makes good sense, i would but right now i lease a new one every 2 to 3 yrs. i`am lucky , my company picks up 50% of my car cost. if i had to pay it all, or had to watch my money closer i wouldnt have a problem with keeping one a long time. its certanly the smart way to go.

I have a '92 Jeep Cherokee that I use for my winter time ride. It's 15 yrs old and has 190,000 miles on it. I need to replace this one. The paint has begun to fail and it got caught in a bad hail storm last fall. The engine and transmission are still good, but the gasoline mileage has slipped a bit.

The main hazard in keeping one this long at my location is corrosion aggravated by street salt. A brake line could blow. You got to keep watch on safety parts when you keep them this long and replace any that begins to corrode badly.

I'm going to miss this one, especially the full-time and part-time 4 wheel drive. Its great in the snow.

1979 Toyota 3/4 Ton P/U. 28 years old. Be a hot day in January when I sell that dude. You might think its just a damned old junker but its a reeeeeeeal fine-piece-a-machinery.

An Andy Rooney thought.... Even tho the vehicle is old and you don't drive it every day is it still an Everyday Driver? Or is the Old Everyday Driver behind the wheel? Hmmmmmm make you wonder. ;>)

My everyday car is a 90 Nissan Maxima, close to 200K miles. Still runs good, has a dent in the door, but I'm obviously not into my car as a status symbol! I don't need car payments either! When this one dies, I'll find another good used vehicle and pay cash.

I have a 1994 Buick Regal with 138000 miles on it.That I drive to work and to Walmart parking lots and other door ding places like that.

But I would not give up owning and making payments on new cars.For traveling and leisure driving.Plus I do not want my wife out on the road in a Roach Coach to break down this day and age.

I do not want to have to start rebuilding older cars with expensive parts.You can easily pour more into them with a few repairs then there worth.There not worth anymore after you start replacing things and next month it might be a bigger repair bill.Atleast with new and making a payment and trading before things start going wrong you know what will be going out each month.I do not like guessing if it will be a month of I might as well have made a car payment this month.Nothing wrong with driving a older car.But its a headache when things start going wrong.

If I was driving 80 miles a day, like I used to do, then I would surely, by now, need another car. But, my '89 Grand Marquis ("Black Betty") still has less than 100k miles on her. I keep her polished, garaged, serviced and do whatever repairs and maintenance are necessary. So far, only tires, brakes, shocks, one transmission rebuild, one muffler and tailpipe and a new serpantine belt is all I've done other than changing the fluids regularly. I figure I'd have to that stuff with a newer car as well.

1990 2WD Silverado, 208000+ miles. Since purchased with 85,000 miles in 1995 I've replaced or repaired: Wiper blades as needed, 1 fuel pump, 1 water pump, 1 serpentine belt, 2 starters, 1 transmission, 1 ignition key set, 1 set head gaskets, 2 alternators, 2 sets of front brake pads, 1 radiator (core wasn't bad, the end tank cracked),1 power steering pump, tuned up three times, 2 sets of tires and 1 idler arm. Grease and change oil and filter every 5,000 miles. Paint getting bad (truck sits out)and two cab corners rusted. Puffs smoke on startup (sometimes)and add no more than 1 quart of oil between changes (sometimes). I figure it should be good for at least another 60,000 miles if I replace the tires one more time and replace the front rotors. No complaints and it has transported me through good & bad weather with reliability.

I drive a 1995 GEO Metro with 132,000 miles and also have a 1995 Dodge Spirit with 119,000 miles. Drive the Metro in warmer months since winter salt really eats these cars and Spirit in the winter. Liability insurance is cheap and license is $35 per car here in Iowa.

Wife has a 2001 Chevy Malibu bought new and has 60,000 miles. It is her work car and our trip car.

Jasper

Thought this would be a good thread with a lot of activity.

Gave my 1986 Toyota Tercel away in 2004, at about 200K miles, traded my 1988 Dodge Ram 50 pickup in on a 2005 Chevy Colorado in 2005 (it had about 100K with a need for a new carb, I still see it on the road by the person who bought it from the dealer), and gave my 1990 Galant away in February of this year, it had 150K.

Now my three cars/truck all have modern equipment: airbags and anti-lock breaks, these are important safety improvements that old clunkers will never have, and they could save your life. Soon we'll see stability control on all new cars, but that will have to wait for me, safer or not I drive them tell they drop or are prime for giving away.

My oldest car now is a 1999 Mazda supported by a 2004 Forester and a 2005 Colorado, the Mazda has about 40K miles on it.

