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Americans keeping their autos longer than ever

#43
02 Subaru Impreza Outback, 112,000 and change. So far so good..had a new catalytic converter recently, new struts about 2 years ago, and a new timing belt recently but besides regular maintenance (brakes and what not) that's it.

ugly_bassplayer said:
I'm noticing you people have very high milage on your cars. I'm guessing it's because you don't get the brutal winters we have in QC
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I live in New England and we're no stranger to brutal winters.
 
#45
my '94 F-150 187k miles. Not great on gas, but it gets me & the bass rig to the gigs:bassist:
 

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#47
Well, I don't have the oldest, but I may have the most miles so far. A 1997 Nissan Pathfinder with 329,500 miles. Still has the original never been turned front brake rotors. And with the exception of normal maintenance, I doubt I have $2000 in repairs in those 13 years (I bought it a year old with 19,500 on the odometer).

I'd love to get an Outback, CRV or the New Ford Escape (saw it at the auto show yesterday). But I can't even think about a used car right now.
 
#48
My approach with cars has been the same since I was young: Don't pay up for the sexy models, avoid gas-guzzlers, just get what fits (I'm 6'5"), is affordable and isn't total crap. Then, take good care of them and milk the heck out of them. It's served me very well so far.

From 1989-2011, I had two cars (each bought new)--an 89 Plymouth Colt and a 97 Malibu. Both got good/great mpg, had enough cargo space and I ran them till they died (or nearly, in the second case). Buying late in the model year and being able to save on gas kept my costs down. Paid off the Malibu in 2002, and saved to buy my latest car (an '07 Subaru Forester) last year with cash, so I haven't had a car payment in 10 years.:) I bet my brother's spent at least twice as much on cars and gas in that time.:D
 
#49
'98 Ford Ranger with about 163k km, just over 100k miles. We have already saved up the money to buy a new vehicle, but are trying to keep this one going as long as it is reliable.

Passes its emission tests with ease, does not "mark its spot", no check engine light ;) In fact, it has been super reliable.

It does need brake work a bit more often than I think it should. I did disable the ABS and I am suspicious that it not only gives better braking, but seems to put less stress on the brakes. But I cannot prove that.

I also notice that the body seems to be holding up a lot better than the newer trucks. And I am very bad about keeping it clean, so it isn't due to my diligence :p
 
#50
GregC said:
My approach with cars has been the same since I was young: Don't pay up for the sexy models, avoid gas-guzzlers, just get what fits (I'm 6'5"), is affordable and isn't total crap. Then, take good care of them and milk the heck out of them. It's served me very well so far.
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This is a LOT like my philosophy on vehicles and for much the same reason. I'm only 5'11" and a bit. But I apparently sit at the same height as my best friend who is 6'7". I'm weirdly proportioned with all my height from the waist up. I sit in cars that have plenty of headroom for a normal person of my height and one ear is on the headliner while the other is on my shoulder. That's actually how I picked the Tucson. It was the only car I could find that had enough headroom for me. It's incredibly roomy, having nearly an inch and a half above my head.

My gig-mobile back when I still played out was a Chevy Astro van. The Astro is the least 'mini' minivan ever made. It could haul insane quantities of gear. I paid mine off with less than 100K on the odometer and then drove it until 253K when the transmission quit abruptly.
 
#52
burk48237 said:
Well, I don't have the oldest, but I may have the most miles so far. A 1997 Nissan Pathfinder with 329,500 miles. Still has the original never been turned front brake rotors. And with the exception of normal maintenance, I doubt I have $2000 in repairs in those 13 years (I bought it a year old with 19,500 on the odometer).

I'd love to get an Outback, CRV or the New Ford Escape (saw it at the auto show yesterday). But I can't even think about a used car right now.
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:eek: 329,500?!?! I would call Nissan HQ and let them know they might put you in a comercial and give you a brand new pathfinder.
 
#54
I have a 2007 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 extra cab. I bought it new and paid I think it was $400.00 under invoice. I have done a few mods to it and was just recently offered almost what I bought it for in trade at a dealership. It only has 28,000 miles on it though due to the fact my work is only 3 miles from my house. It is a great little truck that I will drive until it dies too but that should be a very long time.

A year and a half ago I bought my wife a 2010 Toyota Corolla S and she loves it. She does more driving than me due to taking the kids to school and we usually take it out of town when we go to the bigger cities because it gets better fuel economy. I think her vehicle has a little over 15,000 but am not sure of her exact mileage?

We also have a 1997 GMC Sierra K1500 extra cab that we rarely use anymore. It has 153,000 on it and when our 16 year old get his drivers license, he will drive it.
 
#57
Daily Driver: 2009 VW Jetta TDI, 52K. Planning on 10 more years.

2nd Vehicle: 1990 Toyota 4Runner, 193K. Very trouble-free. Other than routine maintenance, tires, brakes, and a couple of mufflers, I've changed the timing belt twice, and finally had to get a new clutch about 5K ago.
 

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