How long are you keeping your car?

[nissangirl74]

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/10 ... d+Blogs%29

The article talks about how a great majority of people are keeping their cars vs. trading for something new. Some have also said that mileage is not a factor, they'll drive their cars until they die. What about you guys?

How long have you owned your present DD?
Do you plan on trading anytime soon?
How many miles are on the odometer?
Is there a magic number where you say, "OK, this is too many miles. Time to trade it in"?

The Frontier is an '05, I've owned it since '07 or '08 (honestly can't remember).
It has 78,000+ miles and we will keep it until it won't go no more.
I'm actually gonna try and see if it will make it to 1,000,000 miles. :-)

[Solar_Runner]

My DD is a 07 Corolla - a car well suited to this mundane task. I've read that the odometer stops working at 300,000. It's a bit more of a problem in Canada, or anywhere else on the metric system. Anyways, I plan to see if that acutally happens. Got 238,000 miles to go. In town I average between 34 and 36 mpg. I've put on a set of tires, wiper baldes and front disc pads. It's easy on the wallet.

[themadscientist]

the 180 has been with me for about 13 years and i have no reason to sever the relationship. The RS has been in the stable for about 4 years and it's part of the long term dream garage so it stays. If anything I need to add my big 4x4 truck, an R32 GT-R and my 68 Camaro. If my fortunes turn really good, my Lamborghini Gallardo. New cars hold very little interest for me. The Cadillac CTS gets my blood pumping, but other than that meh.

[Kompresshun]

I usually keep a car for about 5-6yrs, I'm almost at 4yrs now with the I30 though and I'm already looking at stuff, so I will likely end up with something new within the next year. I may end up keeping it longer and spend some money on it too though, but that's usually my average.

As far as mileage goes, it doesn't really bother me but I prefer to buy something with less than 75-100k but I don't mind pushing to 200k and beyond if I feel like it's been maintained well enough.

[Bubba1]

How long have you owned your present DD? 14 years

Do you plan on trading anytime soon? no, unless I hit the Powerball, then hello something new.


How many miles are on the odometer? recently turned 200K miles

Is there a magic number where you say, "OK, this is too many miles. Time to trade it in"? No, the time to sell will likely happen when expensive problems develop whose cost to fix far exceed the value of the vehicle. I'm amazed who much of my truck is still original.

[breadbox]

I think I've owned my daily about 2 years. But have owned an S13 since 2006.

I might trade one of my s13's for an S14, but I don't really plan on getting rid of them.

All have between 120,000 and 180,000 miles.

Mileage doesn't matter as long as the shell is good.

Also I plan keeping my 720 as long as I can too.

[krash]

I don't plan on getting rid of the vert. She's part of the family. I'll probably buy something new down the road, but I won't be getting rid of the vert.

Mileage doesn't matter to me. I have a chassis and an engine. As long as the chassis is fine, I don't really car how many engines I have to go through.

[Jesda]

Usually between one week and 6 months.

The Saab however has lingered, so far at 18 months. It may even stick around longer than my first Q45 (21 months). I tend to hang on longer to cars that have character, a story behind it, or something that makes them really unique. I also hang on to cars that seem hard to replace.

I've had four Cadillacs and while I've loved them all, I know that if I sell one, I can easily find another just as nice in the color and interior that I want for dirt cheap.

[MinisterofDOOM]

For awhile. Despite having a car payment now, the LS is actually more affordable due to costs being more consistent. In the year and a half I've owned it, I've spent $90 on an ignition coil, about $100 on oil changes, and about $700 on tires. That's it. That's all it's needed. No random s*** breaking every week. No eating tires like they're caffeinated crack. Regular maintenance plus an ignition coil. Consistency is good. I'll keep it until it becomes inconsistent. Then I'll replace it with a CTS-V which has pushrods and a clutch and very little to go wrong and start over again. In a couple years. Or maybe I'll sell it to my brother in a couple years for a couple thousand and pick up a CTS-V anyway.

Granted, consistency is NOT better than fun. And if this car didn't deliver on the latter I'd never even consider the former. I'm no Camry buyer. I just like it when my fun doesn't come with strings attached.

[nissangirl74]

A CTS-V wagon is my long term goal. I want a picture of Greg and I standing next to it in every state.

[Jesda]

For awhile. Despite having a car payment now, the LS is actually more affordable due to costs being more consistent. In the year and a half I've owned it, I've spent $90 on an ignition coil, about $100 on oil changes, and about $700 on tires. That's it.

