Posted on 08/07/2013 3:50:29 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Americans are keeping their cars and trucks longer than ever, and even with new car sales increasing, the average age will continue to rise, an industry research firm says.
The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads hit a record of 11.4 years in January, the latest figures available from state registration data gathered by the Polk research firm.
That's up from 11.2 years in 2012, and nearly two full years older than in 2007, before the start of the Great Recession, Polk said Tuesday....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailynews.com ...
Cars last longer and new cars are expensive. The newest car I have is a 2006 with 87K miles. I bought used and the thing was like new. Commuting only and I put less than 10K per year. Doing the math, in 10 more years I will only have 187K miles which is nothing..
My car is old enough to buy alcohol! :) 22 years old and still running well.
I have 2001 Excursion with 165,000 miles. Besides the fuel pump (which is caused by my wife driving on empty) and the issue with the two spark plugs, no issues. My son found a you tube video on how to reinforce all the doors seal with surgical tubing. So for $75, all the doors seals are better than new, all the rattles are gone and wind noise was reduced. We were thinking of selling it because the kids are grown, but why?
‘Cause they’re paid for?
I’ve grown rather fond of Mazdas myself; mine’s a ‘91 Miata with 293K on the clock AND its original engine.
1965 Willys CJ5 that I need to get back to fooling with.
I’ve had a few fender-benders in my day. My sister, on the other hand, had two major accidents in her Escort, the second of which totaled it.
Now that I think of it, my Honda was totaled when I was rear-ended at a light. The car was still driveable, but it was worth next to nothing by that time; I was looking at $3K to straighten a tweaked unibody on a car that might have been worth a third of that.
Exactly. Your pre-2009(?) doesn't have said devices that can track your movements and or render your car inoperable at the whim of some bureaucrat. Why would anyone surrender their liberty to a MANDATED tracker box. Once these are in every car, they will then tax you for CO2 emissions or miles or both.
Don’t wanna be tracked with no black box, GPS chips and hidden microphones? Or killed when the NSA hacks into my drive-by-wire firmware?
“I guess that is why there are so many auto parts stores around here now. I think there are FIVE within about one mile from where I sit in Nashua.”
I live within walking distance of an AutoZone. Comes in really handy if I find out I forgot something after I’ve gotten the car apart (well, at least if they have it in stock).
I’ve replaced the engine twice (used both times) and the trans once (again, a used one) on my 2000 Voyeger and have over 360K miles on it. It made more sense to replace the engine at a cost of $800 then to find another used junker at a cost of about $4000. But now, the suspension is giving out and it’s time to shop for a replacement.
And your current car is....?
“It is just a fact that we get more car per dollar today then we ever did before, even including inflation.”
You’re right about that. Not only are the cars full of technology and equipment not available not so many years ago (ABS, VSC, umpteen airbags, etc), but they do last longer. Although new cars are pretty expensive, you can buy a 3 or 4 year old car for 1/3 to 1/2 off the original price and still expect to easily get another 6 or 7 years out of it with little trouble, and likely as much as 10 before it really becomes a maintenance and repair hog.
My 97 Escort has 275k miles on it.
Rusting apart (MN road salt), but runs good.
“My Buick is running fine at 244,000 after replacing the water pump. Pump was $36. Installation by a mechanic was $200!”
That might seem like an expensive repair (actually, not that bad compared to many I’ve seen), but it’s not even one monthly payment for all but the cheapest of new cars.
That artical is a load of B.S.The reason people are keeping their vehicles longer is that New vehicles are so damned expensive,so you have the price of the vehicle,the increased sales taxes imposed by the states,the increased property taxes paid to the town and cities,increased fuel cost and don’t forget the increases in the cost of insurance.
With all of those increases it doesn’t make sense to just go outband by a new vehicle.
I for one hate the State so much that I refuse to by a new vehicle.I’d rather drive it into the ground first.
I had a Gremlin and a Pacer rental, while in Miami in the 70s, and they were aptly name; you’re right.
“There are not that many left of the older 240 Volvos left.”
They were tough, if rather prone to premature rust in places where a lot of salt is used. I had a 245, which had been my parent’s car before that. Slow, but strong. I lived with a couple of friends in a house on a fairly steep hill at the time, and had lent the car to one of them on a snowy day. He spun out coming down the hill, bounced the car off a telephone pole (bumper hit) pretty hard, slid to the bottom of the hill, and then managed to drive back up and park it. I didn’t even know anything had happened until he mentioned it to me some time later. Those bumpers could really take a hit.
Lots of classics drivers on this board.
I’m the opposite. I’ve traded regularly for the last decade plus to stay within warranty. For me I figure it is cheaper to do so than pay for mid-major repairs.
Haven’t had a lick of trouble out of any of them (4 Dodges and 1 Ford since 2000) and the current Dodge is on year 3 but I’ll probably hold onto it for a couple more years before I trade it. If you play the game right you can come out just fine on regular trades.
As the saying goes, trade often or drive it until the wheels fall off. It is a very true statement.
We have a fleet (for all the kids and us) of a 2000 Expedition with over 200,000 miles, a 1997 Saab with over 150,000 miles, a 2004 Ranger with 185,000 miles, a 2001 Focus with 160,000 miles, a 2001 Windstar with 190,000 miles and the fancy car in the fleet...a 2008 Fusion with a new used engine with only 90,000 miles on the engine. No car payments, minimum insurance and an amazing husband who does all the brake jobs, oil changes, and anything else he can along with a great small town mechanic who does the rest. We probably average a couple hundred a month in keeping them all running but far better than car payments and maximum insurance! We won’t buy a car unless we can pay cash for it, then only used. With the POS we have in the WH our money is better spent on preparing for the economic crash that is surely coming.
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