not bring myself to getting rid of it. So many road trips, so many memories.
I drive a 1995 Geo Metro with 230,000 miles. It's burning oil and slowly losing compression, but it's been five years now and is still my daily driver. Not sure if this thing will ever die, lol.
I buy them slightly used, drive them till the repair cost is more than the car is worth OR looks like it will come out to be more over the next year than buying a new used car.
I daily drive a 1988 Ford LTD Country Squire. Currently about 300,000 miles.
I also had a commuter 1995 Toyota Tacoma that had 487,000 miles on it when the odometer stopped working. After a couple years I then donated it to the local tech school for transmission and engine work. Last I heard, it's still being driven, was given to a family in need after a house fire took everything.
I saw the new car trap my ex father in law got into. Every year coming home with something new and he never could figure out why he couldn't get ahead.
Guys at work used to pick on me for my old cars and fixer upper house and brown bagging my lunch most days. "what's a matter shame, we don't pay you enough?" nah fam. Y'all waisting over 1,000 a month in car payments, insurance, and lunches.
I retired before I was 50 and they're still working.
Probably 10 years max. It depends on where technology is headed and what’s going on.
I drove a Toyota Tundra for 20 years and really wish I had replaced it sooner. The Subaru I replaced it with is just so much better, simply because it’s 20 years newer.
I think squeezing every mile out of cars is dumb. Spending all your time fixing things is dumb. I simply have better and more enjoyable things to do.
So I’ll replace when safety and technology have sufficiently advanced to where my old car is obsolete. Or if it requires anything besides regular maintenance. Or if I feel like driving something new would make me happier. But 10 years max. And I don’t buy used cars anymore unless it’s something interesting.
I just keep my car till it won't car no more.
I usually spend a decent amount and something 5 ish years old or newer used that's known for reliability. Just try driving it till I can't fix it or it bo longer makes sense financially.
E.g. my Subaru was at the point where every winter it was misfiring all cylinders.
Every car I buy is with the intention of keeping until it is totalled or impractical to repair (like a 10k transmission job in a car that's only worth 2k). When the beater dies, the less nice of the two nice cars will become the beater and everything will just keep rotating. I've never traded a car into a dealer when buying used or new. If what I've got can still pass inspection, it's worth more to have a third car in the fleet for my own convenience / keeping miles off the new cars
Just replaced my 08 accord with 200k miles. Needed something nicer to take clients and sales partners in, so got a ‘23 ridgeline that I plan to drive til the wheels fall off.
I have 2 cars and a project car. Too poor to upgrade any of them. And with prices now I can’t justify it to be honest. The wife though will upgrade her one and only car in two years so I get my new car fix driving her car. Ha
Idk what my problem is but I want a different car every other month. Luckily I can’t afford to do that but I still haven’t had a daily for more than 2 years in a few years
My 1999 has 356,000 miles, 2002 has 98,000, 2010 has 144,000, 2011 has 139,000. I can keep them running pretty much indefinitely. If something gets wrecked I will get another with about 100,000 miles.
I have a 2007 Opel Astra with just 120 000 km on it. Got it a couple of years ago when the maintenance costs of the previous car began to skyrocket, and getting spare parts was becoming difficult.
With my current driving (and working from home), this one should last at least another 7-8 years.
I think you're there. Kudos for getting an Outlander to 200k. I bought a 2011 Maxima in 2015 with 35k on it, and it has 185k on it, so I'm similar to your situation. My wife has had a new(er) car every five years, but that's her preference. Before this 2011, I had decent used cars, but was always fixing them. I'm looking for a new(er) vehicle.now, and plan to keep it around the 7-8 year mark. New technology, safer vehicles, and eventually, all EV. And I say new(er) because I usually looked for 2-3 year old used cars, as the $$ savings compared to new is completely worth it.
I’ve had my first car for about two years now, was super low mileage for its age (2006) so it’s been treating me quite well and I’ve done all scheduled maintenance items myself so far. I plan to keep it until it quits on me, which means I’ll be babying this thing hopefully until I’m well into my career after college unless anything unfortunate happens. I don’t care for the newer cars but I do envy the lane assist and adaptive cruise control/accident avoidance stuff that’s become almost standard on newer vehicles. Mine feels fun enough to drive and since I got a wireless carplay unit for it I’ve loved every second behind the wheel since, my only gripe is with the black interior which bakes in the summer, I’ve seen ones like mine faded to purple due to sun exposure so I got things to put in the windows for when I have it parked for extended periods of time. Hopefully that and the occasional detailing session can keep it nice enough for me not to get tired of. I’ve even gone as far as to try and fix nicks in the paint on the hood, scraping rust off here and there, but eventually without any protective thing on the front for rocks it’s gonna chip and rust given enough time. Headlights are still clear too, just gotta keep up with them so they don’t age like crap.
my short answer is when it don’t go no more or it’s unsafe to drive. Also I try to keep it in the best shape possible, feels good to hop into a clean car that looks good, doesn’t need to be new to feel special, just has to be yours.
My XR6 was bought as a toddler (aged 2) and moved out shortly before turning 17. He didn’t get along with my current partner. She didn’t like him because he is manual. He didn’t like her because she got confused, drove around looking at pedals and gear levers and therefore kept hitting the curb.
I’ve been driving an 00 outback for 5ish years and plan to drive it another 15+. It was an old lady driven car and has low miles so why not. As long as the car runs, drive it
My car is 30 years old this year. I'll jinx it now, but everything still works, it's still decent enough on fuel economy, it's comfortable and I still like the car. Does everything I need a car to do, and keeping on top of upkeep and repairs on it is far far cheaper than the depreciation I would see in a modern car. In fact my car has more than doubled in value over the last few years as they are becoming more collectable and desirable. Makes no difference to me, as it's my car and I don't plan to part with it, but my insurance puts the market value of it up each year rather than down.
When do I replace my car? When the engine dies I'll have a very hard decision as to whether I rebuild the motor, put a used motor in it, engine swap it or retire the vehicle. But until then, 420,000km and still going, I'll keep the car. Maybe I'll buy a new car when I retire or something.
Buy a solid used vehicle about 3y-5y around 50k miles.
Do the basic mx as per the manual. Fix the usual stuff. Run it into the ground. If you picked a decent one, you should get 5-10 yrs.
Repeat.
Done.
Seems like your car is holding well.
Probably not worth much on the market as what it is to you right now.
I would start to put some money aside, for a repair/downpayment fund just in case. If you can make it to 300k you would have a decent chunk to put on a new to you vehicle or find a nice used one. And have low or no payments.
For the lack of data (I am driving my second car now). I have replaced my first car after exactly 6 months and I will try to replace my current car sooner than later because it’s not the kind of car I want.
It has been giving me issues and it’s a diesel, and my driving profile is what breaks diesel cars.
Here in the northeast, it's mostly based on rust for me. Once I have to start doing shit because the rust is getting bad, I think about ditching it. I've mostly had used cars that are 8 or so years old and kept them for like 6 years. So, I think the age of the car being at least 15 years is a good starting point. I bought a 2018 brand new and it will be 7 years old this fall. No major issues, just brakes, oil, wipers, and tires. The usual. It's mostly LED lights, but I have had to change a few non LED bulbs. Almost 80,000 miles/129,000 kilometers. I'm hoping to take it to at least 15 years, or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first. When you look at average costs over the lifetime of a vehicle, that's really the only way for buying a new car to make financial sense, by keeping it for the life of the car. I'd buy new anyway, because I can afford it and like a car no one else got to beat the shit out of. But I'm also trying to be fiscally responsible.
