driving cars into the ground.

[Yellowboat]

I am just wondering, am I the only one that seems to do this? I was having a conversation with my gf this morning as she wants to trade in her 3 year old, 38k mile camera in on a newer model. the reason she was going to do it is " stuff is wearing out" She does need new tires, is due for a complete fulid change, but other then that the car is perfect. this seems to be the norm with people as most people I know keep a car 3-5 years and sell it/trade in with 30-60k miles.



Maybe its just my frugal nature, but I don't get it. So what am I missing here?

 

[Boozer]

The longest I've ever kept a car was 3 years. The average is usually around 2 years.

The last car I had I only kept for about 4 months before trading it in. My next car will be leased.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I typically keep vehicles a long time. Had a 2002 Tundra that I sold in 2014 to buy a 2012 model.

 

[HALLETT BOY]

The problem with doing that , is that you get into a downward spiral ...you never have any equity in the car , you are constantly paying huge amounts of sales tax and higher DMV fees , all to experience that new car feel , which wears off in a year anyway , and to one-up your friends or neighbors . The best plane economically , is to keep it for at last 10 years , maintain it well , pay it off , then sell it privately when you want .

 

[Wadernation]

I am just wondering, am I the only one that seems to do this? I was having a conversation with my gf this morning as she wants to trade in her 3 year old, 38k mile camera in on a newer model. the reason she was going to do it is " stuff is wearing out" She does need new tires, is due for a complete fulid change, but other then that the car is perfect. this seems to be the norm with people as most people I know keep a car 3-5 years and sell it/trade in with 30-60k miles.



Maybe its just my frugal nature, but I don't get it. So what am I missing here?

ive owned my duramax for 10 years. bought it used and just spent 5k for a major TLC and mechanical overhaul. Should last me another 10 years since its a tow vehicle only. Most of my toys and cars i hold on to for years... i think i become attached and like to take care of them for the long haul.

 

[ChevelleSB406]

I bought by 04 Silverado new in August 04, still rocking it, I too like to maximize value, and only have changed tires and finally a battery last year, minimal cost of ownership. Only disadvantage, however, is these damn things have gone WAY up in price since the last time so I am in for a shock when I pull the trigger again. (Not disputing why they have gone up, fully understand the factors of more equipment, inflation, blah blah blah ) Jason Holley will hopefully be hearing from me this year if my finances pan out, sucks not being a salesman myself anymore :grumble:

 

[Singleton]

When I was younger = yes. As I aged, I changed.
Since I run a business consulting firm as my second gig, I always lease one car for that business. The rest of the fleet is not going anywhere. Cheaper to maintain and upgrade interior and exterior as needed vs buying new!

 

[Bigbore500r]

Depends on the vehicle. Some vehicles are not a good idea to own without a warranty, like a 2003 745 BMW.....
Vehicles like my '07 2500HD gasser - not much to break, cheap to fix, cheap to own. Some vehicles are unlikely to gay you any problems, those are the ones you keep around.

 

[pronstar]

I wanted to upgrade my wife to a new Lexus NX once we get settled in Dallas.

She currently has a 2010 Prius with 140k miles, runs a like a champ.

She doesn't want a payment, doesn't want a new car, and is happy with the Prius.

Did I mention how much I love my wife?

 

[shintoooo]

Those Lexuits seem to last forever with proper maintenance.

 

[2FORCEFULL]

I am just wondering, am I the only one that seems to do this? I was having a conversation with my gf this morning as she wants to trade in her 3 year old, 38k mile camera in on a newer model. the reason she was going to do it is " stuff is wearing out" She does need new tires, is due for a complete fulid change, but other then that the car is perfect. this seems to be the norm with people as most people I know keep a car 3-5 years and sell it/trade in with 30-60k miles.



Maybe its just my frugal nature, but I don't get it. So what am I missing here?

did you used to own a 2004 suburban

 

[OCMerrill]

Those Lexuits seem to last forever with proper maintenance.

Yes I agree but what about a camera? Driving that has to be super uncomfortable but I would keep it as long as there is sufficient shutter speed.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

The problem with doing that , is that you get into a downward spiral ...you never have any equity in the car , you are constantly paying huge amounts of sales tax and higher DMV fees , all to experience that new car feel , which wears off in a year anyway , and to one-up your friends or neighbors . The best plane economically , is to keep it for at last 10 years , maintain it well , pay it off , then sell it privately when you want .

