Keep your vehicles longer?

[204 Escape]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Just shy of 231k on my '01 SuperCrew 4 X 4. Will keep running it, and probably put a new engine in it. We bought it new, and it isn't hurt at all !!!!!

 

[glastron09]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

210000 on my 04 ford ranger , runs great , would not even consider gettin another , a bigger boat well .............

 

[12vMan]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Our norm for keeping our daily drivers had always been 4-5 years. But the one we bought in '04 + we still have it = economy. We're actually very happy with it but we can't see spending the extra $ on an un-needed upgrade right now.
With boats, however, we tend to hang on to them. Our last was 13 years old and our current is already 8 years old

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

I normally buy vehicles with high mileage and drive them until they are dead. by high miles, I am talking over 150K on the odometer. Fuel injection has taken most vehicles from a 100,000 mile design life to 300,000km (180,000 miles). with simple maintenance they actually last much much longer.

I recently sold my VW Jetta GLX with 230,000 miles that I owned since 39 miles, a second GLX with 112K miles and the Durango with 195,000 miles on it. Bought an Audi A4 with 175,000 on it. the audi will be running strong for at least another 100,000 miles. that also allows me to pick up dad's Cummins Turbodiesel with 235,000 miles on it and drive that for another 5 years.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

When the repair bills add up to payment routine, it's time.

 

[Pontoon24]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

OK

My first entry, a 1990 Mazda B2200 pickup that I used till it had 286,000 miles on it. The kid I sold it to drove it away with a big smile on his face.

Second, and my current wheels, a 1986 Chevy S10 which has just passed 260,000 miles.

Both I bought new and took care of them so I didn't get someone else's problem

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

You read right in the media that people are holding on to their cars longer. It's a product of longer wearing engines and a product of too many people being overextended on personal debt (credit cards.) The very high price of automobiles also has a big part in it.

That said:

The best transportation for a kid is a S10 or Ford Ranger 4 cylinder 5 speed. If the engine ever wears out, go to a salvage yard, get a used low mileage engine, and pay a shop $600 to swap it out. No collision insurance is needed. Now, that's value.

I drive the ultimate redneck limo--F250 SuperDuty diesel crew cab. It's 9 years old with 99,000 miles, and is as plush as any Cadillac you've ever seen. With a 80 horsepower ECM chip, it has 700 ft. pounds of torque. It accelerates from 60 mph to 80 mph in 4 seconds flat, and will pull anything you can put in the bed and a 12' box trailer @ 100 mph. Last year, I pulled down a house--no kidding. And, it gets 20 mph when driven 70 mph unloaded.

I did a long term study on a new SuperDuty diesel pickup versus a comparable gas pickup--8 years and 120,000 miles. With the gas truck, you'd be about $3,000 ahead at the end. But if you're pulling something over 10,000 lbs., you've got to go diesel. The diesel will sell much quicker 10 years old, and for ridiculous prices--if properly maintained and clean condition. The new Ford diesel is something like $7800 more than gas--nuff said.

 

[canoemang]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

100K miles is just gettin broke in you ask me. Ive been buying/fixing n sellin cars since i was 16 (before i had my license). I'll never buy new it is a waste of money..

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

My theory is if you can afford to get new every two years as to get the best trade in with no problems.

Or you can do like I do. Buy the best you can afford at the time an keep it until it fall on its face.

 

[93ultra]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

I agree with you bamaman! I too have an F250 crew cab long bed diesel with a 179000 miles on it. It is the best truck I have ever owned and plan on keeping her a lot longer. I just put a third set of aftermarket wheels on it, it's like gettinng a new truck for me it takes away the itch for a new one.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Used - all the way. Car buying has become both an emotional outlet and an entitlement for many (IMHO), consequently inflating new car prices WAY past their real value. That hit you take rolling over the dealer's curb is just too much in most cases.

All but two of my cars have made it between 240,000 and 310,000 miles before I've replaced them (and I have given all but one away to someone who needed some basic transportation). - - the two that didn't make it, I would have paid money to watch go up in flames.

Interestingly, the two high mileage winners were a '97 Dodge Caravan (given away at 310,000) and a '92 Ford Escort Wagon (given away at 300,000).

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

If you just want to burn money... lol

No kidding. There is a reason the automakers push leases...because they make A LOT of money on them.

Amazes me when people I know lease or buy a new car. These are the same people that have balances on their credit cards or student loans or don't max out their 401Ks. Dumbest thing these people can do!

Personally, I will probably never buy a new car again. Any cash that i would have extra to buy a new car will be used to pay down my mortgages.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Generally buy vehicles used but very low mileage and less than 1 year old. Run them till they start to cost more to keep going than getting another one does or stop being a reliable means of transport.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Looks like I'm bucking the trend. We typically buy new and trade them in while they are still worth something.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Looks like I'm bucking the trend. We typically buy new and trade them in while they are still worth something.

Someone has to take the depreciation hit!

 

[Triton II]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Thanks for the refocus Bubba. I used to keep a car for around three years. Now it's more like five. So yes, I keep them longer and I've had my Rodeo ute for six now, bought when she was four, she's now ten. She'll stay until she's not reliable enough to tow the boat and the missus's horse float.

TII

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Looks like I'm bucking the trend. We typically buy new and trade them in while they are still worth something.

Thank You for that. Please keep the supply of good slightly used vehicles coming !!

Someone has to take the depreciation hit!

Rather someone else than me !!!!

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

I'll keep a vehicle up until its long range reliability becomes questionable. For example should I decide to take a 2500 mile trip, I want to have the confidence to jump in my truck and go without worrying about possible issues.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

Limited-Time, that's a good point too. When I do travel it's usually on the interstates that can get pretty rural, so continued reliability is one of the things I consider when deciding whether a car is all used up.

 

[drrpm]

Re: Keep your vehicles longer?

I keep my vehicles as long as they are reliable and I still like driving them. I had a BMW 325 is for 15 years and upgraded to a 330 when the 325 finally needed more repairs than it was worth. My wife drove a Suburban for 10 years and it was still running well but she wanted something smaller. I'd have kept it but I already had an F-150 for towing etc.