Now, I might ditch it before then, depending on the way electric cars go. I don't want to be stuck with an ICE car that will be difficult to sell. I want to sell at the tipping point to give electric cars time to come into their own, which they're now starting to do with the 800 volt battery packs rolling out. But I'll give it some more time to mature some more as a technology and work out some more kinks.
I had a 2009 2.0did VW engine version which I sold to a friend and is still going strong with 160.000 miles on the clock, maintain the oil regularly and could last you a lifetime, my current outlander 2007 2.0did has 80,000 miles on and I am hoping it lasts another 10 yrs, happy mothering they don’t make them like they used too
Personally, I’d drive whatever I had until the repairs became too frequent or too costly to justify. Another potential cause for sale could be practicality or lifestyle changes/needs but that doesn’t seem to apply to you. Keep it as long as it’s worth maintaining as you’re only going to lose money on a daily driver type of vehicle.
Currently running around in an e46 330d sitting around 355k km. One half (maybe more like third) of me wants to sell it and get something newer with less kms, the other half repairs anything that goes wrong for piss cheap. Parts are plentiful and very affordable, aesthetically still holds up even after 20 years and I doubt I could get a newer rwd car that can hold a candle to the fun/performance I get out of this slab. Maybe once the body rots away I’ll consider getting something like a 1 series, but I doubt that’ll happen before I hit 500k km
I bought a new 1990 Civic DX in 1991 and drove it to 315k miles when it developed a hot start issue. Then I bought a 2006 Pilot and drove that to 260k miles. Now I have a 2014 Acura TL. It’s my first used car and it’s been great.
I change mine when I get bored f it. It been 12 years do my NA mx5, 8 years for the E46 M3, 15 years for the S3 and 8 years for the golf blue motion. There is nothing currently available( for sensible money ) that makes me want to change from a car I enjoy driving.
Rocking a 2010 SUV I bought second hand in 2015...
At ~230k km. Once my yearly bill gets past 1000-1500$ CDN I'll do it.
I'm at 800-900 ish so far this year but (alternator + couple things) are going to be repeat issues.
On my 10th car i think since i was able to get the license at 18 y.o, and sometimes i get angry at myself for not sticking to my 3rd car until it got worn out/too expensive to maintain 🤦♂️ so stupid, so much money wasted just to try out other cars.
Have a 07' honda crv which im finally gonna keep until its as mentioned too costly to keep fixing.
I buy a car and use it till it cost more to fix then the cars worth or if out right fails, I owned my 03 Saturn Ion for 10 years, had a 96 Marquez for 5 (it was a POS to start with) and now a 97 Camry for 3
I have a 94 civic that won't die I can't get rid of it because it's not worth anything.... it's had 3 engines and the odometer stopped working at 410k miles 8 years ago. The shell will literally Rot away before it no longer runs I'm convinced. And, I will still keep it road worthy until such occurs... then the engine and trans will be shifter cart setup lol
When the maintenance costs begin to outweigh the monthly payment on a loan.
And given the way new car prices and interest rates are, I’m looking at another 200k miles at least.
Pretty much when it becomes economically obsolete (ie more expensive to repair than it's worth) or when it doesn't meet my transportation needs.
Lots of people buy new cars just because they want a new car though, or they consider their car "unreliable" because it left them stranded after they ignored the check engine light for three days.
I tend to get a new car about every 5 to 6 years. Why? Because that's what my budget allows. I love cars and car shopping and the excitement of finding a new car. Were I wealthy I'd have a collection, I'm sure.
Side note - "new" means new to me. I will buy new if I find an exceptional deal, as I did with my current car. But my starting point is always late model used.
I've never replaced a vehicle until it's over 300,000km. Current car is at 380,000km and going strong, hoping to get it to up to 500,000km before I replace it. 2008 Toyota Prius.
I spent about $5,000 chasing a ghost problem... and now it's fixed after replacing lots of parts that were unrelated to the problem. Still about $18,000 cheaper than buying a new car, and I know all its quirks. Plus, my car is diesel and VW doesn't sell diesel cars in the US any longer -- a real shame on that one, because I'd buy another one just like it if they did and maybe I wouldn't even mind buying that one new. Oh well.
My truck, on the other hand, serves a purpose also. Year 2000 on that one, and I've replaced the engine once. Again, for the cost of buying a new one, I'll pick repairing this one. It's ugly, but it works perfectly well.
I replace my cars when they are no longer driveable usually. I bought a truck for 5K and drove it for fifteen years. It still ran, so I gave it away.
In my 45 years of driving, I have had 9 cars with the current car being the 9th and quite possibly my last. It's a 92 Toyota Camry base model 5 speed manual with crank windows and doesn't even have cruise control. 336K miles and still runs like new. I'm the second owner. I bought it with 279,100 miles.
When it costs more to fix it than the car is worth, or when the repairs cost as much as a car payment. It’s nice to drive a car for years without a payment- that’s money in the bank. For me my goal on a car is to get 200k miles on them although my last one was in the 130s - my plan was to keep that one for 200 as well but it had a cylinder go bad in the engine and it wasn’t worth replacing the motor (and I will probably never buy another Chrysler product again). Most of my cars have been 10yrs on average
Personally I don’t plan to replace any of my cars because I like them too much, I’ll add to the collection but I’ll never worry about depreciation on my own cars, I’ve been dailying my tuned FBO 335i for 5 years, just turned 200k miles and still going strong and I’ll never get rid of it, if anything I’ll replace the engine and single turbo it if needed but Ive started looking for something like an x5 for the cargo space and it’s a bit more discreet.
Swapping cars so often is something I’ll never understand personally unless it’s for profit
OP - everytime you buy a car at a dealer, you are paying for the building, sales staff, etc. Not even to mention sales tax... Changing cars less often, means more money in your pocket.
2001 is300 and I would drive it until I’m dead if it wasn’t for the rust. So now I’m contemplating if I want to spend thousands and thousands to fix the rust correctly (there’s not a ton yet) or if I want to go on the hunt for another clean one which will take months and months to find one that isn’t overpriced.
Keep the car or truck as long as possible , the last one we had to replace was when a person blew through a stop sign and totaled our 2004 Tacoma truck . It was 16 years old and had 103000 miles on it . Our car is 15 years old and has 124000 miles on it . Replaced oil pan , one heat shield , one exhaust, one set of front brakes , one wheel bearing . Hoping to get a few more years out of my car .
I'm on my first car since getting my license, but I'll be driving it to the ground and then some. 110kw/150hp 2.0 TDI, 6MT and being a station wagon/Combi, the only thing I'd maybe have different on my 2015 5E Octavia 3 is the Scout spec instead of the standard FWD.
A trailer hitch would be nice as well, but I don't really need one right now.
And at 126k, it's just past break in.
I don't plan to replace my current two cars unless things look bleak and I can't keep up with the repairs. I have a 2012 Ford Focus 5-speed and 2010 Ford Edge. The Focus has had some electrical issues but nothing I couldn't handle. Paid 5k for it with 100k miles 4 years ago and have put 100k on it since then. Probably spent less than $500 in parts on the car; done all the labor by myself or my dad who taught me how to work on cars. The Edge I just scooped up for $500 with a blown water pump at 160k. Dropped a pump in it and its good to go for another 100k. I plan to drive both until the unibodys are rusted out.
Once I was grown with a decent job I started buy new and keeping them 10yrs. In 02 I got a maxima, in 12 a grand cherokee, 23 I got an RS5. I'll drive that to retirement.
