Americans Are Driving Their Cars To Death In Order To Save Money

https://jalopnik.com ^ | 5/4/24 | By Owen Bellwood

[RomanSoldier19]

Here at Jalopnik, we know there’s nothing wrong with keeping a beloved old beater running for mile after mile, and we regularly celebrate high mileage heroes. Now, it turns out the rest of America is catching onto this way of thinking as the savings of holding onto an old car for longer begin mounting up.

Drivers across the country are increasingly holding onto their cars for longer than ever, with an increasing number hitting more than 100,000 miles in their cars, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. The trend comes as drivers realize the savings to be had by simply not replacing their car every five years. As the site explains:

[cherry]

we ran our camry over 200,000 miles...it got dinged up towards 220 and we decided to upgrade.....camry was my dads' car, which he had had an accident in, and it was basically a salvage that was fixed....

good car...loved it...

[CFW]

I know I am. My car is 15 years old. The AC just quit and it will cost about $1500 to repair/replace. I’m trying to decide whether to repair it or look for another decent used car. I also recently replaced the water pump, serpentine belt, and thermostat. A few weeks before that it was the linkage to the gear shifter. I know that buying a used one then I may be buying someone else’s problems.

Five years ago, you could buy a really nice used car for $10,000 or less and drive it problem free for several years. Now, a decent used car is going to cost twice that.

[linMcHlp]

Keep the car. Maintain it. And keep looking for a backup. Thus you have wheels. IMHO.

[CFW]

“Keep the car. Maintain it. And keep looking for a backup. Thus you have wheels. IMHO.”

---

That’s what I’m thinking. It’s been regularly maintained with oil changes, etc. So, if I have to replace or repair the occasional part at even the average of $1000 per year, it’s better than paying the current price for a vehicle. LOL

[wgmalabama]

My last Camry hit 260K and I don’t baby my cars. Oil, tires brakes ….

[minnesota_bound]

I have a 2016 Honda Accord Sport I bought in May 2019. I hardly drive anywhere and only have about 50,000 miles on it.
I need to get the front lower ball joint boot repaired and a smog check. Other then hitting potholes and dips in the road causing damage here in southern California, I think all I need for years is an oil change.