How long do you typically keep your cars?

I go with the extended warranty plan.

Over 7 years now on my truck and the warranty is gone, gets me a bit nervous but hopefully it will last a little longer as I'm looking for a new truck.

If funds allowed it I would like a new one every 5 years or so.
 
I have two cars right now, only one of which is driveable. the first is my 1996 Chevy 1500 with 190k on it and 65k on a quick frame off resto, and I will keep it forever, parts are cheap enough for it if anything brakes. The second is my dad's first car, a 1981 El Camino that was given to me when I was 12 . So far I have finished the frame work, rebuilt the motor, transmission and rear. The car needs everything quarter panels, floor, doors, interior wiring and basically everything mechanical, I will never get rid of it, but parts are expensive and pretty hard to find.
 
Well my Lexus RX350 is a year old. My last Lexus RX330 was 10 YO. I have a 1991 Toyota MR2 that i've owned for 24 years with 128k miles that is still running well and looking great. I likely will be selling that car soon as I plan to move to another state and I won't have room to keep it. I keep the cars that I like for a long time.

I used to swap cars a bunch when I was young and often owned several at once.

My favorite of the bunch is still the 1991 Toyoto MR2 seen at left in my avatar.

Cars I've owned.

1953 Chevy BelAir
1954 Buick Roadmaster
1955 Plymouth Belvadere
1956 Chevy BelAir
1956 Pontiac Starfire
1958 Chevy Imapla SS 348
1959 Chevy Impala SS 409
1962 Chevy BelAir
1964 Chevelle Malibu SS 283 (first brand new car)
1965 Chevelle Malibu SS
1966 Chevelle Mailbu SS-396
1969 Camero
1972 Buick Regal
1974 Buick Regal
1976 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham
1980 American Motors Renault Alliancex
1984 Toyota Camry
1988 Toyota Camry
1991 Toyota MR2 (bought in fall of 1990, still own)
1994 Mercury Cougar
1999 Toyota Camry Solara
2002 Honda Accord
2004 Lexus RX 330
2014 Lexus RX 350
 
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You could call me trader Bob. I keep cars until I see something I like better. Right now I'm stuck on 370z roadsters. I bought a used 2011, kept it a year, found a 2012, kept it a little longer and found a cherry 2014 with 8000 miles with the sport pkg. and I have been driving it for almost a year. I keep a spare car for bad weather, a 1993 Cadillac Deville that I bought from my uncle with56,000 miles on it. The Caddy has been acting up lately so it may be time for another spare. My wife drives a 2013 NissanJuke that she wrecked on Christmas Eve and has been repaired, but needs to go back in the shop to be realigned. When I was in the military I traded yearly and have had so many different cars it is difficult to remember all of them, but my favs are the convertibles. A Spitfire, MG Midget, Corvette, and the 3 Z's.
 
This is my first new car and I will be keeping at least 5 years but probably longer may end up getting another commute vehicle after 5 though.
 
Hrolfr said:
My thoughts are the better I can keep it looking the better resale I get.
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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.)
 
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.
 
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
 
glfahlc1 said:
we typically keep our cars until its too expensive to repair...
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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...
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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
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Same with mine, though I've kinda taken that to an extreme.
 
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.
 
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.


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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!
 
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
 
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