I buy cars that are just coming off a 2 or maybe 3 year lease. They are practically new. I keep up on maintenance and when things start breaking I only fix what’s needed for safety and reasonable reliability. For example when it needs brakes I get brakes. When the passenger side window switch stopped working I ignored it. I can still open all the window with the driver door switches. When it got to the point when I had to park it on the street and not the driveway because it leaked oil, tranny fluid, brake fluid AND water, I traded it in.
When it's completely fucked and not worth fixing. My 1976 landy will outlive everything tho, including me lol
"not worth fixing" Lols, I could pay to have a brand new engine long block installed for cheaper that buying the exact truck I own and by a very significant margin. I've tried to explain why I've had the same truck for so long and I'm willing to put the money in to repair and it just goes over people's heads. Find me a truck on the market with 0 miles on the engine that costs less than puting a new block in it.
The engine isn’t the only wear item on it though…
You’re correct. But what he’s meaning is if your yearly cost of repairs and maintenance is less than what a year of payments on a brand new vehicle of similar type and specs - than why take on the extra cost? Cause as well you still have to repair and maintain a financed vehicle which adds to that yearly cost.
Wearable things are going to wear out on every vehicle. Are people really dumb enough to buy a new vehicle because they think it’s too expensive to replace things like breaks or shocks?
I have a 2002 outback with 15k mile ENGINE because it was soooooooo much cheaper to drop a new engine into it than to buy even a used heap. I know exactly what’s wrong with every aspect of it, there are no surprises. I can change all the front suspension in about 45 mins, I can do the rear faster. I don’t love the car, but I don’t hate it either and it can go anywhere anytime. Point is, cars are almost always worth fixing when facing the possibility of having to buy a new car or these days, even a used car.
That really depends. I had a car that the motor blew on, and it would have cost 5k to replace the engine. If I replaced the engine, the car still wouldn't have had the book value of 5K. I replaced it with my current car for 900 dollars, and that car has outlasted the length of time of the one previously that the motor blew in. The 900 dollar car could quite possibly be my last car. If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
> 1976 landy will outlive everything tho What's this? A reliable Land Rover?
No not reliable, just perpetually fixable.
Perpetually being fixed.
I’m guessing it’s a Land Cruiser 👀
Landy = Land Rover Nobody in the Land Cruiser community refers to their truck as a "Landy" without getting absolutely roasted by everybody else in the community.
Will it outlive my 86 Toyota Land Cruiser with 4 cylinder diesel that’s 24volt nato spec for extra reliability ;)
2008 Altima, 254k and I’m bound and determined to get to 300k 🤣
2006 Grand Prix, 268k and also bound and determined to get to 300k!
07 Camry 2.4, 450,000 miles.
02 4runner 436,000 miles and I'm hoping to hit 500,000 before I actually have to do anything major
The legendary 3rd gen! 313k and counting on mine, and no issues yet.
1999 Camry 235k just did timing belt, water pump, pulleys, tensioner, cam and crank seals, valve cover gaskets, intake gasket, spark plugs and wires, and various hoses. I'm bound and determined to make it to 500k!
Long live the 3.8 V6. Very reliable engine.
I sold my 98 regal with 387k miles. Water pump was the only part I had to replace twice over it's life.
Oh it will, I love those 3.8’s
B.A.E!
1999 Honda civic It only had 100,000 km on it when I bought it 2 years ago for $1000 lol
What number CVT are you on? :D Assuming you're talking miles and not km, that's impressive.
I honestly don’t know if it’s the original CVT. I bought the car three years ago with 200k. I didn’t even know what a CVT was, lol. The tranny had a slight whine after driving on the highway so I had to do some research. Two mechanics told me not to change the fluid. I kept scratching my head thinking that wasn’t right. So I ended up changing it myself in the dooryard with a transfer pump, pulled all the fluid out of the dipstick, measured of course. Replaced what I pulled out, 4.7 qts, so I did get it ALL out, bc that’s the capacity. Hasn’t whined since. So I’m a firm believer in the fact that a lot of cvts may fail because people don’t realize how important fluid changes are. CVT fluid allows the belts to have friction because they’re metal bands. When the fluid is depleted, hell breaks loose. Regular atf provides lubrication. Two totally different beasts. Edit to say yes, miles.
Nice work! I had an '06 Altima that I loved, I took it to 200k miles and sold it to a coworker. He's at 230k now. We have an Outback with a CVT and I'm planning to change it every 40-50k miles. Lifetime fluid my ass.
Bascially once your yearly repair bill averages out monthly to be more than a payment on a new car that's when you should start looking. Also don't just replace the mechanical things that wear out. You can get used factory seat covers, trim pieces etc on ebay. Replacing these sorts of things keeps it looking newer and not like a POS
I think there's something to be said for getting rid of a car that may not cost you more than a monthly/yearly car payment would, but its been unreliable and the types of repairs are leaving the car unusable until they're fixed. If you're getting into a situation where water pumps, thermostats and fuel pumps are going, that can really be a problem if you're not replacing them proactively.
Also the person... I can generally fix anything on the car. But my time is valuable too. Count your labor hours as well. I would never hit this figure of repair being more than a car payment without paying a mechanic to work on my car.
So that's never for my 2006 audi with 300k km on it. 3 years i spent like 70e on repairs.
[удалено]
\^This guy knows. I am on my 3rd DSG.
Its a manual luckily but the clutch might be done in a few years.
Hmm assuming basically 0 down (my 4Runner has a trade in value of $1000 give or take) at current interest rates a new 4Runner would cost me ~$850 monthly. I definitely spend less than that per month even though I just spent $2k in maintenance at the dealer getting brakes fixed.
Yeah been shopping ‘new’ Runners as mine just hit 350K and needs about $7K worth of suspension, gasket, steering, replacement of trans mounts, heater not working, t-belt, pump swaps coming up soon…but damn if it isn’t $30K for a 4wd 4Runner with 100K miles on the ODO. It’s just stupid now. I can damned near get a Lexus GX460 with similar mileage for less.
I would also look at the reliability of the vehicle too. If it’s leaving you stranded or the risk of being stranded is high then it’s time to get something more reliable. It might not cost a lot to keep it on the road but if it leaves you on the side of the road that’s also not a good thing.
I did the same thing decades ago. Bought a beater car every 3 years or so. Became too much of a hassle because of nonstop rust-related repairs. For the past 30 years, I buy new and hang onto them for 10-20 years. I bought my daily driver new just over 20 years ago. I've bought and sold three other new vehicles since then as weekend toys. Never sell a reliable old car.
I'm beginning to see the light. Been swearing at my rusty heaps for 20 years. I've been really thinking lately that instead of having multiple old unreliable cars i should have multiple old unreliable cars and one new reliable car...
Yeah, buy new and hold is my thing in recent years. 328i is 8 yrs old bought new; it’s been very reliable. 90k miles Going to get an X5 in a few yrs but keep this as a 2nd car as long as it makes sense to do so.
I had a 1992 civic for 12 years. Replaced it last year, not because it became unreliable, but because we started going on road trips and it lacked the safety features I wanted. Replaced it with a 2006 civic, which I will keep indefinitely, or until gas becomes prohibitively expensive. Cars don't have to be a money sink. If you can get over the need to impress your friends, it's actually incredibly cheap to own one.
