Older car daily drivers

[eljefino]

I've always driven older junk. You have some idea what's likely to break based on others' experiences. A new car, who knows what its weak points are?

You're also more likely to find a corner gas station mechanic who can work on it and good parts distribution vs just the dealer, too, which minimizes inconvenience and expense.

Drove my then-275k 2005 Prius to NY for work for a few months last winter, and got paid 57 cents a mile for the privilege.

 

[350Rocket]

Just wondering, anyone out there have a big commute they do in an older vehicle? I’m talking 10 plus years old, doing whatever is necessary to keep that daily commuter going.

I did it once with a 1999 Honda Accord - thing had over 250,000 miles on it before I thought...well, I’d hate to break down on the side of the freeway with this thing on the way to work (and freeze half to death).

But I always found the long distance journey vehicle people inspirational. Love high mileage stories.

My latest car (2016 Avalon) I’m considering “going the distance” with this thing...250,000 plus, daily until I retire and just keeping the thing going. I’m only at 52,000 miles now, but I’ve been putting a good 500 a week on the thing as of late.

I did 222 kilometers a day (5 days a week plus every second Saturday) working as a service advisor at Goodyear in my 89 Caprice with 290k miles. Retired it at 332k miles due to rust. No breakdowns ever, cold starts at minus 33 celsius no problem. It got replaced by the 83 Caprice I have now with 240k miles currently (160k at purchase 11-12 years ago). One breakdown when the original starter failed at minus 20 one morning.

 

[doublebase]

I'm all about saving money but I choose to save it elsewhere. I don't keep vehicles once they reach about 5 years or over 60K miles.

I prefer to drive new with updated safety and features that improve quality of life.

If you putt around a small town I can understand, but I've seen people with multiple real estate properties take cross country trips in an old beater van. Not for me.

Nothing beats new.

Yeah, there’s many different ways to look at It. On one hand, cars are depreciable assets, on the other, they are also fun and something we spend a lot of time in every day driving. There’s value in that, I get that 100%. A newer car can easily be considered a quality of life thing.

 

[javacontour]

I eventually get to 10+ years old.

Let's see, I used an 81 Rabbit Diesel in 1992 for a few years.

I had a month with an Plymouth Horizon that was totaled by a woman who ran a stop sign.

I replaced that with a $100 1979 Ford Fairmont I drove from 1995 to 1998.

I picked up an 87 Buick Lesabre I drove from 98 to 2002, IIRC.

In 2002 or 2003, I picked up a 1994 Geo Prizm I drove until 2010, IIRC.


I picked up a 2003 Mazda Protege5 in 2012 and drove it until 2017.

My current daily is a 2012 Mazda3 that will soon be 10 years old if it's not totalled.


I also have a backup, a 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis that could be a daily driver if I needed her for that role. It actually has fewer miles on it at 105k compared to the 2012 Mazda3 with almost 119k on the clock. The Mazda is less trouble than the 21 year old Mercury as I just had to have the intake manifold replaced due to a cracked coolant crossover/thermostat housing which is a common failure for the all plastic intake.


We also had a 2002 Camry we kept until 2016 and 277k miles IIRC, owned from new.

The 2010 Altima is still going in 2020 with our son using it with over 180k miles on it.

Just wondering, anyone out there have a big commute they do in an older vehicle? I’m talking 10 plus years old, doing whatever is necessary to keep that daily commuter going.

I did it once with a 1999 Honda Accord - thing had over 250,000 miles on it before I thought...well, I’d hate to break down on the side of the freeway with this thing on the way to work (and freeze half to death).

But I always found the long distance journey vehicle people inspirational. Love high mileage stories.

My latest car (2016 Avalon) I’m considering “going the distance” with this thing...250,000 plus, daily until I retire and just keeping the thing going. I’m only at 52,000 miles now, but I’ve been putting a good 500 a week on the thing as of late.

 

[MCompact]

I daily drive my 2009 Clubman with over 122,000 miles on it. I rarely drive it more than 130 miles per week. My issue is I hate to drive rough looking cars, so I’ve replaced faded cowl trim and a few interior pieces. I also installed Bavsound speakers(they were on sale). I guess a true beater isn’t for me.

 

[NewtonPulsifer]

I live in California so cars are sort of immortal if you take basic care of them as there aren’t any rust issues here. So why not drive a 10+ year older car?

 

[MCompact]

Yeah, there’s many different ways to look at It. On one hand, cars are depreciable assets, on the other, they are also fun and something we spend a lot of time in every day driving. There’s value in that, I get that 100%. A newer car can easily be considered a quality of life thing.

For me it’s not the age of the car that matters, it’s whether the car is entertaining to drive. There are maybe a dozen new cars-at most-priced under $40k that I would enjoy driving as much as my 25 year old Club Sport.

 

[Saabist]

By my standards a 10-15 year old car is still pretty new! I'm on the road a lot and daily drive a car over 20 years old with more than 350,000 miles on it. (I have an extreme allergy to car payments and typically keep cars until the next owner is the boneyard.)

