How long do you keep your cars?

[Snowdrop13]

My little Honda is 8 years old, and while it is running well, the annual service bills are starting to climb. I’m sure it will keep going for at least another couple of years having done 72000 miles so far. As I’ve got older I’ve become much more aware of waste, and have tended to buy cars new then keep them until they start to fall apart. What does everyone think is the optimum time to change their car?

 

[kenny]

I always pay cash for a small modest entry-level high-MPG new Toyota or Honda.
I ensure the VIN starts with J, meaning it was made in Japan.
If none of the model I want are made in Japan I select another model.
I take it to the dealer for all maintenance, except I do all in-between oil changes myself.
I keep it average of 10 years.
I always sell it private party ... every time it happens to sell to a young straight latino couple with 2 young kids - no joke - every time.

Buying a car with crappy reliability and/or low resale value makes lots of money go poof.
Keeping a car too long or too short makes lots of money go poof.
Trading in a car makes lots of money go poof.
Leasing a car makes lots of money go poof.
Financing a car makes lots of money go poof.

Money not going poof helps one pay for a new car with cash, so again less money goes poof.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I probably own the oldest car among PSers. I drive a 2005 Lexus LS 430 with 108K miles on the OD.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I always pay cash for a small modest entry-level high MPG new Toyota or Honda.
I ensure the VIN starts with J, meaning it was made in Japan.

Nowadays, Next to impossible to find one.

 

[jordyonbass]

I probably own the oldest car among PSers. I drive a 2005 Lexus LS 430 with 108K miles on the OD.

Not at all, we've got a 2002 Honda CRV that's our run around car for my wife. We've had and looked after for a long time, those things just won't die. She's just started a new position though and we're looking at getting her a new(er) car soon. Probably something 2016-2019 or so I'm guessing.

Those LS430s are a great piece of engineering, you will get many more years out of it still if you choose to keep it longer!

 

[ForteKitty]

If someone didn't hit and run and total my 2005 toyota two years ago, I'd still be driving it. It only had 80k miles when it happened. My mom drove her 1991 Volvo until last year

 

[Ally T]

I am flighty with cars & get bored easily. I really enjoy the hunt of test driving cars too. In the 15 years I have been with my husband, I have had:

Toyota MR2 Convertible (had that when we met & it was the 2nd one I'd owned)

Volvo V60 Estate (pregnancy hormones made me buy it - a safe mummy car. As soon as that baby was born & my hormones settled, I thought what have a done?!? Only had it for 6 months)

Jeep Cherokee (older model bought from a backstreet cowboy dealer to see how i got on with a bigger car. Loved it, but the belt snapped on the motorway, stripped the engine & almost got the 4 of us killed after only 3 years)

Jeep Compass (hated it & only kept it for a year)

Jeep Cherokee (loved it & kept it for 4 years until it died - the turbo split. Jeeps feel a bit cursed for me & I decided not to get another!)

Nissan Qashqai (was an urgent trade in for the dead Jeep & hated it - kept it for 18 months)

Range Rover Evoke (my dream car bought new. I've had it 2 years this year & no plans to change it)

 

[missy]

Until the wheels fall off hahaha.
Or at least that is how it used to be.

Our first car together- Loofy one- was 20 years old. But Loofy two lasted three just because Greg wanted a newer model for safety features and other creature comforts ie heated steering wheel etc. So reluctantly on my part we upgraded to Loofy three.

Hopefully we will keep Loofy three for the next 2 decades.


My dad raised me with the principle that cars are to get us from point A to point B. I am no longer that extreme but for the most part I agree with that. Leaves more money for bling.

 

[missy]

Loofy one 1999 (manufactured in 1998 ) and 138K miles on him (on the left) kissing Loofy two. I actually cried giving Loofy one away.



Loofy two arriving home.








and our current car....Loofy three.






Hahaha what can I say? We love the Lexus.

 

[MMtwo]

Hubs has traded in every 2-3 years.He had the Toyota trucks, he now drives a RAM truck.

