The US fleet has an average lifespan of fifteen years.
Fifteen years is also when the auto dealers and chain stores pretty well remainder the stock of parts (1990-91 vehicles at present).
If one has kept to good practices in maintenance, that is, fixed things right away and not cheaped out because "it's an old car" (an excuse of stupidity), then fifteen years is no "miracle".
It helps to have maintenance scheduled from the beginning (replace parts BEFORE they break, with NEW not rebuilt parts), to keep it garaged and to be sure it is taken out on the highway regularly.
Reliablity and longevity become practically synonymous at that point.
Unfortunately, some cars are lemons by design or fate, the rest are simply neglected.
Reliable, to me, means that I haven't ever been stranded . . . that I have had plenty of warning by proper maintenance and by more than one pair of eyes and ears going over the car. If the car isn't a lemon by design, then I have only myself to blame the majority of the time if I have to hoof it.
In the end reliablity comes down to maintenance and repairs on one brand versus another through the same span and conditions.
As to which is longest-lived, then body-on-frame, front-engine, rear wheel drive has no historical peers in fleet applications, whether a Chevy pickemup with a road contractor or a Crown Vic with police and taxi fleets. 300,000 miles is so common as to be not worth mentioning.
In 2000 as in 1970, 8 of 10 cars in for unscheduled service were in for electrically-related problems. Upgrade that system where possible, (more and larger cables, grounds, etc) and reap the trouble-free miles years down the road. Lamps (bulbs), fuses, breakers, all deserve to be retired at some point well-before failure, and all connections/terminations, too.
Fifteen years is also when the auto dealers and chain stores pretty well remainder the stock of parts (1990-91 vehicles at present).
If one has kept to good practices in maintenance, that is, fixed things right away and not cheaped out because "it's an old car" (an excuse of stupidity), then fifteen years is no "miracle".
It helps to have maintenance scheduled from the beginning (replace parts BEFORE they break, with NEW not rebuilt parts), to keep it garaged and to be sure it is taken out on the highway regularly.
Reliablity and longevity become practically synonymous at that point.
Unfortunately, some cars are lemons by design or fate, the rest are simply neglected.
Reliable, to me, means that I haven't ever been stranded . . . that I have had plenty of warning by proper maintenance and by more than one pair of eyes and ears going over the car. If the car isn't a lemon by design, then I have only myself to blame the majority of the time if I have to hoof it.
In the end reliablity comes down to maintenance and repairs on one brand versus another through the same span and conditions.
As to which is longest-lived, then body-on-frame, front-engine, rear wheel drive has no historical peers in fleet applications, whether a Chevy pickemup with a road contractor or a Crown Vic with police and taxi fleets. 300,000 miles is so common as to be not worth mentioning.
In 2000 as in 1970, 8 of 10 cars in for unscheduled service were in for electrically-related problems. Upgrade that system where possible, (more and larger cables, grounds, etc) and reap the trouble-free miles years down the road. Lamps (bulbs), fuses, breakers, all deserve to be retired at some point well-before failure, and all connections/terminations, too.
