how many years do you keep a car?

B

BigAl3

New member
i was wondering how many years (besides project cars) do each of you keep your cars before trading/selling them?
 
I'm working on 2.5 years on the Formy.



I don't plan on getting rid of it until I can afford a nice low mileage Corvette...or maybe one of the new Shelby GT500 Cobras that are coming out next year. Haven't seen a new car that's really tickled me like that one in a long time.
 
I'm on my 5th car now and have had my current car for 2.5 years.



Prior to that I changed them every year. To be honest, there isn't a car that interests me at the moment and the ones I do like are beyond my spending zone :(
 
I tend to keep my cars until the bumper to bumper warranty is expired, when it does I trade them in at the first sign of any kind of trouble. Rather pay car payment then repair bills. :chuckle:
 
I'm on my third Honda in over thirty years of daily driving.

1975 Civic - drove it for 10 years

1985 Civic Wagon - almost 21 years

2004 CR-V - only 1 year - SO FAR!
 
I kept my first car for 8 years but the next few were 2-3 year each until my Accord, which I had nearly 9 years. It just depends on the car and how reliable it is.
 
I've averaged about every 8 years. Hopefully my daily driver will be able to live up to this standard. Car #1 will not be included in this average however (or at least I hope not).
 
We drive 'em til they become unreliable.

1989 Pontiac Bonneville SSE 9 yrs (was vandalized)

1991 Buick Reatta 14 yrs and counting

1997 Cadillac Catera; 4 1/2 yrs, what a lemon!!!

2002 Lexus LS430 3 yrs and counting. Right now, probably the best car I ever owned.
 
I drove my 93 Taurus for a year. I wanted a stick-shift car, and a sportier looking car, so I got the Maxima SE.

I've had the Max for a little over 3 years (June 11th), and I'm selling it now.

I'm looking to get a Ford ZX2 for the next 2 years, and then get a Mazdaspeed6 when I graduate with my Bachelor's Degree.
 
I've had the 91 Accord for six years now. The previous owner took good care of it and I haven't really had a problem yet. We have extended warranties on both the new cars because I plan to keep them at least 6 or 7 years. The Acura is my fourth Honda car and frankly they don't even start to feel worn out until about 10 years into it.
 
I buy only new cars and usually sell/trade them around warranty expiration (3-5 years).

This way there are no repairs and no car payments.
 
Had my ‘86 B2000 pickup for 7 years before some scumbag stole it.



We’ve had our ’94 Rodeo about 11 years now.



Kept the ’74 Manta I got in college in the family about 15 years before selling it but my brother was driving it for more than half of that.



Wife’s still got her ’85 RX-7 from before we met. She’s bought it new so that’s 20 years.



I bought my ’74 Jensen Healey about 21 years ago. Still drivin’ it.



Oh, and we “still� have our 2003 MINI.





PC.
 
We don't go by warranty or even reliability, at least not much, but then the cars we buy seldom suffer from catastrophic failures if they're properly maintained, so reliability is more a matter of hassle than anything else (and the Audi dealer will pick up those two at the house). Even when the miles get over 100K, it seems like fixing a well-maintained car costs less than buying a new one. It's not like I ever have to spend tens of thousands to fix anything, and that's what it'd cost to trade the A8 in on a new one.



As long as we like them, we just keep 'em until there's something we'd like better that I don't mind spending the $ for. We've had some a *long* time (20 years for the Jag this August) but we have sold other cars after just a few months when they turned out to be disappointments.



the other pc said:
...

Wife’s still got her ’85 RX-7 from before we met. She’s bought it new so that’s 20 years.



I bought my ’74 Jensen Healey about 21 years ago. Still drivin’ it..
Click to expand...



That's really cool :xyxthumbs I love it when people keep stuff like that.
 
Accumulator said:
(and the Audi dealer will pick up those two at the house)
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Wow, I'm really surprised you let any dealer, even the renown Stoddard, drive your vehicles. I know I'd be way too apprehensive :o ;)
 
Bill D said:
Wow, I'm really surprised you let any dealer, even the renown Stoddard, drive your vehicles. I know I'd be way too apprehensive :o ;)
Click to expand...



IMO it's more surprising that I let my Jag wrench drive the XJS to his shop in Cleveland. But then he knows me and he's, uhm, adequately careful with it. Special house-slippers for instance, covered seats, etc. He *is* the chief judge for the Jag club...



For the Audis, there are times when we just can't spare the time to drive 90 minutes each way. They know how to treat them (think "extensive and emphatic instruction" ;) ) and only certain employees are (literally) allowed to touch my cars. I figure they're gonna be test-driving them anyhow.



BUT...there *was* that time when their guy was driving the A8 and he got sideswiped by a semi....:o Think semi on one side, concrete divider on the other. That one didn't buff right out and it almost certainly wouldn't have happened with me or my wife behind the wheel.



Honestly, between such things having already befallen the A8 and the "deer incident" with the S8, I'm pretty reasonable about accepting what can happen in the nasty ol' real world. If/when I get a new S8 I might be a little more protective of it.
 
:2thumbs: Accumulator.



I love the part about the house-slippers! :chuckle: :D



What all of us Autopians wouldn't give to have a mechanic who is also a chief judge. I have little doubt of how a new S8 is going to be treated! Literally like the imperative in my sig :cool:
 
norahcrv said:
I'm on my third Honda in over thirty years of daily driving.

1975 Civic - drove it for 10 years

1985 Civic Wagon - almost 21 years
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amazing how long civic's hold up and you definitely get your $$$$'s worth and then some. not to mention.... civic's hold their resale value very well. i have a 03 civic and i want to trade it in for something more powerful, but i'm a little more than halfway done paying for it and will probably just keep it till it's paid for. thanks to this board i've learned alot on car care and should have no problem when it's time to sell, since it's been well kept up (oil changed every 3000 miles, tune-ups every 15-20,000 and washed weekly, etc...) the autopian way! :LOLOL
 
Kudos to Civics! 1996 DX grandma-mobile going strong - 13" steel wheels, roll down windows, manual locks, ZERO options! Routine scheduled maintenance, oil change every 3 months and new timing belt is all I have needed in almost 10 years. 31 mpg ($11 to fill) and ice cold air conditioner. Paint, trim and interior is mint, minus spider cracks on the plastic bumper. Plus, it has never seen a garage - thank you Collinite!



It is the perfect econo box for around town. I have no plans to get rid of it any time soon. She's my baby - pampered and loved.



My first car was a 1986 Saab 9000 (first model year) that I drove until 2001 (finally fell apart) when I leased a Jetta VR6 which I turned in in 2004. I now have the Civic until I get a new job and can afford to buy the new Mustang GT with all the engine mods I have planned. The Civic will then be used for bad weather.



My father for decades owned cars that he kept for 15+ years until he decided to lease in 2004 with 2 new BMW 325's.



I still remember driving the 1973 Galaxy 500 to the junkyard in the worst area of NJ with every idiot light on. We got $15 for the car. Not to mention the '69 Cutlas Coupe, '78 Buick Electra and '82 Buick Park Avenue. I loved the '82 Buick - total pimp mobile with the curb feelers (thanks grandpa!)
 
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