New car time. Do you buy new and plan on keeping them a long time?

[Lord NSIC]

Like others, I buy new so I know it's been maintained, I take care of them so they take care of me, and I keep them a long time--mainly because I hate the car buying experience. I've had several Dodge/Plymouth minivans all go over 200+ miles (I replaced the oil pan gasket on my 2002 and the internals were spotless). I've had mostly Subarus and Mopars and all have been great--my 2014 Ram 1500 diesel has over 125K miles and the original brakes and battery and very few issues.

My youngest on the other hand, has silhouettes on his own car of his last three kills:
--1991 Firebird--he never checked the oil, it broke down and after pulling the dipstick, it came out clean. I had some used oil I hadn't dropped off, and thinking, "what the heck," I put it in the Firebird gave it a jump and he drove it another year
--1998 626 (240+miles, had the original clutch when it passed), the radiator blew and then the head gasket went because he didn't shut it down; warping the aluminum head. I gave him the caravan and drove the 626 (no white smoke, just combustion gases in the coolant system) a few months until it finally lost all compression
-- 2002 Grand Caravan -- after 240K miles, it was still going, but he beat the living snot out of it and used it as a trade in on a newer used car that he mostly keeps up the maintenance on

 

[Eric_75]

I have a 2017 Toyota Yaris. It has about 51,000 miles on it. It's been a great car so far. I've always kept my vehicles well maintained.

 

[Lockback]

I have a 2017 Toyota Yaris. It has about 51,000 miles on it. It's been a great car so far.

2017 Toyota Camry with about 47,000 miles on it.
Best car I've ever owned.
My stepson totaled my '08 Honda Civic and Mrs. Lockback insisted on an SUV so we ended up getting a new 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross, which is their small SUV. I like it a lot, although the interior seems a little cheap looking and it's underpowered. But it's comfortable and has a ton of nice electronics on it ... which hopefully won't go black someday when some electrons make a wrong turn.

 

[musicman1951]

There are lots of choices and no right answer for everyone. My sister formerly worked with people who couldn't save a few hundred dollars for any repair, so they never owned a car past the bumper to bumper warranty. They always had a sizeable monthly payment, but apparently they could budget for that.

I buy new, pay cash and drive them for 10 years. I could drive them a lot longer, but after 10 years I'm ready for the next one. It would be cheaper to buy a 3 year old lease return and drive it for 7 years (which I did with no problems), but I do a nice break in period and take good care of the cars, so I've decided that it's worth the extra for me to buy new - but it makes no financial sense.

My current car, 2016 Audi A6 that I purchased in 2015, only has 44,000 miles and is the best car I've had - by far. Great car. It should be my last car, but some of the repairs on Audi's are outrageous and I don't want to pay $6,000 for a timing chain.

Some people really don't care much about the car as long as it runs and goes from point A to point B. My brother is one of them, but I am not. I am thinking of a Lexus for next year's purchase, which may well be my last car. Time will tell.

 

[The Knize]

If I were less lazy, I would probably look for excellent used cars 2-3 years old, instead of buying new, as a cost savings. I do not really have a mechanic I would want to look to to inspect such vehicles. I used to have one, who I utilized in somewhat that way. More for discontinued Brit sports cars.

As others have said, see horshaan, I generally buy new, maintain very well, and we keep our cars for a very long time. I would say never to buy a used car from me because by that time it is used up, but that turns out not to really be so. I have sold cars we had for a long time for cheap and they kept going for amazing periods of times for the buyers. I do this to avoid to the extent I can big problems with a car, although new cars can have problems, too.

Anyway, I generally buy new because my time is worth something to me. However, I do not get leasing a car as an average consumer. I do not need a new car every few years, and I do not need to unload the hassle of keeping a car in repair and getting rid of the car when I am done with it onto a leasing company. I am lazy but not that lazy. And my time is worth a lot, but not that much!

I suppose I tend to buy reliable cars. If I had to have a Jag or Bentley, I suppose a lease might be the way to go. Maybe even a BMW or a Porsche. Not necessary for a Lexus or Toyota, in my experience.

