[3LOU5]

Inspired by a post in a different thread.

Curious to know how long people here keep their cars. Of course, this does NOT include your classic cars, family heirloom, vintage Ferraris/Porsches for investments, etc., but daily drivers like a minivan.

Me, I tend to keep my cars for a good while, usually 10-12 years or so. I usually get rid of them when the cost of repairs EXCEED the price of the car. IMHO, this makes financial sense and it works for my budget and priorities.

(Of course, data will be somewhat skewed. I owned a Ford Ranger bought new but sold it after 10 years or so because I grew tired of the gutless 2.3 L four, horrible handling and 2WD configuration. Today, I still have my BMW that I bought new. She is going on 21 years old, has 187,xxx fun-filled miles, is my daily driver and TBH, I can't see myself selling her anytime soon or ever. She has been garage-kept all of her life, which means she doesn't look her age. Because I believe this car has timeless looks, is fuel-efficient, a 5-speed manual (which is becoming rare nowadays) and handles like it's on rails, I probably won't get rid of her. And if the cost of repairs exceed her price, I am willing to cough up the money because THAT'S how much I love the car.)

So I suppose I'm just asking for the AVERAGE length of time.

 

[Anton]

... I usually get rid of them when the cost of repairs EXCEED the price of the car. IMHO, this makes financial sense and it works for my budget and priorities.

That's a bit tricky. Say you can buy a certain used van for $4000 all day long. Your van needs a $3000 transmission rebuild and is only worth $1000 without it. Break even point, right? Save the $3000, pocket the $1000 for selling your old one and spend $4000 on the next one that comes along.

The problem is, all of those $4000 vans are 3/4 of the way to needing a transmission rebuild, whereas your van would have had a perfectly fresh one at that point. It would have been a better van than the $4000 mystery vans. Not on the market, but in it's actual value as future transportation to you or anyone else knowing the history.

I sell $1000 to $1500+ repairs all the time to people with bikes that generally sell for $2000. Generally, because some of those $2000 bikes are actually $500 bikes and some of them are $4000 bikes, based on the condition of the stuff inside. A good one is worth even more but only to the owner (because he's the only one who will appreciate that it has a rebuilt transmission, fresh service, rebuilt heads, etc.).

 

[cougarhound]

20+ years. If your cars are not lasting that long you might as well lease them imo. How much is a lease on a 3 series Bimmer these days?

You are making me feel guilty for selling my 2002 4runner. If I had the garage space and throw away money for the insurance payments I would keep it indefinitely. It's just sitting outside right now.

 

[greenskeeper]

The last time I got rid of a vehicle, it was because the rust had made it impossible to repair within reason.

The shear cost of a new(er) vehicle motivates me to keep our existing fleet going

 

[Dimitrij]

I measure the "how long" in miles rather than years, somewhere between 120K and 150K miles (which translates into 3-4 years). Now that I have two vehicles again I'd like to keep the Sienna for a little longer.

 

[2004GoldSienna]

I run them into the ground. 1985 ford ranger 2.3L junked in 2010 with 200000+ miles because xmission died and wiring harness rotten (25 years). Got a F150 as a replacement in 2010 and still have it 2023 (13 years) . Runs great. 1995 escort wagon 180k miles traded in 2015 (20years) for toyota corolla. My Focus bought in 2012 because F150 ate gas like crazy when gas was $4 gal +. Focus still daily driver 130k (11years). 2004 Toyota sienna bought new now has 200,000+ miles (19 years). Doing the valve cover gasket, plugs, coils this week.
I would like to get other cars but each car has a purpose, a job to do. Efficient commuter, a people hauler, a stuff hauler.

 

[cougarhound]

I run them into the ground. 1985 ford ranger 2.3L junked in 2010 with 200000+ miles because xmission died and wiring harness rotten (25 years). Got a F150 as a replacement in 2010 and still have it 2023 (13 years) . Runs great. 1995 escort wagon 180k miles traded in 2015 (20years) for toyota corolla. My Focus bought in 2012 because F150 ate gas like crazy when gas was $4 gal +. Focus still daily driver 130k (11years). 2004 Toyota sienna bought new now has 200,000+ miles (19 years). Doing the valve cover gasket, plugs, coils this week.
I would like to get other cars but each car has a purpose, a job to do. Efficient commuter, a people hauler, a stuff hauler.
[/QUOTE

I'm like you except all Toyotas. The 1978 MGB is the blacksheep of the family and acts like it...lol.

