# How long do Tugers keep their cars?



## CMF (Oct 24, 2007)

I'm getting an itch to buy a new car and there is nothing wrong with my Camry.  I have a little over 118K miles on it.  It's a 2001.  How often do you change cars?

Charles


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## Htoo0 (Oct 24, 2007)

Are you ready to sell?   My '92 Cam has close to 250K miles, the '01 has 85K, and my '91 Toy truck has 200K. (My '50 Merc however only has about 100K.) I'm looking to replace the '92, just don't feel it's worth putting more money into it.


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## JudyH (Oct 24, 2007)

I keep them until they die.  I just got rid of an 1984 Suburban with 87,000 original miles, cause it didn't have safety features, but it ran.  The 92 Camery was going strong on 200,000 miles, until a hit and run killed it, while it was sleeping quietly on a parking lot.


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## wackymother (Oct 24, 2007)

We have a 1995 Toyota Camry wagon with 170,000 miles on it. We thought we were hearing the death rattle earlier this month...it turned out to be a simple matter of $$$$  to fix it. And we bought a dinged-up 1999 Corolla last year for my DH to commute in, to take the strain off the wagon.


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## johnmfaeth (Oct 24, 2007)

I still have my 91 Acura that was my commuter car when I drove to NYC every day (for many years). The locals refer to NYC parking lots/garages as "dent and scratch" lots. So if I got a dent on the right side, I would have to kick it on the left side so it matched. 

PS. Now I drive my more modern 98 Olds for daily use...I guess I'm cheap too...


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## Htoo0 (Oct 24, 2007)

Assume some of us have to be cheap to afford our timeshares!


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## Nanoose (Oct 24, 2007)

1992 Honda Accord 220,000 miles and going strong!!!! ITS PAID FOR!!!!   I would love a new car, but then I think of the higher insurance, the car payment, higher registration costs!  Having a heart attack after seeing the first ding.

I have worked hard at keeping my 92 in good shape!  As long as it is running good, I  think I will keep it a few more years!


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## geekette (Oct 24, 2007)

Till they die.  

We have a 93 Chevy conversion van that is our road trip vehicle, currently the most elderly in our fleet.  Mine is a 99, DH's is newer altho I don't recall what year, maybe 2005?


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## Cathy in Boston (Oct 24, 2007)

Until my husband can't take it anymore.  He complained for years about "needing" an SUV.  So we finally traded in the 1999 Camry in January (about 110,000 miles and no problems, great car) for a 2007 Highlander.  He absolutely loves it.

Me, I haven't really driven in about 25 years but my 82 yo father just moved up here and gave up driving, so I am now the owner of a 2000 Chevy Impala with less than 50,000 miles on it.


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## sandcastles (Oct 24, 2007)

I have a 93 Camry with only 73,000 miles on it.  The only work that has been done to it is new brakes.  It looks showroom new.  Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration but it does look good.

I expect to keep it as long as I am around because I just drive it around town.  My husband has a new and a bigger (but not better) car that we use for trips.

We would have bought another Toyota but with the Camry, Avalon and even the Lexus you cannot get bench seats.  I feel too closed in with most of the bucket seats.


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## Deb from NC (Oct 24, 2007)

Wow!  Compared to you guys I feel like I'm driving a new car...my
2002 Acura TL has 80,000 miles on it   Planning to drive it 'til it
drops.....it's paid for and I love it !
Deb


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## Jestjoan (Oct 24, 2007)

We have Toyotas (Camry and Highlander) and drive them for a long time. I recently read that they are not as highly rated as they were. Bummer.


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## jme (Oct 24, 2007)

2001 Toyota Sequoia SUV with 100,000 miles, and i love it, too....i definitely see a trend developing here........(Toyotas & lots of miles)...very wise choices.....'course the Hondas and Acuras are equivalent.....jme


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## dougp26364 (Oct 24, 2007)

Lately 7 to 10 years depending on the car and how many miles we have on it. Lately it's been a situation of getting bored with he same old car. Currently I have two cars that are almost 3 years old. One, the Saturn Relay, is giving us a few mild problems that concern me about it's viability over the long haul. It may be traded in when the lease complete's in 2009. The Saturn Vue on the other hand hasn't given me any problems and only has 19,400 miles on it after 3 years and 7 months of driving. I can see keeping this vehicle around for another 5 or 7 years depending on it's durability. Since it's garaged it still looks and feels like new to me.

The last cars we traded in we had for over 7 years each. Both had less than 70,000 miles on them. The Buick had begun to have a few minor maintenance issues that were annoying but I had just outgrown the Mustang (finished my mid-life crisis I guess) and wanted something that was more drivable in the snow and ice.  The Mustang really sucked if there were more than two people riding in it as it had a back seat in name only.


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## geekette (Oct 24, 2007)

sandcastles said:


> I feel too closed in with most of the bucket seats.



Bucket seats are never comfortable for me, I will always get bench seats.  It's hard for me to find a comfortable 'cockpit' as I'm not tall, and I'm not big and it's not comfortable to not be able to use armrests because they are too far away.

At least now some of the shoulder straps have the height adjustments - perhaps someone noticed all of us less-than-tall people putting the shoulder portion behind us because we couldn't stand the chafing of our necks and ears any longer!!


