How long do you keep a car or truck?

[RAVL]

39 years, 30 years, 7 years and 3.5 years. The two older ones are not daily-d anymore but collectively have over 450k miles on them and look very nice.

If a car becomes unpredictably unreliable (e.g., random electrical or other fault render it a break down risk), it gets sold pretty quickly. We have had two Mercedes Benzes that unfortunately fell into this category.

 

[andrew_j]

24 years on one. wife 31 on one too. I guess some folks go through cars like socks.

No thanks but guessing you don’t live where they salt roads.

 

[kebabaluba]

15 years with my main daily car, and it seems like it`s gonna be few more years before i part ways with it. Few years ago i had a 3000GT VR4, if i didn`t sell it to free up some cash in order to purchase a home i would have kept it too, would be 9 years of ownership i had kept it to this day. After VR4 i had CRX 1.6 VTI, would have kept it too for a long time, but it had major rust issues, had to let it go as well.
If i manage to get my project 93 SHO on the road, i hope to keep for a long time as the purchase of a home have been done.

 

[supton]

10-ish. They seem a bit rusty and worn, upwards of 250k, might be nice to go more years but not a mechanic so it seems about time.

 

[doublebase]

The longest I kept something was 17 years but that took a lot of effort and in the end rust just got to it (1999 Honda accord, bought new, drove it close to 300,000).

We do have a Honda CRV we have had for 14 years now, but it doesn’t get driven as madly as that Honda Accord did (2008 CRV 190,000 miles).

My current 2016 Toyota Avalon is getting absolutely driven to the moon and back right now (currently at 145,000 miles). Owned it for 4 years now, might see if I can get it up over 300,000. Not one single repair yet, best vehicle I’ve ever owned. And that’s saying something compared to the CRV which has almost no repairs to date. The Accord was a different story, I have a laundry list a mile long on that one.

 

[4WD]

The longest I kept something was 17 years but that took a lot of effort and in the end rust just got to it (1999 Honda accord, bought new, drove it close to 300,000).

We do have a Honda CRV we have had for 14 years now, but it doesn’t get driven as madly as that Honda Accord did (2008 CRV 190,000 miles).

My current 2016 Toyota Avalon is getting absolutely driven to the moon and back right now (currently at 145,000 miles). Owned it for 4 years now, might see if I can get it up over 300,000. Not one single repair yet, best vehicle I’ve ever owned. And that’s saying something compared to the CRV which has almost no repairs to date. The Accord was a different story, I have a laundry list a mile long on that one.

Same - had a Dodge PowerWagon for 17 years - it was also patched in a few places

 

[Oldwolf]

I'm getting to the age where my next vehicle could very well be my last one. I generally keep a car for at least 10 years. I need to choose wisely.

 

[Charmet37]

Depends on the vehicle, I have three vehicles paid for and financing my outlander i recently purchased. The Toyota Camry in the picture my daughter drives to work and I have Chevrolet Sonic my youngest daughter use for college.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Nineteen years on a 2005 Ford Taurus with just over 110,000 miles, barely broken in. Sixteen years on a 2008 3/4 ton Suburban with 260,000 miles. This one I would like to take past 300,000 miles. The Burb was purchased new in 2008 for $48,000 when the Canadian dollar was worth more than the US dollar. ( yes, it has happened.)

 

[dfarr67]

1989 K1500 Silverado
1990 SR5 4Runner
2015 Accord Sport

 

[fdcg27]

Buy 'em, keep 'em, use 'em.
That's what they're for.

 

[paulo57509]

I keep them until parts (even used) become NLA.

 

[Burt]

I like cars when they’re new and when they’re old. It’s the middle years that get mentally tough, but if I get the itch to sell, I just chant “money-in-the bank” til the feeling goes away.

The time to sell is when it becomes unreliable and you lose confidence it will get you where you need to go. Or of course maintenance expenses exceed a new car payment.

 

[Corollaman]

2012 Corolla (bought new) 95,000 miles
2016 Ford Fusion 80,000 miles
2024 Chevy Trax 3,000 miles

We usually try and keep cars at least ten years. The Trax will be an experiment (turbo charged direct injected 3 cylinder turbo) it will be over maintained for sure, hopefully it lasts.

 

[tbm3fan]

Forever and under my care none have ever given me a problem where I would say that is it. Fortunately, rust which is a major issue for many is a total no-issue for me so it is just my mechanical skills.

 

[John105]

Bought the 1998 Maxima new, and junked it 2023. Even though it didn’t last very long, I never serviced it at the dealer after 60k. And when I did a major service it was $300. The 2007 BMW is 17.5 years old so I guess it has maybe another 7 to go. Not planning on pushing the 2011 Buick to 20, as I don’t think it would make it, so it’ll likely be replaced at 15. The Lexus LS is a keeper I’ll take that 30+ years.

 

[Exhaustgases]

No thanks but guessing you don’t live where they salt roads.

They do when its icy. But not like the North east coast. The ones that salt the roads should be paying for vehicle damage.

There is no way we could afford a car payment, and no way if I had enough $ that I'd spend it on a new car, never ever will have another new car, unless I build it from scratch.

 

[Yuk]

As you can tell by my signature, I like'm old. My objective is to drive them until parts become unavailable.

The cheapest, new, decent car in Canada (Civic, Corolla, etc) is about $500.00/month over 5 years. That assuming you don't have to pay interest on financing. $500.00/month can pay for a lot of repairs and, long before 5 years, those repairs taper off to almost no repairs.

 

[hrv]

My past three hondas I have kept till they had over 350000 on them...The last one was 386000...

 

[vwmaniaman]

I keep mine a long time. Have a 65 VW beetle now for 40 years and a 75 Westfalia VW bus for at least 18 years and an 87 Cabriolet VW for 27 years. Can't get the smile off my face when I drive that Westfalia.