How much time you can own one car before thinking about buying a new one?

"Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore" (reivax-rotciv) 01/17/2020 at 09:11 • Filed to: None

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I’ve owned 9 different cars since I got my license, 12 years ago. One for them I owned twice, btw. As some of you know, I have at the moment a Honda Fit/Jazz in leasing, meaning that even If I wanted I couldn’t keep the car forever.

The E46 I had before had its flaws but I was willing to slowly fix it all and try to see how much time I could stay with the same car. I have the gut feeling that in the long run, having a car as long as possible makes financial sense, even if repairs are frequent. It’s all a matter of affordability x convenience.

As things are changing I will, when the fine is low enough, return the Fit and buy something more interesting, and I am playing with the idea of buying a car that not only can fit my needs now but will fit my needs in the future (maybe one more kid and more travel ing), and try to keep with this car as long as the laws and life permit ( I’m looking at you, diesel ban. And understanding that moving continent ( again ) is a possibility).

Is that even feasible in your heads? I know someone that can only stay with the same car for 6mo. How do you feel about it?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 09:37

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My cars are like my childrens. I don’t want to disown any of them, but I do consider having different ones do the chores, and I consider having more.

McMike > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 09:40

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I’m hardly one to ask, since this is my current lineup.

Van #1: 28 years

Jag: 25 years

Mini: 1 7 years

Van #2: 13 years

Motorbike: 10 months

I never get rid of anything.

whatisthatsound > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 09:43

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I thought about selling the GLE before it even got delivered, so maybe 4 days?

412GTI > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 09:52

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It was always like after a week with my previous cars. Getting a GTI was my attainable dream car so I don’t really think about replacing  it..more so adding on others to the fleet which I don’t have space for. 

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 09:54

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*Think about*, or actually act on? I start thinking about buying a new car...generally about a week after buying the one i just bought. I generally don't  act on it for about two years, though. Longest I  went was five, almost six, years with the same vehicle.

Sounds a lot like most of my relationships, tbh.

Tripper > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 09:57

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I never stop thinking about another car, but my shortest stint has been 6 months (2004 WRX Sti). My longest is 13 years and counting (2002 BMW M3).

I have been driving for 19 years and am on vehicle # 16

96 explorer, 97 explorer, 02 mazda p5, 02 sentra ser spec v, 05 wrx, 04 wrx sti, 02 M3, 87 ranger, 96 explorer, 13 Jetta, 08 M3, 15 Grom, 16 Audi S3, 01 Ranger, 75 BMW 1502, 19 VW Alltrack.

I currently own the 2002 and 1975 bimmers and the Alltrack.

Long_Voyager94 > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 10:03

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I tend to keep my vehicles based on joy per mile.

If I don’t truly enjoy driving something, I tend to only have it a short time.

If I do enjoy it, it becomes part of my family and I loathe the day I have to let it go.

Mind you, last we counted I was on something like 25 vehicles and that was like 10 years ago......

Future next gen S2000 owner > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 10:13

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The next day if you are anything like boat owners. Ironically, I’m in and out of boat quite quickly relative to my vehicles.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 10:23

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Uh... two minutes?

But b uying is completely different. I’ve only owned 7 cars in 26 years of driving (not including my wife’s cars).

1986 Toyota Camry
1988 Acura Legend
1991 Honda Accord
(back into the Legend)
2005 Mazda 3s hatch (owned 7 years)
2008 BMW M3 (have owned 8 years)
2003 Nissan Pathfinder (beater truck - sold)
2018 Toyota Tacoma (will own 15+ years)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > McMike 01/17/2020 at 10:25

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Fantastic Vantastic.

Do you see yourself buying another car/van at any point in the next 7 years?

B_dol > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 10:26

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I am constantly (i.e. monthly if not weekly) looking for cars that can provide a better thrill for my coin, most the time I still end up with an unchanging garage - hard to justify more $$.

My search has narrowed significantly to only a few cars, but it continues nonetheless. Casually browsin g Lotus Elises or BMW 1Ms to replace the fun car slot - still not into a solid 911 budget.

