How often do you "upgrade" cars?

[B92 8NW]

I was chatting to a rather dippy lady over lunch today, she was saying that her son needs to buy a new car because his current one is "completely worn out, it's old, done 100,000 km". I also know quite a few people who buy new cars every three years, and some of our neighbours are tragic, as soon as a new ad comes on TV you can bet your backside it'll be in their driveway within a week.

It seems there's two schools of thought - buying [usually leasing] new cars every few years or running your car into the ground before buying a new one. I reckon it makes more sense financially to run a car into the ground altogether.

How long do you anticipate you'll keep your LRs?

[leeds]

I was chatting to a rather dippy lady over lunch today, she was saying that her son needs to buy a new car because his current one is "completely worn out, it's old, done 100,000 km". I also know quite a few people who buy new cars every three years, and some of our neighbours are tragic, as soon as a new ad comes on TV you can bet your backside it'll be in their driveway within a week.

It seems there's two schools of thought - buying [usually leasing] new cars every few years or running your car into the ground before buying a new one. I reckon it makes more sense financially to run a car into the ground altogether.

How long do you anticipate you'll keep your LRs?

Where I used to live, one of the neighbours changed their car everytime the age related plates changed. Since in UK that is every 6 months it must have cost a fortune! Anything to be one step ahead of the neighbours I suppose!


The 110 was bought in 1997 when it was 12 months old.

The hybrid in 2003 and the D2 in 2006.

Barring MAJOR accidents can not see any of them going in next 5 - 10 years

Regards

Brendan

[HAK]

use to be every year, 2 years tops since the little one came into the world 4 years ago and two morgages and all the money spent on my D2 im keeping till it becomes antique :)

[Grover-98]

Well im new to owning cars compared to you guys!

Iv had my Range Rover since i was 16 so almost 3 years its a 84 but has been in the family for 10 years (dad gave it too me!)

And i bought Grover the 98 Disco Tdi on the 24th of April 2007, and id like to think i will be keeping both for a very VERY long time couldn't imagine selling them!

A family friend bought his series LR off the show room floor and still has it over 35 years later :) he has promised when he can no longer drive it its mine :D

[slug_burner]

It depends on how you do the figures. I am sure that there are accountants that can make a case for either holding on to cars or for turning them over every two or three years. I think it comes down to if you want to drive around in a fairly new car all the time then you will justify turning them over frequently. I have never felt in the position to buy a new car so have stuck to second hand ones and have tended to hold onto them.

Perhaps with some tax advantages it might work out in favour of turning them over more frequently. However I do not believe that it is a sustainable practise. I do not believe we should all be driving around in old cars like they do in Cuba but I think that we should think about the amount of energy that it takes to build a car and see if we would get a better return by building a vehicle that will last a little longer before falling apart. Maybe that is why series LRs have been so popular.

[Xavie]

Well, Although I have not owned that many I tend to keep them for about 200,000kms. I'm changing Landys in 6 months and once I have it I won't be changing vehicles until either it falls apart OR the main fuel we use changes.

[CraigE]

All depends. If you can write it off on tax then it would be beneficial to change often, but for most of us they are a money pit. As much as I would like a new 4x4 cant see it happening for 5 yrs at least. On average we buy a car (not new) every 4 years. Only had one new car and that was the Tdi Disco. Buy one used is our motto most times. Nice to have a new car but the immediate losses are too much. We bought the Stato for $31k (half new price) early 2007 only 3 1/2 years old and that will do us for a bit.

[p38arover]

I drove my Hillman Hunter (bought new in 1971) for over 30 years then my son got it. It was given away earlier this year.

Would you believe I have the owner's handbook in front of me - I'm posting it off to the new owner.

Body no. 1220
Engine No. B043905624
Delivery Date: 1/9/1971
John Theaker Motors
Carnarvon, WA

Now to sell the 1963 Hillman Super Minx.

[CraigE]

I drove my Hillman Hunter (bought new in 1971) for over 30 years then my son got it. It was given away earlier this year.

Would you believe I have the owner's handbook in front of me - I'm posting it off to the new owner.

Body no. 1220
Engine No. B043905624
Delivery Date: 1/9/1971
John Theaker Motors
Carnarvon, WA

Now to sell the 1963 Hillman Super Minx.
Grew up in a 1960s Hillman Hunter wagon. My Grandfather had it from new until he died.

[Newbs-IIA]

Why replace something if it's not broken/still working fine?

