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Page added on September 8, 2012
Older Cars: The lengthening life of your ride
More and more, people are in a committed relationship — with their wheels.
The average age of cars and light trucks (SUVs included), says Experian, is now 11 years — double the age in 1970. Driving this: higher quality and, lately, a poor economy.
Plus, as auto historian John Heitmann notes, buyer frenzy about new tech and dramatic model changes isn’t at the car lot anymore; it’s at the Apple Store.
Roadmap
Keeping your car? Regular oil changes are a no-brainer, but most people neglect to replace the timing belt every 60,000 miles or so, says Russ Evans of the Under the Hood radio show. Skipping that $800 to $950 job can lead to major engine failure.
Fixing it? A broken transmission or a blown head gasket can cost thousands to mend; your cash may be better spent renting a car while you shop for a new ride, says Autoblog’s Jeff Sabatini. Steer clear of repairs costlier than your car’s trade-in value.
Selling it? Because of high demand, late-model cars can get a surprisingly good price from a dealer these days.
Even clunkers, though, will move on sites such as Craigslist. A $200 wash and detail could make you $500 or more in return, says Richard Arca of Edmunds.com: “Clean junk brings in more than dirty junk.
8 Comments on "Older Cars: The lengthening life of your ride"
Mike999 on Sat, 8th Sep 2012 10:37 pm
They said, the modest price increase over a FIT would never pay for itself, in the Honda Insight.
I’m saving 1000+ Dollars a Year.
I’ll keep the car for 6 years, then my son will drive it for 6 years.
Americans can’t do Math.
Kenz300 on Sat, 8th Sep 2012 11:31 pm
The fuel efficiency of newer model cars keeps improving. Getting 40 MPG instead of 20 MPG means the price of gas can double and the family budget for fuel has not increased. There are many 40 MPG vehicles available now that did not exist a few years ago. There are now electric/hybrid and CNG options that offer great MPG.
I see a lot more small/medium size cars on the road and a lot less trucks and SUV’s.
Ken Nohe on Sun, 9th Sep 2012 1:36 am
The future American car:
As sold by marketing – Hybrid now (if you can afford it) – Electric tomorrow and Jetson the day after tomorrow.
More likely – Mexico in a RV camp nearby now – Cuba tomorrow and Africa the day after tomorrow. Or if things turn nasty, “technical” as they say, Somalia!
There is always a way to fix an old car. The less demanding you are, the cheaper it is. Once we’re done with all regulations, it should be a steal!
BillT on Sun, 9th Sep 2012 1:59 am
Ken, you are correct. I never bought a car with less than 80,000 miles on it when I bought it and always got at least another 100,000 miles before it was hauled to the junk yard after years of semi-faithful service. As paycheck shrink and prices increase, cars will be driven to their death, not traded in every few years for a new model. That is why it would take 20 years to get all the old inefficient cars off the roads.
SOS on Sun, 9th Sep 2012 2:57 am
I’m driving my 4th Mercury Marquee. 297,000 or so. Wonderful machine. The human-beings can sure make some nice machines!!
DC on Sun, 9th Sep 2012 3:49 am
The only efficent gas-burning car, is one thats been scrapped for its processed metal and it no longer on the road. Anyone that thinks amerikas garbage cars are remotely efficent, or will be someday, needs to check there basic assumptions. The time for mandating ‘efficent’ gas burners was over 50 years ago. It might have made a difference we could see today. But ‘we'(and by we I mean our corporate oil-auto rulers) did nothing of the sort. In fact, they went the other way and made them even LESS efficent, hard as you’d think would be-they did it. Japan and Eruope were much wiser than us, but even there much better built trash-bins are still a bad idea, and a dead end no matter what there nominal MPG is. Proof? EU cars are over 2x the MPG as any of GM or Fords garbage, and cleaner to boot. Despite that, Eruope still has way too many cars, too much smog and pollution, and the price of fuel there is even hurting the ‘efficent’ EU and Asian made trash-bins. Since North Amercia is NOWHERE near the efficiency levels of Asia or the EU, and we can clearly see problems even in areas that far surpass us in ‘efficency’ its pretty clear to see. Old car, efficent car, makes no difference. Gas-burning Cars are the problem-period, indeed cars are hugely problematic all by themselves.
Keeping old cars chugging along much make some sense energetically, but the will leak and pollute even worse as they age. Damn if you do, and damned if you do when it comes to any oil powered car.
SOS on Sun, 9th Sep 2012 3:59 am
You are opinionated.
Arthur on Sun, 9th Sep 2012 9:40 am
Spectacular 2 wheel invention from San Francisco, slashing energy consumption of the average 4 wheel (European) car by a factor of 3-4:
http://deepresource.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/lit-motors-c1/
Who needs four wheel cars if the average occupation rate of the standard 5 seater is 1.25?