How long do you keep cars?

[Austin704]

I have a 12 year old pickup with 80k miles and a 10 year old coupe with 90k miles. Both are garaged, run well, and are well maintained. I pretty much split time between them and miles stay low. I have saved up $$ to replace them. I buy used cars only and have never had a problem with reliability.

My current thinking is to continue to drive both vehicles until they start to give me trouble, then replace; however, I thought it might be good to set a time limit of, say, 15 years and move them along BEFORE they start giving me trouble. I still enjoy both cars and have no immediate plans to replace either one.

What say you?

[robnplunder]

120000 miles is just about when we give away our cars to needy relatives, family members. We keep our cars in top shape until then. It seems the ones who get our car drive for another 50000 miles or more. Money well spent.

[VanWinkle]

I have a 2010 Ford Edge with 123,000 miles in excellent condition. It is a second car now and gets reduced miles. 2016 CRV with 65,000 miles is the vehicle we use on trips and daily drives.

[Souschef]

DW had a 1998 Cadillac that she loved, but it went so far up on the bathtub curve we had to get rid of it. It had over 100K miles, but the body was in great shape. Unfortunately, it had the engine with the iron block and the aluminum headers,or the other way around. It was the second time it blew the head gaskets and would cost about 3K to fix. This is after we replaces the AC compressor.
She is now driving a 2017 Mazda CX-5 that she loves.
I had a 2003 Hyundai that ran well, but our grandson's car took a dump. I gave him the car, then called Enterprise for a replacement. I got a 2016 Hyundai with 20K miles on it.

[Jerry1]

This has changed for me over the years, but currently, I'm at the point where I won't be keeping cars long. DW has an SUV and we don't drive it much so I'll probably keep it a long time (10 years?) but it's not likely to have a lot of miles on it. My vehicle is a truck. I just bought it and I bought an extended warranty for 6 years 100K miles. I will get rid of the truck with either a month or a couple thousand miles left on the warranty.

When I retired I bought a car and thought I'd drive it into the ground. After a year of reflection I realized, I just don't want to do that. I want to keep reasonably up to date with innovations (mostly electronics) and I really like a newer car.

[mattbaxx]

We bought a 1989 Mazda 626 new and drove it for 19 years, including teaching three teenagers how to drive in its later years. Got to about 180,000 miles IIRC. Bought a 2006 Subaru Outback, currently 108,000 miles though it is becoming problematic. Probably going to replace it in the fall with something new that will hopefully last 20 years.

Might survive my adult years with only three car purchases. That would make me happy.

[robnplunder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Souschef I had a 2003 Hyundai that ran well, but our grandson's car took a dump. I gave him the car, then called Enterprise for a replacement. I got a 2016 Hyundai with 20K miles on it.

3 Hyundai cars we had bought new.


1st one changed hand 3 times - me -> DM -> DS. DS is still driving it and has currently 160k miles on it.


2nd one belonged to DS who totaled it before its time.


3rd one has 95k and we are still driving. Never had an issue and is going very strong.

[Dtail]

2 paid off cars with 56k and 35k miles with no plans to change currently.

[stepford]

I've never owned a car or truck I didn't keep until at least 200K miles.

My first car from lasted from college through grad school into my earliest years of employment - about 10 years, but was seriously on it's last legs when it died right around 200K.

Next was a Toyota truck that did better. I had it for 25 years and 410K miles before it ate a piston and went to that great 4WD trail in the sky.

Sold on Toyotas, my next was a little Toyota sports car - a rarity for me, I didn't manage to kill it, but drove it for 11 years until about 230K miles and sold it.

My next two I still have: A BMW I bought new that now has 165K and another Toyota 4WD that now has about 150K. I expect to drive both well into the next decade - maybe until gasoline is obsolete.

So, do I get the ER.org psycho-frugal driver award?

[cooch96]

My current car is 15yrs with 176k on it. To be fair it’s only been my primary vehicle for maybe six of those years. I’ve either had a truck as a primary vehicle or rode my bicycle everywhere. I have driven it across the country a couple times.

I’d like to trade it in, but everything I test drive seems to handle poorly or be absurdly expensive in comparison.

I’ll likely end up keeping the thing long enough to put collector plates on it. Driven hard and only garaged its first year of ownership. Low maintenance: replace oil every year; other fluids, wipers, lights, and brake pads as needed. Also replaced driver’s seat cushion, oxygen sensor, clutch assembly, tires, and battery in the last 10 years.

[gerntz]

I assume how long means miles not time. For those we buy, 140K. For those we lease, 10K/yr.

[bushpilot]

I prefer to buy about 5 years old, and 50k or so miles. I then will run it as long as it is economically feasible. Currently have a 2005 Ford Focus that is at about 160k miles, and i am expecting quite a few more. And a 2000 Mazda Protege with abut 175 miles, and suspect it will not outlast the Ford.

[Texas Proud]

Wow... I see some keep their cars for many many miles... the most I have put on a car is 125K.... over about 14 years... I had two cars so put some on another...