 

[hangman]

I usually recycle vehicles to family members. I would buy the vehicles new, drive them to about 120K miles, then give them to my extended family members when they are replaced with another new vehicle. My 2011 Sienna XLE is currently with my In-laws. Before that, they had my 2005 Odyssey. Etc, etc.

 

[Airboss]

I ran my 2008 Sienna until 2002 with 168,000 miles on it with no significant problems. Loved it so much that I found an exact clone with 69,000 miles on it. Sold mine and bought it. Total cost $8,000.
Just like a new car to me. FYI, one of the best cars I have owned, and I have owned many including Lexus, Mercedes and about 6 Lincolns in the 60's. Near perfect that one can get. Happy driver.

 

[rhughey2]

My 2005 Saturn Redline Vue was given up after
323,000 miles, and I nearly replaced the engine because of a deep love affair with this car. I happened into this 2013 Sienna XLE because my photography business was takin off. A LOADED 2000 Saturn LS2 was given up after 298,000 miles. I gifted a neighborhood kid with it for $300.00. That kid drives by sometimes and tells me the current mileage 341,000 and going strong.
“It boils down to taking care of your investment to get a great return on your investment”.

 

[cougarhound]

My 2005 Saturn Redline Vue was given up after
323,000 miles, and I nearly replaced the engine because of a deep love affair with this car. I happened into this 2013 Sienna XLE because my photography business was takin off. A LOADED 2000 Saturn LS2 was given up after 298,000 miles. I gifted a neighborhood kid with it for $300.00. That kid drives by sometimes and tells me the current mileage 341,000 and going strong.
“It boils down to taking care of your investment to get a great return on your investment”.

I think Saturns were some of the best cars GM ever made. Now they have stuff like the Equinox. I really don't understand consumers. Lol.

 

[akphs]

All our vehicles except my van were bought new.

72 GMC Vandura bought in 81 junked in 87 because it was time.
78 Cutlass Supreme (the wife's when we met) donated to Salvation Army in 1990 because it was time (the constant fluid replacement I could deal with as a second vehicle; when reverse became intermittent, um, no. Good thing Sally Ann building was round, because I missed the pull-in first time...)
87 Legend traded in 2000, engine fine but transmission (second one, after it got hit and first one went) flaky, it needed a clutch again, and my bad knee made it time to give up the manual.
90 Taurus sold to neighbor in 97 when need for minivan became clear.
97 Town & Country totalled in 98 after guy ran a light.
98 T&C that replaced it traded in 2011.
00 Camry totaled 2010 after daughter attacked a mailbox with it.
10 Kia Forte sold to friend 2012 when we went down to one car.
11 Sienna Limited going strong, but I work from home and wife cannot travel, so it only has 77K on it after 12 years (well, 12 next month). No plans to get rid of it any time soon; I imagine it will get hit badly at some point. The lounge-chair seats are what keep the two of us in such a big vehicle: they're the only thing she can come close to comfortable in for trips to doctor.

After buying the 00 Camry, I had observed that it might be the last new vehicle I'd every buy, because there was nothing interesting going on with them. Then that changed: Bluetooth, adaptive cruise, BLS, etc.! The other thing that might make me want to trade in the Sienna would be some other feature that drew me in.

I doubt I'll ever buy another vehicle without adaptive cruise; certainly not without Bluetooth (though that's probably standard on everything now).

 

[SundayMech]

If you are looking for average, the 'average' folks in US keeps their new cars for about 8.5 years.
Also average folks in US drives about 14k miles/yr so supposedly just over 115k miles when many parts are due for replacement.
Of course the average doesn't really represent true number.
I've seen many people get rid of their cars around ~5 years when they are done with their payments because 'tired' of old looks. And I've seen many who drives their dailies ~15 years or well over 200k miles.