I have a 2017 Subaru Outback 3.6 that I love to bits. I told hubby that I will drive it until it starts to nickle and dime us. We have a 100,000-mile insurance policy on it, so that could be a while.

Fast forward to us thinking about trading my car in for a AWD Charger. Maybe. VROOM.

 

[Elizabeth35]

We buy cash and keep for at least 10 years.

DH has 2005 Pilot with 200K+ miles. He bought it used in 2007. It will probably need replacing soonish and he will get a 2016-2019 Pilot.
I have 2012 Acura TL with about 85K that we bought new. DH is pushing me to get an SUV soon--Volvo SC60 or Acura RDX probably. We would buy new or up to 2 years old.

We have an acquaintance who owns car dealerships so we just call him and tell him what we are looking for and he sets us up with it---new or used. He delivers to our driveway.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I drive them until an upgrade is NEEDED. The current is a 2009 Altima Hybrid that I bought new. It has nearly 110,000 miles on it and drives back and forth to brooklyn daily, plenty of body damage on that one. Maintenance has always been low, oil changes twice a year (more than that really is unnecessary), a few belts here and there, breaks and tires, exhaust patched a few times, engine coils and fuses DH does himself. I want a Honda HRV but I'm waiting to see if they release the 2022 model with a better powertrain. I usually finance but manage to get very low APRs.

 

[FL_runner]

Until they fall apart. My last truck I had for about 15 years and I don’t even know how many miles.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

We literally just had to buy a new car when the head gasket went on our 2007 Toyota Highlander. We bought it in 2008 with 30k on it and got to 245k over the 13 years we drove it. Honestly I would have kept driving it, no desire for a new car.

We replaced it with a 2017 Mazda CX-9, it’s a very nice vehicle and I hope it will last us a long time.

 

[stracci2000]

Last year, I traded in my 1997 Ford Escort for a 2016 Nissan Rogue.
The Escort had 112K miles.

My secondary car, a 2010 Mitsubishi Endeavor, has 156k miles, and going strong.
I own them both outright, and will keep them as long as they last.

 

[Begonia]

Hit a deer with my 2003 Honda CRV last year. Man I loved that car. Luxe edition made in Japan (bought second hand low mileage).

Bought a 2014 CRV and nowhere near the quality of my Japanese-built one. Sigh. Miss that car.

Before that a Honda civic wagovan. Remember those? The precursor to the Honda Fit? A guy rear ended me. Loved that little car.

 

[tyty333]

10+ years or 100k miles (we dont end up putting a lot of miles on our car so this is about 10 years)

Except for a 2002 Ford Explorer that was a lemon. Within 4 years we had to have the dashboard pulled for air conditioning problems
(wasnt cheap) and within about 6 months of that, the timing belt had issues (which isnt suppose to have until around 75k and we were
nowhere near). The cost of that fix was $4600. $3000 was covered by warranty but it was another $1600 for us. So, in a 4-year-old car with
low mileage, we had to put out over $3k in not-normal fixes. I told my DH this car has got to go. I would never buy another Ford vehicle!
Needless to say, it left a really bad taste in my mouth!

 

[Snowdrop13]

I always pay cash for a small modest entry-level high-MPG new Toyota or Honda.
I ensure the VIN starts with J, meaning it was made in Japan.
If none of the model I want are made in Japan I select another model.
I take it to the dealer for all maintenance, except I do all in-between oil changes myself.
I keep it average of 10 years.
I always sell it private party ... every time it happens to sell to a young straight latino couple with 2 young kids - no joke - every time.

Buying a car with crappy reliability and/or low resale value makes lots of money go poof.
Keeping a car too long or too short makes lots of money go poof.
Trading in a car makes lots of money go poof.
Leasing a car makes lots of money go poof.
Financing a car makes lots of money go poof.

Money not going poof helps one pay for a new car with cash, so again less money goes poof.