This is why people just lease, and the industry has successfully uplifted almost everyone into cars they could not afford otherwise.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Depends on the vehicle. Some vehicles are not a good idea to own without a warranty, like a 2003 745 BMW.....
Vehicles like my '07 2500HD gasser - not much to break, cheap to fix, cheap to own. Some vehicles are unlikely to gay you any problems, those are the ones you keep around.

Thank you. I will take that under advisement.

 

[lbhsbz]

Some folks have plenty of money and like new things all the time....I'm not that guy.

I'm in the automotive industry and have very good visibility of what is generally more reliable and what is not. I usually buy used cars with 150-200K miles on them in the $2-3K range and fix them, then put another 50-100K on 'em and trade up again. I have no problem spending more than a car is worth to fix it, since it will almost always result in a better vehicle than I could buy for the same price, and it's still cheaper than a payment.

Example: I just picked up a 2003 4runner for $1500 with a broken timing chain from a previously botched repair job to replace her '96 4runner that we've had for 7 years. I repaired the engine, got some later model wheel and tire take offs, take off suspension from an 2013 FJ cruiser (1.5" lift on the 4runner), and fixed a bunch of little stuff, and I've got a good looking car with a rebuild trans (guy had it installed 4 months before I bought it), rebuilt engine, new tires, new suspension for under $3000...it will last us 10 years. I also sold her old 4runner for $3500, which is $300 more than I paid for it 7 years ago. Sales tax is cheap on cheap cars, registration is cheap, and so is insurance...no need to pay a bunch of money for full coverage, when I can buy another one for what insurance would cost me for 2 years. I'm not going into debt over a stupid car that depreciates.

 

[Your ad here]

Sounds like your GF just wants a new car. There is no winning the conversation of trying to convince them to keep a car longer than 3 years.

 

[CobraDave]

I have a 2010 Tundra with 108k miles on it and paid off. I look at new trucks all the time which are mostly in the 50k price range. Then I take a step back and smack myself. My truck now runs really well. No issues.

I guess I just want a new, leather, 4 wheel drive diesel.

 

[bocco]

I've got 16 years and 178K miles on my Expedition. It still runs great and I plan to keep it as long I can. The wife dosn't understand that even if I spend $500.00 or so on repairs that's cheap compared to payments and registration on a new one. I'm thinking about a cheap paint job and a few upgrades and that will still be less than sales tax on a new one.

And every time you buy a new car the sales tax is just money down the drain.

That being said, the wife's car is a 2007 350Z and that is scheduled for replacement because it's useless and I look and feel old when I climb in and out of it.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Gay 38k mile cameras....noted[emoji12][emoji41]

 

[B-RAD77]

Interesting topic and very time appropriate for me right now. Here in my business I have service trucks we used to replace them about every 3-4 years through the 70's & 80's. in the 90's trucks started getting to expensive so we'd run them to about 175k then sell them. I just made the decision to upgrade some equipment in the shop instead of a new truck for myself so lets hope my 06 cummins with 219000 miles keeps running for a while. Side note, wifes 02 Jeep started acting up we are going to sign the papers for her new TRD 4Runner in about an hour. I can't have baby broke down on the side of the road

 

[SBMech]

I like older vehicles. Besides I love getting the "ohh your old Toyota is so cute...it's got HOW MANY MILES?!?!!" look when they find out it's got 450k on it..

Original cat still on it even rofl. Never had the head off, only needed a timing chain at 390k

Besides, I like fixing up old broken stuff and recycling it back into the community. :thumbup:

 

[JD D05]

Interesting topic and very time appropriate for me right now. Here in my business I have service trucks we used to replace them about every 3-4 years through the 70's & 80's. in the 90's trucks started getting to expensive so we'd run them to about 175k then sell them. I just made the decision to upgrade some equipment in the shop instead of a new truck for myself so lets hope my 06 cummins with 219000 miles keeps running for a while. Side note, wife 02 Jeep started acting up we are going to sign the papers for her new TRD 4Runner in about an hour. I can't have baby brike down on the side of the road

Bout time you upgraded your wife's car.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Interesting topic and very time appropriate for me right now. Here in my business I have service trucks we used to replace them about every 3-4 years through the 70's & 80's. in the 90's trucks started getting to expensive so we'd run them to about 175k then sell them. I just made the decision to upgrade some equipment in the shop instead of a new truck for myself so lets hope my 06 cummins with 219000 miles keeps running for a while. Side note, wifes 02 Jeep started acting up we are going to sign the papers for her new TRD 4Runner in about an hour. I can't have baby broke down on the side of the road

I want one of those TRD 4runners.. Probably just going to get an SR5 though and throw suspension and wheels on it.

 

[HST4ME]

Some vehicles are unlikely to gay you

 

[pkrrvr619]

My 02. cents.

