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I think it depends on what the current condition of the car is and what factors in a vehicle are important to you. My wife's car is 2 years old. We will probably keep it for another 16 years. Mine is 12.5 years old but....
-The paint looks as good as any 2018 model. I had it repainted in 2010. Since then, it has been garage kept and meticulously maintained.
-It just broke 100K miles and I have never had any major problems with the car.
-It also has a very high long term reliability rating.
So considering all these factors I will probably keep it for at least another 6 years. But even when I buy a new car I will probably keep this one if it doesn't need any costly repairs. By then resale value will be so low that it would be better to keep it as a backup vehicle in lieu of selling it.
Again, different strokes for different folks. Not everyone thinks like you.
While I plan on buying more vehicles in the future (older ones, of course), I've owned my 76 Chevy K20 for 8 years, my 02 Saturn SL for 7, and I don't plan on getting rid of them anytime soon. I enjoy driving and maintaining them too much to even consider selling them. Cars are more than just an appliance to me, I view them as an extension of myself, and get very sentimentally attached to them. Getting rid of them would be like getting rid of a member of the family and all the great memories I've made and will continue to make with them.
But there's plenty of "classic" cars that I'd love to own one day (1970 Chevelle is my dream car). New cars don't excite me the way a classic car does, especially if that "classic" car wasn't that old when you first got it. IMO it's fun to see just how many miles I can put on the same vehicle, to see how far I can take it. There's no such thing as "too many miles" for me, or a point where I'd call it quits and get something else, short of it being "totaled" in a major wreck.
And living in the rust belt I do my best to PREVENT rust from starting and spreading as much as possible instead of having to fix it AFTER the fact. Like my truck doesn't see the road in the winter, it's not rust free but keeping it off the salt covered roads helps keep the rust from getting worse. And I coat the underbody and subframes of my Saturn with motor oil each fall to help prevent rust from forming.
Do what's best for you, it's not the same for everyone else. Why crap on people doing what makes them happy? They aren't saying you have to keep your car if you don't want to.
I can’t believe of all the great cars out there ever built and the limited lifespan of a human being, the car you chose to waste the most time with is a Saturn. Every single car made today (even the lamest ones) will feel like a Bentley compared to the car you decided to marry. Rust is not something the rest of car owners in the 21st century worry about.
I can’t believe of all the great cars out there ever built and the limited lifespan of a human being, the car you chose to waste the most time with is a Saturn. Every single car made today (even the lamest ones) will feel like a Bentley compared to the car you decided to marry. Rust is not something the rest of car owners in the 21st century worry about.
Again, Uhh what???
Have seen lots of cars no more than 10 or 12 years old with rusted out rockers and wheel wells. Granted I do live in the rust belt, you must live in Texas or somewhere where vehicles don't rust, so that skews your perception. I ASSURE you vehicles still rust.
One of the many things I LOVE about my Saturn, the fenders, outer door panels, roof panel, etc. are made of plastic and last I checked plastic doesn't rust. The only outside body panels made of metal are the hood and the trunk lid LOL. Underneath is a different story, of course, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure IMO.
And finally, my decision to "marry" my car is MY DECISION to make, couldn't care less whether you approve of it or not. What if I asked you "Why did you marry your wife, she's ugly as hell? You're wasting your time, you should be out chasing hotter women!"
Unless you're buying a collectible, which is a whole 'nother ballgame, cars are NOT investments.
In your later years you are free do as you choose.
Just make sure you can afford the consequences.
I chose a Lexus for it's performance, reliability, beauty and elegance.
Now I am depressed, because barring a collision, it likely WILL outlast me!
Buying a new car this year. Hoping to keep it for 17 years until retirement.
Which vehicle are you considering buying this year ? will it be garaged ? I feel most cars will last 17 years with regular scheduled maintenance......
My 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis is now 12 years old and runs and looks like new....but it also only has 49,850K original miles....purchased it from the original owner in February of 2013 when it had 42,175 k ...I don't drive much and up until last year always had a a 4x4 for winter use....the original owner garaged it and it doesn't have a speck of rust on it but I do not have a garage but do cover it...
I can’t believe of all the great cars out there ever built and the limited lifespan of a human being, the car you chose to waste the most time with is a Saturn. Every single car made today (even the lamest ones) will feel like a Bentley compared to the car you decided to marry. Rust is not something the rest of car owners in the 21st century worry about.
Why do you even care? It’s his car not yours. Not everyone wants a new car all the time. Cars today rust just as earlier cars if you’re in a rust prone area. I have a neighbor with a Chevy Cavalier. She loves her car. I wouldn’t look at something like that but she likes it. I did her brakes once and went to get tires with her.
If you feel the need to buy a new car every 3 years because you need the latest and greatest advancements that’s fine. It’s your money.
Unless you're buying a collectible, which is a whole 'nother ballgame, cars are NOT investments.
In your later years you are free do as you choose.
Just make sure you can afford the consequences.
I chose a Lexus for it's performance, reliability, beauty and elegance.
Now I am depressed, because barring a collision, it likely WILL outlast me!
I've been blessed never having sold a car for less than I have into it... not counting license, reg, and maintenance parts... I do my own maintenance.
I was always on the look out for a low mileage cream puff someone wanted to get rid of and that strategy worked very well... like someone's aunt Matilda's Plymouth that had been in the garage for 3 years with low miles or the Toyota that my friend inherited and just wanted to get rid of... as time went on, I started buying on the cusp of being collectable... Mustang Convertibles or any Convertible... sports cars, etc...
Only bought one new car in my life... it was a factory order and I went to the factory to pick it up... I would loose a lot on that one IF I were to sell... so I guess I will have it forever...
Got my brother several very good deals... a Mercedes Diesel that had been garaged for sometime and wouldn't run... the fuel went bad... we dropped the tank and cleaned the fuel system with new filter and fuel pump... now he has 340,000 miles on it... and then there was a 6 year old loaded Chrysler 300 with 4,230 miles... the owner was no longer able to drive and when he went to a retirement home he called the Dealer to sell and I said whatever the Dealer offers I will offer $500 more in cash... my brother has that one too.
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