I am not finding it now, but as I recall someone posting here got amazing life out of a Dodge Caravan. That was not our experience. I am sorry to say because my family was loyal to them for a long time, but I do not think Mopar is a good way to go, and has not been for decades!

 

[Tirvine]

If I were less lazy, I would probably look for excellent used cars 2-3 years old, instead of buying new, as a cost savings. I do not really have a mechanic I would want to look to to inspect such vehicles. I used to have one, who I utilized in somewhat that way. More for discontinued Brit sports cars.

As others have said, see horshaan, I generally buy new, maintain very well, and we keep our cars for a very long time. I would say never to buy a used car from me because by that time it is used up, but that turns out not to really be so. I have sold cars we had for a long time for cheap and they kept going for amazing periods of times for the buyers. I do this to avoid to the extent I can big problems with a car, although new cars can have problems, too.

Anyway, I generally buy new because my time is worth something to me. However, I do not get leasing a car as an average consumer. I do not need a new car every few years, and I do not need to unload the hassle of keeping a car in repair and getting rid of the car when I am done with it onto a leasing company. I am lazy but not that lazy. And my time is worth a lot, but not that much!

I suppose I tend to buy reliable cars. If I had to have a Jag or Bentley, I suppose a lease might be the way to go. Maybe even a BMW or a Porsche. Not necessary for a Lexus or Toyota, in my experience.

I am not finding it now, but as I recall someone posting here got amazing life out of a Dodge Caravan. That was not our experience. I am sorry to say because my family was loyal to them for a long time, but I do not think Mopar is a good way to go, and has not been for decades!

I had a B M Trouble You in 1970. They have come a long way, and the two X3s we have had recently have been outstanding and reliable. We buy demo models. They are nicely tricked out with the upgrades the dealer wants to sell, have a nice chunk knocked off the price, and get the new car warranty. BTW, if you get a BMW they have an M package which costs a lot less than the full M model. The upgrades, especially the wheels, tires, and suspension, are wonderful. You do not need the power a full blown M provides. That little four goes like a bat out of hell.

 

[Whisky]

Until my most recent purchase I always bought used, replaced all the parts that are designed to wear out/need replacing so I’d have a baseline of when they were done last, and then do any future PM based of manufactures mileage recommendations. This was when I could do most of the work myself, pre-2009 when cars weren’t mostly computers on wheels.

My current car 2021 Yukon XL AT4 cost more than my first house did, and had a lifter fail/bent pushrod in less than 5k miles. GM replaced both banks of lifters/rods/guides. There’s been a couple of minor issues with it since I bought it, more annoyances than anything substantial. I’ve driven GM vehicles for the past 30yrs. This will be the last one I buy.

 

[DesertIguana]

My friend is sharp, business owner, and worth millions.

He likes high dollar Car, alway buy 2-3 year old. Low mileage after getting mechanic to check out.

He let original owner eat deprecation, currently own Porsche, Benz, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and 3 or 4 other cars.

 

[The Knize]

I had a B M Trouble You in 1970. They have come a long way, and the two X3s we have had recently have been outstanding and reliable. We buy demo models. They are nicely tricked out with the upgrades the dealer wants to sell, have a nice chunk knocked off the price, and get the new car warranty. BTW, if you get a BMW they have an M package which costs a lot less than the full M model. The upgrades, especially the wheels, tires, and suspension, are wonderful. You do not need the power a full blown M provides. That little four goes like a bat out of hell.

Seems as if you have been very lucky on BMW reliability. There are a lot of You Tube videos and articles to the effect that BMW reliability is way down and they are very expensive to have worked on. Lots of plastic parts these days.

He let original owner eat deprecation, currently own Porsche, Benz, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and 3 or 4 other cars.

As I understand it, I have never explored the market myself, the rate of depreciation on those cars, and to a lesser extent BMW is breathtaking. Jags may be worse. So it is true that one can get such a car 2-3 years old for much less that the new price. But I think the market is telling us all something about reliability. But what do I know! Not the kinds of cars I buy.