I heard some arbitary figure that (for example) if it takes 5 years to design & build a new car (eg VE commondoor) more energy/greenhouse gas would be used/produced in developing the new car then all the cars sold in the 5 years it took to develope a NEW car.

Therefore... We should have all stayed with our Series LRs or Kingswoods as every time you make a new car (design & develope) it costs alot of resources. However saying that some things would need to be developed such as engines to keep polution down from the older engine design. Otherwise there is not much point developing newer cars... don't see how they can get much safer than they already are... I would certianly back my Kingswood or Series IIA over a current model buzz-box any day :D

After wading through all that rubbish :P... Don't upgrade as you are hurting the enviroment because of the resources used to develope NEW cars.

Plus all new cars look ugly - Give me a Series Rover or a Kingswod any way :D :D :D :D

[leeds]

Perhaps with some tax advantages it might work out in favour of turning them over more frequently. However I do not believe that it is a sustainable practise. I do not believe we should all be driving around in old cars like they do in Cuba but I think that we should think about the amount of energy that it takes to build a car and see if we would get a better return by building a vehicle that will last a little longer before falling apart. Maybe that is why series LRs have been so popular.

Why does Cuba have to run old cars?

Simple reason is down to the tyranical practises of George W and the 'good old US of A' Begore anyone starts the Cuban missile crisis was over 40 years ago and the Yanks are still punishing the ordinary Cuban people by denying them basic health care etc. I am not saying Castro is perfect but he is almost a saint in comparision to George W and his cronies.

The Cubans could certainly teach the Aussie a thing or two about bush mechanics! Some photos of Cubas transport

Castros car

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/12/252.jpg


Local bus

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/12/245.jpg

Local Taxi

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/12/253.jpg

On street car parking

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/12/254.jpg



To keep these cars going with the embargo still in place shows good mechanical skills. How many of these cars would still be on the road in the Aussie outback.

Apologies for my rant. Hope you like the photos

Regards

Brendan

[slug_burner]

Brendan,

I think your photos help convey what I was refering to when mentioning Cuba and old cars.

Your message store is full and cannot receive PMs.

[JDNSW]

The Cuba pictures remind me of Burma when I first visited it in the eighties (no embargo, just very poor due to government policies).

My 110 I have owned since 1993, and the 2a since 1990 or 91 and I have no plans to replace either - should see me out, perhaps another twenty years. Previous car, which I still have, was a 1974 Citroen DSpeciale, which I bought in 1978, replacing a ID19 bought in 1964.

You can make an argument for any length of ownership you prefer, but unless depreciation is tax deductible, short term ownership is very expensive. Depreciation is in almost all cases the major part of operating cost for a car, and is highest in the first year, slowly decreasing after that. The major concrete reasons for changing cars are:-

1. New design improvements that represent a real advance on what you have currently. (This is fairly rare, despite advertising)

2. Parts/service get hard to find or very expensive - this is a real problem with some cars, e.g. P38A

3. You have run it into the ground and it is cheaper to replace it than fix it - if you look after it you would not be in this position, and proper maintenance will save you money in the long term.

4. You hit something and your insurer is paying you to replace it (rarely a good outcome!)

By the time major repairs are needed on a car, depreciation compared to a new replacement is so high that the repairs are almost always a lot cheaper than the changeover cost (It can be argued that spending money on an old car should be judged against the value of it - but the real comparison should be against the cost of changeover to a new(er) one). Of course, you can change it for something that is only a little bit newer, minimising the changeover cost, but you end up paying the difference between selling and buying, and unless you are very good at assessing cars there is a real risk of ending up with even more expensive repairs.

John

[Bushie]

Well I've had 3 cars since 1978, so does that tell you something ?

1978 - Datsun 1600
1982 - Range Rover
1998 - Defender

My wife has also only had 3 cars, but she did go 23 years without one :D



Martyn

[numpty]

Grew up in a 1960s Hillman Hunter wagon. My Grandfather had it from new until he died.

You were lucky..........I grew up in a Triumph Mayflower.......and you try telling the kids of today that and they wont believe you;)

I couldn't help myself.:D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I dont believe you!
:p

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I've had a few cars,, I mainly change because of intended usage,,
go to work cars.
go fast die young cars,
sleep in the back of cars,
sleep in the back of and TOW go fast cars,
then two disco's:D

[Panda]

Well I've had the Series III for 15 years - it's the only car I've bought since then, & I've got no plans of getting rid of it. Tragic huh!

