I stumbled into this on Twitter, and it caught my eye, as I’ve never seen anything comparable. Given that I have kept several new cars for right about 15 years (’85 Cherokee, ’92 Caravan, ’00 Forester, and my ’05 xB is almost there), it is interesting to see what new cars others chose to keep for the long haul. The choices don’t exactly surprise me, for obvious reasons. Not one American brand on the list. Is that a reflection of the cars or the owners?
I’d say both; the question being how much weight to give to each. Clearly the kind of folks who are more practical, self-controlled and financially conservative are of course likely to reach for the brands that have a long-established reputation for durability and reliability, whereas American brands seem to attract buyers who might more likely be impulsive and less happy to ride in the same car for 15 years or more.
In any case, the list is interesting because these are precisely the kind of cars that are very predominant in my part of the world, and helps explain why there’s so many older cars around. In fact, 15 years might be on the low side for same-car ownership in Eugene.
So have you owned a new car for 15 years? Can you see yourself doing so? (Jim Klein and a few other of our COAL writers are exempt from answering).
Two of the cars on this list are in my driveway/garage. The first (Toyota Sienna) doesn’t surprise me at all. I don’t anticipate we’ll keep ours anywhere near 15 years, but I have little doubt that it could make it. The second (VW Golf) surprises me a lot. I’m on my second Golf (technically a GTI), and based on the constant issues with that car, I very seriously doubt that I’ll even make it to the 5 year mark before I unload it! Lovely car in every way except how it’s put together, and I know I’m not alone in this sentiment. It seems that many of the people that drive Volkswagens tend to be rather passionate (I used to be, before this lemon came along), which I guess could explain why they hold onto them for so long. But still, that did surprise me to see the VW Golf up there among well-proven Japanese automobiles.
Now the bloody Dacia’s sulking because I didn’t post a photo of it. Grrr. Prepare to get excited….
We just got rid of our 2003 Sienna just shy of the 15 year mark, but it had over 290k miles. Still ran great, but the rust had gotten to be too extensive, to the point we were worried about the shocks coming through the engine compartment when you went over a speed bump.
I have owned my 2005 Ford Focus for 13 yrs next month. It had 21K miles when I bought it & it now has 61K miles. I had to replace a broken driver’s side mirror, fix the driver’s side seat which broke & replace the front speakers. I’m still very happy w/it & have no plans to replace it.
Bought a 86 VW GTI in Oct 86. Sold it in Oct 99 with 144k for $3,000.
Not quite 15 years.
I also first sold this car in Dec 1994, with 118k miles. I regretted it. I asked new owner if I could buy it back. He said “no”. I let it go. Then a month later, he called and asked if I was still interested. I wondered what was wrong with the car. He said had an injury and couldn’t drive a stick. So I bought it back for what I sold it PLUS his costs (sales taxes).
I sold in in 99 to buy my brothers V6 Probe GT. He warned me. He was right. Probe was a POS. I regretted selling the VW.
I got lucky and found a decent 86 GTI in summer 2000. I bought it. I still have it. 17 years–but not since new.
And my car may still be on it’s second owner–the kid I sold it to. He was thrilled with the car. As he chirped the tires rounding the corner from my house, I figured “the car is done”.
Did a carfax on in 2009, 10 years later. Still in kid’s name!
Just sold my 88 Cherokee with 250K miles on it, had it for 14 years. Lucked out when a neighbor down the street had a 94 Cherokee he wasn’t using any more, plus it is a 5 speed manual !. Looking forward to another 14 years…
It doesn’t count since I bought them used, but I have owned at least one GM B body continuously since 1997. They wouldn’t show up in a statistic like this one. I think a majority of B-body owners have been long term since they went out of production in 1996.