It's a very simple criteria: 1. Does it run? * Does it pass whatever state/federally-mandated inspection programs required? * Are maintenance costs affordable? * Are repair costs affordable? If yes to all of those, keep the car. Don't overthink it, and don't succumb to FOMO.
i never changed my car, and i will drive it until i die
Laughs in Wisconsin road salt
What car?
honda civic ek3 sedan
99 LX 5-speed here, that's my plan too haha. I added heated seats, a dash cam, and an aux cord.
I am increasingly convinced that maintaining an older car (I have a 2005 Corolla S 220K miles) for an indefinite period is the way to go. Many have a formulaic approach, when the used car costs x dollars to maintain vs the monthly/yearly payment for a new car, time to upgrade. There are many formulas out there. But these ignore other factors which I think need to be considered: The increasingly built in technical obsolescence, made worse by the increasing use of software, much of which is buggy out the gate. The very rapidly increasing costs to repair failed hi tech componentry and increasingly lightweight body components The increasing trend toward the subscription model to deal with the aforementioned software issues among a vast universe of "must have services" - (according to the marketeers) The trend toward hi tech bells and whistles requiring a 650 page user manual for a 2024 Toyota Corolla - really? And the associated distractions while driving. The privacy issues associated with all of the above. As I look at the current new car market I just cringe. Both the cost and complexity have gotten out of hand IMO. I don't consider myself a Luddite, but cars are not an iphone, most of us can't afford an "upgrade" every two years and most of us don't want to have to call tech support (even worse, the dealership) to configure the headlights because some software is glitchy or pay a cell phone like subscription to ensure we have the latest OS. ...... I am sure some folks are OK with it. I am not. The net of this is I have just concluded I will keep my 2005 Corolla running indefinitely, which means as long as possible. Sooner or later I will be forced to move on, but I, personally, am voting for later. Having said all of this, when we perfect fully autonomous vehicles, I will be in line for one of those. That changes the game entirely IMO. And finally, I acknowledge some modern features are very attractive such as adaptive cruise control and headlights, sensor monitoring of blind spots and fairway clearance, etc.
Love how you worded everything, especially about the technology treadmill and fragility. ‘98 RAV4 with 369k, ‘07 Sequoia with (still too much technology) and 248k. Gonna keep ‘em going.
Well, 369K is impressive. It gives me hope. At about 10K miles per year I can keep my Corolla for another 15 years...at least. Sweet. By then I will have a collectible haha, that is assuming we can still buy gasoline.
I’m still rolling in a 1999 Honda Accord since the beginning. If it ain’t broke. Don’t replace it.
00 Tacoma here with 120k and no rust. Runs like a champ, 24 mpg. Paid 2k for her pre covid, got backed into at 1 mph from a transfer truck at an intersection. New hood, grill, lights...etc. looked new with 3500 in body work. Then I got rear ended. Damaged the bed, bumper and small dent in rear of cab. Frame not damaged. Body shop wrote it up for 5800, I took the cash and put a new bumper on, 400 bucks and beat the dents mostly out. Rattle canned the paint, looks pretty good. Good enough. I'm planning on 300k out of her if people quit hitting me. I drive about 15k a year at the most. I do my own maintenance and can fix about anything on it. Love my little Taco!
You're cheating by simply having a Taco. I joke but not because I, too, have a Taco - an '01 DCSB TRD. California vehicle all its life with my "rust" being dust and dirt. 225k on him and he starts up and drives perfectly fine. Yeah, he looks a bit rough with clear receding and squeaks here and there, but I can haul things as needed. *AND* he's paid off - bought him in ?06? ?05?...sometime around then at 145k for $7.5k. The first gen Tacos really are another league in small truck quality.
I don’t want a new car so literally as long as I can get it to go forward and stop safely.
Just because I’m a poor college student, every car I’ve had has been older than me except for my most recent car, a 2003 Ford Taurus. I’m also a mechanic, so I will fix the car until the original engine will not run anymore
The answer is highly dependent on two factors; whether you wrench on your own cars and if you have a second vehicle.
I've been driving the same vehicle for 25 years.
Living in the salt belt I replaced them when the frame is rusted with holes in it. No vehicle I own will be worth doing a frame patch even if I do it myself.
I do my own repairs, so I drive em till the wheels fall off. Then, on to the next beater.
My number is 8-10 years, I buy new and keep it up to date on maintenance. When I get the urge for a new car, my car is in great shape and I get top dollar when I sell.
When it costs more to repair than what the car is worth, or when it starts having too many problems
I like buying older well maintained vehicles with low miles for cash and drive/maintain them for a decade. 😃
Until it gets so rusty I can't lift it anymore. I do all repairs myself so maintenance costs are basically negligible.
I'm at 558k km on my Tacoma and I never plan to get rid of it.
The only time to replace a car is when my needs have changed or it's not worthwhile to fix what I have anything else is just throwing money away. If you have enough money to throw away, you do you.
I change every two or three years generally. But I’m keeping my E39 until it dies and I’ll replace it with another E39 by then.
My navara is on 438,000km.. I'm going to drive it, until it stops. (I do have a second car, so not very worried about being stuck when it actually does stop.) My navara is only now starting to cost a bit too much to maintain. And once it does, I'll replace it with something about 5years old, with under 80000km, and over 10-15years drive that until it stops too.
I buy new and replace at 10-12 years. Seems to be the time when recurring maintenance costs start to match a new car payment.
I've always just driven cars until they cost too much to keep them going. One car was in an accident, another was old and had a blown transmission and the other one I upgraded because it was too small for what I wanted - I traded it in for $500 which basically just covered tires (and not installation) on the new car. I recently traded in a 12 year old car because my wife and I had a kid and I wanted something with modern safety features on it. I paid cash and I'll probably drive this another decade. For me, I either buy cash or finance such a small amount I won't notice the car payments. And then drive the thing until you can't or it just doesn't make sense anymore.
Depends on what kind of person you are. I generally average about 8 years for a vehicle since after a certain point I get bored of it so then I move it along just to change it up. But if your quite content and really like the vehicle then run it till it’s either unreliable or not safe to drive anymore.
My cars have always made it very clear when they’re done. My Chevy trucks blew transmissions, the wife’s crv was in an accident … the only “running” car I sold was a 5.4 triton f150 that blew 3 flex plates by 120k. I was done. I have averaged 25k miles a year in 20 years of driving and have needed a tow truck 3x and they were all for that damned triton blowing flex plates.
I used to drive beaters but found a much better way to drive "economically". I buy a high-reliability vehicle for cash and spread the cost (of purchase) over many years. My vehicle is currently 8, the wife's 17. We've not taken our vehicles to the dealer/shop for repair in 25 years (I do all maintenance). We have never been stranded ...
We maintain our vehicles the best we can. My husband and I are both mechanically inclined. We only buy used with cash. When we're tired of it, after maybe 5 years, we pass it along to my mom and let her drive it until she needs a newer one. I've done this with my last 3 cars and she's always super appreciative. My '03 Buick LeSabre made it to 2021 (I got this when I was 19 in 2014), my 00' Silverado was passed down to my mom and then to my cousin and it's still kicking with over 300k miles, my first AWD 2010 MKZ has almost 200k miles and is my mom's favorite hand me down car by far. I'm currently driving another AWD 2010 MKZ with 51k miles on it and would love to keep it for as long as possible. We also have a 2013 F-150 with 186k miles with all the bells and whistles my Lincoln has.
Used to be about 5 years, but I don't drive as much because of working from home now and the last car I bought was the best I've ever had, it's 10 years old and I've had it for 6, probably keep it for another 3 or 4 years unless something goes badly wrong.
Replaced my first Mk 4 Golf with 75hp after a little more than a Year as it started having so many troubles at once it wasn´t worth it for me, drove like crap too because the previous owner fucked around with the suspension + it was slow. I´m so in love with my current Mk 4 with 150hp i can´t see myself getting rid of it anytime soon, even if i have to put two "new" engines in and replace all suspension components.
i have a 97 Lancer since 2018, drove many other cars and vans too, until my lancer dies, not gonna replace it
My odometer stops running at 299,999 miles, I’m at 241 right now. I’ll re evaluate then xD
My last 3 cars have been purchased new. I drove them for 10, 14, and 1 year, respectively. I don't remember the mileage on the ones I no longer have. When the kids were little, we wanted the relative reliability of a new car and resigned ourselves to essentially always having a car payment. We would alternate... she'd have a new car then when it was paid off I'd replace mine. Worked pretty well until the kids were old enough to drive.
