Cars that we keep forever

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: stchman
I don't see how people can keep a car for over 10 years. Me personally I get sick of looking at the same car for that long. I could not imagine driving the same minivan for 10+ years.


The primary reason is financial sense/wealth building however that is clearly lacking with the US auto buying public.

The folks I know who have financial worth tend to keep vehicles a long time. My parents drive/drove vehicles into the ground(tow truck typically hauls off property). I cannot do there typical 15years and stick with 10-12 years.

However that is logical and the other emotional part of the equation kicks in and we run out and buy a new car.

 

[Benito]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Most people miss the fact that none of the small items or accessories have ever failed like the window regulators, windshield wipers, heater, alternator, door locks or other small stuff that could nickle dime you as the car ages.


That's the Japanese Total Quality Management in action.

Which, ironically, they learnt from an American Professor.

 

[stchman]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: stchman
I don't see how people can keep a car for over 10 years. Me personally I get sick of looking at the same car for that long. I could not imagine driving the same minivan for 10+ years.


The primary reason is financial sense/wealth building however that is clearly lacking with the US auto buying public.

The folks I know who have financial worth tend to keep vehicles a long time. My parents drive/drove vehicles into the ground(tow truck typically hauls off property). I cannot do there typical 15years and stick with 10-12 years.

However that is logical and the other emotional part of the equation kicks in and we run out and buy a new car.


This assumes that the car you keep for 20 years does not need maintenance(highly unlikely). I personally buy a vehicle new and keep my vehicles about 7 years(after that I get sick of looking at them). In those 7 years I perform routine maintenance (tires, oil changes, brakes, etc.), I then get rid of the vehicle while it still has value. A vehicle that is 15 years old with 250K+ miles on it is going to be next to worthless(maybe $1000) and the odds are that it will have cost you a few bucks to maintain it. My way works for me, but other folks can do what makes them feel comfortable.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: zach1900
NIck, is 300K your goal?
Yes, all I ask of the car is to hit 300k miles. If it goes further then that's just bonus time, I'll drive it until it isn't feasible to drive it.

Or that's the goal so far at least.

 

[Alfred_B]

To keep a car forever, you need to start with a car that you want to drive forever. Get a BMW, Audi or some other solid and pleasant-to-drive car and you will want to keep it forever.

Who wants to be stuck in the same Camry forever.

 

[zach1900]

I used to get bored of cars and traded them in not really caring about the depreciation when trading a car I bought new on a different model, I evolved and realized the car is really just a mode of transportation and when I get bored of the Camry I tell myself that I've put virtually no money into repairs and it shows no signs of slowing down, when the time comes it will probably be replaced with anothet, newer Camry, yes I'm pretty boring, Toyota's target audience.

 

[zach1900]

I think pleasant to drive applies to the Camry, that's why a lot of oldsters drive them.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: zach1900
A Ford built on a Mazda chassis.


My 21 year old Ford on a Ford chassis is doing just fine.

Unless your signature is out of date, I would demand reliability out of a Yugo at those miles.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
To keep a car forever, you need to start with a car that you want to drive forever. Get a BMW, Audi or some other solid and pleasant-to-drive car and you will want to keep it forever.

Who wants to be stuck in the same Camry forever.


This describes my saturn sw1 wagon. Stick shift, cold ac, good handling, good sight lines. Original owner couldn't turn a wrench and while she liked it well enough, adding oil occasionally was a sign to trade up. I only got rid of if because everything was coming due at the same time. How we all hope cars "die".

Camrys hsve held the same basic shape and ride characteristics for 20 years now. Comfort food. My 2002 4cyl has a stick shift, rare for a nearly full size car. And 34 mpg. There are more enthusiastic cars out there that only havr slushboxes.

Ps I'm catching up on neglected maintenance with struts, a clutch, brakes, fluids, etc. I particularly enjoy how it's invisible to cops.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Meh, I am not exactly poor but I am not rich either. I try to keep the car as long as I can.
First 5 years I pay for the car next 5 years it pays for itself the rest is bonus. Here cars don't last long due to rust.
My previous car, 10 year old ford focus only cost me something like 200 bucks a year to insure. The longer I keep the car the more it pays for itself.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: zach1900
I think pleasant to drive applies to the Camry, that's why a lot of oldsters drive them.

Yes, they prefer couch on wheels / max isolation from the road, so that their crowns don't fall out.

Lexus does it even better, but Toyota costs less.

Nothing wrong with that either. Just different target market, which I may become a part of one day, too...

 

[fsdork]

Originally Posted By: stchman
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Originally Posted By: stchman
I don't see how people can keep a car for over 10 years. Me personally I get sick of looking at the same car for that long. I could not imagine driving the same minivan for 10+ years.


The primary reason is financial sense/wealth building however that is clearly lacking with the US auto buying public.

The folks I know who have financial worth tend to keep vehicles a long time. My parents drive/drove vehicles into the ground(tow truck typically hauls off property). I cannot do there typical 15years and stick with 10-12 years.

However that is logical and the other emotional part of the equation kicks in and we run out and buy a new car.