I didn’t buy it new, but I kept my ’00 TJ Wrangler for right at 10 years–’03-’13. There just wasn’t much reason to upgrade since the TJs in the next several years never got the available V8 that Id been wishing for…although a Rubicon TJ-L with halfcab would have been SWEET. The JK just seemed to lose the plot for me…V6 engine, almost no recognizable direct lineage with the CJs I started out with.
The list of cars seems (mostly) counterintuitive. Keep a Tacoma or Tundra for a long time after sinking money into exhaust, tires, wheels, etc…absolutely, and this is why Id kept 2 of my Jeeps for long term. But to keep a blah appliance like a cammry or prius sounds like self imposed misery…but that’s from a car guy’s perspective. The only gaming system I own is my PS2 that I bought new in ’02 primarily as a DVD player. My gamer nerd co workers snicker at this but I’m FAR from a video gamer. Ive had the same microwave that I bought in ’06 when I moved. It still works, so why spend money replacing something that does the job? To someone who buys many of the cars on this list, I’m guessing that buying a new car is a reaction to the old one being used up. Its not an exciting day or even a pleasant experience….much like when my last vacuum cleaner shit the bed and I had to spend $200 on a new one.
OTOH, car nuts are always seduced by the newest fasted upgraded thing. I’m in a couple of car clubs and most people have owned 2-4 LX cars. The old ones are proven durable, but every refresh has offered some substantial upgrade making it worth investing in the newer model, whether its higher hp, a new transmission, upgraded suspension, etc. Is a ’18 corolla any different than a ’04, outside of new sheetmetal? The same basic camry was in production for at least 10 years with what…a new front fascia or different wheelcovers every so often? To a frugal minded appliance buyer, its about squeezing that nickel not the car itself as a reward.
“Clearly the kind of folks who are more practical, self-controlled and financially conservative are of course likely to reach for the brands that have a long-established reputation for durability and reliability…”
Perhaps, but could that also mean they have less resources available to spend on a vehicle?
That’s not a slam in any sense of the word, either. After all, we kept our 2002 CR-V for almost 14 years, selling it to a neighbor on our cul-de-sac, so I see it every day!
Wifey loved it and she loves our CPO 2015 CR-V a lot more, even if the old one was more truck-like. Me? I tend to get tired of a vehicle, although I kept the 2004 Impala over 8 years, and actually loved that car as much as the day I bought it when I sold it to a coworker. Why did I sell it? Opportunity. I lusted for the last W-body style ever since 2005 and found a great deal on my 2012 Impala LTZ I couldn’t pass up.
What’s next? I don’t know, but being retired, I too have to be mindful of my resources, even if a friend is almost begging me to sell it to him!
We’ll see…
“Perhaps, but could that also mean they have less resources available to spend on a vehicle?“
Not in nearly as many cases as you would think. I’ve known a substantial number of people who on the surface appear very modest or even poor yet are actually misers sitting on a ton of cash…they just never spend a cent they don’t have to. The flip side of that is morons who barely make $30K a year but are balls deep in debt to keep up an appearance of being a ‘baller’.
I don’t get either extreme, myself. Im all about having a lifestyle where you enjoy what you’ve worked for. But be smart about it and stay within your means. Most importantly, I think its smart to identify your passions and spend there, where it enriches your life as opposed to falling for every shiny trinket/fad. But that’s me…
You are very correct on your last paragraph, and I couldn’t agree more. Wifey and I are the same way.
I had a great-uncle – a WW1 vet – who was a absolute miser, much to the sometimes chagrin of his wife. After all, who drives a Rambler for many years, only to buy a stripped-down Pontiac full-sized car without even an ashtray? The OHC 6 was cool, however!
To their credit, however, they were good Germans, and my aunt used to hand-scrub the basement floor regularly! Needless to say, the house was always spotless. STL Germans were known for scrubbing their portion of the alleys in the city, too!
I can easily see myself still driving the 2010 Fit in 2025. Dad’s last new car purchase in 1999 was a Camry. His great grandson is driving it today.