I put on average 35k a year on my car for work so I buy them a year or two old with sub 10k miles (someone else take the depreciation hit), then drive the piss out of them until they are paid for and then sell at around 200k (nissan altima). With proper matintence these things last a long time and I would rather spend money on toys and vacations then having a brand new car.


My wife on the other hand, seems like she goes through a car every two years for some reason...

 

[pronstar]

Interesting topic and very time appropriate for me right now. Here in my business I have service trucks we used to replace them about every 3-4 years through the 70's & 80's. in the 90's trucks started getting to expensive so we'd run them to about 175k then sell them. I just made the decision to upgrade some equipment in the shop instead of a new truck for myself so lets hope my 06 cummins with 219000 miles keeps running for a while. Side note, wifes 02 Jeep started acting up we are going to sign the papers for her new TRD 4Runner in about an hour. I can't have baby broke down on the side of the road

That's money-smart.
You're buying at the bottom of the depreciation curve :thumbup:

 

[JDKRXW]

The problem with doing that , is that you get into a downward spiral ...you never have any equity in the car , you are constantly paying huge amounts of sales tax and higher DMV fees and the first couple of year's deprectiation , all to experience that new car feel , which wears off in a year anyway , and to one-up your friends or neighbors . .

This.
Car manufacturers count on this.

I'm a believer in getting a Camry / Accord (or their Lexus/Acura equivalent) and driving it until the wheels fall off.

 

[coolchange]

Im the last guy to own my cars. They 're just tools. Well most of them. Last pos cherokee I had only had 330000 on it when i drove it to the junk yard.:eek

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I buy used cars that are a couple years old. I don't drive them into the ground, but I drive them until the value levels off and I can still get some money back out.

I bought my wife's 04 4runner in 2012 with 69K miles for $13K. It has 152K on it now and I will probably sell it for $9-$10K within the next year or so.

All I did to the car in 5.5 years was a water pump, tires, brakes, a battery and fluids. The thing is awesome and still in really good shape.

 

[copterzach]

I lease from a private leasing company. Unlimited mileage. I get a new truck every 2 years. Usually trade them off with 75000-85000 miles. 100% write off. I pull my helicopter with my truck. I need it to start and run every day.

 

[pronstar]

...or just lease for $49/month LOL

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

...or just lease for $49/month LOL


View attachment 538243

For which one? The wanna be hybrid car from a losing F1 team... or the Fiat?

 

[HocusPocus]

1978 Chevy Corvette, 65,000 miles.
1985 Toyota base model pickup, 310,000 miles, currently inop.
1987 Nissan D21 standard cab pickup, 133,000 miles.
2001 Lexus RX300, 135,000 miles.
2001 Ford Excursion, 205,000 miles.
2005 Dodge 1500 4x4, 137,000 miles.

These are my daily drivers, I do have a lease that ends in April, 2014 Toyota Avalon, 32,000 miles.

I tend to hang onto things.

 

[DWC]

We usually swap out the wife's expedition when it gets close to the 100k mark. It was always used for hauling the kids /boat around and I have a mild fear of my wife getting stuck somewhere. Last new vehicle I bought was a Jeep in 2000. Rebuilt the engine and trans last summer and handed it down to my son. I usually pick up 2-3 yr old cars and drive them for 4-5 years.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Those Lexuits seem to last forever with proper maintenance.

I've heard the same

 

[lbhsbz]

I buy used cars that are a couple years old. I don't drive them into the ground, but I drive them until the value levels off and I can still get some money back out.

I bought my wife's 04 4runner in 2012 with 69K miles for $13K. It has 152K on it now and I will probably sell it for $9-$10K within the next year or so.

All I did to the car in 5.5 years was a water pump, tires, brakes, a battery and fluids. The thing is awesome and still in really good shape.

You're coming up on the mileage where the headgasket starts to go around #6... if it goes before you sell it...give me a call, I might buy it (at a discount, of course).

 

[4Waters]

I usually put about 200k on mine

 

[Uncle Dave]

I am just wondering, am I the only one that seems to do this? I was having a conversation with my gf this morning as she wants to trade in her 3 year old, 38k mile camera in on a newer model. the reason she was going to do it is " stuff is wearing out" She does need new tires, is due for a complete fulid change, but other then that the car is perfect. this seems to be the norm with people as most people I know keep a car 3-5 years and sell it/trade in with 30-60k miles.



Maybe its just my frugal nature, but I don't get it. So what am I missing here?

I hang on awhile and maintain properly and lovingly.