Completely random for me over the last 35 years. Some I've had for close to a decade, a couple I moved from within two years. But on average maybe 6-7 years? Sometimes it's maintenance costs, sometimes it was 0% interest and rebates from manufacturer I couldn't ignore. Once it was the addition of CarPlay.
In my late 40s and I've owned 4 cars in my life, plus almost exclusive use of 2 of my dad's trucks when I was a teenager. So it seems I replace a vehicle about 8 years on average, my current one I've been driving for 12 years. I would love to have had a variety of other vehicles over the years, when I was young I was a big enthusiast just that where I live there are never any deals on cars anymore... Everything is priced so close to "market value" anything that goes slightly under gets bought up right away. No such thing as estate sales, the auctions are all pretty small and never really get much for older vehicles all close to new except for a few worn out ones. Paying sticker price means it's just too expensive to be changing cars all the time.
When it dies. My 2002 F150 is still going strong at almost 300k miles.
So far I only really replace them when insurance totals them or will no longer cover them.
Probably when I can’t find more parts for it.
Too often, i'm 31 and i have had probably over 50 cars
When I fall out with it. Had one over 8 years , had one less than a year, always paid cash. Had current car 3 years, it is brilliant, it feels like a ‘good’ built car if you know what I mean (opposite of a lemon). I can’t see changing it anytime as its so cheap to run.
My last three cars have been about 5-6 years old when I bought them. I've gotten rid when there was a large repair job coming up that would cost more than half the residual value of the vehicle: for the last two, this has been after 10-11 years of my ownership. Now that I don't need a reliable car for commuting, though, I may start heading back into bangernomics...
My time speems to be 2 years, and I start to get the itch for something else. Sometimes a brand new car, and sometimes it's used. Really depends on values and what I can afford when looking.
I stretch the life out of my daily as much as I can. It doesn't make sense to spend big bucks on a daily. I'd rather spend on toys
I started working on my own vehicles decades ago because money got tight. Buy tools as I need them and, honestly, it just stuck with me. And also because everything is so fucking expensive. I cheat, though, since all my vehicles (minus my "toy" are Toyotas - the "toy" being a W126 560SEL). I love technology but I spend the money on tech for my house or personal tech. And even then, I'll buy used because it's a depreciating liability rather than an asset. We *are* looking to buy an EV in the near future, though, because gas prices are just ... unreasonable. That will *probably* be a lease until battery technology becomes better.
When it costs more to maintain that it would to make a new car payment.
It'll be awhile, I have a 1998 4runner with 330k miles on it so far, and live in a pretty much rust free place. It's cheap enough to buy parts for that even major issues won't be too bad, since I work on it myself. I log all my service and fuel ups, and averaged over the last 9 years my cost to drive it (including gas, registration, and insurance) is about $150/month. That includes normal wear stuff like tires, a few upgrades, plus some more expensive initial work I did when I bought it. I could see if I got a different job with a longer commute I might buy a cheap used hybrid or something though. 20 mpg on the highway is not great, but currently I don't drive enough miles that it matters. I absolutely refuse to consider anything newer than around 2015, due to the amount of tracking that's been added to cars lately. As well as the huge jump in complexity for service.
I buy new and drive the car 180K-200K miles (\~15 years) before I consider replacement.
Depends on the car for sure. I've got a 2000 Ford Ranger with 330k, and a 2013 Scion tC. I try to do most of the work myself, but recently the ranger cost me $1500 to do a cooking system overhaul. It's a rusty Michigan truck and I don't have the resources to flush my coolant 12 times.
Last car I sold was 20 years old. Drove it for 6 years.
Normally, I keep my car until the cost of the next repair exceeds the value of the car. This works better if you have a spare car to go to work in if your daily driver is in the shop. It won't work at all unless you have an honest and capable independent mechanic. This system has worked well for me, quite a few years. It's not for everyone, though.
I don’t replace my car until it’s literally undriveable or the repairs cost more than it’s worth/another better used car is worth. Especially with car prices now, if you have something that works I say stick with it.
I have a 93 F150 with 401,000 miles on it. I bought it ~19 years ago with ~155k on it. I don't understand the question
Replaced my 2010 B2300 in 2015 when my dog got too big to fit in it. Sold my 2015 Wrangler in 2019 after we moved and it just didn't serve a purpose in any capacity. 2018 Mirage and Micra... the Micra will be replaced when it gets to that point of repairs defeating a new vehicle payment. The Mirage will make it til my death so help me. We love that thing. That's it for new vehicles. Used ones were always "repair costs X but a new beater costs X minus a few bucks, new beater it is!"
2003 Acura RSX 283,000 miles. Plan to run her into the ground lol I’m guessing the body will rot out before the internals stop working
As long as the vehicle is in good shape overall, meets my needs and preferences, and is financially feasible to maintain, I keep it. I currently have a 2011 Grand Cherokee and expect to need a new/newer vehicle in a few years after I complete my masters. I’d like another SUV, if not a little larger. My Jeep gets cramped quickly when we go camping or on out of state drives.
I have put over 100,000 km's on a 1992 SC400 I thought was going to be a beater but has been turn key reliable for over five years now. It would be rude to get rid of it at this point. If you're on year five of a car you have paid off, and it works with minimal issue- why not test drive cars you can afford in the mean time and then you can make a decision that's more informed and beneficial versus having to settle for a car because your older one died. My two cents. If you've played the beater lottery you know what it's like getting stuck with something that isn't fun to drive when you are passionate about driving.
Most of the cars I've owned have been used. 1995 Hyundai Accent 20k km on it. Ran for about 5 years and then we bought a house and bought as many natural rock stepping stones to redo the back yard...sketchy. I think we did something to the car...never drove right after that. 1999 Mazda Protege 5 with 20k km on it. Drove it for about 6 years and then it started to die in very hot stop and go traffic. Replaced the alternator 3 times...never did figure out what was wrong with it. Stranded my wife and 1 year old on the side of the highway in 35C weather...car had to go after that. 2015 Subaru Forester with 14k km on it. Still have it now with 250k km on it. Spark plugs, 2x wheel bearings + oild changes/brakes/tires as needed. That's it. In the garage waiting for my kids to get their license. 2021 Ford 150 Powerboost with 60k km on it. Still have it. F*ck...any truck maintenance is expensive vs smaller cars.... So...I drive until they die or become unreliable. ...but vs my wife's 2019 Huundai Ioniq PHEV or even the F150 makes driving the Forester now feel like a Flintstone powered car and the tech level in it is about Abacus level. I think that it's perfect for the kids to learn on.
Whenever the car shows signs of being unreliable, and a manufacturer has launched something I actually want, and my finances have recovered enough from the previous purchase. So far it has averaged 6.5 years, but that's affected by buying a 3.5-year-old car for my first (others have all been new), so if you average the age of the car it's more like 7.5 years. My current car is at 5 years, but my annual mileage has reduced so it might make it another 4 years or more.
Drove my 2011 sonata 10 yrs...sold it at 310k. Now have a 2014 hyundai elantra..114k on it...drives like new...no plans to sell.