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## BevL (Oct 24, 2007)

My car is three years old, a 2005 Nissan Altima.  I commute so put about 25,000 miles (I think that's the right conversion from kilometres) a year on.  This is the longest we've kept a car, we'd usually trade up every second year before the mileage got too high, and since I'll be changing careers next year, we'll probably keep it for a while.  It's the nicest car I've ever had, I love it.


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## AwayWeGo (Oct 24, 2007)

*eBay PT Cruiser (2002) & eBay Dodge Grand Caravan SXT (2005).*

Both cars are still OK but for reasons not entirely explainable -- i.e., not all that different from when we buy timeshares -- we're thinking about shucking off the eBay PT Cruiser & replacing it with a new(er) PT Cruiser or maybe a Kia Rio5 or possibly a Mazda5. 

Our eBay Dodge Grand Caravan SXT is absolutely the ideal vehicle for us, mainly because of its Stow & Go middle & rear seats -- a whopping big improvement over conventional minivan seats that have to be _oofed_ out of the car & stored someplace temporarily for an all-cargo configuration, then heaved back into the car & struggled with to get'm re-installed afterwards.  What a chore!   

Until the other minivan companies come up with something similar, Dodge Grand Caravans & Chrysler Town & Countries are the only models we're apt to be interested in.  That is to say, fold-flat seats in the rear  only & not in the center row won't do it for us.  Who'd a-thunk we'd be hauling so much _stuff_ at our age?  But there we are. 

The Chief Of Staff's sister borrows the Grand Caravan now & then to take her Girl Scout troop on outings, etc., so now she's thinking of buying herself a Dodge (non-Grand) Caravan that a neighbor is getting ready to sell off.  The Chief Of Staff is advising against that purchase, only because the neighbor's Caravan is not Stow & Go equipped -- it makes that much difference in The Chief Of Staff's opinion. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## geoand (Oct 24, 2007)

95 Explorer with 140,000 and 99 Suburban with 112,000


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## SherryS (Oct 24, 2007)

We drive ours until they die or need expensive repairs that are not worth the cost!  We have a '91 Camry with 144,000 miles and a '01 Accord with 130,000miles.  Our "new" car in Michigan is a Volvo with only 61,000 miles.


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## AKFisher (Oct 24, 2007)

I have a 99 Ford F150 with 154K miles and a 2000 Toyota RAV4 with 140K miles. Bought both of them used - the F150 I've had for 6 years and it's going strong. I have only replaced tires, brakes, and the alternator on it. (Knock on wood!)

I've had the Toyota for 1 1/2 years, and only time will tell. I hope to get to at least 200K miles on both of them.


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## CMF (Oct 24, 2007)

*I guess I'll keep the Camry a few more years.*

My last Camry went 225K miles.  I then sold it to a cabbie for $500 who was going to ship it to Ethiopia!

Charles


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## Hoc (Oct 24, 2007)

CMF said:


> I'm getting an itch to buy a new car and there is nothing wrong with my Camry.  I have a little over 118K miles on it.  It's a 2001.  How often do you change cars?
> 
> Charles



Personally, I keep mine until they cost more than about $3-4k a year in repairs.  With my earlier cars, that was about 7 years or so, going up to about 110,000 miles.  With my current car, it looks like it's going to be closer to 10 years and 150,000 miles.


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## teachingmyown (Oct 24, 2007)

*Only Ford products for us!*

I'm driving a '96 Windstar minivan with 150K and hubby's driving a 2000 F150 with nearly 100K.  The only reason we traded my '86 Tempo for the minivan and his '89 Tracer for the truck was the increase in family size and the need to carry lots of camping equipment for the Boy Scout campouts.

I thought I was ready to trade in a couple of months ago but changed my mind when thinking about the payments, the insurance, etc.

Our oldest son is driving a '96 Cougar with 100+K and we are probably about to purchase a 2000 Focus for the next one.

Ford products have done well for us.   Seven of the eight vehicles we've purchased have been either Fords or Mercurys and we don't even consider switching brands.


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## wackymother (Oct 24, 2007)

Hoc said:


> Personally, I keep mine until they cost more than about $3-4k a year in repairs.  With my earlier cars, that was about 7 years or so, going up to about 110,000 miles.  With my current car, it looks like it's going to be closer to 10 years and 150,000 miles.



Oh, phew. I'm glad you said this. The wagon just needed this big repair, but it's still nowhere near $3-$4,000 in repairs for the year. I feel better.


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## rapmarks (Oct 24, 2007)

*we keep ours til someone runs into them*

You may remember that last year our car was parked in Branson (on vacation) and someone ran into.  It only had 60,000 miles and it was totalled.  It was the same make and model and year and color that was totalled while parked a few years before.  that one only had about 30,000 miles on it.  WE replaced the car in May and we went to the mall a couple of weeks ago.  I heard my husband say oh no and looked to see a lady backing straight into us.  There was no place to go and we just sat there helplessly.  The car rocked and we got out to look at the damage.  somehow there were no dents or anything.  So we will keep this one for awhile longer.


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## IngridN (Oct 24, 2007)

We keep 'em until they die...usually around 18 years or so.  We have a 1994 Camaro with 75K  and a 2003 Murano with 31K. 

Would much rather spend the money on timeshares and vacations than a new car!

