How long on average do you keep your cars ?

Sneaky Peaky

Sneaky Peaky

Sneaky Peaky

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Joined
21 Jan 2003
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Farnborough, Hants
Someone at work was teasing me today that wasn't it about time I was getting bored with my car. :rolleyes:

Somehow (I can't understand myself) I've managed to get a reputation for changing my car all the time :confused:

So I had a quick recky and I think I've had 10 cars over the last 10 years, so one a year on average. Obviously some I had longer than others and we won't mention the 1.8 Mondeo Diesel which lasted about 2 months when I thought I had outgrown my MLC. ;)

So, anyone beat my 1 a year average ? I'm talking about owned cars here, not company / lease / borrowed etc etc.. :)

My list for the record :eek:

Mondeo ST24
Vauxhall Zafira GSi
MGTF 160
Subaru Impreza WRX
Subaru Forester
Subaru STi
Ford Focus ST500
Ford Mondeo 1.8 diesel thing
MGTF80th
Mini Cooper S
 
A minimum of 3 years, because it's largely pointless changing cars on a whim and flitting from one potential money pit to another whilst spending money on maintenance which you will never get back or get the benefit of.
 
A mate of mine is a serial car changer. His opening line when he's bought a new car is "This one's a keeper" then it's sold before the engine's warmed up. Last year alone he had 20+ cars and he's been like that since I met him in 1997.

I tend to keep mine for years which ends up in my having more than one at a time. My longest one was a Fiesta XR2 which I had for 12 years.
 
Until they fail the MOT and it costs too much to fix.

I'm 33 and have had three cars.

Volvo 240 Estate... borrowed from my parents
Vauxhall Cavalier 1.7TD
Vauxhall Astra 1.6

Strange, I used to like reading car magazine as a teenager.
 
Firestar_3x said:
A minimum of 3 years, because it's largely pointless changing cars on a whim and flitting from one potential money pit to another whilst spending money on maintenance which you will never get back or get the benefit of.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it, what with changing them every 5 minutes and modding the buggery out of half of them I reckon I could have been driving around in a Ferrari by now had I been a bit sensible.. :o
 
I used to change them far to often, i'd make up a stupid reason to sell and move on and then pump a load of money into the next one, I was kind of well know for it on the Honda forums

My current car is the longest i've ever owned a car I think, ten months so far and really dont want to sell it but may have to soon
 
I'd like to keep mine for about 2.5-3 years but it all depends on what I want to replace it with and if it is the 'right time' to buy that model.
 
Over the course of four years in college my mate who I cannot name went through the following (not in order):

Red rover 400
Black Volvo 440 (crashed into a tree)
White Mini Metro (sold to the window cleaner for £10)
White Vauxhall nova
metallic green Honda Civic (from Yes! car finance)
Metallic green Rover 416 GTi (Bought on an Egg credit card, after he told egg he worked for Yahoo!)
Red Rover T bar roof thing
Dark green metallic Civic
Black Volvo 480
Gray Vauxhall cavalier (written off 2 days after purchase)
Silver Toyota MR2
Vauxhall Frontera


He is a legend in our friendship circle, currently drives a silver Vauxhall Vectra V6 with green neons and a spoiler the size of a Cessna 180.
 
12-18 months

My list:-
Peugeot 205XS 1.4 Carb
Peugeot 205XS 1.4 Injection
Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi
BMW 320i
Honda Prelude 2.2 Vtec
Honda S2000
Mitsubishi 3000GT Twin Turbo
Saleen Mustang
BMW M3 CSL
Nissan Skyline R34 GTR Vspec (6 weeks, on loan from a mate:D )
Saleen Mustang, increased to 577BHP this time!
Mitsubishi EVO X FQ-360
Porsche 997 C2S


So I'd say I've certainly claimed the ladder value wise, but not necessarily horsepower wise. :)
 
I owned my R5GTT for about 6 years. Don't see the point in changing cars very often, I just buy whatever suits my needs in the first place.

I also don't waste too much £ modifying the balls out of them either, rather keep the money for a decent car in the future!

Should have kept your STi Sneaky, 'twas one of my favourite cars in Motors.
 
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Till death do us part

I've spent a fair whack on the Integra, ~3000 mile oil changes should keep it in order for a while yet
 
ford fiesta 1.25i (still have this 12 year on, it was my first car and is on indefinite loan to my best friend)
MG ZR 1.4 in yellow - 1.5 years
Audi TTr 225 about 2 years
Golf V5 - not long, sold it to a friend who kept it for 4 years and then drove it to norway and never bothered to pick it up again :D
BMW 335i Black - 1 year
BMW M3 E93 - put a deposit down and then I lost most of my money so never got the car but lost a big deposit :(:(
Ford mondeo 2.0 TDCI, I still have this 3 years on
Grey 335i - about 5 or 6 months
Blue 335i E93, Wife drives this and still have it 2 years on
Blue 335i E92, about to be sold had it off my dad a few months ago.

Work cars my company owns
Skoda falicia - about a year before it was crashed
Renault kangoo van - still have this 2 years on, we will keep it for 2 more years.
 
Firestar_3x said:
A minimum of 3 years, because it's largely pointless changing cars on a whim and flitting from one potential money pit to another whilst spending money on maintenance which you will never get back or get the benefit of.
Click to expand...

Totally this. No interest in constant swapping.

Had current one 5 years, plan to keep the next for 5 as well.
 
But you're stuck to the same car for so long, don't you get bored of your power? I upgrade because I want a faster or more comfy car every time.
 
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