It’s hard for me to envision keeping a car “forever” as I seem to be reevaluating my use case annually. That being said the current fleet includes two cars hitting the 1 year mark and the fun car hitting the 5 year mark.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/17/2020 at 10:26

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This is a fantastic metaphor.

just-a-scratch > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 10:26

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I bought my first car in 1997, and my current car in 2006. I'm always thinking about another car, just not very seriously.

WilliamsSW > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 10:36

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When I was younger, I went through cars quickly. I was still 16 when I bought my 3rd car, and was on #7 at age 22.

Yet, in the 30 years after that, I’ve only owned 7 more - and still own 3 of that 7. I’ve had one for 20 years, one for 14, plus the DD I bought less than 2 years ago. Now my routine is to DD a car, then retire it to weekend duty without getting rid of it.

Tl;dr who the hell knows. 

GoodIdeaAtTheTime > whatisthatsound 01/17/2020 at 10:36

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I wanted to sell my GLA 2 hours after getting it ;) kept it 2 years. Longest I have owned a car in the past 22 years.

whatisthatsound > GoodIdeaAtTheTime 01/17/2020 at 10:42

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I think it's going to be a great SUV for what I need it for. Comfortable towing and DD duties that can drive in the snow.

ihm96 > Tripper 01/17/2020 at 11:10

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I still wanna see the 02 so badly. That thing looks so sweet

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/17/2020 at 11:13

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This is almost exactly what I was going to write. I think I went two or three weeks after buying the Outback before thinking about replacing it, and I like it. I feel like I went about 3 months after buying the GTI before considering replacements, but I may be giving myself too much credit.

But I’m planning on holding on to the GTI indefinitely, had the prior car for 5 years, and the one before that for 10 years, so even though I * think about* the next car almost immediately, I stick with what I have for at least a few years.

bob and john > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 11:14

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think about changing? maybe 3 or 4 months. Butr just in that: oh id like that shiny new thing.

Actually change? I’ve had my lexus (first car) for 2+ years now. Id like to change it, but I dont have the funds atm.

Bikes? the ones i’ve actually kep, Had the SV for 5 years, the Z for one, and the daytona for 1 as well.

ihm96 > WilliamsSW 01/17/2020 at 11:24

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Its funny how different some people are. The only two cars I sold were cause I couldnt afford to store it safely in the winter and didnt have the heart to expose it to rust and the other was a $500 corolla that I bought because I needed the cheapest reliable transportation possible and was broke af with a broken Z3 I couldnt afford to fix and refused to sell. Still wish I coulda kept that corvair 

Tripper > ihm96 01/17/2020 at 11:31

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We should get the PA NJ oppos to a CnC in the spring. 

ToyotaFamily > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 11:32

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Hmm let’s see, I probably think about possible car purchases at least once a day (working at a dealership doesn’t help this one bit). 

I’ve been driving about 6 years and in that time I’ve had 7 cars with the shortest ownership being 6 months. I made it a goal of mine to not make any unnecessary car purchases in 2020 since me and the girlfriend are planning on moving out, we’ll see how that goes. 

Mercedes Streeter > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 11:43

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Depends.

I keep bucket list vehicles forever (see my smarts, a few of my motorcycles, and maybe soon the Passat ) while Gambler 500 vehicles and moto projects can have a lifespan as short as a month and a half before I move on to the next thing.

Tristan > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/17/2020 at 14:42

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I was on my second car but the time I got my license, and I’ve owned somewhere around 60 cars. When I was single I lived for the thrill of dragging home forlorn beaters and breathing life back into them. With the wife and kids, that’s much less feasible... But I still have 2 projects occupying the garage, my good old XJ, and  the daily Suburban. When I fall in love with a rig it tends to stick around forever, like the Jeep that I sold and later bought back that's been around for 18 years. The Suburban might be another one of those... I just love the big dumb thing.

ihm96 > Tripper 01/17/2020 at 15:14

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As long as its on a sunday Im down. Im always at work saturdays. Theres no shortage of cars and coffees around

pip bip - choose Corrour > Oppenheimer - not missing my shitboxes anymore 01/18/2020 at 05:26

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i’ve owned my car for the last 17years

:)