My 1966 Vespa is pretty cheap to run too. 
I bet there’s a few ‘Millionaires-Next-Door’ on this thread. I’m getting there in my aged Saturn.
1983 Volvo Wagon 300,000+ miles
1993 ditto 200,000+ miles
1994 ditto 200,000+ miles,
The 1983 runs a little rough. It’s our backup. You also pay way less personal property taxes on cars like these.
I bought my 1996 Geo Metro in 1998 for 4000.00, put up with a lot of teasing when gas was under $1.00. it stopped when gas was $2.00 a gallon.
Runs as good as the day I bought it.
Two (2) Mercedes-Benz 1984 190D’s - four cylinder diesel with five-speed manual transmission. Purchased new, each has 400,000+ miles ... and they still get 44-46 mpg. Never a major problem.
ping
Some say, “Pay the mechanic or pay the dealer.”
Depending on where one lives this is feasible. If you live near Corpus Christi, by the time your vehicle hits 150,000 miles, its engine is liable to fall through a rusty chasis.
In the arid desert, an ‘84 Ford F150XLT is pushing 392,000 with 320,000 miles on a rebuilt engine.
Depending on make and model, repairs may be less expensive. That pickup uses a 302V8 Ford engine, with relatively simple operation. Still has the original U-Joints. Simple maintenance and repainted once. Hard to replace the seats on that model, though.
You should see the number of illegal aliens who eyeball my ride with envy, though.
I once bought a Mazda with a wankel rotary engine that blew up after 450 miles. The second engine lasted 200 miles. The third blew up at 25 miles. The fourth engine was a charm and It was marking near 50,000 miles when the wife drove it over a cliff. (She’s invulnerable and suffered only a broken hairdo.) At that time it was said the wankel would easily go 500,000 miles.
It still had resale value, though, and a collector bought the wreck for $2,000.
Quietest, most dependable car I ever owned, except for the engine replacement every 200 miles at the beginning.
I figure 11 or 12 years is long enough to keep a car.
There’s still life for someone else to make good use of it.
My cars : A 1993 Dodge Dynasty and a 1994 Chevrolet S-10.
DRAT! I paid too much!
I paid three times that much for my 300D. This weekend I should complete the misc. work on it to put it on the road.
My 1995 Ford Escort wagon turned over 270k yesterday. My wife used it to drive around town for a few years and then I got it when my GEO Prizm died after 200k.
Luck...and timely oil changes...go a long way.
ping
Almost repair free until last week. Had to put $1,000 in it.
We agree with that. To us a five year old vehicle would be practically brand new. My husband drives a ‘95 Ford pickup and I drive a ‘93 Chevy blazer. For an an occasional new car thrill we rent glamour cars when out of town on business or pleasure.
Oh man...I love those cars.
I teach my kids that if you can afford a $40k car buy one for $30k, if you can afford a $30k car buy one for $24k, etc...
I could buy a Lexus or Benz easily but the Honda Odyssey looks just fine (yeah, I'm a mini-van geek - couldn't care less about who think what - I can throw sheetrock, shrubs or a surfboard in it)
Ditto. ‘85 300D. I’m at 227,000, and hope to get a lot more.
My 1966 Vespa is pretty cheap to run too.
BTW, I also have a ‘90 Lumina with 210,000. I need to put a new battery in it, but otherwise, it still runs.