Americans keep their clunkers longer (10.8 Years)

CNN ^ | 01/17/2012 | Peter Valdes-Dapena

[Responsibility2nd]

Average age of US vehicles hits record 10.8 years

CBS News - ‎23 seconds ago‎

(AP) DETROIT — That clunker in America's driveway has reached a record old age, but there are signs that people may be growing confident enough in the economy to get a whiff of that fresh new car scent very soon. The average age of a car or truck in ...

Our cars are getting older, too: Average age now 10.8 years

USA TODAY - ‎23 minutes ago‎

DETROIT (AP) – The cars and trucks in America's driveways have reached a record old age, but there are signs that people are growing confident enough in the economy to want a whiff of that new-car scent. A 2000 Honda Accord. A lot of these are still on ...

Median Age of Cars Jumps to 10.8 Years

Chicago Tribune - ‎1 hour ago‎

The median age of a car in the United States reached an all-time high last year, according to RL Polk & Co. As of June 2011, the average age for a new car in the US now stands at 10.8 years — 11.1 years for passenger cars and 10.4 years for light ...

Average age of US cars up again in 2011, may now head down

USA TODAY - ‎2 hours ago‎

By Fred Meier, USA TODAY The average age of cars and light trucks on the road in the US increased again last year, to a record 10.8 years, auto data service Polk reported today. With signs that car sales finally are picking up, Polk says it expects the ...

Average age of cars on US roads rises to record 10.8 years

Los Angeles Times - ‎3 hours ago‎

By Jerry Hirsch The average age of the 240.5 million cars and light trucks being driven in the US rose to 10.8 years last year from 10.4 in the year before, according to RL Polk & Co., an automotive market research firm. The aging fleet is a result of ...

[lormand]

Because of the Japanese, cars are made much better than in the past. We finally retired our car after having it for 11 years. I made sure we didn't replace it with a car made by the UAW.

FUUAW!!

[Lizavetta]

Still driving my ‘99 Toyota Corolla. Cannot afford a newer car but don’t need one. It starts every time and haven’t had any problems whatsoever with it. Toyotas rock.

[Paladin2]

"Older cars represent an opportunity for some businesses. "

Also an opportunity for those that have gone virtual Galt to provide themselves tax free "income" performing the labor of maintainence and repairs.

My most recent "brace" of vehicles is at 7 yr and putting along.

[passionfruit]

My car is a 14 year old Dodge Durango. Our pickup Truck is a 1995 Dodge ram 2500 (Cummons Turbo Diesel engine). 6 months ago we replaced hubby’s 11 year old Subaru outback, but only because our insurance company declared it a total loss after a bear mauled it. We got a 2010 Jeep Liberty. Love it, and will probably keep it as long as we’ve kept the others.

[linn37]

I have a American made clunker. She’s 11 years old and still kicking butt.

[bert]

The author’s gross ignorance is on display. The old cars are far from being clunkers.

Our 1998 civic will be painted next week but mechanically it is in excellent shape and everything works. It has been scrupulously maintained.

[proxy_user]

My Infiniti is 14 years old, and only has 85K miles. The dealership says it will last 20 years easily.

[cripplecreek]

Used car prices have skyrocketed.

We’re turning into Cuba.

[FastCoyote]

The average age of my cars is 38.3 years old.
1957 Bel Air, 1967 Camaro, 1997 Plymouth Voyager

The two older cars are easier and cheaper to maintain and I can readily get parts. I eat it on gas mileage, but I’m working on that. My calculations are that I break even given the lower maintenance expense and no payments.

The 1957 Bel Air is an absolute tank. They REALLY don’t make them like that anymore. If I need to fix something, I just get a sledge hammer and my $100 Harbor Freight welder and voila!

[The Sons of Liberty]

Thanks to Hussein, no one has any jobs to pay for a new car; and who can afford the $5 a gallon gas to run a car anyway? BTW, I would walk before I bought a Government Motors piece of junk.

[Responsibility2nd]

From my own personal and professional experience (I work in automobile remarketing), I’m willing to bet these older cars are in fact non-union Japanese manufactored vehicles.

GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles just don’t even measure up to the “imports”.

[Paladin2]

We need to see the distribution of vehicle ages.

I still have a few vehicles from 3 or four generations ago (1990, 1982).

(My kid maybe has a "non-firearm" that is ~120 yr old and worked the last time I saw it.)

[troy McClure]

Got rid of the 1993 Caprice Classic wagon and replaced it with a 1980 JEEP Cherokee.

[ArrogantBustard]

I do not own any car/truck with less than 100,000 miles on it.

The Corolla is well over 200,000.

“Clunker”???

What the heck is a “clunker”??? If any of them were poorly functioning, I would replace them.

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

Americans clinging to their clunkers.. That would be me! :)

[libertarian27]

My 99 Honda is still going - lost a cylinder but got a junk yard engine off a ‘02($600) and @$400 more -good to go

Thank goodness Honda’s weren’t in the ‘cash for clunkers’ or I’d be junking that car - no parts/more expensive parts.

[married21]

We have old GM products: a ‘96 and a 98. No reason to replace them. They have not been pampered. They look a bit down on their luck. But they run and seldom require maintenance.

I think, though, that people are not hopeful. It takes optimism and prosperity for people to get enthused about taking on a new car. Who wants to do that if they don’t know whether they will have a job or not?

[ArrogantBustard]

who can afford the $5 a gallon gas to run a car anyway?

Where are you paying $5/gallon for gasoline?

[max americana]

My very first car in high school was a Chevy Cavalier. The roof dripped during heavy rain and driver door had a bump that at high speeds on the highway I always felt would just shake off. But on dates, the back seats were it’s greatest assets...