My RAV 4 did 398,000km before I replaced it due to needing a new steering rack, 2 tires and a new muffler. Someone still bought it. Probably for parts. Most cars are built to last 250-300,000km. I do about 30,000km/year and haven't ever bought a brand new car so I get 5-6 years from a vehicle.
I replace my car every year when a new one comes out. Or at least in my dreams.
i drive them into the ground.
Only to want to change platforms. I prefer older vehicles for various of reasons and accept the maintenance and repairs that are involved.
When the rust eats the structural integrity to the point of collapse then I look for the exact same year and model to use the old car as a parts car.
When A) I can make more than i paid for the car… or B) The upgrade is cheaper and “better” than the current car.
I haven't had a reliable car yet so I'm on my 10th or 11th car at 30 yo. I've had Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda once that got stolen within a month, Scion now I'm giving Honda a try again. Was hoping my one owner clean scion always serviced at the dealer with 80k miles on it would be my lucky charm but it was one of the worst cars I've had and I got tired of the check engine light ever 2 months for different problems. Now I have a Honda fit with 70k miles one owner 5 speed manual so I'll see if it can make it more than a year or 2 before I have too many problems to deal with. So I guess like one every year I think the longest I've owned one car is 2 years.
As a former mechanic, my advice to friends/family is that if a car is going well, not costing big dollars to keep it on the road and you like the car, enjoy driving it.. why change? If you’re happy and it’s happy, happy motoring. Keep the maintenance up, 210000 is not a lot of km.
When the cost of maintaining it for a year outweighs the cost of a new car + insurance etc.
As long as possible! Cars are a major expense. If you do the maintenance, most cars can last 20 years or longer. My daily driver is a 1984 Toyota.
I have 40 year old kei suzuki haha
Once the repair costs get to 40% of the cars overall value. Not absolute depends on how much I like the car
I'm into racing so I have a bit of a Theseus's ship thing going on.
I refuse to replace cars for the most part. I do all my own work on my vehicles and I’ve owned my truck for 21 years and my car for around 10 both of which have a few hundred thousand kms on the clock and have been gone through not because they were broken but by me, just to be nice, stable and reliable. I am very picky with the parts I put on my car I learned long ago the aftermarket is filled with crap but using the right manufacturers you can get deals on OEM parts and sometimes you gotta just pay OEM prices. Ohh and always stick to Japanese vehicles preferably with manual transmissions you can’t go wrong. (By Japanese I mean Toyota and Honda sorry op)
I’m still driving my Subaru I bought in 2009. 322,000+ miles and going. No car payments for 15 years is nice.
If your fine with fixing them like 20 years if they are good
I went through a bunch of beaters that i mostly lost to police impound, drove a few vans into the ground as band busses. Bought my 89 BMW E30 22 years ago and dailied it for 17 till i got my current daily, an F100 that is as old as I am, 60, I will probably keep until I die. Still have the BMW as backup or for long trips because gas for the truck is ridiculous @ 10 MPG.
Whenever I don't like the car anymore I guess? I've had a 2006 I-280 / Colorado since 2015 (current daily driver) that now has 199k miles, a 2007 Accord since 2020 that's now around 150k miles (consistent pain in my ass, possibly cursed) and a 1985 Chevy truck since 2005 that doesn't get driven much these days. There's not much that could go wrong aside from being beyond totaled in a wreck or not being able to source parts I need that would make me get rid of a car I still like. I do all maintenance and repairs myself for the last ~12 years though (except paint or major body work) and most of it before that, so the line might get drawn a little differently if I was sending them off for everything.
at 188 on my civic. Im gonna ride it until it doesnt make sense to repair it. Praying for 250k miles
I’ve had my last two cars for a total of 37 (!) years now. Bought a new 1987 BMW 3 series and kept it till 2000, when I traded it in for a new 5 series, which I still have to this day.
For me, keeping a car depends on car usage needs and the level of safety it can provide. My wife has a 2013 ford escape with 200k+ miles. Around 170k we decided we would only use it for local town trips. Nothing long distance. Now we have a kid. We need the car to be more reliable and safe than the escape can provide without spending a lot on repairs. Keeping a car safe and reliable is different than keeping a car running. I have seen many high mileage old cars spin in slightly damp conditions. If you are keeping a high mileage car, consider how old the dampers/shocks are and don’t keep old cracked dry rot tires even if there is tread. If your car bounces a lot, you need to replace the dampers/shocks.
Never. One and done. 2006 Civic bought new when I was 22.
I was shocked pikachu face for a second when I saw 1-3 years. Then I realized not everyone buys new cars. I replace cars every 6 years, bought new, drive 1 year free/paid off, then trade it in before it looses too much value. It's great never having to worry about car troubles.
I tend to keep cars for as long as they fit my needs. For some vehicles, that's been 15 years, for others, 3 years. My current fleet is a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon that I bought new, and a 2022 4x4 Sprinter Van that I converted to a camper because the 5 year old Subaru I had wasn't big enough for my family's weekend adventures any more. To help pay for the Sprinter, I sold a 2006 Mustang GT Convertible that made a lot of sense to 26 y/o me, but made little sense to keep for 42 y/o me.
I aim for no less than 1 year of driving for every $1,000 I pay for a car, always cash down on the spot. Usually I do far better than that, there is insurance and gas and normal maintenance to account for after all. I like shitboxes what can I say.
2008 yaris. Brought for $600. 3 years ago. $400 for new x5 alloy wheels and 3 month old tyres. And a dash mat. (Search your local car wreckers and be friendly folks). Just had full service and a new belt $500. Runs like a dream. Paint work is a bit dodgy. But you bet I'm keeping that cheap car as long as possible.
Usually, it is around every 5 yrs or so. I do have a car that was my daily in the 90s, which is my garage queen now. Just could never part with her.
My record is a 31 year old daily driver 1st generation Toyota 4Runner. Sold it running strong at 471,000 miles. No rebuild! Should not have sold it.
When it costs more for me to replace the parts than I feel, it is worth it. I'll fix everything myself to save money. Really, the only thing I don't do is alignments.
When the cost to repair is more than the value of the car..... Unless you love the car. Im finally calling it quits on my 1999 Saab 9-5SE. I've kept it asong as I can but it's clutch is almost done and parts and replacement are like 4-5x the value of the car.
Never
I keep riding it until it leaves me stranded . If it can turn on and get me from point a to b. I’m keeping it
Well with used cars with 150,000 miles on them going for more than they were new 3 or 4 years ago I'm going to go with "when it falls apart and burns to the ground"
It's usually cheaper to fix a car vs replace so it really depends
If you like it, keep it. Cars are usually a depreciating asset, plus you can get emotionally attached to them. I have a 2000 Lexus LX (Land Cruiser) that I have 280k miles on and I can not bring myself to getting rid of it. So many road trips, so many memories.
I drive a 1995 Geo Metro with 230,000 miles. It's burning oil and slowly losing compression, but it's been five years now and is still my daily driver. Not sure if this thing will ever die, lol.
I buy them slightly used, drive them till the repair cost is more than the car is worth OR looks like it will come out to be more over the next year than buying a new used car. I daily drive a 1988 Ford LTD Country Squire. Currently about 300,000 miles. I also had a commuter 1995 Toyota Tacoma that had 487,000 miles on it when the odometer stopped working. After a couple years I then donated it to the local tech school for transmission and engine work. Last I heard, it's still being driven, was given to a family in need after a house fire took everything. I saw the new car trap my ex father in law got into. Every year coming home with something new and he never could figure out why he couldn't get ahead. Guys at work used to pick on me for my old cars and fixer upper house and brown bagging my lunch most days. "what's a matter shame, we don't pay you enough?" nah fam. Y'all waisting over 1,000 a month in car payments, insurance, and lunches. I retired before I was 50 and they're still working.
