How Long Do you Keep your Car?

[nissangirl74]

How long do you keep your cars before you trade them in? Three years, five years, ten years, even longer?
This is a cool article that showcases a man who has driven the same car, for over 77 years.

M. Allen Swift of Massachusetts holds the Guinness World Record for longest-standing original owner. The length of time he drove his car may never be beaten: He was given his 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Picadilly Roadster new as a graduation gift, and drove it for an astounding 77 years.
He stopped driving, according to the Hartford Courant, only shortly before his death in October 2005, aged 102. The car covered 170,000 miles in that time, largely around Hartford, Connecticut, where Swift managed his family's precious metals business.


http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-b ... and+Blogs)

How cool would that be?

[TurboSauce]

0.0 Long car ownership is long.

[EZcheese15]

Only 170k in 77 years? That dude never drove. If I owned a car for 77 years, it would have approx. 2.3 million miles on it. Although when I say it like that, that's really not as high as I would have figured.

[nissangirl74]

Only 170k in 77 years? That dude never drove. If I owned a car for 77 years, it would have approx. 2.3 million miles on it. Although when I say it like that, that's really not as high as I would have figured.

He must have lived less than half a mile from work.

How many miles does your G have on it? almost that?

[Kompresshun]

So far, my 2004 Ranger Edge holds my personal record at 5 1/2 years and 80k miles. 2nd place would be my dads 72 Camaro at 4 1/2 years, and also holds the record for most money invested, excluding the purchase price at $9,500

[Jesda]

Usually between 5 and 10










minutes.

[EvilPanda]

My longest record is my '07 Corolla with 73k miles. 4 years in May.
shortest would be my '06 Corolla I had for 10 months and clocked in 18k miles.

[Bubba1]

My longest record is my '07 Corolla with 73k miles. 4 years in May.
shortest would be my '06 Corolla I had for 10 months and clocked in 18k miles.

Almost Forever if they're japanese. I tend to sell my Japenese cars around 200K miles. My domestics cars (which I stopped getting) go after an average of 3 years.

My longest? 1997 toyota 4runner, purchased new 1997, still have it. 200K miles, I'm keeping it. 2nd 1989 S13 purchased new, sold after 14 years, 190K miles.

Shortest? '63 Chevy II. 1976-1977, floorpan rotted out. Sold for parts due to severe rust.

[breadbox]

I've owned my s13 hatch since 06. That's the car I've had the longest. I don't really plan on ever getting out of an S13 for any extended amount of time.

But 77 years and less than 200k is pretty sunday driverish.

[mmkeller]

I had my 84 200SX for 9 years, it had 150k then traded it in. The longest would be 97 Honda CRV, still have it and with 125k still runs like I drove it off the show room. Average would be around 4-5 years.

[Eikon]

4 years is my record.

My average is probably less than 2 years. I also typically have between 2 and 4 cars at a time, so I'm typically buying or selling a car every 6 months or so.

I once owned 5 cars at one time (95 Camry DD, 09 Corolla wife DD, 240 convertible, S14 240 project, and a 95 Chev 1/2 ton truck). My constraints are money and space to park. God help me if I ever have the money to buy a house with a big garage!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

God help me if I ever have the money to buy a house with a big garage!

+1
I can honestly see myself owning 10+ cars.

My longest is my S13. Bought in August of 2002, and I still have it.

[Rev_D21]

My dad drove an 87 Pathfinder from 89-05 when he replaced it with a 2003 Xterra. I drove a 97 Altima from 99 till 2006 when I traded it for my stupid Millenia...regret that everyday!

[br4dysays]

ive kept one for a month, the longest ive kept anything is probably about 3 1/2 years. thats about the average of what I've driven so far, 2-3 years.

[naladude911]

well I mean I haven't owned any cars yet, but my parents keep their cars. My dad bought the J30 used in 1994 with like 25K miles on it and planned on keeping it forever until I crashed it at 108K miles in 2009. The QX4 was bought in late 2002 with 35K miles and currently will not be sold for a while and has 131,000 miles.

[Bubba1]

I have a close friend who reached his limit of 10, (4 are collectible) but he's beginning to running out of parking space. He told me he's going to trim the number down.

[SX APPEAL]

I still drive my 91 Fastback, parents bought it for me my freshmen year of HS, 2002.

BTW did you guys happen to read what kind of car we're talking about here? 1928 ROLLS ROYCE Phantom, not the kind of car you drive every day eh? I'd lay money he drove that car no more than once a year since the 40's.

[Bubba1]

I still drive my 91 Fastback, parents bought it for me my freshmen year of HS, 2002.

BTW did you guys happen to read what kind of car we're talking about here? 1928 ROLLS ROYCE Phantom, not the kind of car you drive every day eh? I'd lay money he drove that car no more than once a year since the 40's.

Over 77 years, that's an average of 2,200 miles annually. Not bad for a luxury or exotic, when you consider the cost to maintain.

[Mr1der]

bah, he's clearly not a driver.

or owned a few other cars..I mean, if they could GIVE him a brand new Rolls for graduation....

I like to keep cars until they're no longer safe to drive or drivable.

[breadbox]

I just need to eventually own my own parking garage. Then I could park my daily at the house and go pick up a different one whenever.

sigh* not likely to ever happen.

[themadscientist]

I average less than a year before I have moved on to something else. I stopped burning through cars about three years ago, though. I've had my truck for about three years and my 180 has been in my life for about 12 years.

[EW]

'89 Ninja 600 4yr (sold)
'69 Mach1 6yrs (sold)
'88 Lincoln LSC 6+ years (sold)
'98 Cobra 13 yr 2mo (still have)
'06 F150 4 yr 5mo (still have)
'95 S14 5 yr 9mo (still have)
I have no intention of selling any of the cars I have now but you never know.

[driverdriver]

The J is coming up on 16 years of ownership this spring. It has been my longest owned vehicle.

My wife and I tend to keep our daily drivers at least for 5-7 years or till the next time one of us works for an auto manufacurer. True employee pricing is hard to ignore.

[MaximA32]

Shortest? 2 weeks with my 89 Supra which I then traded in for $200 more than I bought it for. Longest was my 98 Maxima that I bought in the summer of 05 and had through the fall of 09. Bought it with 69k and it was totaled with 136k. Bought my current Maxima with 119k on it and it's sitting at 146k after 15 months of ownership. I drive. A lot.

[IBCoupe]

I've owned two cars, so this'll be quick:
I bought my '97 Corolla in July of 2004 (56k miles), and it was totaled in November of 2008 (110k miles). I then bought my Altima Coupe in December of 2008 (18k miles) and still have it today (86k miles).