Most people waiting up to 10 years to buy a new car

[Liberal_in_LA]

YES! And I'd still have them if they weren't totaled in accidents. Back in the day, I was lucky to keep them running 5 to 7 years. Now they last and last.


Most people waiting up to 10 years to buy a new car

People aren't going to buy cars every two or three years anymore, an automotive website says based on an unscientific poll it conducted online.

Now, 78% of the more than 4,000 people polled by AutoMD.com says they will keep their cars at least 10 years.

"What is most compelling is that longer ownership has become an embedded habit for car owners, regardless of what the economy does," said Brian Hafer, a vice president at AutoMD.com. "This significant lengthening of the ownership cycle looks like it is here to stay."

Well, cars are better than yesterday. They don't rust out anymore, and with proper care and more global warming we have no doubt they can survive at least a decade. But when the economy improves, we're not convinced the siren call of the local car dealer will be more than many motorists can resist.

Few things in life can lift your spirits, however temporarily, like a new car.

Here's what AutoMD.com, a site that rates car-repair services, found in its self-serving poll:

Drivers Keep Vehicles for Over 10 Years
Over 10 years - 78%
8 - 10 years - 15%
6 – 7 years - 4%
3 – 5 years - 3%

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/07/most-people-waiting-up-to-10-years-to-buy-a-new-car/1#.UA70C6BGAX4

[AtomicKitten]

1. I bought a new 5-speed Toyota Blackhawk in 1997.

I've got just under 68K miles on it (I work at home).

I plan to have it for a long, long time.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. 68K. that's low mileage for 15 years.

[virginia mountainman]

4. I just sold a 91 Ford explorer, that I had had since 96'

It had 400,000 miles on it, and had been relativity trouble free for the vast majority of the time I had it!

My wife keeps the "new stuff", we just bought her a new car, but I am completely happy, driving my modified 85 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.

Actually, my wife and I are "car people" we have her new car, and a 2002 Mustang GT Convertible, and 2000 Eddie Bauer Explorer for the family trips.

But I am completely happy rollin' in the Thunderbird, and listening to the Turbocharger whine.

[snooper2]

12. You should do this to it, close to race ready !

LOL

[AtomicKitten]

22. No flames?

No sale.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. We have a 2001 (?) Ford Ranger

that we bought back in 2003. It only has around 80,000 miles on it and runs great as my husband is pretty obsessive about maintenance.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. '91 and '93 Toyotas and they'll probably outlive us.

Both bottom of the line, bought new, $5000 for the '91 Tercel, $13,000 for the 4Xpickup.

[TlalocW]

6. 94 Nissan

That I got in 1995. Just got rid of it. I cried a little.

TlalocW

[meaculpa2011]

7. My 1995 BMW 525i has given me 18 years...

of faithful service. I haven't made a car payment in 14 years and I've averaged less than $200 per year in repairs since the warranty expired. Biggest repair bill was $900 about seven years ago, but I often go 2-3 years without any repairs at all. I've also learned to do many repair jobs myself.

Coming up on 160,000 miles.

[Vinca]

8. I plan to keep the 2002 Rav until she dies on the side of the road.

Two more payments on my husband's truck and we're free!

[ananda]

9. I plan to keep this one for a long time.

Four years so far.

[closeupready]

10. 1995 Ford Escort - still works fine, no major repairs have been needed.

Starting to look its age, but it runs perfectly well for our purposes.

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. they must have made the 90s escorts better. Had a 79 and 87 escort that drove me crazy

[Freddie]

28. 97 Escort was my best car ever

Bought it in 2003 for $2700 from a private owner. Drove it for 7 years no problem & signed the title to my son-in-law who still drives it 30 miles commute every day. Would buy another one in a heartbeat of we needed a "beater"

[TwilightGardener]

11. I can't see keeping a car that long. We put A LOT of miles on our cars and trucks, and

don't really want to blow thousands on problems after the 5 year/125,000 mark, with no warranty. Plus, I like my trade-in to have enough value to make a dent on the NEXT car price and payments.

[ileus]

13. I remember my parents considered anything with more than 30k worn out.

When they went looking for used vehicles anything over 30k miles was ignored.