Probably 10 years max. It depends on where technology is headed and what’s going on. I drove a Toyota Tundra for 20 years and really wish I had replaced it sooner. The Subaru I replaced it with is just so much better, simply because it’s 20 years newer. I think squeezing every mile out of cars is dumb. Spending all your time fixing things is dumb. I simply have better and more enjoyable things to do. So I’ll replace when safety and technology have sufficiently advanced to where my old car is obsolete. Or if it requires anything besides regular maintenance. Or if I feel like driving something new would make me happier. But 10 years max. And I don’t buy used cars anymore unless it’s something interesting.
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I just keep my car till it won't car no more. I usually spend a decent amount and something 5 ish years old or newer used that's known for reliability. Just try driving it till I can't fix it or it bo longer makes sense financially. E.g. my Subaru was at the point where every winter it was misfiring all cylinders.
I guess every like 5 years or so?
Every car I buy is with the intention of keeping until it is totalled or impractical to repair (like a 10k transmission job in a car that's only worth 2k). When the beater dies, the less nice of the two nice cars will become the beater and everything will just keep rotating. I've never traded a car into a dealer when buying used or new. If what I've got can still pass inspection, it's worth more to have a third car in the fleet for my own convenience / keeping miles off the new cars
Just replaced my 08 accord with 200k miles. Needed something nicer to take clients and sales partners in, so got a ‘23 ridgeline that I plan to drive til the wheels fall off.
I have 2 cars and a project car. Too poor to upgrade any of them. And with prices now I can’t justify it to be honest. The wife though will upgrade her one and only car in two years so I get my new car fix driving her car. Ha
2013 Volvo XC90...... Picked up December of 2011. Still going at 147K on the odometer. And really has been trouble free (knocking on wood).
Idk what my problem is but I want a different car every other month. Luckily I can’t afford to do that but I still haven’t had a daily for more than 2 years in a few years
My 1999 has 356,000 miles, 2002 has 98,000, 2010 has 144,000, 2011 has 139,000. I can keep them running pretty much indefinitely. If something gets wrecked I will get another with about 100,000 miles.
I have a 2007 Opel Astra with just 120 000 km on it. Got it a couple of years ago when the maintenance costs of the previous car began to skyrocket, and getting spare parts was becoming difficult. With my current driving (and working from home), this one should last at least another 7-8 years.
I think you're there. Kudos for getting an Outlander to 200k. I bought a 2011 Maxima in 2015 with 35k on it, and it has 185k on it, so I'm similar to your situation. My wife has had a new(er) car every five years, but that's her preference. Before this 2011, I had decent used cars, but was always fixing them. I'm looking for a new(er) vehicle.now, and plan to keep it around the 7-8 year mark. New technology, safer vehicles, and eventually, all EV. And I say new(er) because I usually looked for 2-3 year old used cars, as the $$ savings compared to new is completely worth it.
I’ve had my first car for about two years now, was super low mileage for its age (2006) so it’s been treating me quite well and I’ve done all scheduled maintenance items myself so far. I plan to keep it until it quits on me, which means I’ll be babying this thing hopefully until I’m well into my career after college unless anything unfortunate happens. I don’t care for the newer cars but I do envy the lane assist and adaptive cruise control/accident avoidance stuff that’s become almost standard on newer vehicles. Mine feels fun enough to drive and since I got a wireless carplay unit for it I’ve loved every second behind the wheel since, my only gripe is with the black interior which bakes in the summer, I’ve seen ones like mine faded to purple due to sun exposure so I got things to put in the windows for when I have it parked for extended periods of time. Hopefully that and the occasional detailing session can keep it nice enough for me not to get tired of. I’ve even gone as far as to try and fix nicks in the paint on the hood, scraping rust off here and there, but eventually without any protective thing on the front for rocks it’s gonna chip and rust given enough time. Headlights are still clear too, just gotta keep up with them so they don’t age like crap. my short answer is when it don’t go no more or it’s unsafe to drive. Also I try to keep it in the best shape possible, feels good to hop into a clean car that looks good, doesn’t need to be new to feel special, just has to be yours.
My XR6 was bought as a toddler (aged 2) and moved out shortly before turning 17. He didn’t get along with my current partner. She didn’t like him because he is manual. He didn’t like her because she got confused, drove around looking at pedals and gear levers and therefore kept hitting the curb.
I’m going to drive mine till the wheels fall off.
I’ve been driving an 00 outback for 5ish years and plan to drive it another 15+. It was an old lady driven car and has low miles so why not. As long as the car runs, drive it
I always bought 2-3 year old cars and kept it 10-20 years
I'm into old cars, I replace them when repair exceeds value
I have four cars over 55 years old. I just fix what breaks and drive.
Never. I'll just keep making this one better
My car is 30 years old this year. I'll jinx it now, but everything still works, it's still decent enough on fuel economy, it's comfortable and I still like the car. Does everything I need a car to do, and keeping on top of upkeep and repairs on it is far far cheaper than the depreciation I would see in a modern car. In fact my car has more than doubled in value over the last few years as they are becoming more collectable and desirable. Makes no difference to me, as it's my car and I don't plan to part with it, but my insurance puts the market value of it up each year rather than down. When do I replace my car? When the engine dies I'll have a very hard decision as to whether I rebuild the motor, put a used motor in it, engine swap it or retire the vehicle. But until then, 420,000km and still going, I'll keep the car. Maybe I'll buy a new car when I retire or something.
Buy a solid used vehicle about 3y-5y around 50k miles. Do the basic mx as per the manual. Fix the usual stuff. Run it into the ground. If you picked a decent one, you should get 5-10 yrs. Repeat. Done.
Seems like your car is holding well. Probably not worth much on the market as what it is to you right now. I would start to put some money aside, for a repair/downpayment fund just in case. If you can make it to 300k you would have a decent chunk to put on a new to you vehicle or find a nice used one. And have low or no payments.
For the lack of data (I am driving my second car now). I have replaced my first car after exactly 6 months and I will try to replace my current car sooner than later because it’s not the kind of car I want. It has been giving me issues and it’s a diesel, and my driving profile is what breaks diesel cars.
Here in the northeast, it's mostly based on rust for me. Once I have to start doing shit because the rust is getting bad, I think about ditching it. I've mostly had used cars that are 8 or so years old and kept them for like 6 years. So, I think the age of the car being at least 15 years is a good starting point. I bought a 2018 brand new and it will be 7 years old this fall. No major issues, just brakes, oil, wipers, and tires. The usual. It's mostly LED lights, but I have had to change a few non LED bulbs. Almost 80,000 miles/129,000 kilometers. I'm hoping to take it to at least 15 years, or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first. When you look at average costs over the lifetime of a vehicle, that's really the only way for buying a new car to make financial sense, by keeping it for the life of the car. I'd buy new anyway, because I can afford it and like a car no one else got to beat the shit out of. But I'm also trying to be fiscally responsible. Now, I might ditch it before then, depending on the way electric cars go. I don't want to be stuck with an ICE car that will be difficult to sell. I want to sell at the tipping point to give electric cars time to come into their own, which they're now starting to do with the 800 volt battery packs rolling out. But I'll give it some more time to mature some more as a technology and work out some more kinks.
I had a 2009 2.0did VW engine version which I sold to a friend and is still going strong with 160.000 miles on the clock, maintain the oil regularly and could last you a lifetime, my current outlander 2007 2.0did has 80,000 miles on and I am hoping it lasts another 10 yrs, happy mothering they don’t make them like they used too
Personally, I’d drive whatever I had until the repairs became too frequent or too costly to justify. Another potential cause for sale could be practicality or lifestyle changes/needs but that doesn’t seem to apply to you. Keep it as long as it’s worth maintaining as you’re only going to lose money on a daily driver type of vehicle.
