What’s your frequency for buying new?

[Anonymous]

Spouse and I bought our first car in 2019 for cash (Subaru Outback). Have had it just over four years and we are putting around 10K miles per year on it. Currently at 38K miles and 4Y3M of ownership.

Thinking about new tech, safety features, and mileage improvements I’m think we sell this one and get a new one in late 2027 or 75K miles, whichever comes first. Subaru is allegedly incorporating Toyota’s hybrid engines in their fleet in the next year or two, so would love to get one of those (especially if it’s PHEV).

Is there a particular frequency or mileage limit for cars where you buy new? Obviously, we’d love to get the most money possible for our used vehicle. It seems like 75K is a big mental barrier for people who want to buy used.

Is there a method to the madness?

[Anonymous]

Our cars are 18 and 13 years old, bought at the birth of our two children. We needed two cars for our commute/daycare situation. Now we'll just buy when the old ones die. Easy!

[Anonymous]

I bought my first new car seven years ago with cash -- a Subaru Forrester. It has 38k miles on it now. Before that I had a PT Cruiser I bought at CarMax (which I traded in when I bought the Forrester), and before that I had a Honda Accord my mother gave me when she wanted a new car (which had little trade-in value, but I did trade it in when I bought the PT Cruiser).

My DH's car is a Blazer that is now 15 years old.

I love the idea of a PHEV hybrid Subaru for our next car. But it will likely be a Tesla. DH will get it for me, and he'll take over my Subaru. We'll do that in the next year or two when his Blazer is officially run into the ground. Trade-in value on the Blazer will essentially be scrap lol. But that is the thing -- a really old vehicle that runs well? Worth way more than scrap. So it is worth a lot more than trade in value to us at this point and we'll keep it awhile longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our cars are 18 and 13 years old, bought at the birth of our two children. We needed two cars for our commute/daycare situation. Now we'll just buy when the old ones die. Easy!

...and by die, I mean need expensive repairs that don't make sense considering their age and mileage, which hasn't happened yet, thank you work from home.

[Anonymous]

Once things really start to go wrong we sell and buy new. Typically 8 to 10 years.

[Anonymous]

I drive them until they die, following the pp’s definition of death. $$ repairs. So typically 11-12 years.

[Anonymous]

We have a 2016 that we bought used in 2017 that now has 125K miles and a 2011 we bought new with about 80K miles. The 2011 we would have probably replaced by now but it’s a manual sedan with all wheel drive and those are getting exceedingly hard to find.

We bought a used 2019 for our teenager two years ago and I can’t imagine thinking a car that new needed to be replaced.

[Anonymous]

I use mine partly for work, replace at about 75-90,000 miles and about 8 years.

[Anonymous]

First car was a 2000, replaced in 2013. Still driving that car, but beginning to think about replacement (140k miles currently)

[Anonymous]

I've never owned a new car. I buy cars that are a few years old and have low mileage. I buy from reputable dealers and try to buy cars where the drive train, at a minimum, is still under warranty.

And then drive until it would cost more to fix than I'd get in trade-in value. Generally 8-10 years. Though, I had my last car for almost 15 years (and yes, bought used -- it was two years old and only had about 6k miles on it). It was a Toyota -- those things run forever and are dirt cheap to fix.

[Anonymous]

I used to hole them about 10 years at which point there too many repairs. The only reason I may sell almost 5 year olds car is that I figure out how to grow the money I get from the sale to cover the new car.
Going to dealership is painful though.

[Anonymous]

Till they are no longer drivable. If you want a new one, go for it.

[Anonymous]

If it works we keep it.

Honda 1:2010 104k miles. Biggest problem, a tear in driver seat.

Honda 2: 2017 70k miles. The sunglass holder has gum or something it it, so unusable.

When kid drives, we’ll get another car. Probably Honda.

I am skeptical of new “auto braking” and lane detection systems; I don’t seem them as the safety landmark like ABS or airbags.

Auto braking in wrong moment could be more dangerous than not, lane detection is less than useless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never owned a new car. I buy cars that are a few years old and have low mileage. I buy from reputable dealers and try to buy cars where the drive train, at a minimum, is still under warranty.

And then drive until it would cost more to fix than I'd get in trade-in value. Generally 8-10 years. Though, I had my last car for almost 15 years (and yes, bought used -- it was two years old and only had about 6k miles on it). It was a Toyota -- those things run forever and are dirt cheap to fix.

I think this is very smart. I’ve only bought two cars new in my 64 years, both times being under unusual circumstances. I currently have two cars that are 2013 and one that is 2021 (purchased new).

[Anonymous]

Every 15+ years.

Trying to only own 4 cars in my life since they're such a waste of money.