 

[cleanshaved]

I always buying preloved, never had a new car.
Over the years it's around 4 to 10 years old of moderate K's. I keep them till its looking like it's better to throw the expected upcoming repair money at another pre-loved car.
My previous two cars where, 13 years and drove it for approx. 160,000km, then only 6 years till car cancer took its life early
It's fixable but not from my coin. So got a preloved Volvo XC60 T6, one owner and done 96,000km. I'm hoping this will be my last car till retirement. Similar to @Whisky I hit the maintenance items on purchase to get a good run on it and a known maintenance point from there on. I'm picking not as full on through, but the big things like automatic trans service and timing belt. New spark plugs and service items done by me.

 

[Tirvine]

The depreciation on some very high end cars, recent vintage and nowhere near being classic, is astounding. It is not that out of the ordinary to see Bentleys, Aston Martins, and some others that come from the 2000s but still look quite new, offered at Hyundai prices. Of course they have much higher maintenance costs (and scarcity) and insurance premiums. I knew a paralegal at a state agency (not, shall we say, a super high earning position) who drove a very nice Aston Martin.

 

[musicman1951]

Repairs are often (always?) a part of the consideration when shopping for a car. I've been driving my A6 for 9 years now with just routine maintenance. BUT the routine maintenance (oil change, wipers, filters, look around at all the stuff that's working just fine) runs $1,000 a year at the Audi dealer. I like that the mechanics are Audi specialists and constantly updated, but I'm sure they only get a small fraction of the $190 an hour repair rate (last year, probably $200 by now). I just took it to a private garage and the same work was $240. Did they spend as much time looking at parts that were working fine? Maybe not, but I don't care.

Dealers don't make a ton of money on car sales. The money comes from parts, repairs and the finance office - both the up-charge they add to the bank rate on the car loan and the menu of way-overpriced options they try to add to the sale.

 

[martym]

We have always bought new vehicles.
We have:

2006 Chevy Silverado Z71
2009 Toyota Tacoma
2012 Nissan Altima
2022 Honda Odyssey Touring

We had a 2015 Honda Odyssey Touring but my wife wanted a new one so in 2022 we got the new one.

We have no monthly vehicle payments.

I have known our mechanic for close to 40 years. His shop has been in his family for 3 generations.

 

[The Knize]

The depreciation on some very high end cars, recent vintage and nowhere near being classic, is astounding.

Yes, I think the market is telling us something about these cars. In a vacuum one might think that if one paid a lot of money for a high-end, high-priced car one would be buying reliability and quality that would be reflected in

Repairs are often (always?) a part of the consideration when shopping for a car. I've been driving my A6 for 9 years now with just routine maintenance. BUT the routine maintenance (oil change, wipers, filters, look around at all the stuff that's working just fine) runs $1,000 a year at the Audi dealer.

Yep. And I do not think you can count on quality mechanics doing the work. You are of course correct that those mechanics get a small part of the hourly charge. I do not think dealerships have an easy time holding onto mechanics who have the ability to go elsewhere. I think the dealership tries to have the lowest paid employee do the work. There are horror stories. On the other hand, I take my 87,000 Toyota RAV4 hybrid to the dealer for everything, including tires for crying out loud. I may be mistaken, but I figure this helps put blame for any problems on supposed experts. I sure to not want any issues with that hybrid system. I do happen the love this dealer. They give me a loaner car without me having to join some buyer's protection plan and they get the job done. People who work there seem happy, which is always a good sign to me. They have earned my loyalty. But they are not cheap.

Dealers don't make a ton of money on car sales.

Just so from what I understand. It is kind of a shame and creates incentives to overcharge and to find things wrong that are not in need of repair.

I have known our mechanic for close to 40 years. His shop has been in his family for 3 generations.

Treasure him. Send him birthday cards or, better, gifts. Always ask about his family. Go to his kids' school plays. If someone in his family passes away, go to the funeral and send flowers or contribute to whatever charity they name. Treat him like the gold that he is. Like I said, I used to have something like that. Although the guy did have his shop about an hour away from me.

If your guy has kept a 2012 Altima going without a lot of headaches and cost, he is good!

Even with that, it is a less trouble for me to simply by new cars with reputations for reliability and take good care of them.

 

[DesertIguana]

The auto industry is about making money, build sub par vehicles, so they don’t last like anything.