Ingrid


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## Parkplace (Oct 24, 2007)

Nice to see that I am not an anomoly!

I have a 92 Crown Victoria with 260,000 K that runs like a top.

I can't sell it (nobody wants it) can't kill it (it just keeps going) so I will just have to drive it until something big goes wrong.  I've been told that Crown Vics can get up to 600,000 miles on them!


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## gsturtz (Oct 24, 2007)

Parkplace said:


> Nice to see that I am not an anomoly!
> 
> I have a 92 Crown Victoria with 260,000 K that runs like a top.
> 
> I can't sell it (nobody wants it) can't kill it (it just keeps going) so I will just have to drive it until something big goes wrong.  I've been told that Crown Vics can get up to 600,000 miles on them!



It's no surprise that Crown Vics were and still are the preferred choice of many police departments.

I've got a 2006 F350 (for pulling horse trailer)w/40 K miles
2005 Mustang Convertible (my midlife crisis car)
and my DW drives a 2005 Audi.

My son will be getting his DL next june so I'm looking fo a 95-97 pickup truck for him.


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## philemer (Oct 24, 2007)

I *hate* car payments!  We have a 96 Pontiac with 121K miles and a 98 Toyota with 75K miles. If I ever have a repair bill that will run = to or > than the resale value of the car then I'll dump it and buy a new one. Simple formula.


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## spirits (Oct 24, 2007)

*American then Japanese*

My husband swore by GM for years.  He stills cries over our old Caprice stationwagon with a 350 engine.  Says that was the best car he ever owned.  But that was with young kids and camping.  Now he drives a 92 Lexus 400 and I have a 99 Acura TL.  Both second hand.  I still need a reliable car for work (I work out of town) and will keep it till it gets 200K.  Then get another Acura.  He has 160K and will drive it till it or him rusts out:hysterical: But now that GM is getting better with their quality we will need to take another look.  Ford is #1 with quality and Toyota is #3 according to Consumers. The world turns.


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## janapur (Oct 24, 2007)

geekette said:


> Bucket seats are never comfortable for me, I will always get bench seats.  It's hard for me to find a comfortable 'cockpit' as I'm not tall, and I'm not big and it's not comfortable to not be able to use armrests because they are too far away.
> 
> At least now some of the shoulder straps have the height adjustments - perhaps someone noticed all of us less-than-tall people putting the shoulder portion behind us because we couldn't stand the chafing of our necks and ears any longer!!



So funny. I thought I was the only one who moves the shoulder strap to avoid chafing/choking my neck. I was pulled over recently (won't mention the truck since it was built in this century and it's a Chevy). I avoided the ticket for not wearing a seat belt (it was only across my lap) by showing him how it goes across my neck.

Jana


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## chrisnwillie (Oct 24, 2007)

I just bought three news cars. 

I had a 2001 Chevy Silverado with 180K on it....beginning to burn oil and traded it in for a 2007 leftover Silverado.

I had a 2000 Hyundai Elantra wagon with 160K on it....traded it in for a 2007 Chevy Equinox

I had a 1995 Suburu with 139K miles on and traded that one in for a 2007 Chevy Equinox. 

I got huge rebates on all three (4K on the Silverado and 4.5K on each Equinox) and love all three new vehicles. 

Hey, what's not to like about new? :whoopie:


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## grest (Oct 24, 2007)

Our '94 Camry is still going strong at 180,000 miles, and we are hoping for another 75,000...still looks pretty good, too, despite 10 or 11 Maine winters.
Connie


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## Transit (Oct 24, 2007)

99 subaru with 140,000 miles my rainy day car .I bought a Yamaha Vino 125 scooter for work it gets 70 miles per gal.*It cost me $3.00 in gas to go work for the month*


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## AwayWeGo (Oct 24, 2007)

*Same Here -- Bigtime.*




philemer said:


> I *hate* car payments!


That's why we get all our cars _used-used-used_ -- including our 2 most recent near-new used cars that both came from eBay.  

We have never made any monthly car payments -- only an initial full-price payment for each vechile. 

What turned us against new cars is how fast the value goes down.  The Chief Of Staff, when we were not yet married -- both still in college, actually -- took 1 year off so she could work days full time, taking college classes at night so she could graduate on schedule.  The reason for working a year was to earn enough to buy a new car -- a beautiful, spanking-new 1963 Chevy II sedan, cash on the barrel-head.  

We married in 1964 & moved out of the area in 1967 & sold the Chevy II when we were getting ready to move -- for so much less than The Chief Of Staff had paid for it new those few years earlier that it taught us a lesson.  That's why we've been driving _used-used-used_ ever since.  

From there, obviously, it wasn't much of a leap to buy timeshares "used" when the time came. 

BTW, paying in full for cars also saves us some insurance money.  When new or used cars are bought on the Never-Never Plan, the lender requires the borrower to carry expensive collision insurance on the car, to protect the lender's security interest in the vechile.  When there's no car loan, the car owner can skip that & just go with liability insurance, which is mandatory pretty much everywhere anyway. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## bluehende (Oct 24, 2007)

*til they die*

I have a 1998 Mercury Villager with 143k on it.  Sounds like a baby compared to some of these senior citizens.  However,  I would estimate that 30k of these are scout miles....Miles on Scout outings......these are the same as 7 real miles.