[d@rk51d3]

I think I might shift to Cuba. Fantastic pics. :cool:


Back on topic......

Had the Rangie for the last 10 years, after a brief stint in a Lada (fitted an Alpha Romeo 2 ltr twin overhead cam.... wooo-hooo!!!) but the lada was a little small inside for anything over a long weekend and 2 people.

Before that, was an XC Fairmont, 302 V8 that I probably had for about 8 years. Probably the nicest car I have driven, and all but gave it away to my Brother in law, when he was in a time of need.

He went on to thrash the thing, then flog it off for a small fortune.:mad::mad:

I miss that car. :(


I won't make the same mistake with the 2a.............. I hope.

[hoadie72]

I am not saying Castro is perfect but he is almost a saint in comparision to George W and his cronies.

The Cubans could certainly teach the Aussie a thing or two about bush mechanics! Some photos of Cubas transport

I'm not saying GW Bush is a saint but your comments about Castro are somewhat misguided. Do some research and get back to us.

As for Cuban cars, my understanding is they mostly have Russian drivetrains, which although still not modern are much more repairable than if they kept the original 50s kit.

[p38arover]

Local bus

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/12/245.jpg



I used to go to school in a bus like that in Parramatta (Sydney suburb for those who don't know Sydney). Seriously. OK, it was a bit better (not much) but it was a semi-trailer.

Flamin' heck. It was 50 years ago and I can still remember it was a White prime mover. It wasn't this one: http://www.sydneybusmuseum.com/exhibs/015.htm

This was it. Just found this with Google

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/12/246.jpg

[stig0000]

to be honest. our family gets a new car almost every yr. well we have just taken delivery of our new 2009 d3, with the colour coded bumpers an all that, that means we now have 4 cars in our drive way, (freelander 2, range rover, defender(mine:D) an now our d3) an dont you worry, because i get told that we are stuped an crazy for having all this cars all the time buy some of my mates, but that dosent stop them from coming over all the time, ;)

but if we do keep a car its till the warranty runs our, its just gets to expensive to fix them out of warranty, an with our luck its always somthing really big things that go wrong,

[leeds]

Going completely off topic. Yes Castro is a die hard communist leader. Yes everyone still receives basic rations. Yes the economy is screwed courtsey of US embargo. Public transport is largely done by virtue of offically organised hitching posts. Corruption is basically non existent. Shops are basically empty of goods and there is a two tier monetary system with two seperate currency. Yes the state keeps tabs on the movement of people. Critism of Castro is not welcomed by die hard communists. Having said all that the Cubans are great friendly people who readily smile and are extremely helpful.

Against this tiny nation there is the democratically (extremely debateable) US president. Instrutions to the US representative at the world bank is to block all loans to Cuba. American citizens face 10 years imprisonment if they visit Cuba without offical permission. ALL US companies and subsidaries are banned from trading with Cuba. That means the Cuban people find it virtually impossible to get basic medicines which you can buy over the counter. The US army does NOT need US Congress permission to declare war on Cuba. If a ship calls in at Havana it is banned from visiting American ports for 6 months, down from 12 months. What about the way the US detains prisoners on Cuba without trial etc?

Then there is the ongoing aid programme into the richest nation on the world to help educate, house and provide medical aid to the Hispanic poor in the US. That irks George W!

To pay for oil and other essential imports Cuba exports highly trained doctors and engineers.

I will put my soapbox away

Regards


Brendan

[Xavie]

I was thinking about this question more in depth a few days back and came to the conclusion that for the cost of fixing things as they die I could easily run an old car and be ahead financially compared to buying a new one and selling them on every few years.

Nothing is so expensive in a car to make it not worth fixing compared to buying a new one in my opinion.

People say they won't keep a car after the warranty runs out as it is to expensive to fix but the cost of either trading then buying means you lose huge sums where you could just get a 4 year extended warranty which covers all parts and labour for warranty work anyway and although this will cost a couple of grand if something does go wrong your way ahead still of if you bought new just for a warranty.

And also, if a car is in warranty it means you need absolutely every little job done by a qualified mechanic and that isn't cheap either.

My foster mum changes her car every 2-3 years because it is her work vehicle and likes a new car because she does so many kms in it but she still thinks it is a real luxury to be able to do that.

[F4Phantom]

Cars seem to be a loose loose loose situation. Even if you buy a 3 yr old commodore for 20k you will still loose 10k in the next 3 yrs. Obviously this is less than if you got it new but paying the car off ahead of its value it hard to do.