This assumes that the car you keep for 20 years does not need maintenance(highly unlikely). I personally buy a vehicle new and keep my vehicles about 7 years(after that I get sick of looking at them). In those 7 years I perform routine maintenance (tires, oil changes, brakes, etc.), I then get rid of the vehicle while it still has value. A vehicle that is 15 years old with 250K+ miles on it is going to be next to worthless(maybe $1000) and the odds are that it will have cost you a few bucks to maintain it. My way works for me, but other folks can do what makes them feel comfortable.


As long as you don't incorrectly convince yourself that your described method is financially advantageous, that's fine. There are any number of reasons to drive a newer car, such as safety advancements, being bored of the old one, or simply "I like it". Nobody can tell you any of those reasons are wrong.

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
which I may become a part of one day, too...


Hopefully not.

 

[zach1900]

My camry has been the most reliable, trouble free thing in my life, when I had to move across the country twice with a few days notice she was there ready for anything I threw at her.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: zach1900
I think pleasant to drive applies to the Camry, that's why a lot of oldsters drive them.

Yes, they prefer couch on wheels / max isolation from the road, so that their crowns don't fall out.

Lexus does it even better, but Toyota costs less.

Nothing wrong with that either. Just different target market, which I may become a part of one day, too...

You're too young to be a Toyota target.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Rust_Belt_Pete
Meh, I am not exactly poor but I am not rich either. I try to keep the car as long as I can.
First 5 years I pay for the car next 5 years it pays for itself the rest is bonus. Here cars don't last long due to rust.
My previous car, 10 year old ford focus only cost me something like 200 bucks a year to insure. The longer I keep the car the more it pays for itself.

I paid for my cars in less than 1 year, next 14 years it pays itself, after 15 years is bonus.

My LS400 is in bonus for 6 years, E430 is starting to get into bonus period this year, I have 3.1 years to go before S2000 is in bonus time.

As long as I keep up with regular maintenance, my cars seem to last much longer than 15 years/200k miles.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: zach1900
I think pleasant to drive applies to the Camry, that's why a lot of oldsters drive them.

Yes, they prefer couch on wheels / max isolation from the road, so that their crowns don't fall out.

Lexus does it even better, but Toyota costs less.

Nothing wrong with that either. Just different target market, which I may become a part of one day, too...

You're too young to be a Toyota target.

That's why I said "one day" and not now.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Rust_Belt_Pete
Meh, I am not exactly poor but I am not rich either. I try to keep the car as long as I can.
First 5 years I pay for the car next 5 years it pays for itself the rest is bonus. Here cars don't last long due to rust.
My previous car, 10 year old ford focus only cost me something like 200 bucks a year to insure. The longer I keep the car the more it pays for itself.

I paid for my cars in less than 1 year, next 14 years it pays itself, after 15 years is bonus.

My LS400 is in bonus for 6 years, E430 is starting to get into bonus period this year, I have 3.1 years to go before S2000 is in bonus time.

As long as I keep up with regular maintenance, my cars seem to last much longer than 15 years/200k miles.


Yeah we have this thing called "rust" over here. We get snow days you have scorch days

My friends 22 year old toyota tercel or whitehawk I think its called, he hit a big pothole, his gas tank split in two along the weld seam.

 

[MCompact]

I'm keeping my Club Sport(bought new) and my Wrangler(bought used in 2002) forever.
Everything else in the garage is negotiable.

 

[gregoron]

Interesting thread. I've driven lots of cars, some were my father's cars that I drove while I was young, and some that I've owned. I've driven them in Asia, Europe, and Continental USA. Some were Toyota's and Isuzu's made for Asia, some were VWs and Renaults for Europe, and some Mercedes Benz's with Euro spec. I've driven a Cadillac, a Lexus, a Town Car, a Ford Escort, a Nissan Versa and then the two cars in my signature.

I like driving my VW GLI, but I still miss my older Jetta 2.Slow. But, of all the cars I've driven only one stands out as a forever keeper: a 1985 Euro spec MB 300D W123 body with a manual transmission.

It was imported to the US by a Turkish diplomat in 1987 which my father purchased and registered with diplomatic tags in Washington DC. It had a five speed manual, crank windows, manual sunroof, and matching paint wheel covers. It had the Euro headlights and bumpers, which distinguished it from the 300D US version with the round headlamps and 5 MPH bumpers.

The car was slow as it wasn't the turbo-diesel version, but it had an amazing ride thanks to its compliant suspension and firm yet comfortable seats. I learned how to drive a stick on that car. I remember how solidly built it was. Also the sound from the simple Blaupunkt radio and cassette player and speaker system is still unmatched by many cars that I've driven. It had a certain pop to it that sounded so analog.

My father sold it later to a relative when he took back to his home posting.

It's harder to find one now in good condition and impossible with a manual transmission here in the US. I will always remember that car and my current and future vehicle purchases are pretty much influenced by it. It's basically a simple sport sedan package that you row your own gears. Not a lot of technology so not a lot of things to fail later on. I really miss that car.