That's really good to hear. The LS8 has always been on my "must have" list. Just to change things up from my usual string of Cadillacs, I'd love to get a 2003 with THX



[A part of me also wants a black Lincoln Town Car Ultimate.]

[Kompresshun]

That's really good to hear. The LS8 has always been on my "must have" list. Just to change things up from my usual string of Cadillacs, I'd love to get a 2003 with THX



[A part of me also wants a black Lincoln Town Car Ultimate.]

Same here, the LS8 is on my list for replacements when I get rid of the I30 and it's pretty high up on the list too, so I wouldn't be surprised if one ends up in my driveway. The only other things higher would be a G35 or a CTS-V, but the LS8s are cheaper.

I love the Town Cars but the wife refuses to let me drive an old man car, they're a little too boaty feeling for me to be happy driving one daily anyways.

[nissangirl74]

I really don't want to get rid of any of ours. I like them all for different reasons because they all serve a different purpose. I just wish we had more room.

[Dattebayo]

I personally think that having too many cars is flaunting wealth (or I don't know what? ), but to each his own.

I would rather have a distinct purpose for any and all vehicles I have, say one for gas saver, one for hauling, one for fun. But the fun car is losing it's appeal fast since real life kicked in.

I have no plans on keeping the current POS that I have. I'd trade it for a well-working 720 King Cab or D21 extended cab in a second, just for the bed.

[Jesda]

I'd also use a Town Car to go hunting for corruption.

[srellim234]

We normally buy used cars and keep them until 200k miles. The Versa is the first new car we've purchased since 1981. We'll probably part with it quicker than 200k because of the water leak problems we've had with it.

I can see another new car in our future that will probably be our "around town and errand" car after my wife retires in 6 years. Probably a plug-in electric. For long journeys and carrying family and friends we still have the 2002 Buick Rendezvous that seats 7 and turned 99,000 miles Friday.

[skydragoness]

Until it kills me. I keep my cars for a long time, although I think a newer generation Miata is in my future. Maybe.

[Razi]

Dunno.
Until it catches fire and explodes.

[frapjap]

How long have you owned your present DD?
4-5 years sounds right

Do you plan on trading anytime soon?
Never, its being restored

How many miles are on the odometer?
145,xxx

Is there a magic number where you say, "OK, this is too many miles. Time to trade it in"?
Nope. Only time for a new engine.

Now that I have cars I enjoy, I want to keep them as long as I am able to enjoy them. The only car I'm likely to get rid of is the 240sx. Its on DD duty for my brother and burns oil, coolant, needs a clutch, and has 180xxx on it but still starts and goes every day. The only way I'd be replacing a car was if it was in an accident and had structural damage or if it was a winter beater that dodged death one to many times in the salty New England roads.

[hoodrich]

till the wheels fall off

[bigbadberry3]

Until I sign a new contract. Then, a new 5.0.

[nissangirl74]

I personally think that having too many cars is flaunting wealth (or I don't know what? ), but to each his own.

So what number constitutes the term 'too many'?

[Jesda]

If I subject the Saab to more salty winters, I suspect the body will be eaten away before the powertrain fails.

[Razi]

I personally think that having too many cars is flaunting wealth (or I don't know what? ), but to each his own.

So what number constitutes the term 'too many'?

∞+1

[AZhitman]

I personally think that having too many cars is flaunting wealth (or I don't know what? ), but to each his own.

What if all 12 collectively cost less than a new Camry and a new F-250? Is the couple with the new Camry and F250 "flaunting wealth"?

What others spend on beer / cigs / junk food / clothes, we spend on cars.

Thank goodness we live in America, where we can do as we please, with only Dave's opinion to worry about.

[Dattebayo]

I did leave enough for flaunting something else other than wealth, but like I said, it's just my opinion!

Figures you'd pick up on that, tho. It wasn't personal.

[Dattebayo]

So what number constitutes the term 'too many'?

I would say having more than 2 is excessive, really. Construction owners will own many trucks, tho.

[Jesda]

In Madagascar, too many tiger bones on your necklace is flaunting.

[Dattebayo]

Jack Fitzgerald is a freakin millionaire and he owns only two cars. A truck (which I drove often) and a gas saving car which he constantly sold every few months. He said the same thing to me when I asked him about it.

And you guys are trying to start up a museum or something (right?), so it's not exactly the same thing...

[Jesda]

If you love cars, you buy a lot of cars. If you love trees, you plant a lot of trees. If you love stamps, you collect stamps.

The total enjoyment of one's personal interests -- a luxury that Americans with enough guts, brains, and ambition can enjoy if they choose.