Car, Car and more Car.. How many is Enuff? How many in your life time?

[leftcoastjayhawk]

I cannot compete in quantity with many of the folks here, but how about this:

1973 Datsun 240Z: My first car purchase, and my first new car purchase on April 14th, 1973

2023 Nissan Z: Purchased new on April 14, 2023, 50 years to the day from my 240Z purchase.

And I still have both!

 

[jollystomper]

This survey comes along at a timely moment for this thread :

Is it just a car? Here’s why Americans love their cars

By Joseph Staples // SWNS NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC Nearly nine in 10 Americans still remember their first

swnsdigital.com

Nearly nine in 10 Americans still remember their first car — and 60% of them wish they could go back in time to take better care of it.

A poll of 2,000 U.S. drivers revealed just how dedicated people are to their cars and how dearly they miss what they first drove. Baby boomers (91%) and Gen Xers (89%) especially have a fondness for their first cars.

 

[indiajust]

2. 86 VW GTi and a 98 VW Jetta. Considering my options for final ride to the end of the trail

 

[Koolau]

^^^^^^^

I like the hood ornament. Extra cost option??

 

[audreyh1]

Very few so far as it turns out. 5

 

[FIREd]

Well-used, cheap student rides:
1989 Ford Taurus
1985 VW Golf
1989 Ford Tempo

Purchased new or certified pre-owned:
2001 VW Jetta
2010 Toyota Camry
2017 Mazda MX5
2018 Mazda 3
2017 Audi A3

I’m still happy with my current car but I’ve started considering a possible upgrade with either an Audi Q8, an Audi Q3 Sportback, or a DS 7.

 

[Koolau]

Okay, I've got some time to think about it, so here goes:

'49 Chev (never registered - I just w*rked on it to learn during my teens)
'54 Desoto (never registered - same deal as Chev.)
'66 Olds F-85 (University graduation present from dad.)
'69 Corvette (new)
'72 Opal Rallye (new)
'74 Mazda RX2 (Wankel) (new)
'77 Datsun B210 (new)
'82 Toyota Tercel (new)
'81 Olds Omega (dad's last car I bought for $600)
'91 Mazda 626 (new)
'01 Chrysler Voyager (new - for DW)
'99 Honda CRV
'00 Mazda 626 (a Ford, built by UAW in reality)
'00 Buick LeSabre
'12 Toyota Rav4

My figures are not completely accurate, but by my best accounting, I have spent a total of $83,000 total to purchase all 15 cars. I don't know what that would come out to in today's dollars (much more - I'm certain.) For instance, the new Corvette cost $5K and so did the used '00 Buick when I bought it in '12! Heh, heh, this could be in the inflation thread(s) but I'll just leave it at that since YMMV.

I've never "traded" a car for another. I've simply junked the old car or sold it outright to someone else. In theory, the $83K figure needs to be reduced by a few $K to account for selling the old cars, but I don't recall the figures. One car was totaled by the insurance co. following an accident.

I haven't included my dad's cars that he let me use between the time I started driving until I bought my first (real) car at 23. This has been an interesting trip down memory lane.

 

[OnTheBeach]

We typically keep our cars about 5 years/80K then trade them in.

Pre Marriage
1978 - Delta 88 (given to me by my father in 1997)
1984 - Camaro (bought used in 1998)
1992 - Ford Thunderbird SS

During Marriage
1994 – Acura Integra (wife)
1997 – Pontiac Grand Prix (me)
1999 – Ford Explorer (wife)
2002 – BMW 530 (Me)
2004 – Lexus GX (Wife)
2005 – Toyota Minivan (wife)
2006 – BMW 650 Convertible (Me)
2007 – Acura MDX (Shared)
2010 - Infiniti QX56 (wife)
2014 – Mercedes E350 (Shared)
2015 - Infiniti QX 80 (wife)

Current -
2014 – Maserati Grand Turismo Convertible (Me)
2020 – BMW 330I (Wife)
2020 – Porsche Cayenne (Me)
2025 – Range Rover Velar (wife)

 

[RetiredHappy]

We typically keep our cars about 5 years/80K then trade them in.

Pre Marriage
1978 - Delta 88 (given to me by my father in 1997)
1984 - Camaro (bought used in 1998)
1992 - Ford Thunderbird SS

During Marriage
1994 – Acura Integra (wife)
1997 – Pontiac Grand Prix (me)
1999 – Ford Explorer (wife)
2002 – BMW 530 (Me)
2004 – Lexus GX (Wife)
2005 – Toyota Minivan (wife)
2006 – BMW 650 Convertible (Me)
2007 – Acura MDX (Shared)
2014 – Mercedes E350 (Shared)

Current -
2014 – Maserati Grand Turismo Convertible (Me)
2020 – BMW 330I (Wife)
2020 – Porsche Cayenne (Me)
2025 – Range Rover Velar (wife)

Do you like the Porsche Cayenne?

 

[OnTheBeach]

Do you like the Porsche Cayenne?

It is the best car I have ever owned. Drives like a performance car but has good cargo capacity, great visibility (due do its height) and is perfect for long drives. It gets 24/25 mpg on the highway and a large gas tank so its range is about 590 miles between filling up. It is 5.5 years old and has 90K miles - drives like it is brand new. Whenever I replace it - I will buy another one.

