Daily Driver Lifespan

[coreybox]

How long do you keep your daily driver? Get a new car every 5 years or so? Drive it into the ground?

My 1996 V6 Ford Explorer (2-door "sport") is still running strong, albeit with a rebuilt transmission and alternator. Plan on driving it till it can drive no more. A new car would be nice, but I just can't crunch the numbers in a way that shows any benefit.

[jaycee]

As long as it will last. Never had a new car and am going to keep it that way.

[fredgarvin]

I've been driving my Nissan pu since 2000. Before that I drove a Bronco for ten years. I tend to keep care of them and drive them until they are used up. I have other vehicles though.

[stevieboy]

I'm about to turn 60. I just got my 6th car ever.

[jrjones]

Originally Posted by coreybox

Plan on driving it till it can drive no more. A new car would be nice, but I just can't crunch the numbers in a way that shows any benefit.

This. I'm driving an 89 toyota pickup...will probably still be driving it 5-10 years from now...

[geekocaster]

when i used to commute 25k + miles per year i used to get a different (not NEW, but usually used with around 40,000 miles or less) every 2 or 3 years. now that i don't drive as much (work is less than 7 miles) i have been driving the same car for 4 years and it seems like forever, but i can't justify spending the dough.

[Gitarman]

I usually keep them just around 10 years or so... but get rid of them when they start wanting $$$.

However, I just traded in my '02 Chevy pickup with only 63k (trouble free) miles on it b/c it was finally time to get something with a back seat (2nd kid on the way ):

[halorealm7]

I'll drive it until the maintenance exceeds it's value. Not putting a $3000 trans in an $1800 automobile...etc

[coreybox]

Originally Posted by halorealm7

I'll drive it until the maintenance exceeds it's value. Not putting a $3000 trans in an $1800 automobile...etc

I can see that logic, but have not followed it.

My tranny rebuild was only $1000, and I've yet to see a car I could have bought (that would have been an upgrade) that cost only that much.

[Selsaral]

I have very little personal car repair skills, so it always depends on what's breaking on it.

My '97 Accord is paid off and going strong, so I am still investing in it. It's not letting me down.

[scottlr]

All I have is a daily driver. A 2001 Nissan Sentra (bought new in 2001) with only 70K miles. I suspect it'll be at least another 5 years before I get a new car. It's not as pretty as it once was, but it still runs well. I do need to have a few things done on it. It needs a new serpentine belt and an front end alignment, and close to new tires, wiper blades, etc. Oh, and on my Xmas list this year will be a new CD player for it. I hit a pothole a couple of years ago and no more CD player. The car was always my favorite place to listen to my CDs. So if I am gonna keep it another 5 years, I need a new CD player. Nothing fancy, just something as good as the factory one was.

[TrickinSid]

We have owned 3 or 4 used cars in the past (I'm 47) and the truck I have now is an 01 Ford Ranger w/ 65,000 miles
...which is only the second NEW vehicle that we have bought.

As long as it keeps getting me to work (20 min each way)
....I'll drive her until the wheels burn off!

UNLESS.....a great deal would come along on a newer used one.

Would be nice to have a brand new shiney truck (with a brand new shiney payment )...

......but I'd rather buy gear.

[Blue Fin]

We have a 1998 Civic and a 2000 Tacoma...both bought new. We'll keep them until they become unreliable or a repair is too costly to make sense.

[Ricman]

I buy 'em brand new and they haul 'em off in a pine box.

[crzyfngers]

i bought an astro van with 189000 miles on it, 6 months ago. now it has 229000 and runs like a top. i don't know if a new car can hang with that.