I have had approx 1 car per yr since I got my licence, but I am different because I grew up in the 90's reading wheels magazine and wanting all those amazing cars of the day. So I have now basicly owned all the cars I really wanted at nearly give away prices, luckily I am not all that interested in the very modern cars bar a few brands. I have also (finally) found two cars that I am happy to own longer term in the rangie diesel and my wife has a eunos 800. The eunos is an orphan here so its bought for throw away money, but nice to live with.

[Dorko]

I've gone though a few cars. I only keep my cars for 2-3 years. But thats depends on my lease. Having a lease is great as you get a new car every 3 years! but depends on how much $ you make which can offset your tax.

Dorko

[George130]

Only ever owned 1 new car and sold it 13 months after buying it. We drive our cars into the ground. Wifes 88 mazda has 350,000km on it. We would hold onto a car for 5 to 7 years so far.

[loanrangie]

I keep mine for a while too, still have my 81 rangie i bought in 94 and a 1958 FC special sedan i bought in 85, i dont particularly like new cars although a D3 or puma 110 would be nice. I will never own any boring cars like coomodore/falcon/camry etc, i would much rather keep an older car or rebuild an older car to keep.

[The ho har's]

ho har has bought me 2 cute little new cars.........the first one I was in a life

changing car accident and never liked the car since....sold it.....the 2nd I

was rolled down a 20ft embankment :eek:by a drunk diver 18 months ago an

still having health prob.....will never own a new car again ...will stick to my

landies with steel bar protection all around thanks very much:)


Mrs ho har:angel:

[Sprint]

27, only ever owned 2 cars (well...... still owe the bank $6500 on the XR8), bought the 1st one because i needed a vehicle of my own, 1987 XF Fairmont Ghia, IIRC 280,000km when i parked it, no aircon, more rattles and issues than i care to remember, replaced it with my current ride because:

1: i wanted a more practical, comfortable daily driver
2: i wanted something a lil more reliable
3: i wanted air conditioning
4: i wanted a V8
5: i wanted a manual

[abaddonxi]

Don't think I've ever owned a car for more than three and a half years.

Never had a new one, just lose the love and they have to go. Or pinched, or totalled.

Simon

[B92 8NW]

Don't think I've ever owned a car for more than three and a half years.

Never had a new one, just lose the love and they have to go. Or pinched, or totalled.

Simon

Ahh so there are other people who lose the love. That was what happened with my old Disco - the love went:D.

[dungarover]

For me as I usually buy old dungas anyway, I change them when something else comes up cheaply or is generally better than I have. Although I would have kept Aquarangie forever if I hadn't of rolled it a few years back :(

Been hard to find something that would replace it since (had 4 Rangie since then, although the Vog would have beeen pretty close if it hasn't of burnt to the ground :mad::mad::mad:).

Trav

[Tote]

Depends on the Circumstances I find myself in.
Disco 1 - Traded on a TD5 because it kept leaking oil and at 125000Km they offered the right money on a new one.
Disco 2 - We paid the CHP out and Kept it for 8 years, only sold it a few months ago as I needed to either keep it for another 4 years while I leased a car for work transport or buy a new 4wd, we got a new Disco 3
In the intervening time there has been a succession of company cars in the garage as well as the dedicated gas ex Vic Police car that SWMBO drives into town every day. At 20K and $30 a week for fuel it's got to be one of the cheapest vehicles I've ever owned.
Regards,
Tote

[andrew e]

I will never sell my county. Replace parts until it is a new car, yes.

The day you see my county in the classifieds, is the day i will buy each and every AULRO member a beer or 6.

I however do get another LR every 2 months to satisfy an urge.

Andy.

PS merry boxing day.

[Disco_owner]

I'd never upgrade to a new vehicle , I'll just keep driving and fixing my landrovers , I doubt the Love would ever be lost , it's a lifetime partnership.:D

oh, no is that like a "marriage"

[JDNSW]

Interestingly, just before Christmas I had my son's Holden in to a mechanic to be serviced (I don't have a hoist so I'm blowed if I'll service anything you can't crawl under!). I was talking to the mechanic, as one does, about the US car maker's bailout, and he made the rather perceptive comment "Almost nobody has to buy a new car".

John

[Pedro_The_Swift]

nobody in OZ----;)

and that only covers the population near large centres,,

I'm sure if you lived out near Uppercumbuctawest you'd be buying a new car every other year.