 

[Dinoburner]

Retired but do have a beater, 95 GMC. Not good on gas but way better than payments. After 93,000 in the first 3 years it`s at 145,000 now. Just had it oiled last week so it`s good to go.

 

[350Rocket]

I'm all about saving money but I choose to save it elsewhere. I don't keep vehicles once they reach about 5 years or over 60K miles.

I prefer to drive new with updated safety and features that improve quality of life.

If you putt around a small town I can understand, but I've seen people with multiple real estate properties take cross country trips in an old beater van. Not for me.

Nothing beats new.

Someone has to keep the economy going and keep buying these disposable appliances that keep getting shorter and shorter lifespans. I'm glad it's not me though. I can understand if you have the disposable income it's nice to have new things. It can get boring driving the same thing for 20+ years.

 

[Creekside]

Wow, a 90 mile daily commute in an 04 Taurus with 350,000 miles! And I love how your mom is actually going to get the transmission rebuilt, rather than buy a new car. I always tend to chicken out when something needs a big repair at super high mileage.

I come from a trucking background where you repair instead of replace. I’ve slowly instilled in them that if you repair it then you know what you’ve got. Maintenance is key in everything. Some people look down on the car where she works but she doesn’t mind. Has a very good paying job, house is paid for and everything. We just aren’t the throw it away kind of people. When it’s time I’ll get rid of it but if I see life left in something Especially vehicles or farm equipment I try to keep in going. I am running an 86 Chevy K20 as a service truck right now. It’s a little ugly but whatever it needs mechanically it gets immediately.

 

[OppositeLocK]

Someone has to keep the economy going and keep buying these disposable appliances that keep getting shorter and shorter lifespans. I'm glad it's not me though. I can understand if you have the disposable income it's nice to have new things. It can get boring driving the same thing for 20+ years.

To me it's not about disposable income to simply enjoy a vehicle. A 2020 economy vehicle is probably safer than a 2012 premium vehicle. Car safety tech has evolved so much. Hard to put a price on that.

 

[OppositeLocK]

I come from a trucking background where you repair instead of replace. I’ve slowly instilled in them that if you repair it then you know what you’ve got. Maintenance is key in everything. Some people look down on the car where she works but she doesn’t mind. Has a very good paying job, house is paid for and everything. We just aren’t the throw it away kind of people. When it’s time I’ll get rid of it but if I see life left in something Especially vehicles or farm equipment I try to keep in going. I am running an 86 Chevy K20 as a service truck right now. It’s a little ugly but whatever it needs mechanically it gets immediately.

Yeah but something you can't fix or repair is safety. That 86 Chevy wouldn't fair well in a roll over or a small overlap (god forbid).

That to me is the biggest cost of keeping a vehicle long.

 

[R1jake]

1990 Toyota 4x4 pickup I absolutely love my truck and for the long trips we have a 94 ford conversion van in really good shape. I’d drive it anywhere. Love the older stuff.

 

[Creekside]

Yeah but something you can't fix or repair is safety. That 86 Chevy wouldn't fair well in a roll over or a small overlap (god forbid).

That to me is the biggest cost of keeping a vehicle long.

That’s a chance I’m willing to take. Usually I’m the only person in it too so that decision can be mine and mine only.

 

[MCompact]

Yeah but something you can't fix or repair is safety. That 86 Chevy wouldn't fair well in a roll over or a small overlap (god forbid).

That to me is the biggest cost of keeping a vehicle long.

To each his own; as for me, how hard a car can "safely" ram a brick wall has never been a consideration when I'm buying a car.
Ditto for the raft of Helen Keller "driving aids."

 

[blupupher]

I don't have a long commute (only 3 miles each way), but I drive either my '02 F150 with just over 200,000 miles or my '94 Goldwing with 82,000 miles all the time.
I would have no issue taking either of them on a 1000 mile trip right now (I have a 800 mile trip planned at the end of this month on the Goldwing).

 

[OppositeLocK]

To each his own; as for me, how hard a car can "safely" ram a brick wall has never been a consideration when I'm buying a car.
Ditto for the raft of Helen Keller "driving aids."

Obviously nobody plans for that but accidents happen and people die on the roads everyday.

It doesn't even have to be your fault. You could be hit by a drunk driver, texter, new driver, etc.. Again, god forbid....

There really is no comparison between old and new cars when it comes to safety.

 

[Motu]

Unless it's a Volvo.

Currently doing a 40km commute, about 50 miles a day in my 1996 Volvo 850....odo stopped at 232,000km a few months ago. I'm not OCD, the oil has been in there 2 1/2 years, about 20,000km , and I'll take it further than that. It's fixable...to a point.

 

[Ws6]

I daily drive my 2009 Clubman with over 122,000 miles on it. I rarely drive it more than 130 miles per week. My issue is I hate to drive rough looking cars, so I’ve replaced faded cowl trim and a few interior pieces. I also installed Bavsound speakers(they were on sale). I guess a true beater isn’t for me.

I had an infiniti g20 as a beater once. Always broken. I just dont do beaters any more because I found new costs the same, is nicer, and more convenient, as well as safer.