I bought one with 205k on it once...sold it with 247k.....Honda accord.

My current accord is just getting broken in at 181k.

[RebelOne]

15. I am driving a 1999 Ford Taurus.

I bought it in 2001. I had been planning to trade it in, but I was laid off my job in 2010. I was forced into retirement at the age of 71. So I guess I will be driving this car until I die. I am now living on Social Security and cannot afford any monthly car payments. It runs well, but the A/C conked out. Fortunately, I do not drive much any more. And any errands I have to do are in the morning before it gets hot.

[Scuba]

16. I purchased new in December of 2000....

... now at 190,000 miles and counting. I'm hoping to get 5 more years out of it.

[mikeytherat]

17. Only 10? My cars are 26, 24, and 17 years old!

1986 BMW 325 - 312,000 miles
1988 BMW 735 - 215,000
1995 Ford Escort wagon - 225,000

mikey_the_rat

[doohnibor]

18. Back in the day...

We were told that capitalism was much, much better than communism because in the Soviet Union, you had to wait 10 years to buy a new car.

[Jazzgirl]

19. I just bought a new car cuz I got run off the highway by an 18 wheeler.

I had the car for 7 1/2 years and it ran like new. I loved it too. But the 18 wheeler decided he wanted to get in my lane and didn't care if I stayed or not so I took the high road and flew off the shoulder and straddled a concrete wall. Grrrrr.......

[MineralMan]

20. I waited 66 years before buying a new car.

But then, I decided it was time.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

21. 10-15 years has always been my target,

and I've hit it but for one lost to Hurricane Isabel. The longer I can go without a car payment, the happier I am.

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. car floated away?

[1-Old-Man]

35. I saw a Volkswagen float away once - dam thing sank too

We were working down in the Keys building swimming pools for private homes on a private island. The head contractor drove around in a Volkswagen "Thing", which was boxy sort of all purpose vehicle. He parked it and went into the house under construction and shortly thereafter the car rolled across the back yard and off a seawall into the Atlantic. The dam thing floated for a long time and the owner went scurrying to try to get a small crane that was being used to set trusses just down the road up there to hook onto it. One of the carpenters had swum out to the vehicle and was with it when it until it floated out about 100 feet. The car sank soon thereafter.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

38. Submerged in about 4' of water...

perhaps another 3-4' and it would have!

[hatrack]

23. 11 Years for me next week, 20 for my wife's car this October

Yay!

[Lex]

24. Constantly trading in cars to buy new ones & staying with a car payment all the time

is just plain stupid from a personal finances point of view.

[TwilightGardener]

39. Until you have to pay $6000 to replace the transmission on a car that's out of warranty.

Or $2000 to replace a fuel pump and radiator on a ten year old truck with 200,000 miles on it--that's after it left you stranded on the side of the road. (Yep, both expenses happened to me within a six-month period). Suddenly a car payment doesn't seem so bad.

[Lex]

40. That doesn't sound like trading in for a new car every 2 years

and having a perpetual car payment.

What you described is needing to buy new cars after the old ones are no longer functioning. That's a different scenario.

[TwilightGardener]

44. No, I know people who do that--never have a car that's more than two or three years old.

Which would be fine if you paid for it outright. For us, we buy used trucks (new are WAY too expensive), but new cars (on the cheap side--nothing over $20,000) for his daily long-ass commute, and try to keep them for a couple years after they're paid off to get a break from car payments. But unfortunately my husband is a Car Guy. He lives to pick out a new car every 5-7 years, and then drives the shit out of them. He spends years researching the new models that are coming out, has subscriptions to Motor Trend and Car and Driver. So I don't think I could persuade him to wait ten years between new car smells.

[redqueen]

26. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Good for your wallet, and also the planet.

[1-Old-Man]

27. This is only possible because of the greatly improved reliability of cars

There was a time when a car with 100,000 on the odometer was plain worn out. Today there are several makes of cars that routinely go over 200,000 without major repairs being required. In fact last spring I bought a used Acura for my son that had 214,000 on it at the time, its got 250,000 now and all he's done is change the oil at regular intervals.