I was surprised to see that Nissan Frontier was listed at #14, especially after all the Toyotas above it. I bought my Frontier XL 4×2 I4 5-speed (regular cab) in Sept, 2000 after buying my first house. I still have it today at 283K miles although I got a nicer car to be my DD three years ago. Because I’m a home owner, I can always find use for a truck either as a second vehicle, or as a truck. Another reason I keep it is because it’s small; I’d happily drive a Hi-Lux (my dad had a 1975 Toyota SR-5 shortbed for over 10 years) if they were made again. Today’s ‘small’ truck seems ginormous now. The one thing that almost made me give up my Frontier was that I had to replace the transmission twice and rebuilt once because it just wasn’t designed to pull a U-Haul trailer (it pulled a trailer 5 times, with something happening either during or shortly after last 4 tows), but saved it with a used transmission installed for $2K total in 2011. Outside of that, it’s been reliable as rain. Even now it cranks on the first turn in cold damp weather, half-dead battery after two weeks sitting unused. I still see a few Frontiers on the road, but almost all of them are king cabs.
The truck I had before the Frontier was a 1982 Toyota SR-5 longbed 5-sp manual. I bought it used in the summer of 1984 and gave it away in November, 1998 because I didn’t think it would make the 1000 miles from Albany, NY to Atlanta (it wouldn’t stay in 5th gear for one thing); everything but the R-20 engine was pretty much rusted out. I started crying the moment I handed the keys and title over to a friend of mine.
The longest owned vehicle in our family was a 1978 Datsun 810 sedan 4-dr with a 4 sp manual; a car so worthy of a COAL. I had a hand in extending our family ownership by over two years (my dad was going to donate it) during my interregnum between trucks when I had no job, no vehicle, no hope …. We had that vehicle for 24 years total, from fall 1977 when Pop bought it to when I handed it back to him in April, 2001. It was actually a pretty good highway car though average for around town driving.
I’m not sure how credible this list is. Toyota Prius came onto the world market in 2000, and the first generation (2000-2003) sold about 123,000 worldwide (Wikipedia). Second generation (2003-2009) sold 1,192,000. Didn’t find numbers for later models, but these two total 1,315,000: 15% of that would be 197,250. So basically ALL those sold from 2000 to 2003 would have to be in the original owners’ hands?
Assuming this list came out recently, the youngest car that could be 15 years old would be a 2003 model. So only 2003 and older cars could count towards the 15%. In the case of the Prius that would be 15% of cars sold from 2000-2003. This site says 65,864 Priuses were sold in the US (not worldwide) from 2000-2003. 15% of that is 9,880 cars.
As others have observed, I think a problem with this list is the fact that Japanese brands tend to stick to their model names, unlike restless US marketers, who can’t seem to let a model name last that long.
First question – How OLD are these people? I’m betting that the average age of an individual keeping a car for 15 or more years is 65+.
The reason the list is predominantly Toyota is because this is a list composed mostly of empty nester Boomers who no longer experience major lifestyle changes of births within their immediate family.
These are retiree’s cars.
When you are a young parent, you go through cars as your family grows and wears out vehicles. Your ownership cycle changes as your family changes.
Boomers love their Toyotas and Hondas. They haven’t had kids in a decade or more. So without the need for a different kind of car, the vehicles they purchased 15 years ago or more, haven’t had to change because their lives haven’t impacted their vehicular needs.
I got married – new car.
I got a kid – new car.
I got another kid – new car.
I got twins – new car.
I got bigger kids – new car.
I got teens – new car.
My house is now empty – new car.
Keeping that last new car 15 years?
Easy.
That’s my take.
We kept our first new car (’85 Cherokee) for 15 years, and I was 32 when we bought it. I was 39 when we bought a new Caravan and we kept it for 15 years. In both cases, they became my car (or second car) when the newer one came along. Stephanie was 45 when we bought the ’00 Forester which she drove for 15 years.
In my part of the world, I know (and see) a lot of folks who keep cars a long time. And not everyone has kids.