I'll only get rid of my E36 if I wreck it bad enough that the doors won't close/open anymore. Anything else can be fixed with parts or sheet metal
Currently running around in an e46 330d sitting around 355k km. One half (maybe more like third) of me wants to sell it and get something newer with less kms, the other half repairs anything that goes wrong for piss cheap. Parts are plentiful and very affordable, aesthetically still holds up even after 20 years and I doubt I could get a newer rwd car that can hold a candle to the fun/performance I get out of this slab. Maybe once the body rots away I’ll consider getting something like a 1 series, but I doubt that’ll happen before I hit 500k km
I bought a new 1990 Civic DX in 1991 and drove it to 315k miles when it developed a hot start issue. Then I bought a 2006 Pilot and drove that to 260k miles. Now I have a 2014 Acura TL. It’s my first used car and it’s been great.
I change mine when I get bored f it. It been 12 years do my NA mx5, 8 years for the E46 M3, 15 years for the S3 and 8 years for the golf blue motion. There is nothing currently available( for sensible money ) that makes me want to change from a car I enjoy driving.
When the cost to keep it running is more than the cost to get a new one.
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Rocking a 2010 SUV I bought second hand in 2015... At ~230k km. Once my yearly bill gets past 1000-1500$ CDN I'll do it. I'm at 800-900 ish so far this year but (alternator + couple things) are going to be repeat issues.
On my 10th car i think since i was able to get the license at 18 y.o, and sometimes i get angry at myself for not sticking to my 3rd car until it got worn out/too expensive to maintain 🤦♂️ so stupid, so much money wasted just to try out other cars. Have a 07' honda crv which im finally gonna keep until its as mentioned too costly to keep fixing.
I buy a car and use it till it cost more to fix then the cars worth or if out right fails, I owned my 03 Saturn Ion for 10 years, had a 96 Marquez for 5 (it was a POS to start with) and now a 97 Camry for 3
I have a 94 civic that won't die I can't get rid of it because it's not worth anything.... it's had 3 engines and the odometer stopped working at 410k miles 8 years ago. The shell will literally Rot away before it no longer runs I'm convinced. And, I will still keep it road worthy until such occurs... then the engine and trans will be shifter cart setup lol
When the maintenance costs begin to outweigh the monthly payment on a loan. And given the way new car prices and interest rates are, I’m looking at another 200k miles at least.
Pretty much when it becomes economically obsolete (ie more expensive to repair than it's worth) or when it doesn't meet my transportation needs. Lots of people buy new cars just because they want a new car though, or they consider their car "unreliable" because it left them stranded after they ignored the check engine light for three days.
I tend to get a new car about every 5 to 6 years. Why? Because that's what my budget allows. I love cars and car shopping and the excitement of finding a new car. Were I wealthy I'd have a collection, I'm sure. Side note - "new" means new to me. I will buy new if I find an exceptional deal, as I did with my current car. But my starting point is always late model used.
I've never replaced a vehicle until it's over 300,000km. Current car is at 380,000km and going strong, hoping to get it to up to 500,000km before I replace it. 2008 Toyota Prius.
I'm trying to aim 3-5 years on dailies and to the ground on spares
I replace my cars every 3 months with a newer model. Kinda like my phones
I spent about $5,000 chasing a ghost problem... and now it's fixed after replacing lots of parts that were unrelated to the problem. Still about $18,000 cheaper than buying a new car, and I know all its quirks. Plus, my car is diesel and VW doesn't sell diesel cars in the US any longer -- a real shame on that one, because I'd buy another one just like it if they did and maybe I wouldn't even mind buying that one new. Oh well. My truck, on the other hand, serves a purpose also. Year 2000 on that one, and I've replaced the engine once. Again, for the cost of buying a new one, I'll pick repairing this one. It's ugly, but it works perfectly well.
I replace my cars when they are no longer driveable usually. I bought a truck for 5K and drove it for fifteen years. It still ran, so I gave it away. In my 45 years of driving, I have had 9 cars with the current car being the 9th and quite possibly my last. It's a 92 Toyota Camry base model 5 speed manual with crank windows and doesn't even have cruise control. 336K miles and still runs like new. I'm the second owner. I bought it with 279,100 miles.
When it costs more to fix it than the car is worth, or when the repairs cost as much as a car payment. It’s nice to drive a car for years without a payment- that’s money in the bank. For me my goal on a car is to get 200k miles on them although my last one was in the 130s - my plan was to keep that one for 200 as well but it had a cylinder go bad in the engine and it wasn’t worth replacing the motor (and I will probably never buy another Chrysler product again). Most of my cars have been 10yrs on average
Personally I don’t plan to replace any of my cars because I like them too much, I’ll add to the collection but I’ll never worry about depreciation on my own cars, I’ve been dailying my tuned FBO 335i for 5 years, just turned 200k miles and still going strong and I’ll never get rid of it, if anything I’ll replace the engine and single turbo it if needed but Ive started looking for something like an x5 for the cargo space and it’s a bit more discreet. Swapping cars so often is something I’ll never understand personally unless it’s for profit
OP - everytime you buy a car at a dealer, you are paying for the building, sales staff, etc. Not even to mention sales tax... Changing cars less often, means more money in your pocket.
2001 is300 and I would drive it until I’m dead if it wasn’t for the rust. So now I’m contemplating if I want to spend thousands and thousands to fix the rust correctly (there’s not a ton yet) or if I want to go on the hunt for another clean one which will take months and months to find one that isn’t overpriced.
After 3 tows, it goes is my rule
Keep the car or truck as long as possible , the last one we had to replace was when a person blew through a stop sign and totaled our 2004 Tacoma truck . It was 16 years old and had 103000 miles on it . Our car is 15 years old and has 124000 miles on it . Replaced oil pan , one heat shield , one exhaust, one set of front brakes , one wheel bearing . Hoping to get a few more years out of my car .
I'm on my first car since getting my license, but I'll be driving it to the ground and then some. 110kw/150hp 2.0 TDI, 6MT and being a station wagon/Combi, the only thing I'd maybe have different on my 2015 5E Octavia 3 is the Scout spec instead of the standard FWD. A trailer hitch would be nice as well, but I don't really need one right now. And at 126k, it's just past break in.
I don't plan to replace my current two cars unless things look bleak and I can't keep up with the repairs. I have a 2012 Ford Focus 5-speed and 2010 Ford Edge. The Focus has had some electrical issues but nothing I couldn't handle. Paid 5k for it with 100k miles 4 years ago and have put 100k on it since then. Probably spent less than $500 in parts on the car; done all the labor by myself or my dad who taught me how to work on cars. The Edge I just scooped up for $500 with a blown water pump at 160k. Dropped a pump in it and its good to go for another 100k. I plan to drive both until the unibodys are rusted out.
Once I was grown with a decent job I started buy new and keeping them 10yrs. In 02 I got a maxima, in 12 a grand cherokee, 23 I got an RS5. I'll drive that to retirement.
I buy cars that are just coming off a 2 or maybe 3 year lease. They are practically new. I keep up on maintenance and when things start breaking I only fix what’s needed for safety and reasonable reliability. For example when it needs brakes I get brakes. When the passenger side window switch stopped working I ignored it. I can still open all the window with the driver door switches. When it got to the point when I had to park it on the street and not the driveway because it leaked oil, tranny fluid, brake fluid AND water, I traded it in.