How long do you typically keep your cars?

[Accumulator]

davidc- Thanks for sharing that! Reminds me a lot of *my* `70 (my favorite year for MOPARs).

[Accumulator]

My thoughts are the better I can keep it looking the better resale I get.

My experience (and I think this will vary with the situation..) is that a cosmetically-nice vehicle won`t so much bring more $ as be easy to sell. Non-Autopians just don`t care, even though a haggler will nitpick over every little flaw just to lower the price.

But it can help- when I sold the Yukon XD the dealer was thrilled by the condition- he just put it on the floor without even washing it and made the spotless undercarriage a selling point in the sense that "you can tell it was pampered, just look how clean it is under there!". Told me it sold to a couple who had come to get a different vehicle, they saw the Yukon and considered it showroom-new and insisted on taking that instead of what they came to pick up. (Note that was a metallic black dog-hauler that I drove year-round and it hadn`t been polished for over two years at the time I sold it.)

[Accumulator]

With people trading so often, I can understand the "who cares if it gets some marring, just polish it now and then" approach. That`s what I did back when I was going through vehicles all the time. Didn`t even bother polishing them before selling/trading once I realized that the buyers/dealers didn`t notice/care.

Downside-that`s what the original owner of my `93 Audi did. Used it like a normal person, ran it through carwashes, even pushed snow off with a broom. Her "detailer" would attack it with a rotary every year or so and she was satified. By the time I got it it not only looked like it was washed with a brillo pad, but its overly-thinned clear (down to the pearl layer in places, to the basecoat in others) wouldn`t allow for a proper correction. No skin off *her* nose, but it bugs the [crap] out of me as a repaint would cost 10x more than the car is worth.

[glfahlc1]

we typically keep our cars until its too expensive to repair. we`ve had the 2000 bmw for 10 yrs, the 03 f150 8 yrs, the 71 corvette for 10 yrs, the 02 conversion van for 5 and our most recent addition was a 99 bmw 328 vert that we couldn`t pass up 2 yrs ago. we prefer older cars as they`re easier and cheaper to work on and they are all paid for. not having a 500.00 payment is a relief. and they all have a specific purpose

[Accumulator]

we typically keep our cars until its too expensive to repair...

I guess we all have our own thresholds of significance for "too expensive", I hardly *ever* hit mine, but I did sell the supercharged Crown Vic out of (apparently valid, according to the new owner!) concerns that it was about to become a money pit.

.. we`ve had the 71 corvette for 10 yrs...

Ah, I don`t see a `71 `vette *ever* becomeing too expensive to repair, nice old-tech vehicle there.

..they all have a specific purpose

Same with mine, though I`ve kinda taken that to an extreme.

[skibik]

The last couple vehicles I have kept 6 to 8 years. Not sure the current one will make it much longer. It is black, need I say more!

Starting with the 1st car I owned:
1982: 1971 Chevrolet Impala 2dr coupe
1983 or 1984: 1974 Chevrolet Nova 2dr 6cyl
1985: 1978 Chevrolet Chevette(only `Vette I have owned, LOL)
1986 or 1987: 1984 Ford EXP 2 seater
1988: 1988 ford Ranger(first brand new vehicle and last Ranger I would ever buy)
1991: 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais(bought new)
1997: 1998 Dodge Dakota (2nd small pickup and loved that truck)
2004: 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo(bought used low miles, another car I enjoyed)
2012 to present: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. This car only has the V6 but wow talk about power it has. GM says 323bhp and I have added a few items and figured it is pushing 340bhp. First and last black vehicle I will ever own or at least in a sports car that I would need to keep clean anyway.

The Dakota almost hated to get rid of but I had the idea it was hitting 100k miles and if I was trading it off I had better before it turned over. The Monte was another car I hated to get rid of. I bought it new/used as I call it with roughly 15k on it. It was at 90k and was starting to get some bugs. I put some money into it and had some issues with it hesitating on starting. Decided to trade it off before putting any more money into it. The Camaro is my DD and as much as I like driving it I am going bonkers trying to keep it clean. I think it is time to step up to a `Vette for summer and a decent used pickup for the winter.

[Meticulous]

2 new daily drivers every 3 years. Gotten a new mustang every 3 yrs since 07, don`t think I will be getting a 15. Love my 13 GT500.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4u2nvinmtl]

Honestly it depends on the car, but from my experience, all of my cars have been second hand with low mileage that I drove until the transmissions blew (89 Mazda 626, 90 Pontiac Bonneville SSE, 92 Mazda 626, 00 Ford Taurus, 05 Mazda Tribute).

I finally saved up for something special and currently drive a 09 Jeep SRT8 (daily). Frankly it`s in a completely different league than every other car I`ve owned (got me into detailing). When the tranny blows on my SRT8 I plan to upgrade and keep this car for at least another 20 years!

[House of Wax]

Attachment 26839

Attachment 26840

Attachment 26841

Attachment 26842

Attachment 26843

Attachment 26844

Attachment 26845


Dave

Droooool

[baby50]

I despise car payments so on average I keep a car at least 10 years. I believe I read from a financial analyst ( I believe Suzzie Orman) that if you keep a car 10 years and replace everything on it including engine and transmission you would save 30k+ dollars during that time span compared to leasing/buying a car every 3 years. I have turned wrenches my whole life so outsourcing a low mileage engine/trany through shop is advantageous and makes even more sense to keep cars longer for me. I own the following and couldn`t be happier with these cars and the money saved over the years.

* 87 CRX SI BI6 Swap
* 88 CIVIC DX D16 S/C
* 93 Maxima GXE
* 00 VW Golf GTI GT28
* 01 Audi A4 Quattro

[JSFM35X]

That is an amazing car!

Attachment 26839

Attachment 26840

Attachment 26841

Attachment 26842

Attachment 26843

Attachment 26844

Attachment 26845


dave

[GearHead_1]

Yes sir, that is an amazing car.

[Meticulous]

I like new toys and the latest tech, so I lease, beat, return, repeat. I have a nice hook, so I get some sweet deals. I drag and road race my 13 Charger RT/BT and don`t care what happens to it. My 13 Shelby GT500 is paid for and is for spirited driving and shows only. You only live once and you can`t take it with you so I spend it on what I love.

[RaskyR1]

I only put on about 10,000 miles a year so I like to lease my cars. I tend to get bored with them pretty quickly and I switch up every 2-3 years on average. On my 5th vehicle in the last 9 years.

[Accumulator]

baby50- Welcome to Autopia!

IMO that`s a really nice stable of cars you have there, each one a great choice in its category. Your mechanical abilities undoubtedly factor in, but even a guy like me who farms out most of the work can do OK keeping a no-payment car for a good long time.

4u2nvinmtl- Wonder why you go through so many transmissions?!? Especially that `89 626- my wife had a 626 turbo of that vintage, and despite some hard use when she traded it at >100K even all the synchros and the oe clutch were just fine. I was really surprised to see it on your blown-tranny list!