To me continually buying cars is just a waste of cash-
I get a good one and run her till 150-to 200 or so and when they get real needy eject and pick up a 2-3 year lease return and repeat.

So I have more money to spend on real performance toys like boats and trucks, toys and more fun.

UD

 

[Uncle Dave]

I've heard the same

Mines like a fucking appliance. No soul - but no trouble.

UD

 

[Sleek-Jet]

I have around 170k miles on my 03 530i, love that car. I would keep it but my wife wants something to commute in and I've been told we don't need any more cars. So I am getting the Acadia and she a leased RAV4 Hybrid. I'll actually be sad when the Bimmer goes away.

Old cars have character.

 

[rush1]

I average 200000 miles on a car before I get rid of it and I do about 30 to 40 thousand a year , all I do is change the oil and tire replacement with the cheapest radials discount tire sells . I always buy a 4 cylinder and try to get the biggest 4 cylinder that model offers with an automatic transmission, Plus they have to run on regular gas, No turbo or supercharger I dont want the maintenance cost . I try to buy them 2nd hand with a 20 to 30 thousand on them so someone else take the first hit

 

[H20 Toie]

I use to put around 150k on trucks before selling them, but after looking at new trucks i went out and bought a 1991 chevy blazer with 160k miles and am going to completely rebuild it.
then drive the heck out of it

 

[mjc]

I drive mine until the wheels almost fall off. Wife's Miata has 190k needs to last 1 to more year. I get a company car so font care but planning for retirement in a year so will get something new before that.

 

[napanutt]

I have around 170k miles on my 03 530i, love that car. I would keep it but my wife wants something to commute in and I've been told we don't need any more cars. So I am getting the Acadia and she a leased RAV4 Hybrid. I'll actually be sad when the Bimmer goes away.

Old cars have character.

I love my 2006 330i. Bought brand new, just about every option. 205,000 and still looks and runs great.
I have no plans of offing it anytime soon. [emoji106]

 

[Parker]

Thought I was the only one! Drove a Civic until 275,000, and another civic until 220,000.... My 2002 Tahoe until 197,000 and now I have a 2013 diesel Passat that I will drive until it dies, currently have 90,000 on that one, and my 2004.5 LLY diesel pickup has 190,000. I hate car payments and prefer to maintain what I have.

 

[River Runnin]

I really wish I hadn't sold my last truck! :smackhead My 03 is paid off and under 80K!...And will do a Duramax conversion before I get rid of it!...:hmm unless I got a real stupid offer!

The wife!...Every 3 years!

 

[Rajobigguy]

I have two 1997 Explorers on has 197000 miles on it and the other is pushing 1/4 million. No plan to get rid of either anytime in the near future.

 

[SBMech]

my 02 dodge cummins has 210k on it, i bought it at 152k. i plan on maintaining it and keep it going as long as possible. i hope to stop using as a daily driver later this year and keep it just for towing, hauling shit etc.

my other truck is an 85 toyota pickup that i bought in 2006 with 140k on it, it now has 230k and is in need of serious repairs. wont pass calif smog, runs hot, burns oil excessibvly, needs a clutch and probably a head gasket/head. havent decided what to do with it yet.

i typically have bought used vehicles, ran em for around 100k then sold em off, usually for close to what i paid for them or in a couple cases more than i paid.

I have two 1997 Explorers on has 197000 miles on it and the other is pushing 1/4 million. No plan to get rid of either anytime in the near future.

I have customers with both those year vehicles...a few of them have the cummins 2500's and have 375k and 400k on them.

I have a few Exploder customers that have over 350k and 375k, both still passing smog and rolling along.

A little TLC goes a long ways with certain models..:thumbup:

 

[Cray Paper]

I like to buy the newest used vehicle I can when it's time to change vehicles. I keep my daily drivers much longer than my wife does thought. I usually sell or trade in my trucks around 170K miles, but my current driver is a 03 Silverado with a Duramax. I told my wife when I bought it in 05 that it would last 20 years, I'm more than halfway there but considering looking at something newer now. hard to justify since I only use my personal truck for towing the boat or travel trailer and the travel trailer is going up for sale in the spring.

My wife on the other hand went through new or almost new cars every couple of years until she got her Tahoe in 06. She put 110K miles on it then started talking about getting something newer. It was a really reliable rig but got crappy fuel economy. I found a great deal on a lightly used fully loaded 2013 Yukon XL in 2014 and traded in the well used Tahoe.

It's my turn now, just cant decide if now is now, or a couple years down the road.

 

[overdue]

original owner 87 Mitsubishi Mighty Max 140k and still going