2002 Toyota Highlander w/113000 miles on it and paid for and will be my sons vehicle when he starts driving in 3 years or so,and we just ordered a new Saturn Outlook with some nice bells and whistles on it (Diamond White Tricoat-polished aluminum 19" wheels). We will purchase via our home equity and write off the interest. This vehicle will be my daughters car when she starts driving in 6 years.
Outstanding article for your fiscal health. My 1980 Ford Fiesta was over 170,000 miles before I sold it for a Honda that went over 200,000 miles. My next Honda went to 294,000 miles. My current Honda is at about 256,000 miles and running GRRRREAT! Thats 4 cars in 27 years and a tremendous amount of $$$$$ saved on gas. Each car NEVER needed any major repairs. Brakes, alternator, recommended timing belt replacement were the largest repair bills and I always did the brakes (and sometimes alternator) myself. Transportation and fuel costs have never eaten up a large percentage of my income.
bump for later
In my state (Kansas) the average person has to keep their cars/trucks/SUV’s for 10 years or more just to get the annual personal property tax down to a decent amount. Its too damn expensive to own a newer car, because the state taxes the crap out of it every year when we get tags renewed. This is why so many Kansans use relative’s addresses in other states to tag their vehicles in those states. Texas is the most popular state for Kansans to tag in. Followed by Missouri.
[IMG]http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m224/w3cf/DougsCar3012.jpg[/IMG]
Hope i did this right...165K
1993 Civic Del Sol..drops no oil (mobil 1) 34mpg....note paid in 1994. Change timing belt as prescribed and drive it.
I changed the oil EVERY 5,000 miles of its life, and it still was hardly using any oil between changes at 300,000. The engine was still intact (i.e., never "opened up" other than to replace the timing belt and water pump once). I did have to replace the heater unit and front drive shaft axles around 200,000+.
It was the very last of the '93's (they changed to a new body style mid-year), and was so spartan that it came without a radio, air conditioning, and still had "roll-down yourself" windows. For all the years, if I wanted music, I took along a portable CD or minidisc player and used headphones.
It was the best car I'll ever own. Got my money's worth out of that one!
- John
I have a BMW with over 300,000 miles on it. Only paid $2500 cash for it back in ‘93.
If your car is an Acura you barely need to do anything to get it to 200 miles other than keep it and let a good mechanic (not a Jiffy Lube) do your oil changes and inspections. They just live long. I’m over 150K on my 1993 now.
Older cars don’t have the latest features and some of the old features probably won’t work when needed. If it’s over ten years old it should not be on the road. My 1987 Caprice excluded.
I drove a ‘72 VW bus for 12 years that I paid $1500 dollars for. It never saw the inside of a shop. I put in a rebuilt engine early in its career and replaced the clutch and transmission about half way through.
I sold it in ‘99 and got an ‘87 VW Vanagon Syncro Westfalia in cherry condition that I still drive. I put a rebuilt motor and new transmission in that one almost right away and its been trouble free. It’s actually going up in value quite a bit.
2002 GMC yukon denali............189,000 miles
1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme.....263,000 miles
2002 GMC yukon denali............189,000 miles
1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme.....263,000 miles
My 65 PU has over 1.3 million miles on it and I plan to die befre I get rid of it or quit driving it.
I would have kept the 90 Corolla, but it didn't make sense. As luck would have it, a bunch of things needed to be replaced, all at the same time from simple wear and tear. New tires, brakes, clutch, exaust, front end (all the adjustable parts had all the adjustment taken out by that time), shocks and struts, and time for a major service. It was going to cost several thousand dollars for the work, and it didn't make sense to put that much money into a 10 year old car. But the car was running great. Burned less than a quart of oil every 3000 miles, and no rust on the body.
Mark
My cars have been, over the last 25 years, starting now:
2001 Ford Taurus
1988 Olds Cutlass Ciera
1982 Olds Cutlass Ciera
1976 Plymouth Volare
1968 Chevy Nova
The Taurus is the first car I’ve owned made in the same decade that I bought it.
ping
I tend to buy cars in good condition that are 1 to 3 years old, then drive until they require work that would exceed their current market value
1997 Nissan Hardbody just hit 180K.
What is the monthly payment on a new GM or Ford pickup or SUV? Just trying to see how money can be saved.
