Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have to scrap a good 1996 Subaru with 200K this year as the rust has finally caues irreperable, OK expensive, damage. The same has happened to all the rest of my vehicles. NH is where perfectly good cars go to die because we salt the Hell out of our roads instead of just using sand.
Why? People have different expectations and sensibilities when it comes to a car.
For whatever the reason, whether we put a positive or negative spin on it, people typically have a preference for newer vehicles. For them, it is worth the financial expense.
I like newer cars. I cannot think of a daily driver I have owned beyond 5 years old, or one which has gone over 60K miles. I enjoy cars that are new, in nice shape, drive well, are down a minimum amount of time for service needs, are current, have the latest safety features, have the latest technology features, and more.
So I spend the money. I work hard for a living, earn a good paycheck, and am financially responsible (I own my home outright, and have zero debt). It allows me the financial ability to satisfy my desires in vehicles.
Could I own an older, higher mile vehicle if I wanted to spend less on cars? Sure. In fact, I also have a 28 year old Pontiac Fiero in the garage which I work on myself and am not afraid to drive.
I drive a 1998 F-150 with 220K miles on it. It seems like my truck is by far older than 90% of the vehicles on the road. While I "want" a new truck (because I'm human), I know my truck runs fine, and I don't "need" a new vehicle. Even though it is probably worth less then $3K, if I had a major repair say $1000, it is still cheaper to repair it than buy a new truck for $25K.
So, why don't more people keep driving older vehicles? How do (so many) people justify selling a vehicle after a few years with less than $100K miles on it? Sure some people lease but I would think that is a small minority. And sure a small percent will be totaled, but I would think the vast majority of people simply chose to trade in.
Because the TV and all advertising convinces most people that the car you are driving is a POS compared to what you can buy today.
I like keeping my vehicles at least 15 years but I also get caught up in the hype and will buy something new but I still keep it about 15 years.
Everybody is different, buy what you like and keep it as long as you like.
Life is too short to not make the best of the toys one can afford, so changing cars on regular basis makes sense for some of us...
Came here to say this. Some of us are enthusiasts and want to experience the improved performance, efficiency and safety that a new car brings.
Having said that, I traded my 8 year old car (purchased new in 2004) last year for a new one. I don't plan on keeping my current ride for that long, maybe another year or two. My wifes car is a 2007 and out of warranty. It has to go to the shop next week for a new ignition lock. Who knows how much that's going to cost.
I don't like payments but I love a new car. Life is funny like that.
MY car is a 1990 Toyota Corolla, bought new. At the time, I said to myself that this would probably be the last car I ever bought. Who knew I was going to live this long? As time went by, I kept thinking that since my days were seemingly numbered, no need to buy a new car. Outside of some rust on the rear panels, the car runs just fine. "Change the oil every 3,000 miles" was something my Father always said. Works for me.
I don't take many long trips, but if I had to, I'd rent a car for that.
As cars age and start to become less reliable because of wear and age, many people don't want to deal with the uncertainty of the car breaking down. Plus, many people don't take particularly good care of their vehicles and after a few years they can be pretty beat up.
The flip side are those people that take good care of their vehicles - they longer a car looks and acts like new, the longer people want to keep them.
One of the interesting things Toyota did with Lexus was initiate an aggressive parts replacement program as part of the long term service - if you look at when Lexus recommends parts be replaced or changed, you might think they intervals are unnecessarily short, but the schedule means replacement before breakage, which translates to better reliability in the long term.
Not sure why no one has mentioned that people in fact ARE holding on to their cars longer - or are driving older cars than they used to. Recent data says the average car on the road is 11 years old, the longest ever.
The recession, unemployment are surely big factors. But cars also last much longer today.
I still see 15 year old Hondas and Toyotas every day.
I love cars. But I also like to not over spend on them. So I am never in a hurry to get rid of mine. But a good, interesting car, and keep it for a while. As cool as many new vehicles are - there are some things about newer cars that I really dislike - especially the massive integration of electronics.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