[kimbutgar]

29. I sold my 1996 Pontiac Gran Prix in Febuary and was the original owner with 86,000 miles.

I brought a new car in 2011 and our second car is a 1993 Pontiac Vibe which just hit 100,000 miles today. After I paid off the 1996 Pontiac I decided to start making car payments to myself in my savings account each month. Best thing I ever did.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

30. I have always tried to do this...

but freak accidents and thieves have always had something to say about it first. I still mourn for my old Toyota taken out by a runaway dumpster and my even older Toyota found abandoned at a rest stop in Oregon with a dead junkie behind the wheel.

I'm not optimistic about what a few more Canadian winters are going to do to my Accord, my neighbor up there has a Mazda3 that has rusted to shit and an Aveo that's paint is just falling off in sheets.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

31. We keep 'em longer but we also have more cars per family than a generation or so ago.

Stagger the purchases and you may be buying a new car to replace one in your "fleet" every 4-5 years or so but still be keeping each one for 10+ years.

My 10-YO Saturn Vue with the Honda V6 is just now starting to nickle&dime me-- not sure I'd want to take it on a long trip anymore-- so as much as I hate making payments, it may be time to start building my new car wish list.

[Ezlivin]

32. I wait 15 and 16 years

My wife just replaced her 15 year-old Sebring with a 2012 Honda Fit Sport.

Me? I'm still driving my 16 year-old Plymouth (remember them?) Voyager. I hope to get another van with a wheelchair-lift next year.

We take good care of our vehicles and try to get as much out of them as we can.

[Egalitarian Thug]

33. 19 years and counting.

Why put such a large amount of money into an ongoing liability when The one I've got still works perfectly?

Of course, if most Americans lived like us the economy would have collapsed decades ago.

[truebrit71]

34. Just paid off our 2008 CRV...

..no plans to trade her in, get a new car until she's well north of 100k miles....

[hunter]

36. I bought a new car once when I was young.

I won't do it again.

The allure of new cars is lost on me. If someone gave me a new car, I'd pass it along to someone who might appreciate it.

In my utopia there are no cars.

[quaker bill]

37. Most of my cars were 10 years old when I bought them

I got a raise and promotion a long time ago and treated myself to a really nice 6 year old vehicle. I gave it to my daughter and replaced it with a 15 year old minivan (it goes fine - mostly). I paid half to buy my son a new one once (my ex paid the other half), but I never even got in it. If you know what to look for, a 10 year old car can be just fine.

At this point in life, I rather doubt I will ever purchase a new car. I do have plans to purchase a particular new model available today, but I will give them 5 or 6 years on the road to see how well they age, and let the price come down a good bit. If they hold up well and the price becomes acceptable, I might get one in 2017 or 2018.

[CANDO]

41. '99 Buick Regal, purchased new...

has 160K miles and still runs like a dream. Just replaced the fuel filler tube. It's the only car my daughter has ever known as we got it a week after she was born. Best car I've ever owned.

[hfojvt]

42. I've never owned a new car

and I am going backwards.

My first car was a 1973 Nova, bought in 1986 - 13 years old
my 2nd car was a 1988 calais bought in 1996 - 8 years old
my 3rd car was/is a 1993 tempo bought in 2009 - 16 years old

[littlewolf]

43. we have

a 96 Ranger bought new in 96 ... over 200K on it
a 98 Explorer bought in 2000 over 180K on it
and a 2010 F 150 bought in 2011 4500 on it ...
No payments ... (put the payment in the "car account" since we
payed off the explorer ... paid cash ... I love Carmax got a great deal...
about 4-5 grand under bluebook ....)

[Ganja Ninja]

45. My 2000 Mazda truck has 475,000 miles on it.

I don't know how much longer I can wait.

[sadbear]

47. That's awesome.

I applaud you.

[sadbear]

46. My wife drives a 2003 CR-V

125,000 miles, runs perfectly, cold AC, too.

Why the hell should we get rid of it when there's absolutely nothing wrong with it and it's not worth a damn on "the market"?

The longer we drive it, the more money we save.