How long have you had your present car?


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An American survey said most Americans are now keeping their cars an average of 11+ years before trading or buying another.

Just wondering how long folks in the UK are keeping their bangers these days?

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Longer and longer. When I first started driving I used to change cars as often as I could, just for the sake of changing, although I had to wait till I could afford it.

Now although I can afford to change cars more often, I can't be bothered. Had the current one 4 years.

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You can get rebuild kits Dave, new regulator/diode pack, bearings and brushes, usually for around 15-20 bucks.

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I've had my Mercedes CLK for 9 years and just coming up to 100k miles. It's actually worth very little now but with a private plate looks much newer. I do most of my repairs and it's still going strong, I see it as pretty much free motoring. I just put two new Pirellis ( £115 ) on the front for the MOT and it passed as always with no advisories. I won't be changing any time soon.

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I've had mine 7 1/2 years, it was 6 months old when I purchased it.

A few things have gone wrong, but it's a lovely looking car........... Yes, very shallow of me I know , but that's me. !!!!!!!

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Bought "Ruby Tuesday" last January, not done a lot of miles, yet.

Last car "Reggie Babe" had for 9 years, still drove like new ! Heart breaking to get rid but needs must !

p1010683-web.jpg

"Ruby Tuesday".

P1010829_zps62fa977c.jpg

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My Honda Civic was 21 last May, it's off to see the man with the clip board in the morning! I know it wants new 'stopping bits' at the front & the last bit on the exhaust but if that's all he finds and the price is right I'll keep it a bit longer. Only 62,500 on the clock but the 'convenience' just about outweighs the costs! Pity about the 'age spots'! (on both of us)

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My next door neighbour has a rover and would you believe it has a choke, he had it from new, its only done about forty odd thousand miles, probably worth about a tenner at the end of the day, its had a new head gasket, serviced and mot every year, in the last fifteen years its done about twelve miles a week.

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Had my vectra 15years,had two new batteries recently,but they keep going flat after a few days,garage disconnected the radio as they thought that was the fault,but no,it's still the same.shame really as the car still looks good.

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Had my Volkswagen polo coming up 6 years now. used to get a new car every 3 or 4 years when finished paying off one car loan to replace with another. Going to keep this car as long as can. Still looks lovely and drives lovely. Gets me to work and back each day. And shopping trips or to seaside.

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4 years ago when we retired , bought an ex-motobility little 1.1. Panda as it was cheap and needed something in a hurry to replace our ailing 52 plate Mondeo TDCI ghia , that had all the toys but had a constant problem with the egr valve and was forever in limp mode .

Probably tempting fate but have to say the little Panda has done everything asked of it , including a 1000 mile plus trip to Holland and back last month . Must admit I spend hours online studying cars as we could do with something bigger but it will have to be cheap !

Interesting that TBI has an oldish CLK as one just came up nearby a lovely looking silver Y reg convertible with leather seats for just £1350 .....tempting !

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That might indeed be worth a punt DAVIDW. One of my neighbours has had the first shape CLK convertible for as long as I can remember, it still looks nice. My previous Merc did 9 years and 160k before I changed it and the Merc before over 120k. Apart from a new cat on the previous one, I've had to spend very little overall.

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Had our Skoda Fabia for just 6 months and very pleased with it. It replaced a Citroen Xsara that we had for 13 years from new - 142,000 on the clock when we got rid of it. The old received wisdom was to replace after 3 years, but even "cheap" cars (well, comparatively!) are sufficiently reliable to last a lot longer than that these days. I took the line that if I got 3 of those 3-year lives out of a car, it would have virtually depreciated to zero value - and then I wasn't losing anything by keeping it for as long as it would go on passing the MOT.

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I bought a brand new Corsa 1.2 on a 63 plate. First time I ever have and it will be the last. £11000 paid and less than 2 years later it's only worth £5500. Hate the car due to it being underpowered. I will have to keep it till the end of the 5 year finance agreement then it's going. All me own fault. Usually keep my cars for about 3 years coz I get bored of them.

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Very interesting reading about your English car habits.

Here in W Australia we don't have mot's but in NSW they do ! In Vic you need a road worthy cert. to sell only.

I currently have an Isuzu NPR truck which I tow our 5th wheeler around this big brown land, just 3 years old now. It's still only done 27,000 klms ( just over 21000 miles), we don't rush around and often stay in some places for a few months if we like it.

A new home may be on the cards at the end of the year according to my wife, we'll see, I just love the freedom so far, think I've got gypsy blood in me somewhere.

As for a new car, well so long as it's got 4 wheels and goes it'll do us, more than likely a small 4wd dual cab tray back, my last car was a Landcruiser TD 4x4.

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Bought my Renault Clio new in December 2006. In all that time it has only passed one MOT first go and that was two years ago.

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I love pick up trucks. Had a 1992 Toyota Hilux single cab with over sized tyres. Preferred driving it to my new Discovery. Toyota was nicked - probably exported and now carrying a machine gun crew somewhere. That pick up had soul! Pulled a 2.6t cider press on an Ifor Williams half way across Brittany.

Current car is practical but quite boring. VW Touran 7 years old had from new. The great thing about this car is that you could rob a bank with it and nobody would notice!

Nissan X Trail 10 yrs old bought recently to go fishing in. Very capable and understated. Like it.

We could afford a nice new car but why? Waste of money.

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#23

I'm not surprised to hear that, Compo. I took my youngest lad's Clio for it's first MOT last month, it's done less than 15k. It failed on a broken front spring on one side and worn suspension bush on the other. Simple to fix and parts only a hundred quid but you don't expect that so early.

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