Now I just do not drive that much...


My rule used to be 10 years or 100K miles..... I will still keep to this but might adjust if needed... DW loves the 4 1/2 yo Pilot and we will probably keep for many years... I bought one of my sisters used car about 1 1/2 years ago... had 18K miles and is a really nice Genesis... she now 78 and has said she will buy a new car every 4 years... so I will probably buy her used one then...


Now, why 4 years? Well, the technology on cars are changing so much faster... she wanted some bells and whistles that were not on her car... she said she will want more to help her out in a few years... she has the money and no kids so why not?


If I were in my 70s I think I would also be willing to blow the dough... so that is why the old rules do not apply like they used to...

[brucethebroker]

Been looking at "newer" (gently used 2018/19) SUV's to replace our 10 year old/125k vehicle. (One car family for our 6 years of semi-retirement). Really surprised by the amount of safety (crash) features and pro-active driving safety features (blind spot, etc.) plus electronics now included in many models.

Have traditionally put about 130-140k miles over 8-10 years on each vehicle before changing out, but am now wondering if it's more prudent to upgrade for the safety features more often. Also wondering if added "bells and whistles" will involve expensive maintenance over longer ownership. It is really forcing me to re-evaluate my personal, decades old system of "beating the depreciation game" that has worked nicely so far. (Yeah, I know, hard to beat it, but just trying to keep it at a reasonable cost).

[W2R]

For me, 10 years and 30,000 miles seems about right.

I bought my 2000 Toyota Solara new, and kept it for 10 years, 30,000 miles.

I bought my 2009 Toyota Venza new, and have had it for 9 years, ~30,000 miles so far. I really want a new car now! I just haven't found one that I like better than my Venza.

As you probably discerned, I like to buy a new car a long time before the previous car starts breaking down and needing repairs. I do not like putting up with even simple, commonplace repairs. I just want the car to run when I need it to run, period, and other than gas, oil, tires, battery, etc, and regular maintenance I don't want to have to fool with it. Luckily I don't put much mileage on cars so that helps.

[Winemaker]

My best vehicle was a '84 Chevy Blazer, it had over 445,000 miles on it, the last year the odometer broke. It ran for me '86 til 2003.

Next best is my current ride, an 04 Chevy Colorado with 224,900 on it. Just put a new muffler and tail pipe on it yesterday.

In 3rd place, my DW had a '96 Chevy Blazer from '96 to '14, with 222,000 miles, we traded it in on a '07 Trailblazer in '14, when the Blazer wouldn't go into 3rd gear.
The '07 has just over 100,000 miles, good for another 10 years or so.

The DW has an '06 Pontiac as a run around town car, we bought it 3 years ago, from a tenant that decided to go to a nursing home. It had 50,000 on it then, and has 76,000 on it now. Good for another 10 years.

Our biggest demise with cars is other drivers. We had a '01 Pontiac Grand Am with 22,000 miles that was totaled in '14, when the idiot rear ended the DW at a stop sign.
My '98 Olds Cutlass got hit in '05. We've had some problem vehicles, '85 and '89 Cadillacs that couldn't keep a head gasket for more than a year, and a '93 S-10 pickup that burned fuel pumps constantly.

[DrRoy]

Pre RE I bought new and kept to 100,000-180,000 miles. I think now we will replace sooner because we like the new feel and the new features.

[flintnational]

Sold a 2003 Nissan 305Z last year with 145k miles. It was replaced with a 2018 Toyota. I will put about 20k miles a year on the Toyota, and will try and get at least 150k to 200k out of it.

[RunningBum]

I don't set a time or mileage limit. Seems foolish to me to get rid of a car you like, that's working well for you, and is reliable, just because of a number. If it's starting to have problems, want specific safety features on a new car, or have other reasons, replace it then. The trick is how to tell if it's starting to have problems without having it strand you somewhere.

[tb001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucethebroker Been looking at "newer" (gently used 2018/19) SUV's to replace our 10 year old/125k vehicle. (One car family for our 6 years of semi-retirement). Really surprised by the amount of safety (crash) features and pro-active driving safety features (blind spot, etc.) plus electronics now included in many models. Have traditionally put about 130-140k miles over 8-10 years on each vehicle before changing out, but am now wondering if it's more prudent to upgrade for the safety features more often. Also wondering if added "bells and whistles" will involve expensive maintenance over longer ownership. It is really forcing me to re-evaluate my personal, decades old system of "beating the depreciation game" that has worked nicely so far. (Yeah, I know, hard to beat it, but just trying to keep it at a reasonable cost).

I agree with this. I do think the added bells and whistles will translate to a more expensive cost of ownership, but the newer safety features are a big deal, IMO. At a minimum having blind spot assistance should be mandatory. I had budgeted car replacements at 10 yrs, but DH made the transition to leasing this year for this reason. I love my car and plan to have it for another 5-7 yrs at least, but it was ahead of the curve on technology.