We bought a Volvo 850 sedan and an 850 wagon new in ’96, immediately following our nuptials. And an hour ago I dropped my oldest off to fly back to college, in the same car I drove him home from the hospital in. All three kids (and my spouse and I) have fit (simultaneously) in these vehicles for the past 22 years. Sure, I wanted a new car every few years, but these two cars have fulfilled our transport requirements and continue to do so. They’re economical enough to have saved some money in the long run, sporty enough to keep from feeling too deprived/bored, and with sufficiently efficient space/utilization to cart the whole family, or bunch of Boy Scouts, or twin bed, or two 10′ longboards when that is required. Everyone should buy the cars they need or want, but I haven’t needed or wanted (well, not too much) a new car, even with all the life changes that raising a family brings. YMMV.
I know a fairly well off couple who bought a new Mercedes and Jaguar in the late 80s while in their early/mid 40s and kept both of them for almost 20 years before replacing them with, as I recall, Lexuses in the late 2000s. I think it’s a mindset, some people just don’t want to spend money on 2 new cars every 3 years.
What if this is about the cost of living?
If I lived on either coast, I would have a lot less to spend on new cars. Perhaps the reason we see Japanese cars on the 15+ years list is because these folks live where it is drastically more expensive and Japanese cars are more common?
If I move to Portland, I would have to earn $49,000 more than I do in Springfield – just to stay even. With that cost of living, I wouldn’t have the income to buy a new car whenever I needed.
When I went to school in Denver, I saw lots of old vehicles on the road – and still do. The cost of living was so high, I couldn’t justify a move there when offered a job.
Maybe this list is reflecting the cost of living on the West Coast.
In my case it was the cost of college. When the kid graduated from oregon State, it was like getting a $35,000/yr raise.
Ten years and two months into my ownership of a ’94 W124. I’ve added 80,000 kilometres to the clock and “Mercy Mercedes” is still toddling along with just a few more squeaks and tattles in those ten years.
Body is a bit of a shed, but I’m keeping the oily bits up to par and it might just outlive me. Biggest problem would be finding a car better built than this tank.
Work van, Chevrolet 2008 Express van with 355,000 miles, engine purrs, did replace auto trans at 350,000miles. Personal cars? French Renaults and Peugeots. Not near the high mileage, I do keep a close watch on maintenence, they also purr. Chevy does remind me of the French cars cheap plastics.
As owner of a 07 Highlander (Hybrid); 06 Tundra and 05 RAV4 and previously two 1st gen Odysseys (98s) I can fully understand why these vehicles are kept so long…….they work well and don:t break! Japanese engineering is absolutely remarkable in my experience.
Wonderful as these vehicles are, we do also own a 16 Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost and a 12 VW GTI when sheer driving pleasure is the goal.
If you go by all the cars I’ve owned; my first car, 1968 Impala Convertible I bought at age 16 in 1975 and still own it. Second car, 1968 Nova SS, bought in 1977, still own it, 1968 Chevelle 300 Coupe, ownedfrom 1979-1993, was my daily driver during most of that time. 1983 Chevette, daily driver from 1991-2001, cars I bought brand new: 1986 El Camino still own it, but it only has 6,600 miles on it.. 1989 Cavalier Z24 Convertible owned from1989-2009, most troublesome new car I ever owned, traded it in for a 10 Camaro on order in February of 09 with barely 10,000 miles on it. 1998 S10 owned from December 1997-2009, wish I had kept it, 2007 Cobalt SS only kept it s year and a half, 2010 Camaro still own it, 2012 Colorado Z71 crewcab, still own it. I currently also own an 80 Monte Carlo that I’ve owned since 1995. And a 79 Malibu Coupe I’ve owned since 2004, a 69 Impala Coupe I’ve owned since 2004, and a 67 Impala owned since 2005. I’ve owned many others, but most lesss than 10 years.