Why would you build a quality product that lasts 20 years? Build junk that needs replacing often.

 

[Tirvine]

Good mechanics deserve to be touted. Terry Sayther here in Austin has kept my '08 Mini running like a top.

 

[midwestshaver71]

Until my most recent purchase I always bought used, replaced all the parts that are designed to wear out/need replacing so I’d have a baseline of when they were done last, and then do any future PM based of manufactures mileage recommendations. This was when I could do most of the work myself, pre-2009 when cars weren’t mostly computers on wheels.

My current car 2021 Yukon XL AT4 cost more than my first house did, and had a lifter fail/bent pushrod in less than 5k miles. GM replaced both banks of lifters/rods/guides. There’s been a couple of minor issues with it since I bought it, more annoyances than anything substantial. I’ve driven GM vehicles for the past 30yrs. This will be the last one I buy.

Currently agonizing over what to get to replace the 07 Yukon XL, 278k on the clock. I do about 99% of my own repairs, as I did on the 01 XL I had before this one, and am quite set on sticking with another Yukon.
Really don't want/need a Denali but would like to step up to a 6.2, and anything past mid '15 to '17 has the dreaded 8 speed, but I'm reading the 10 speed that was introduced in 2018 is not bullet proof either and an absolute PITA to service...doesn't even have a frigging dipstick.
I think it was 2019 when the 5.3 and 6.2 went with dynamic fuel management instead of active fuel management, adding yet ANOTHER layer of complexity.
It's telling that I see as many adverts as I do for these trucks for sale that have either had a new tranny or engine, or have had major top end work such as you alluded to.

 

[Whisky]

Currently agonizing over what to get to replace the 07 Yukon XL, 278k on the clock. I do about 99% of my own repairs, as I did on the 01 XL I had before this one, and am quite set on sticking with another Yukon.
Really don't want/need a Denali but would like to step up to a 6.2, and anything past mid '15 to '17 has the dreaded 8 speed, but I'm reading the 10 speed that was introduced in 2018 is not bullet proof either and an absolute PITA to service...doesn't even have a frigging dipstick.
I think it was 2019 when the 5.3 and 6.2 went with dynamic fuel management instead of active fuel management, adding yet ANOTHER layer of complexity.
It's telling that I see as many adverts as I do for these trucks for sale that have either had a new tranny or engine, or have had major top end work such as you alluded to.

I’d do some research on the 6.2 before I buy one. There are a lot of people out there that have have to have the engine swapped after they stop working. I haven’t looked into the issue too much as it doesn’t affect me but I think it has to do with rod bearings. GM seems to have resolved the issues with the 5.3. I have a 10 speed and am not a fan. It seems to search for the correct gear when accelerating unless you’re Hammer down. Occasionally it doesn’t down shift fast enough and the engine starts to stall when rolling to a stop. I’d also avoid the air ride suspension. I have to have an alignment done every year now. The dealership flat out told me it because of the air ride suspension. I thought the dealership was trying to pull a fast one one me so I went to a well know national chain and they told me the same thing. They also said they would prefer not to work on the air ride and wouldn’t warranty any alignment work done on vehicle with the air ride.

Like I said, last GM vehicle I’ll ever buy. I’m probably switching to Ford. I’m the last GM holdout in my family. Everyone else has switched to other manufacturers.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

My wife and I relocated back to the UK last year and we decided to buy two cars new. One reason why I felt it was particularly good to buy new now is the ongoing transition to electric vehicles, which means we’d want to have (petrol) cars that we can keep for ten years or so if needed while the new technology and infrastructure gets worked out. That was definitely front of mind for us, and why used cars with a lower lifespan weren’t as attractive.

It’s expensive, though. If you buy a new car expecting to own it a long time you tend to buy a nicer one and spec it higher. I did anyway.

 

[Hms123]

We buy 2-3 year old, low-mileage cars at Carmax (for cash) and keep them as long as we can. Our last two cars lasted 15 years each. I just got a 2021 Miata (2000 miles) and my wife just got a 2022 Subaru (18000 miles). These could “see us out “ as a friend of mine used to say.