 

[brett]

No idea how many. For quite a few years I had a new company car every year, and then every three years. GM or Ford products. Sedans, SUV's, etc.

Most of the ones we owned over the years were Toyotas. Corolla, Celica's, Camrys.

Currently a 2006 Accord for all year and a 2007 Solara rag top for summers only. Expect to keep both for anther 10 years.

Having a late model car is not a big deal for us.

 

[MTB4me]

Turning 60 this month and I’ve only had 4 cars since college. A used Dodge Omni (totaled when I got t-boned by a kid who blew a stop sign) and a new Dodge Omni in 87. Those were pretty lousy cars, but cheap. Next I bought a 94 Acura Integra (stick!) which I owned for 23 years and 200k miles. Loved that car! Solid as the day I bought it. Sold it to a good friend for $10. Now have a 2017 Hyundai Tucson with less than 60k on the clock, purchased new. Nice car, very comfortable and lots of nice features. Not nearly as fun as the Integra, but way easier to get in and out of.

 

[Dash man]

Wow, I’m not sure my memory is as good as some.

1961 VW Beetle
1969 Dodge Charger
1981 Toyota Tercel
An old MG
An old Austin Maxi
1986 Volvo 240
1987 Toyota pickup truck
A used Toyota in Japan
1993 Ford Probe
1999 Toyota Camry
2002 Ford Explorer
2007 Acura TL Type S
2015 Lexus GS350
2021 BMW 540 x-Drive

 

[aja8888]

Too many...

The one I miss the most:

 

[Sunset]

I've had 10 cars in my life. I tend to keep them for a while.

DW has had 1 car as she lived in a big city where having a car is a pain to find parking, once she moved to the suburbs she bought her car and still has it 29 years later!! (she keeps hers longer than me).

 

[REWahoo]

Too many...

The one I miss the most:

Same here...the one I miss the most:

 

[Sarah S]

4 and I am currently carless and probably done
1973 dodge
1986 chevy nova ( socalled California corolla)
1998? Volvo 850
2009 toyota camry

 

[Koolau]

Too many...

The one I miss the most:

View attachment 52667

That looks like President Biden's classic Stingray. Yeah, I bet you do miss it.

I think that era was the best convertible "look." My '69 was neither fish nor fowl without the removable hard top attached. YMMV

 

[Out of Steam]

We typically keep our cars about 5 years/80K then trade them in.

This is not a bad length of time to keep a car, though shorter than I prefer. Long enough not to be buying constantly, but early enough to have some value left towards the next one.

I kept my last two cars past 9 years/175K miles and decided that that was too long. I'm determined to sell or hand down our current cars before 150K, and am willing to do it as early as 100K.

 

[RetiredHappy]

In the past we would keep our new cars for 3 years before trading them for another new car. We will be coming up to the 5th year this December, but we are going to trade it in for the 2025 model of the same Subaru Ascent, in November when the new shipment comes in. We put about 9K miles on the car per year since our retirement. Most the miles that are put on are for our drive-to vacations in California and Arizona, although we just got back from northern Nevada.

 

[aja8888]

That looks like President Biden's classic Stingray. Yeah, I bet you do miss it.

I think that era was the best convertible "look." My '69 was neither fish nor fowl without the removable hard top attached. YMMV

My Stingray convertible also had a removable top (painted the same Glen Green - a one year color in 1965). You could also get one in coupe configuration.

 

[brett]

We kept our '97 Camry XLE for 16 years, 220,000 trouble free miles. Then gave it to our son.

The only money we spent on it was routine mtce. Our son had it for 25K miles. Same service.

 

[FiveDriver]

Two early beaters for transportation to school, too clunky to mention.

1967 Pontiac GTO -- Graduated college and proceeded to BTD
70 1/2 Camaro Z28 -- Draft Defer for Essential Civilian Occupation BTD
1967 Porsche 912 -- 4 cylinder go-kart, took the corners on rails
Another '67 GTO -- Triple black with Hurst Dual-Gate Automatic Trans
1972 Datsun 240Z -- Early versions had Truck engine in a sports car body
1984 Nissan 280ZX -- Refined version of the above sports car
1997 CPO Lexus ES300 -- DW called this one my first 'Adult Car'
1999 BMW 528 -- Best car I've ever owned, hands down.

Beginning with that early Datsun, I started keeping my cars for 8-10 years, and really got ahead of the car payment rut. This BMW is probably my last car, since I put new Koni shocks on all four corners, it handles like a dream.

 

[Gumby]

Too many...

The one I miss the most:

View attachment 52667

That would be my dream car.

 

[Jerry1]

Too many...

The one I miss the most:

View attachment 52667

That would be my dream car.

That's a beautiful Corvette. I was always partial to a somewhat later version. Not my car - never got to own one but drove a few of them for work. Early job at a repair shop and I got to pick them up and drop them off at the dealer. The mechanic in my shop specialized in Vettes and had a contract with a local Chevy dealer. Sweet perk for a 17 year old.