[ken5050]

I want to come at this from a different perspective than most replies to date.

It is true that cars today, for the most part are of far better quality, and can easily go 80k if maintained regularly, and often much longer. However, for most manufacturers, once you get past 60-80K, the recommended maintenance becomes much more expensive...and at the same time as the value of the car is dropping.

If nothing major goes wrong, you'll be OK, and come out ahead financially. However, if something major does go wrong after 4 -5 years..unless you have considerable mechanical ability, and the necessary tools, then your car is essentially worthless, and you are faced with having to put several thousand $$ into something that has no value, and then the very next day, somthing else, completely unrelated, and very expensive, could also go wrong.

The average car of the last 3-4 years has MORE computing power than the Apollo space capsule..and you can't fix them..you just have to suck it up and put in a new one..and shall we talk about catalytic converters, or struts, or replacing calipers after maybe 5 sets of brake pads..

I'm just saying that an argument can be made for getting a new car every three to four years..yes..you have a payment, but you have basically no service costs....anything goes wrong, it's fixed no charge

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I’d guess that running synthetic motor oil starting from the very first oil change, might contribute more than any other factor.

And how one drives.

Stupid driving can demolish any car in the first 50K.

Drive at least someone defensively, don’t let the oil run out, keep it changed (with synthetic you don’t even need to do so every 3000 miles) and you’re good.

[familyop]

I’ve seen over 400,000 miles from some Fords and Chryslers that used synthetic oil.

[Clay Moore]

The tolerances and lubricants are so much better than they were in times past that engines last longer.

We had a ‘94 Explorer that we sold at 250K that still did not burn oil. If you let it sit a few days, the mains would rumble for 2 seconds or so. I have no idea how good or bad it was taken care of for the first 90K of its life.

We sold the 03 Explorer with 170K and it too burned no oil.

I could not have fathomed such things in the ‘60’s or ‘70’s.

[central_va]

The new scam is the automatic transmission. They tell you not to do anything, maintenance free for 100K miles. It's a joke. What happens is that the transmission will last that long - but not much longer. And by the way, there are NO MORE DIP STICKS in auto transmissions any more. So if you are a heretic and break the rules and get your transmission flushed, maybe every 30K, you have no way to check if the tech put enough cherry juice back in.

To me this is a huge scam.

[smokingfrog]

National Consumer Poll Reveals That Most Motorists Hope To Drive Their Vehicle 200,000 Miles