Wayne


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## Pat H (Oct 24, 2007)

If I could, I'd buy a new car every few years, but I hate car payments too. I had a 1998 Dodge Stratus that had about 120,000 miles when I relegated it to being the "extra car". Then I gave it to my almost DIL who drove it for about a year before getting a new car. 

I bought a 2006 Dodge Charger almost 2 years ago. I love that car, just wish I could have afforded the sporty model with the hemi!


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## stmartinfan (Oct 24, 2007)

We're kind of on this same schedule....although my husband would love to swap more often.  I think it's probably boredom with the same old vehicles!  




Hoc said:


> Personally, I keep mine until they cost more than about $3-4k a year in repairs.  With my earlier cars, that was about 7 years or so, going up to about 110,000 miles.  With my current car, it looks like it's going to be closer to 10 years and 150,000 miles.


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## CSB (Oct 24, 2007)

Our 1993 Plymouth Voyager is still running but we expect it to go at any time. The old work horse has 175,000 miles and it is a great car for us taking us on ski trips and camping. I don't think any other van has the capacity that this model does.

For our second car, we bought a used Pontiac 6000 a few years ago but it was totalled in an accident. In 2001, we bought a new Caravan but in 2003 my husband was involved in another accident that totalled this van. Earlier this year we bought a 2006 Pacifica and I am crossing my fingers that nothing happens to it. We were managing a while back to just rent a car when we needed to and this worked out very well. It was much cheaper than owning one and we probably should have continued but we saw the Pacifica. Black leather seats and a very nice interior. My husband loved the comfortable drivers seat with lumbar support. He has a back problem and reasoned that the drive to his client was killing his back but the Pacifica was helping to keep it stable. Good wife that I am, I had to go along with it.


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## rudymcbill (Oct 24, 2007)

Until a week ago we were planning on keeping all of the cars until they were at least 15 years old, or no longer ran....But someone made a left turn in front of my husband, and our 1996 Mercury Villager (138,000) is no more.

So we're back down to two cars- a 1994 Nissan Altima with 78,000 miles and a 1998 Ford Taurus with 128,000 miles. 

Overall the timing could be worse- our oldest left for college this year, our next will be leaving next fall, and really doesn't like driving that much anyway, and our youngest won't have her license for at least a little over a year.  But we were really hoping to keep the van until they were all out off to college in 4 years.  Our insurance premiums are looking better, though .


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## mas (Oct 24, 2007)

In '96, I got a '92 Ford Taurus from my father when he quit driving.  It was a great car and I drove it until April of 2005.  

I went looking for a slightly used car and after checking prices and test driving several makes and  models, I bought another Taurus; a 2004 SEL.  Nothing I looked at was as cheap and after driving this car for a couple of years, I love it.   It's got more bells and whistles than any car I've owned. It's the first car I've owned with power windows and locks.  I've found that I like leather seats also.  I see no reason why this car won't last me another 7 to 10 years.


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## UWSurfer (Oct 25, 2007)

We've got a fleet of cars...five & three drivers...with two in the wings.

We basically drive them until we smell oil...and then some.

The oldest is a 1990 Honda Civic with 38K miles, the newest is a 2002 Camary purchased from a co-worker with 28K miles.  The most miles in our current fleet is a '92 Chevy Corsica with 178K miles.  My all time record was 257K miles in a '87 Dodge D50 4WD p/u.

The best trade was a 1986 Jaguar XJ-6 whose rear differential had failed.  I traded it away for a surf board and I'm convinced I came out ahead!


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## debraxh (Oct 25, 2007)

SherryS said:


> We drive ours until they die or need expensive repairs that are not worth the cost!  ...



Same here.


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## Egret1986 (Oct 25, 2007)

*I hate car payments also!*

Plus the lower costs of insurance!  I drive a 1998 Camry I bought from my Mom for the price the dealer was going to give her on a trade-in when she had to have a new Chrysler 300.  Lucky me, my Plymouth Voyager was beginning to have problems.  And the way I ding up cars, it just doesn't make since for me to have something new.  The husband drives a 2001 Nissan Frontier 4-door.  When we drive any distance (6+ hours) for vacations, we rent a mini van for the week.  These two vehicles fit easily in our garage, but if we bought bigger vehicles it would be a real tough fit with the freezer, extra refrigerator, hot water heater, work bench, etc.  Having the ability to park our cars in a garage is the best.  We couldn't imagine having a garage and not parking inside.  Never want to give that up.  We'll keep them until they die; maybe possibly pass one of them on to the twins in a couple of years when they start driving.


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## Hoc (Oct 25, 2007)

philemer said:


> I *hate* car payments!



Never done car payments, never will.  I buy all of mine slightly used (usually no more than 2 years old) from a dealership, with an extended warranty.  If I can't pay cash, then I can't afford it and I have to wait.


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## Elan (Oct 25, 2007)

Current cars are 1991 Lotus Elan with 14K miles, 2001 4WD Ford F150 with 65K miles and 2005 Honda Pilot with 25K miles.  I've got the itch to trade the F150 on a new Tundra or Silverado/Sierra, but I'll probably wait a couple more years.  On average, we probably average around 7-8 years (70-80K miles) between trades.


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## TerriJ (Oct 25, 2007)

No car payments here either and I love it.  On average we keep our cars 7-8 years, or until major things start to go wrong.  We have also sold two of our cars to our son, which works out well for all of us.


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## caribbeansun (Oct 25, 2007)

Currently driving a 2008 Lexus RX350 which I traded a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee in on with about 120,000 kms or 75,000 miles - it was starting to rust.


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## philemer (Oct 25, 2007)

Hoc said:


> Never done car payments, never will.  I buy all of mine slightly used (usually no more than 2 years old) from a dealership, with an extended warranty.  If I can't pay cash, then I can't afford it and I have to wait.



Hoc,
Afford it? That's Un-American and way too practical.  :rofl: 

Phil


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## Kozman (Oct 25, 2007)

*My Cars*

In the olden days, cars seemed to be a pile of junk at 100K, but my last two cars have gone to 200K and I only got rid of them then because I got tired of looking at them cosmetically.  The fact I can do much of the mechanic work myself helps.


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## lll1929 (Oct 25, 2007)

I currently have a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country with 125,000 miles.  I brought it new.  I am truly going to drive this van until it dies.  I also hate car payments so I am working overtime to pay mines off early.  It's hard to believe I still have a pymt on a car with soo many miles, but I am doing what I can.

I don't plan to purchase again until my children become liscensed which is about 4 yrs away.  They will definately get a bucket for driving from point A to B.


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## sfwilshire (Oct 25, 2007)

I reluctantly gave up my 1986 Subaru a couple of years ago because DH kept saying it was going to look like one of those cartoon cars one day and just lie down. It had 239,000 miles on it, looked terrible, but ran great and got terrific gas mileage.

My 1992 Subaru is with my son at college and has about 175,000 on it.

The 1997 Outback I drive to work has 169,000 miles on it.

I was going to test drive a Toyota Prius the other day that had 130,000 miles on it, but my mechanic sold it before I got over to the lot.

I drive them until they die beyond resurrection and seldom buy new, except for the Chrysler minivans DH likes to use to drive around the kids. I keep hoping to find a deal on an Odyssey that I can buy next time instead.

Sheila


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## fnewman (Oct 25, 2007)

Ten years minimum, unless some major mechanical defects crops up, it gets totaled, etc. In addition, I never buy new  - usually something about a year old.

P.S. - it is interesting to see which brands people have managed to run for 200K + miles !!


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## Lydlady (Oct 25, 2007)

My 1991 vehicle died this year, so I got myself a used 2006 Nissan Maxima.  I know somebody who goes to auctions (she's been doing this for 20+ years) and she got me a great deal.


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## Joe L (Oct 25, 2007)

I think i win the least amount of miles. I have a 2002 infiniti I35 with 35,000 miles. From NYC i've driven to Pittsburgh once, Cleveland once, Stowe, Vermont twice and Myrtle Beach once.  My daily drive to work is 12 miles round trip though.


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## oldman (Oct 25, 2007)

My wife loves her 1999 Olds Silhouette.  Has 175K and still getting 27mpg fully loaded and, unfortunately, as fast as she can drive it!


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Oct 25, 2007)

I had a Honda Accord from 1989-2002.

In 2002, I bought another Honda Accord (Cowboys silver color)---and am only nearing 50K miles.

So, I hope to have it for at least 5 more years.


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## KenK (Oct 25, 2007)

1993 Lincoln Town Car with 119,000.  New from dealer then.  No problems except tires & breaks and I just was recalled for something to do with the cruise control.

We just bought a new Town Car.....they were dealing and I think those cars are not going to be made anymore for the general public.  Pricing via dealer for any new Signature Lincoln Town Car 2007 is just under $30,000.  ( Thats $ 13,000 off list)


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## Sir Newf (Oct 25, 2007)

3 years max. European cars only....need safety, reliability that only a new car (esp. European) can bring and comfort....


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## AwayWeGo (Oct 25, 2007)

*Upscale.*




oldman said:


> 1999 Olds Silhouette.


_Whoa !_ 

That's viewed as the Cadillac of minivans, right? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## ricoba (Oct 25, 2007)

KenK said:


> 1993 Lincoln Town Car with 119,000.  New from dealer then.  No problems except tires & breaks and I just was recalled for something to do with the cruise control.
> 
> We just bought a new Town Car.....they were dealing and I think those cars are not going to be made anymore for the general public.  Pricing via dealer for any new Signature Lincoln Town Car 2007 is just under $30,000.  ( Thats $ 13,000 off list)



I too am the owner of a Town Car, 2003 Executive.

Lincoln I believe has committed to a 2009 model year so far, but after that who knows.

The Townie is a great car, super reliable and very comfortable.  You can get great deals on barely used ones.


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## ricoba (Oct 25, 2007)

AwayWeGo said:


> _Whoa !_
> 
> That's viewed as the Cadillac of minivans, right?
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​



Alan, you have great taste in movies!


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## NTHC (Oct 25, 2007)

When we were young and trying to keep up with the Jones' we had the newest and coolest every two years.  Now I drive a 2002 Ford minivan and DH the same year Explorer.  If we can't pay cash for the car, we don't buy it.  Just bought a 2005 taurus for our son that he will drive until he can afford his own.

I have had my eye on this Saturn convertible lately though....... 

Cindy


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## Nancy (Oct 25, 2007)

*1990 Mpv*

We have a 1990 Mazda MPV that we bought new.  We've bought other vehicles since (including a 2000 MPV), but hate to part with this one.  It has 127,000 miles and still runs and looks good.  

Nancy


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## caribbean (Oct 25, 2007)

Well I feel like I am in good company. Still driving my 94 Trans Am that I bought new. Had to drop a new engine at about 150K and it now has a total of 193,000 miles. Waiting to see the new Camaro and GTO in 2009 and may go for one of those then. Right now I just don't see anything I like in my price range.


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## Hoc (Oct 25, 2007)

philemer said:


> Hoc,
> Afford it? That's Un-American and way too practical.  :rofl:
> 
> Phil



Yeah, I know.  I can be frivolous on other things. . . . like timeshares.


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## TerriJ (Oct 26, 2007)

I did buy a new car earlier this year as my old car had 90,000 miles on it.  For the first time in my life, I paid cash.  No more payments for us and it is great.


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## joestein (Oct 26, 2007)

We have 2 cars.  One is a 1999 Honda Accord with 45K miles on it that I use to commute 2 miles each day to the park and ride lot, and occasionally take on an errand if the other car is not available.

My wife has a 2005 Acura MDX, which she also uses to commute to the park and ride lot, but we use it as a family car on the weekends.  It is a 3 year lease that is up in April of 2008.  The plan is that the wife's/family car will be a lease so that it will never be older than 3 yrs or so.  

I am starting to rethink the lease situation because we put very little mileage on the car (around 5K per year) and in retrospect, I am sorry that I didn't buy the MDX as we love it so. The buyouy option is very expensive, I wonder if I can negotiate it down?

Joe


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## laura1957 (Oct 26, 2007)

I have a 95 Saturn that I use for work only which has about 75000 miles on it.  Bought it used 5 years ago, and plan to drive it to work until it dies of old age.  It has been completely reliable so far, so hopefully it will be able to be driven to work as long as I am able to work.  I only work about 3 miles from home.

My husband has a 2002 Ford 250, he is a private contractor - that is his work vehicle.  So unless he needs another business deduction - he will keep right on driving it until it passes away.  

"We" drive a 2001 Honda Odyssey van that we purchased used 2 years ago since we vacation within driving distance very often.  The Honda has about 105000 miles on it - and until it gets too unreliable/expensive to keep up we will keep driving that.  Since we really only use it on weekends/vacations it should last awhile.  Have had NO problems with it yet.

My husband insists our next car will be a corvette or roadster of some kind - sort of a 2nd childhood thing to him, I believe!!  I would go for another Honda van when mine became impractical.


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## pcgirl54 (Oct 26, 2007)

Just converted to Hondas -new Civic LX and a 3 year old EX V6 Accord . Owned two older high end cars with high mileage. I was sick of the gas prices and repair costs.  Love my Accord. The civic gets 38mpg.

We have owned different brands foreign and domestic  from Ford,Lincoln,Fiat,Volvo,BMW,Mercedes,Nissan,VW and now Hondas.

One of my favorites was a 1991 Lincoln Town Car-old body not the new body that we bought for our son for college. What a ride with bench seats,super heat and a giant trunk. He still has it and it is about 160k miles on it.

We keep cars about 5-6 years and most of the time buy them 3-5 years old.
We both drive 25k-30K a year due to our commute. So in 4 years they have 100k miles on them.

Our sons  bought their own cars that were 10-12 yrs old or we handed down ours. Dreaded car insurance.$$$$ for teen drivers.


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## PatShaver (Oct 27, 2007)

I feel like we have a fleet of cars too (4 cars for 3 drivers) -

1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 214,000 miles and burning oil recently retired but kept for hauling.

2000 Chrysler LXi with 195,000 miles

1996 Pontiac Grand AM GT with 145,000 miles for teenage daughter

new 2006 Chrylser 300 Limited with less than 1,000 miles

We don't buy new anymore but ran across the new 2006 Chrysler 300 at a dealership for less than we could buy one with 20,000 miles on it.  The dealer lost money on it and we were thrilled.:whoopie: 

It's been so long that I've driven a new car that I feel guilty about driving it.  I make excuses to get the Jeep out and drive it instead.  I drove it to my daughter's horse show today rather than mess up the 300.


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## UWSurfer (Oct 27, 2007)

PatShaver said:


> It's been so long that I've driven a new car that I feel guilty about driving it.  I make excuses to get the Jeep out and drive it instead.  I drove it to my daughter's horse show today rather than mess up the 300.



In otherwords, you buy resale.


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## camachinist (Oct 28, 2007)

I haven't sold a vehicle in 25 years and haven't bought one in 15 years. Newest is 22 years old and oldest is 43 years old. Drive all (3) and fix (rarely a problem) all myself. Lowest mileage is 107K and highest is 225K.

Pat


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## ajsmithtx (Oct 28, 2007)

I gave my '63 Ford Falcon to a charity auction, in Aug after owning it for 35 years and 232,000 miles.  I am still driving my '91 300ZX which has 182,000 miles on it.


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## AwayWeGo (Oct 31, 2007)

*Goodbye P.T. Cruiser.  Goodbye Dodge Magnum. Goodbye Chrysler Pacifica.*

Internet news yesterday carried reports that the new post-Daimler owners of Chrysler Corp. have decided to drop 3 slow-selling models -- Chrysler P.T. Cruiser, Chrysler Pacifica, & Dodge Magnum. 

Shux, Buick is down to just 3 models, I believe.  Plymouth & Oldsmobile already went the way of the Edsel. 

Sheesh. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## susan1738 (Oct 31, 2007)

*Camry for me too!*

My 2000 Camry still runs GREAT!  I've got over 200,000 miles on it and still love it!  I'll probably be handing it down to my 15 year old son in about a year and then get a new car, but I'm not ready to part with it yet!  Very dependable and comfy!


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## donnaval (Nov 1, 2007)

I sold my 1990 Honda Civic in 2001 with 132,000 miles on it--sold it to a friend, since we knew it was still a great little car.  He's been driving it until just last month but the rust got too bad.  Somewhere around 175k on it, still running great, but the body work isn't worth it.

I'm still driving the 2001 Civic I bought to replace that other one.  It's about ready to flip to 100k and running great.  I am considering buying an extended-extended warranty for about $900 that would cover power train, engine and components, A/C and some other systems for another 5 years/100k miles.  It's bound to need some of that stuff over the next five years, and I'd really like to keep this car at least that much longer.


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## lbertera (Nov 1, 2007)

Jimmy will be 12 years on Dec 1; she has 134,000 miles.  I hope to keep her until she is at least 15.


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## haywards heath (Nov 1, 2007)

*good machines*

1983 olds cutlass supreme..150,000Km
1984 ford tuarus gl...  100,000 Km  new engine at 71,00KM Warranty
usual maintenance....both live in a garage that is heated from late Ocober through May....have no plans or budget to replace
winters in Edmonton can be brutal,am stillusing a Toro snowblower purchased in the early 1970 s


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 4, 2007)

*Another 1 Bites The Dust.*

Whoa -- Chrysler apparently has decided to 86 the Chrysler CrossFire in addition to those 3 other slow-sellers being discontinued by that company.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Steel5Rings (Nov 4, 2007)

I buy a new car every year.  Never owned a car with more than 40,000 miles on it.  Just getting ready to get rid of my wifes 2005 Suburban.

As soon as the car approachs the end of the warranty period I dump it.

I have no time to deal with repairs, being stranded and making repairs especially if I have a payment on the car.

I have been pretty lucky that I am rarely upside down either on trade in.

Also, I must admit, I love cars!!!......I see cars as more than just some type of appliance to get you from A to B.  Cars are an important part of culture and personality.  They should be fun!!!!


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## UWSurfer (Nov 4, 2007)

AwayWeGo said:


> Whoa -- Chrysler apparently has decided to 86 the Chrysler CrossFire in addition to those 3 other slow-sellers being discontinued by that company.
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​



...as well as the 12,000 people who put them together. (ouch!)


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## CMF (Nov 4, 2007)

Steel5Rings said:


> I buy a new car every year.  Never owned a car with more than 40,000 miles on it.  Just getting ready to get rid of my wifes 2005 Suburban.
> 
> As soon as the car approachs the end of the warranty period I dump it.
> 
> ...




I want to live at your house 

Charles


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## CalifasGirl (Nov 4, 2007)

*Till They Die*

My first car died in a car crash. It was a 1986 Nissan Sentra with about 186,000 miles on it. It was 13 years old, so I expected to be ditching it eventually, but I never got a chance to run it into the ground.

My current car is a 1999 Infiniti G20t. It's got over 100,000 miles on it. Runs great, so I will keep it until it no longer runs. I expect that it should make it over 200,000 miles, given that I keep it well maintained.


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## John Cummings (Nov 5, 2007)

I only buy new cars. I have bought new Honda Accords for the past 27 years except for a new 1993 Ford Ranger XLT Super Cab pickup. There was no Honda pickup available back then. We currently have a 2003 Honda Accord EX-L and a 2005 Honda Accord EX-L. We also still have our Ranger which only has 50,000 miles on it. We keep our cars until we get tired of them which is usually at least 7 or 8 years. We don't drive very much and all of our vehicles, including the 1993 Ranger are still like new.

I gave our 1990 Honda Accord EX to our son who is still driving it.

We plan to buy a new Honda Ridgeline sometime this year. We have no reason to buy it other than we like it.

I will finance the car if it makes sense economically. In other words, if I can make a higher return on my money than what the loan costs then I will finance it.


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## voyager1 (Nov 5, 2007)

A 2000 Subara Forester that's still a baby at 117k, that replaced a Subaru Loyale with 260K, that replaced a Subaru Brat with 320k.

A 1995 Mercury Cougar with 155k that replaced a Ford Grand Chateau van with 165k that replaced a 1965 Ford Falcon convertible in fully restored condition with 210k (after someone offered a price that we couldn't refuse).

A 1998 Mercury Mountaineer (bought new in 2000 for less than the used bluebook value) with 108k that is my son's car and looks showroom new.

