Does anyone buy a new vehicle and just keep it?

[SecondhandSnake]

I bought my '02 Dodge Diesel 2500 brand new in 2002. It's still going strong (as you'd expect from at least the Cummins part). At this age, it still has <90K on the clock.

Just what I want to hear.

I'd buy new if I was buying a truck right now or slightly used. Used trucks are so expensive there's no point to buying used.

This is also true. When I was at one dealer they had a 3 year old diesel that wasn't even $5k less than a brand new one!


As far as myself, I am in the boat of people that buy and will run it till she falls apart. Picked up a 2012 Ram 2500 diesel last year, brand new, factory ordered, and intend on driving it until the wheels fall off. Residual value is great, not that I care for my purposes.

I also come from a long line of family that have done the same. So far between my father and grandfather, the shortest time they've kept a Ram (all bought new) has been 13 years . They keep them until they just about rust into a pile of dust, get a new one, then start all over again.

I fully intend on keeping that tradition. If I don't get at least 15 years out of my Ram, I'll be thoroughly disappointed. Getting into the million mile club with the CTD would be nice too.

 

[actaeon277]

I have tried 3 used cars and 2 new cars.

I'm going with new from now on.
My first car was used (as I'm sure most are) and wasn't toooooo bad.
Then I bought a new car, 13 years and 200k miles. Probably coulda got some more, but had some problems I didn't want to deal with.
Then a cheap used car with bullet holes in it, 1 year.
Then a slightly better car with no bullet holes in it, 2 years.
All cars went to the scrap heap when I was done, except maybe the last one. I traded that to a dealer, not sure what he did. Probably scrap.

After getting sick of dealing with problems created by previous drivers, I now have a 09 Escape, new.
I plan on running it similiar to the other new car, till it drops.
I know what has happened to the car.
It gets lovingly maintained.
Full insurance, the life of the car.
Home and car, I'm very conservative on, finance wise. One I live in, the other gets me to where I work.

 

[public servant]

My 2000 Jeep Cherokee suits me just fine. 143K miles, no rust, doesn't use a drop of oil and runs like new.

 

[Hoosier8]

I am on year 7 for my RX8 I bought new. My Cherokee I bought used but I am at 256K on it and bought it at 193K.

I like not having payments.

 

[jgreiner]

I know people that absolutely has to drive a brand new vehicle. They'll either lease one for a bit, and trade it in for something new.
Others, will buy a new vehicle for a while, then trade or sell it for another new vehicle.

Doe anyone buy a new vehicle, and just keep it forever?

i do, I tend to keep them a very long time. I bought my 1999 Explorer with 7,000 miles on it, kept it till my daughter totaled it with 190,000 miles on it.

My son is driving my Expedition that is 10 years old, and has 130,000. I figure it will get him through college (he is a HS Junior now).

I just bought my current Explorer in June. Hands down, it's the best vehicle I have owned to date. I plan on keeping it a very long time.

 

[kbailey]

I have two pickups, a 1996 1/2 ton Chevy purchased in 2000 and a 1998 1 ton Dodge Cummins purchased in 2006. The Chevy has 202,000 miles on it and the Dodge has 237,000 miles on it. Both are still going strong but are showing their age ... especially the dodge.

I would love to have a new pickup but I stopped in a Mike Raisor's in Lafayette and the GMC I wanted was $65,000 ... no freaking way could I buy that new or even 5 years old. I'll just keep fixing mine when parts fail.

 

[actaeon277]

I do like your guys idea of paying cash. I'm going to have to start socking away the money I'm saving since I just paid mine off.
Accumulate enough for next time.

Once the credit card is done.

 

[E'villeGunner]

I've never bought new as far as vehicles go. I'll buy them a year or 2 old and usually keep them for on average 10 yrs. My current vehicle is a '01 Ford F-150 Super Crew Lariat. Just turned over 100k. Planning on keeping it a while longer or until my youngest son comes up with a buy for me as he is a salesman at Audubon Chrysler.