Your philosophy is similar to mine, I’m currently driving a Honda Jazz (U.K. name, not sure what it would be in the US) which is about as entry level as you can get! I’d much rather pay cash but am a bit bemused by all the financing offers. And why is the price less that way than cash? Who knows?

 

[Snowdrop13]

I probably own the oldest car among PSers. I drive a 2005 Lexus LS 430 with 108K miles on the OD.

I’m sure that’s not true! But good mileage for a car that age. I expect you’ll get another 100000 out of a Lexus?

 

[Snowdrop13]

I am flighty with cars & get bored easily. I really enjoy the hunt of test driving cars too. In the 15 years I have been with my husband, I have had:

Toyota MR2 Convertible (had that when we met & it was the 2nd one I'd owned)

Volvo V60 Estate (pregnancy hormones made me buy it - a safe mummy car. As soon as that baby was born & my hormones settled, I thought what have a done?!? Only had it for 6 months)

Jeep Cherokee (older model bought from a backstreet cowboy dealer to see how i got on with a bigger car. Loved it, but the belt snapped on the motorway, stripped the engine & almost got the 4 of us killed after only 3 years)

Jeep Compass (hated it & only kept it for a year)

Jeep Cherokee (loved it & kept it for 4 years until it died - the turbo split. Jeeps feel a bit cursed for me & I decided not to get another!)

Nissan Qashqai (was an urgent trade in for the dead Jeep & hated it - kept it for 18 months)

Range Rover Evoke (my dream car bought new. I've had it 2 years this year & no plans to change it)

Wow, @Alex T, you’ve experienced many driving ups and downs there, I’m glad you’ve finally found the perfect car!

 

[Snowdrop13]

Loofy one 1999 (manufactured in 1998 ) and 138K miles on him (on the left) kissing Loofy two. I actually cried giving Loofy one away.



Loofy two arriving home.








and our current car....Loofy three.






Hahaha what can I say? We love the Lexus.

It’s very easy to get attached to a car! 20 years is good going though and these look like lovely solid cars.

 

[Snowdrop13]

We buy cash and keep for at least 10 years.

DH has 2005 Pilot with 200K+ miles. He bought it used in 2007. It will probably need replacing soonish and he will get a 2016-2019 Pilot.
I have 2012 Acura TL with about 85K that we bought new. DH is pushing me to get an SUV soon--Volvo SC60 or Acura RDX probably. We would buy new or up to 2 years old.

We have an acquaintance who owns car dealerships so we just call him and tell him what we are looking for and he sets us up with it---new or used. He delivers to our driveway.

That’s very handy, good to have a pal in the trade.

 

[MMtwo]

Hit a deer with my 2003 Honda CRV last year. Man I loved that car. Luxe edition made in Japan (bought second hand low mileage).

Bought a 2014 CRV and nowhere near the quality of my Japanese-built one. Sigh. Miss that car.

Before that a Honda civic wagovan. Remember those? The precursor to the Honda Fit? A guy rear ended me. Loved that little car.

I had an early CRV (2005?) and LOVED it. So much passenger space. I tried to stay loyal with my next car, but did not love the next CRV body style. I looked everywhere for something like the old CRV. Ended up going to Subaru.

 

[MamaBear]

Until they start nickel and diming us... usually 7-10 years. We pay cash, as well. I just hate a car payment.... I drive a 2018 Lincoln MKX, Hubby drives a 2021 Lincoln Corsair. My last van had over 150.000 miles on it. I would still be driving it, had it not been totaled in a hail storm!

 

[winetime12]

I like having a newer vehicle so I lease for about 3 years usually (would consider finance over lease if the interest rate is lower). Same with my SO except his is always a Ford F-250 (we tow a fifth wheel). I’m not loyal to a certain company, currently driving a 2019 Lincoln nautilus but will consider other SUVs next year when my lease is up.