`95 Chevy Lumina w/160K, still going strong and very clean body. Maint costs is starting to rise though. Just gave it to my 16 yr old who just got his license.

I also have a 1977 Thunderbird with 155K miles on her. Engine/transmission rebuilt right at 100K. That was about, oh, 1992? I obviously keep things forever. I can remember going to my grandmother's house and being impressed by her old (1940's) Kelvinator fridge that was still going strong. Obviously, nothing is made to last that long today with regular use. I do think that technology has made life a lot easier!

Depreciation/Insurance/Interest on the loan and you still have to peform maintenance that is the TOTAL cost of the new car, most folks really dont add it up that way lol. IMO (poor as a church mouse here) a New car = bad deal unless of course you are independently wealthy and have money to throw away.
I drive a 1997 Chevy 1500 PU with 322k miles I am currently looking for a nice 3 to 5 year old used truck for replacement but ole blue is still running strong and is cheap (compared to the new car TOTAL cost) to operate and maintain so no hurry, I may make my move by 400k , maybe.. and the ole truck will still bring in a couple thousand towards the newer one. When I see the nice folks driving the brand new Denali dnt1 dont have any envy, the feeling I get is more like pity and a bit of thankfulness that someone is brave enought to support the auto industry and keep the economy in tip top shape lol.

I drive 2 11 year old cars, might have more posters with 10 or older every day drivers. Just a thought

My total annual transportation costs for two cars right now accrue to about $2k annually. This includes:
Gasoline: $1000-$1500 and rising.
Insurance: $420
Annual tags: $60
I'm enjoying it while I can. With gasoline approaching $5 a gallon this summer, I still cannot justify spending thousands on a newer, more efficient car. It would take years at my current expense level to make up the difference for the total costs on a new car.

My husband's truck is a '93--still going strong.

I just traded in my '89 Caravan last spring--it had about 125,000 miles on it, had only ever had 3 major repairs (other than routine maintenance), and was still running well--although the paint and upholstery had seen better days. But, I fell in love--if my FJ Cruiser lasts as well, (and it should last even better, being a Toyota), it will probably be the last car I ever have to buy. We tend to buy new (so we aren't buying someone else's problems, and can keep our vehicles well-maintained), then keep them for ever.

FJ Cruisers are cool, not sure I would want as my every day driver with MPG and high gas prices. Looks like a fun vehicle for sure.
Jasper

I finally broke down and traded in old faithful........
NOT!!! Just trying to keep an old forum alive.

Old cars are great, cheap insurance/License, no car payments. Just take care of them and they will run a long time.

I love my 95 Metro

I have a 1991 Ford Mustang GT. 350,000 miles on her, never broke down on me anywhere and I really do drive her (no cobwebs in her tailpipes) I adore this car, the paint is finally starting to fade (painting to be done by hubby this Summer) the whole interior is going to be needing replaced. I will gladly pay for any and all repairs needed to keep her going. We have kept good basic maintance although the timing belt has never been replaced (on the to-do list) and it can be a clutch eater (or maybe I am the clutch eater?) the windshield wipers did not exist for the first 10 years we owned her (rain-x works better anyway) but a stuffy inspection guy made us fix them (what nerve! lol) and my front license plate is held on with a clothes hanger (hubby refused to drill holes and I got tired of the tickets)
We own a 07 cobalt and I still prefer to drive the stanger the 50 miles to my mom's (I really don't trust that little car yet)

1995 Thunderbird with 146,000 miles on it. Bought it after I sold my 1992 Thunderbird with 225,000 miles. It still ran and drove good but years of hauling dogs had been hard on the interior and the paint was getting bad.

Don't drive them everyday but also have a 1987 Dakota with 146,000 miles and a 1972 Ford pickup with 400,000.

Lisa

*doh* not the timing belt, the Serpentine (sp?) belt.
micke

To show how strong the old V8's can be....I knew a salesman who was driving 60,000-65,000 miles per year. Always had a Ford, Crown Vic V8. Claims an airplane mechanic told him that the oil never wears out that much and to just change the oil filter every 5,000 miles and then put the same oil back in. Change the oil and filter at 20,000 miles.
He would keep the cars for 3 years and so would have 180,000-190,000 miles on a car. At that time, if you all remember, when the odometer hit 100,000 it would turn and start all over again at zero.
So, when he traded his cars in the dealer always said, "Heh, can't give you much. 80,000 miles is a lot for a 3 year old car." Little did he know it was 180,000. Wonder how the people made out who bought those cars. The funny thing is with his method of "oil exchange" rather than "change" he claims he never once had engine related problems. So, to him, that proved that the airplane mechanic was right.