 

[MikeDVB]

I've never bought new as far as vehicles go. I'll buy them a year or 2 old and usually keep them for on average 10 yrs. My current vehicle is a '01 Ford F-150 Super Crew Lariat. Just turned over 100k. Planning on keeping it a while longer or until my youngest son comes up with a buy for me as he is a salesman at Audubon Chrysler.

EEWWWWW A FORD!!!!!


(jk jk). I don't mind Ford trucks but their cars....... uggh.

 

[E'villeGunner]

I also have an '07 Ford Edge with 30k miles just finished putting 1400 miles on it with a trip to Minnesota, rode and drove great!

 

[MikeDVB]

I also have an '07 Ford Edge with 30k miles just finished putting 1400 miles on it with a trip to Minnesota, rode and drove great!

I just don't like their styling/interiors is all. When I was in high school the cars of the time seemed to have a bad habit of going through transmissions but I don't think that's still an issue.

 

[Mad Macs]

I put about 25K miles on my car every year. With some of them, they were done when I was done paying for them. Or we outgrew them (added to family)

My current love is a 2011 Dodge Charger RT I got when the 12's were out for a while. Go about 20% off sticker and way below invoice. Plus I traded in a 2010 Subaru Outback they with 60K miles and they gave me what I owed on it.

I drive too much to not enjoy what I'm driving.

 

[Brandon]

I bought a Pontiac Grand Am GT brand new back in 2004, quite possibly the last time I buy a new car. Sure it had a warrenty but after the same things kept breaking, it wasn't worth it.

I'd rather buy used and drive untill the wheels fall off. Alot easier researching cars you are interested in buying and finding out what the major problems are. It is the only way I can afford to get into an E39 Beast.

 

[Vince49]

Just wheels....and worn out like me.

I have been driving and have owned vehicles since 1965. I only purchased two of them new one in 1971 and replaced it in 1984 with another new van. I drove each of those for thirteen years for a total of twenty six years on two vehicles. My current ride is a 2000 Ford Ranger purchased used in 2010. I will drive it until it quits and then look for another eight to ten year old vehicle to buy. I need a truck of some type for the things that I do. I have only owned one street type car in my life and that was a "69 Firebird I bought when I returned from Viet-Nam in 1971 (only kept it for 6 months and traded it in for the '71 Chevy van.

 

[bottlemaker]

cheap

To cheap to buy cars save my money for guns and more guns been driving a
92 Chevy. for 22 year and still runs good I'm 72 and may be buried in it save the money by not buying a casket this means I can buy more guns now.
Bob

 

[Mdseidl]

I've had my "new" truck since 2001. It needs some work currently, but I will keep it until it dies.

 

[MikeDVB]

I bought a Pontiac Grand Am GT brand new back in 2004, quite possibly the last time I buy a new car. Sure it had a warrenty but after the same things kept breaking, it wasn't worth it.

Which isn't an issue because it was bought new, but simply an issue with that car in particular.

That said, I've had 0 things break on my Lancer. One thing nice about buying used is there will already be a solid history over that make/model that indicates common issues and how common the issues are. Buying new - if it's not a major redesign (new engine, new transmission, etc) then chances are you'll be fine if the previous years on the same platform were ok.

Generally I wouldn't buy a brand new car that was on a brand new drivetrain design or platform that hasn't been tested/vetted by those who've owned them over years. I would whole-heartedly recommend a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer but I couldn't say whether or not a 2013 would be a good vehicle.

I'd rather buy used and drive untill the wheels fall off. Alot easier researching cars you are interested in buying and finding out what the major problems are. It is the only way I can afford to get into an E39 Beast.

Indeed - and as I said above - if they've been putting the same drivetrain on the same frame for 3 years (say 2009-2012) and then they have the same drivetrain on the same frame 2013 you're likely to have the same issues (or lack of issues) as the earlier models.

The upside to used, as said above, is you can research it to see what common issues are - with a brand new car it's more of a gamble.

The downside to used is that if the prior owner hasn't maintained the vehicle properly you could be buying a whole barrel of potential problems and/or a money pit.

It's all about risk vs reward and what your budget can afford. If cars were $500 (brand new) everybody would buy new because everybody could afford it!