[Reads90]

Interestingly, just before Christmas I had my son's Holden in to a mechanic to be serviced (I don't have a hoist so I'm blowed if I'll service anything you can't crawl under!). I was talking to the mechanic, as one does, about the US car maker's bailout, and he made the rather perceptive comment "Almost nobody has to buy a new car".

John

mmm stupid comment , after all someone has to other wise there would be no second hand cars around :):)

[Reads90]

Well i am 37 and had 28 land rovers , soon to be 29 if all goes well today, get rid of this crappy disco

I either get bored of them or break them :). My blue 90 is the longest i have ever own a car. Had that nearly 6 years now

Al

[big guy]

Well
At last count I had 71 cars, 10 were Landies of some description.
We do own a new car, A Golf 2.0TDI. For Tax purpose, I claim the depreciation from new, the interest charged on the lease, service and insurance and fuel.
That way, it pretty much does not cost me much at all. I would be paying it in tax if I had only and old car to claim.
Fuel at the end of the day is actually the smallest expense.It just occurs more often.

I find new cars are boring unless we are talking top end stuff.

I like the challenge of getting in my landy and at any given time, it may not start.
Hearing the gears mesh and the mechanicals doing their thing.
The Golf is killer but one is so removed from what is going on.

My next one will be another Rangie, prefer soft dash with another stonker motor I hope.
Its a disease I contracted when first exposed to the marque.
I just can't shake it.

I change cars often because mainly I get bored with them or some-one wants to buy them off me.

Yes, on the Golf we will loose a bundle but we made it back by tax off-sets.

[BigJon]

mmm stupid comment , after all someone has to other wise there would be no second hand cars around :):)


People buy new cars because they want to, rarely because they have to.

[hoadie72]

People buy new cars because they want to, rarely because they have to.
With new people getting licenses every year and an aging population, someone's gotta buy new vehicles at some point.

[Rayngie]

Although i've always had Landrovers, well for the last 12 years at least, i've alway's change my other car every year or so, i think purely through boredom, my current ''other'' car is a Kombi, loads of fun...had everything through Hilman Hunter's, Commodore's, BMW, Jag, even actually had a Roller in the driveway once, but chickend out, 37 cars and counting..

Definately not a long term car owner, in fact i think my time with the D2 is comming to an end, it may end up in the markets shortly..

Ray,

[BigJon]

With new people getting licenses every year and an aging population, someone's gotta buy new vehicles at some point.

Government departments. Do new drivers buy new cars? Rarely, I would think.

[hoadie72]

Government departments. Do new drivers buy new cars? Rarely, I would think.
:rolleyes:

[JDNSW]

mmm stupid comment , after all someone has to other wise there would be no second hand cars around :):)

No, I don't agree that it is a stupid comment. Taking each buying decision one at a time, it is accurate. You can argue that if nobody buys new cars, there will eventually be a shortage of second hand ones - but that is not a logical corollary of the original statement. It merely says almost nobody has to buy a new car - not that nobody buys new cars, a quite different statement, which would lead to the result of no old cars.

John

[easo]

Some one has to resuply the second hand car market.

A good mate of mine never bought a car over $500 bucks, as long as they were road worthy and had 6-12mts rego, he was happy. Then he'd send them to the scrappy when the rego ran out and get another.

Cheers Easo

[abaddonxi]

Some one has to resuply the second hand car market.

A good mate of mine never bought a car over $500 bucks, as long as they were road worthy and had 6-12mts rego, he was happy. Then he'd send them to the scrappy when the rego ran out and get another.

Cheers Easo

I tried the $1000 variation of that, ended up with a Subaru L wagon, kept it longer than any car I'd owned to date.

Gotta love an L wagon.

Simon

[A Commodore cant 4x4]

I change cars when I get bored with them. I have the Ute in my avitar, which I have had since late 2001. Im going to sell that once I get a Disco.

I had a 87 VL for 3 months. Gone.
a great 77 XC falcon, 6cyl, 3 on the tree for 12 months. Gone.
And a Buick Electra, with a 7.5l V8. Thats next on the chopping block. Mainly due to the fact my ex wife and I bought it together, and I dont want anything hanging around that reminds me of her. Evil **** :D

[Jeff]

I've had my Defender for ten years next month:twobeers:, my first car, a 2A hardtop I had for 15 years then sold it to a mate who still has it.

I bought up the subject with SWMBO the other day, after ten years and 240,000 km the Defender has been really good, but will we get another ten years or 240,000km? I asked do we buy a new one or not, she replied with a typical 'I don't know'.

Jeff
:rocket: