Average auto age now 12 years
There were a lot of good points brought up here. In addition to improved reliability, I also think a factor over the long run is reduced maintenance costs. I'm dating myself, but I remember when you changed your oil every 1500 miles, coolant every 2 years, spark plugs every 3000 to 5000 miles and you had to change the points too.
However, I can tell you my prime factor in keeping my vehicles, depreciation. A car is by far the worst depreciating asset you can own. The shortest I have ever owned a car (excluding the 2 I had stolen and 1 that was totaled) was 5 years and that was only because I had to sell it because I needed the money at the time. The car previous to my 2007 LS was a 1995 Infiniti Q45a and I actually kept that until 2011. Earlier this year we sold my wife's 2001 Jaguar S-Type which we bought new in March of that year. We actually would have still kept it as it looked great, but New England winters took its toll and there was serious internal and mechanical rust.
However, I can tell you my prime factor in keeping my vehicles, depreciation. A car is by far the worst depreciating asset you can own. The shortest I have ever owned a car (excluding the 2 I had stolen and 1 that was totaled) was 5 years and that was only because I had to sell it because I needed the money at the time. The car previous to my 2007 LS was a 1995 Infiniti Q45a and I actually kept that until 2011. Earlier this year we sold my wife's 2001 Jaguar S-Type which we bought new in March of that year. We actually would have still kept it as it looked great, but New England winters took its toll and there was serious internal and mechanical rust.
but whatever works for you, good for you.
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: IL
Heck, wife still drives a 2001 Lincoln LX, which also has had a streak of zero repairs for many years now. Tires, brakes, oil changes, that's about it. When something major breaks, away it will go, but until then, it's really a lovely car with a nice leather interior, and the chassis is a Jag XJS (Ford owned Jag back then) so it is no slouch if one is feeling aggressive.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
IMO it was a good car....essentially an Americanized European Ford Mondeo. The body, doors, and sheet metal on it was like a tank, especially compared to today's tin cans. My next-door neighbor (the one that bought that new 73K Expedition last year) also has a silver/dark-blue-leather-interior Contour SVT (the sport-oriented version) from the 1990s, with the 5-speed-manual transmission.
Last edited by mmarshall; Aug 6, 2020 at 07:46 AM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,223
Likes: 221
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
That's not limited to Contours by any means. Part of it is because a lot of people park their vehicles out in the summer sun, all day long, with the windows closed, and don't bother to cover the dash. Accumulated over time, that's just asking for the dash to warp or crack.
IMO it was a good car....essentially an Americanized European Ford Mondeo. The body, doors, and sheet metal on it was like a tank, especially compared to today's tin cans. My next-door neighbor (the one that bought that new 73K Expedition last year) also has a silver/dark-blue-leather-interior Contour SVT (the sport-oriented version) from the 1990s, with the 5-speed-manual transmission.
Yeah I can't seem to part with her, runs like a top. I don't have the driveway space for a second car but I do consider leasing from time to time a second vehicle (probably an SUV) for my two large Shepherds. But the car has been paid off for many many years. Registration is cheap now, and I average 22mpg combined and 27-29mpg freeway, it's pretty great. No I sold off the Vossen's years ago after I stopped doing shows and went back to the OEM 18" liquid graphite wheels which were bespoke to MY08. The car looks mostly stock but still has F-Sport BBK, sways, strut bar, IS F steering damper, chassis brace, intake, midpipe. It's fun to drive, and stops on a dime. After nine years working with Lexus I made a career decision and now work with BMW and MINI, so an X3 lease might be in my future.
I didn’t know you worked for Lexus. That’s really cool. You can’t go wrong with BMW either and an X3 is pretty nice.
Thank you. Is your signature still accurate? If so how is your 328i coupe holding up? That NA I6 was pretty robust from what I know
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2016
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From: Oregon
Geko29, thanks. Yes, LS is what was meant. And by the way, the car did cost a bit to repair 15 years ago, with transmission issue ($1,400) and a front swaybar issue ($600). But now it seems to have hit its stride. It just runs. And thanks on the clarification of the chassis heritage.
CL Community Team
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: MA
..............and don't forget crawling under the car (or working under a lift) with a grease-gun, pumping the grease into the nipple-fittings for several of the underbody parts. Remember having to guess just how much grease to put into the rubber boot-fitting to expand it without having the fitting pop or break from too much pressure? Many drum brakes also lacked self-adjusters and needed periodic manual-adjustment.
In a tune-up, BTW, in addition to the parts you mentioned (plugs, points, etc...), you also usually put on a new distributor cap, spark-plug wires, distributor-rotor, and condenser. It was a PITA.....and most of that went out in the 1970s with electronic-ignition and lubed-for-life underpinnings. Later on, the switch to EFI (which, IMO, occurred about 10 years or so too later than it could and should have) vastly improved drivability and eliminated the need for periodic carburetor work, too.
In a tune-up, BTW, in addition to the parts you mentioned (plugs, points, etc...), you also usually put on a new distributor cap, spark-plug wires, distributor-rotor, and condenser. It was a PITA.....and most of that went out in the 1970s with electronic-ignition and lubed-for-life underpinnings. Later on, the switch to EFI (which, IMO, occurred about 10 years or so too later than it could and should have) vastly improved drivability and eliminated the need for periodic carburetor work, too.
CL Community Team
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: MA
I'm the second owner of both cars. The 2008 I bought in 2013 and the 2015 I bought at the end of 2019. The depreciation the original owners took was brutal. These two cars will depreciate further, but probably not as much as my LS has.