My husband believed in maintaining our vehicles in meticulous condition and even since his death (in 1999) the trait has continued in most of the family.  My father taught me how to change the oil, sparkplugs, battery, etc. when I learned to drive and my husband did the same with our children.  My oldest daughter drives a 1989 Camry with 125k.  My youngest daughter (the exception) has a husband who spoils her with a new car every year.  Although, in fairness, with 7 children and as the community softball, soccer, swimming, PTA, etc. mom she puts about 100k on her vehicle each year and definitely deserves it.

I'm dreading the demise of my Forester since I no longer have a DH to help with finding a good used vehicle and will probably end up buying another Subaru.


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## Dori (Nov 5, 2007)

Too long obviously!  Today we had to have the fuel pump on our 1997 Astrovan replaced to the tune of $1000!  Yikes.

Dori


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## John Cummings (Nov 5, 2007)

Dori said:


> Too long obviously!  Today we had to have the fuel pump on our 1997 Astrovan replaced to the tune of $1000!  Yikes.
> 
> Dori



Replacing a fuel pump cost $1,000??? You have to be kidding. That is outrageous.


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 5, 2007)

*Passed Safety Inspection -- Good For 12 More Months.*

Virginia requires annual safety inspections on all cars & trucks -- trailers too, I think.  (When I was growing up, it was every 6 months.)  They check lights, horn, signals, exhaust system, tires, brakes, wipers, condition of windshield, seat belts, safety-related dashboard indicators (ABS, airbag, etc.), & I don't know what-all. 

Our old inspection sticker ran out 10-31-2007, so we just left the car in the driveway till today, driving around in the minivan instead.  I sprang for a set of new wipers at the auto parts store ($14) & managed to get those installed OK.  Then The Chief Of Staff & I checked the lights & turn signals, which were all OK.  Thus prepared, I headed off to the inspection station, was 1st in line when I pulled in (behind a Lexus already inside the test bay for an emissions inspection), & passed -- good to go through November 2008.  

Inspection fee = $16. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## easyrider (Nov 5, 2007)

*Some go some stay*

!984 Suburban bought in 1987 now has 368,000 miles on it. Three engines, two trannys and numerous other parts make this baby strong running still. Burby has been with all of our teens in high school. Burby has also been to many places in the mountains. We still use her for plowing snow and off road fun. No one will pay anything for her so when she turns 25 she will be a collectors car along with Betsy our 52 chevy fastback which we have owned for the last twenty five years. Both these vechicles love me but only tolerate my wife.
Our daily drivers change out every 3-4 years.


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## nicklinneh (Nov 5, 2007)

So many people are saying until they die-- is that the tugger or the car?   ---ken


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## ownsmany (Nov 5, 2007)

*every 5 years or so*

I get a car allowance from work.  Therefore I can buy a new car every 5 years or so.  I'd like to keep longer = but the company wants us to maintain an image - so a 15 year old car would fly.


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## Dori (Nov 6, 2007)

We were told by 2 different mechanics that our particular model's fuel pump is very expensive.  It is also placed in a very awkward place, which intensified the labour costs.  Sheesh!  We could almost take a trip for that amount!

Dori


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## silverfox82 (Nov 6, 2007)

I just replaced my 1990 toyota 4X4 pick up, 170,000 miles with a new toyota 4 runner. Since I bought it in Jan and now has less than 6,000 miles on it, I've been hit by 2 shopping carts, backed into by a careless senior citizen and hit again while parked, this darn thing is a magnet.


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## JLB (Nov 6, 2007)

We have always kept our cars a long time.  I wish I still had my '63 Impala SS convertible or my '59 Jag XK 150 Roadster.   

Our two most recent vehicles are _salvage_ vehicles from insurance auctions.  Our 2000 Yukon was a recovered theft with 15000 miles on it.  It is still like-new and we will keep it for awhile.

We have a '97 1-ton van, left over from our trailer-pulling days, and it is still being used as a work vehicle.  It is a 15-passenger window van with the seats taken out.  We call it the church bus.   

Our 2000 Sunfire is our running-around car, and I can see that it's days are numbered.  It will go when I see something better on the salvage company's website.  But it has done it's job.


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 8, 2007)

*Any T.U.G. Experience With Mazda 5 ?*

I'm starting to feel the need for a newish Mazda 5. 

Any TUG folks who have experience with that model ? 

Any recommendations?  Suggestions?  Warnings? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## silvib (Nov 12, 2007)

We're firm Mazda fans as they seem to last for years or at least ours do/did.
We used to have a Mazda 626 coupe in Europe - had a different sized engine to the equivalent here - and we kept it 10 years from new, fantastic car.
Then here, in 1995 we bought a '92 Mazda 929 which I still have - it looks good, runs good and I haven't sold it because it's technically not worth a lot.
Do have something newer though, but again, we'll be keeping it until problems develop.  Don't think we'd ever buy new ever again, you lose too much money, much better buys to be had buying used.


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## AwayWeGo (Nov 13, 2007)

*Death Of P.T. Cruiser Was Greatly Exaggerated.*




AwayWeGo said:


> Internet news yesterday carried reports that the new post-Daimler owners of Chrysler Corp. have decided to drop 3 slow-selling models -- Chrysler P.T. Cruiser, Chrysler Pacifica, & Dodge Magnum.


According to a specialty web site, PT Cruiser is _not_ being dropped from the Chrysler line-up, but the convertible model _is_ being dropped from the PT Cruiser line-up. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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