 

[kenny]

Your philosophy is similar to mine, I’m currently driving a Honda Jazz (U.K. name, not sure what it would be in the US) which is about as entry level as you can get! I’d much rather pay cash but am a bit bemused by all the financing offers. And why is the price less that way than cash? Who knows?

Generally they agree to a lower sale price when you finance because they make their money on the car loan's interest.

I always negotiate the lowest price BEFORE revealing I'm paying cash.
I just play it vague and undecided as to how I'm going to pay.
It takes a lot of time, dancing around, acting, and when I ultimately refuse all of their financing offers it really pisses em off because I've secured my price, but it works every time.

Car dealers are experts at doing stuff to buyers that's not nice.
I'm just playing their game.

 

[AprilBaby]

My Mercury Mountaineer is 2000, 174,000 miles. It’s sitting in the driveway. I just got in cash a Brand new Honda CRV.

 

[diamondringlover]

I had a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee I love I owed her for about 7 or 8 years, some mean old women hit my son driving it and totaled in 2015, it had 108,000 miles on it..loved that SUV then I bought a 2009 Lexus RX350 it was 6 years old when I bought it and traded her in last year she had 101,000 miles on it...I currently own a 2016 Lexus RX350 bought it with 32,000 miles and I intend to keep her for awhile like Missy I LOVE Lexus!!!!!

 

[jaysonsmom]

Ideally I would purchase a keep my car for 10+ years. I had a Lexus RX330 from 2004-2014, best car ever, had 140k miles and still good driving condition, needed a bigger SUV with 3 rows of seats so bought an Audi Q7 which was a big lemon, and sold that as soon as it was paid off (5 years) and now I have a 2019 Mercedes Benz GLC coupe. I love it almost has much as my Lexus, I can see myself driving it for 10 years minimum. In 2018 I bought my older son a 2009 Lexus IS250 cash with only 56k miles on it because I knew Lexuses last forever, and now he is away in college we all take turns driving it, and it still only has 63k miles...this car will easily
last 20 years.

 

[dk168]

With hindsight, I made the wrong decision to keep one car long after I should have got rid of her for sentimental reasons.

I had spent so much money to keep her going for 14 years and over 200k+ miles that I could have replaced her with a brand new well-spec'ed MINI Cooper.

Since I had her from new in 2002, I have had a lot of changes in my life including some life changing events. She was one of the few constants that provided me with the much-needed support and comfort, as a drive in her would always cheer me up in no time.

When her ECU failed and MINI wanted nearly 2k GBP to replace it, quickly followed by the catalytic converter being blown requiring another 1k GBP or so to replace, it was as if she was asking me to let her go to car heaven.

I already had another new MINI by that time as my main car (I was doing 700+ miles a week at the time, and the old car would not be able to cope with that kind of mileage), and was hoping to keep her for as long as I could as a run around. However, I decided it was time to let her go.

I cried when she was towed away to be scraped in 2017.

I promised myself at the time I shall not be so attached to a vehicle ever again.

The replacement MINI had gone as it was a very high spec 4x4 Countryman that I intended to tow a caravan. However, I decided against towing a caravan and opted for a custom-converted panel van instead. So I handed it back to MINI without paying it off in full under the terms of the finance plan. The residual amount on the finance for a 3yo car was more than the price I paid for a brand new well-spec'ed Kia Picanto that I now have - it was a no brainer.

I intend to keep my campervan for at least 10 years, and she should last that long if not longer, being a very reliable new base van which is a VW Crafter. I have taken out a loan to part-finance my campervan project over 6 years.

The Kia Picanto has a 7-year warranty and I own that outright.

If all goes according to plan, I shall replace the Picanto with another new car in 6 years' time. Hopefully the infrastructure for e-vehicles will be much improved by then, and that MINI will improve on their e-car as the one available now is very expensive for what it is with a low range on one charge.

Apologies for the long waffle, as my first MINI was very dear to me, and I miss her to this day. I have many happy memories associated with her. To me she was more than just a machine - she was family.

DK