How long do you typically keep your cars?

RaysWay

RaysWay

Autopia Specialist
Do you drive 'em until something expensive breaks? Are you a leaser? What's your ownership history like and what makes replace or get an additional vehicle? I'm just curious...
 
Since 2011 I have bought 4 vehicles. I usually keep a car a for a few years but lately I have been getting bored with them and get something different in a year. I plan to keep my current truck until the warranty expires then buy another new one.
 
Driving my '06 Gran Cherokee that I bought new. Only 70k on it and its been pretty much trouble free. No reason to buy another as its PAID for :)
 
I've had a mixed history of new and used vehicles. In my younger years I'd get different vehicles every few years. I've had my current truck since I bought it new in 07 and plan on driving it until the wheels fall off. I've got a family now to take care of, so I don't have the disposable income that I once had and quite frankly trucks have gotten so outrageous I don't know how I'd be able to afford to buy a new one. My wife has a couple years left to pay on her Fusion and I told her I'd like to go at least a couple years with no car payment. we could really use something a bit bigger with having two kids, but I'd like to hold off as long as our willpower will allow lol
 
Typically sell them thru local ads or trade-them-in prior to warrantee expiration (3-4-5 years). Then buy a new one. Honda sedans/hb's, Toyota sedans/pickups, Porsche 911's only for me, at least since 1982. Usually own 2 cars at the same time.
 
I pile miles on. MY DD so I lease it. 36 months it sees 25k a year.

The others I keep until they become problematic
Current Stable
Have a 2002 qx4 110K
2009 MDX sport 40K
2012 Subaru legacy 5K
2013 m37x sport. Lease. 30K

My DD is leased as IO drive a lot, and they are not easy miles. Others owned.

My vehicular Past
1980 Caddy Seville Deisel (Had it from 1983-1985) family hand me down bad car. Think Christine bad-My fault I had a bad wreck and it was never the same.
1972 Charger (I had it from 1985-1985) Just a short lived car. When I got it, it did not have much life left and I wrung out the last drop
1985 300 ZX 2+2 (Manual My First) Lasted 4 Months Dad took it to work and it was totaled
1985 Supra Turbo Targa Top, pearl white drove for 2 years, went to college and it became my brothers
1988 MY 1st New Car M3
Married 1991
1995 Volvo 850 Turbo for me (Traded a toasted M3 in on this-Needed everything at 168,000 miles)
Trades the Wifes 1989 ? 200SX for a Saab 9000 Turbo 1996 (Baby Mobile)
Traded my Volvo in on the 2002 QX4 you see above for the wife
I take her Saab as My DD -YUCH
Replaced the Saab with a 2004 Lexus ES (was my Moms old car she left me)
Sold Lexus to get a M35X 2006 (1st Lease)
2008 M35X (1st Black car-why I am here)
2009 Purchase Acura MDX Sport for the wife-Still Have
2010 M35X lease
2012 M37X (Drowned in Hurricane Sandy)
2012 Subaru Legacy Limited Son Started Driving and another son starting shortly after.
2013 M37X Sport Current Ride replaced drowned car lease
 
I bought my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix new off the dealer lot in 99. I have had it now for 15 1/2 years. It just hit 100K miles and it's still driving great. I keep up maintenance and do a lot on my own in terms of replacing things so maintaining it is not to bad. I don't see this going anywhere anytime soon.

I bought a 2002 Camaro SS used around 2006-2007 and I have had that now for 7-8 years. This one is not going anywhere as it is sitting at 14K miles.

I like not having a car payment but if I do buy a car I won't be buying anything new. I would buy used about 1-3 years old. I typically keep my cars awhile.
 
While I too went through a *LOT* of cars when I was younger, our "core" vehicles are kept indefinitely; we don't plan to *ever* replace/sell the '85 Jag or the '00 and '01 Audis (all three bought new). They're not building Crown Vics or OBS Tahoes anymore either, so I have no plans to ever replace either of those.

I could live without the '93 Audi that I saved from Cash-For-Clunkers, but nobody wants it (every repair costs more than its worth).

I try to buy the best vehicle for the job (that's "best for our situation" which includes a lot of factors), and then just keep it. Repair expenses never seem to add up to much compared to the cost of today's vehicles (which we don't like anyhow). With today's vehicles having so many, uhm...."mandatory features" (scare-quotes intentional!!), we have zero interest in them. Period. If a meteorite fell on one of our vehicles we'd search out a nice example of the exact same thing.

Heh heh, you could almost count on one hand the cars Accumulatorette has had in her lifetime; she only accepted the A8 because some [individual] rear-ended her '94 S4 in a huge way.
 
I am 43 and have had 6 vehicles (one was bought for my daughter and I drove it for about a year until she could drive.

1. 1987 - 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 that my grandmother gave me.
2. 1989 - 1989 Chevy Beretta to go off to college in (my mom wouldn't let me dad send me 3 hours away in the land barge)
3. 1999 - 1990 Honda Accord I bought from my sister
4. 2001 - 1999 Dodge Dakota
5. 2013 - 2003 Lexus IS300 (this is the one that was really for my daughter, but she couldn't drive yet. Got a good deal, so drove it for about a year)
6. 2014 - 2012 BMW 328i (hence why I am here!)

I have pictures of all of them - it's pretty interesting to show people - especially kids.
 
I used to be buying cars every few years. Then I got tired of paying car payments. Every time - the payment is more. I'm not buy no new cars no more.

The Pathfinder is paid off and if it breaks - I'll probably just keep fixing it. Right now I'm in a place with a small single car garage, so I don't have room to pull engines, etc...

But, I'm buying a house in the next year or so - and I'll make sure it has a big enough garage to put a lift in - then I'll be able to tackle any repair I need.

My BMW - they'll prolly burry me in it.
 
Before wife... new/newish car every 2-3 years :) after wife...keeping the car until the wheels fall off so planning on 10 + years unless its destroyed. Next car will definitely be more fun since i know i have to keep it for a long time !
Before wife : Pontiac Trans Am WS6, Cadillac STS, Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Comp G, Pontiac Bonneville, Pontiac G6, Chevy Monte Carlo,
After Wife : hyundai Elantra, VW Polo ( i lived in Europe at the time) and now Chevy Cruze... so its not bad it could definitely be worse i could be walking.
 
When I was younger I would drive my cars for about seven or eight years. When I was older it was 5 years or 50,000 miles, whichever came first. I drove Honda, Toyota, Jeep, Ford, Buick, Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge trucks and others. When I turned 62 years old and could finally afford it, I told myself I would buy a new Mercedes whenever the last one's warranty expires (which is every four years).
 
I trade often. I bought a Mustang Gt in 2011 when the 5.0 came back. In 2012 I traded my X5 for a Accord (huge mistake). The 2012 Accord was traded for a 2014 Fusion. When I was waiting for the Fusion to be prepped I traded the 11 Mustang for a 2014 Mustang GT with track-pack. Never leased a car, always buy them.
 
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