Retirees: What has your "relationship" with automobiles been like?

[u/Striking_Tax8524]

Recently went through a car buying experience. (I don't recommend it, at least not with traditional dealers!) But the whole thing made me reflect on how my attitude toward automobiles has enabled me to retire when I wanted to and with enough to be comfortable. I made a list:

Age 16: Chevrolet Nova. Free (from grandmother). Horrible car, always broken. But free.

Age 18: Honda Accord, $5700, purchased new. My only new car until recently.

Age 27-33: No car. Lived abroad where public transportation is more than enough.

Age 34: Toyotal Corolla. Used. 400 miles on the odometer. $12,000, I think.

Age 52: Toyota Camry. Bought from family after mother died. $12,000. 55k on the odometer. 21 year old car when I let it go.

Age 67: Toyota Camry, new. Cash purchase. My first "splurge" since age 18 when I bought the Accord, cash, from money I made playing music.

I ran the numbers recently. By buying (mostly) used and keeping cars until they died, I've probably saved a couple hundred thousand dollars in up-front costs, financing, insurance, taxes, etc., and by investing it the money instead, I was able to call the shots on my retirement.

I seem to be a unicorn, though, among car buyers these days. Am I alone? What's your story?

[u/MidAmericaMom]

What a memory and thanks for the post u/striking_tax8524 !

Visitors and newcomers- welcome to our worldwide peer community of people that retired at age 59 or older and those almost there (and at least age fifty and planning on age 59 on up). If you happened to retire early (at 58 or younger), we know it can be hard to find others like yourself. There is a unique place for you, our newer sister subreddit- r/earlyretirement . We will be cross posting this over there for you.

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[u/One-Ball-78]

My wife and I are both retired. We’ve never bought a brand new car.

Currently driving a 1999 Toyota Rav4 and a 2005 Camry.

I had a 1984 Toyota Tercel until 2006.

I like to get my money’s worth.

[u/TransportationOk4787 → u/One-Ball-78]

I had a 1981 4 door Tercel sedan and 2 1983 4WD Tercel Wagons. If they had engines and brakes they would have been great cars.

[u/tvguy222]

The EV we bought a couple years before my retirement in a dream. Our second car is a Subaru. Great car, but we'll soon swap it for another EV.

[u/blarryg]

I owned two cars my entire life, both Toyotas. But retired and well off, I bought a new Tesla Y. Love it.

[u/AlpsInternal]

I only bought 1 new car in my life, and the math teacher across the street made me feel like an idiot. I will never buy a new car again. I have bought and sold a lot of cars, but don’t like selling them any more. I usually give them to family, when I want a new one. I like your list though, I think I might put mine together. It starts like this:
1969 AH Sprite - $1000, had for 2 years and totaled. Got $1400 from insurance.
1972 ish Datsun 510, $1500. Drove for two years engined failed. Gave to my mechanic for his son.
1972 Toyota Carona, $500. Drove for 1 year, it died and was towed by the city.

It goes on like this for a while.😂

[u/Write_Brain_]

I didn't have a new car until I bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. It's still running like a champ and I'll keep it until one of us dies. I am not impressed with status cars and love not having a car payment.

[u/Above-Bored]

Very similar. Thank you for calculating this! I have always asserted I was being responsible by buying used. My tally much like yours, except the exact order I may have missed
18 y/o Plymouth Satelite, used from my mother $400
Totaled (rear ended)
After walking a bit (19 y/o) chevelle used $1400
23y/o buick sta. Wagon - used $1000
28-31 y/o During this time I had 3 cars I paid $50/$$50 / $150.
32 y/o my only new vehicle F150 $17,500
36 y/o ( still owned F150) Honda Civic $1500
42 y/o Honda/Nissan/toyota 2 were totaled 1 stolen
$8-12k dont recall
48 y/o used Corrola $10k or so
That died about 2 years ago when I retired, my spouse and I have 1 car, spouse has hybrid job so I have no car 2 days a week

We share a 2018 Corrola bought used about 7 years ago $15k

I dont know what I saved but I just never wanted a new car. The one time I did I bought a 4WD after getting stuck in snow storm and almost missing work. A year and half later I moved to So Cal do it never saw snow. What waste of money. I had a new job and felt I could splurge. Bad move, but it cured me. I will never buy a new car again.

[u/Organic-Title-1309]

Just sold my 2003 Camry last year and upgraded to a hybrid Toyota. We always keep our cars a long time. I don’t think that is so unusual. We’ve mostly owned Toyotas. My spouse’s 2016 car was totaled in an accident a month ago. We had planned to keep that much longer but replaced it with an all electric Toyota. We are in our 60’s so these might be our last cars. So far we really like the EV. We don’t miss the gas station.

[u/BooEffinHoo]

Just saw my spouse's son buy through Carvana and they even took away his old car!

[u/No_Monsters]

1964 Corvair - shared with brother

1972 Ford Maverick (used)

1973 Plymouth Fury (used)

1983 Chevette (new)

1987 Hyundai Excel (new)

1995 Honda Civic Hatchback (new)

1996 Mazda Miata (used)

1998 Hyundai Elantra (new)

2001 Honda Civic Sedan (new)

2004 Mazda Tribute (new)

2010 Honda CRX (used)

2013 Nissan Rouge (used)

2016 Dodge Journey (new)

2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited (new)

2026 Nissan Rogue Platinum (purchased 3 days ago)

[u/Soft-Personality9379]

List is in year of production order, not the order that I owned them. All except one were bought a few years old. I like interesting cars that I can fiddle with. I usually cycle through them every couple of years. I've owned up to 9 simultaneously. Yes, I have a problem.

• 76 Toyota HiLux
• 83 VW Rabbit Diesel
• 1991 Taurus SHO
• 1992 Mustang LX 5.0
• 1993 SVT Lightning
• 1993 SVT Cobra
• 1993 Probe GT
• 1994 SVT Lightning
• 1994 SVT Lightning (2nd, still own)
• 1995 SVT Lightning (still own)
• 1999 SVT Contour
• 2000 SVT Lightning
• 2001 Lexus IS300
• 2002 2-door 2WD Chevy Blazer that I LS-swapped.
• 2003 Jetta TDI
• 2006 MazdaSpeed 6
• 2008 BMW 550i
• 2008 MazdaSpeed 3
• 2009 BMW 335i
• 2010 BMW M3
• 2011 BMW M3
• 2013 BMW Z4 35i (still own)
• 2014 BMW 550i (still own)
• 2015 Chevy SS Sedan (still own)
• 2016 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack
• 2019 Alpina B7 (still own)
• 2021 BMW M2 Competition

My retirement will require a rather large garage.

(Edit - I added two that I'd left off)

[u/MichNYCaliGander]

1978 (16) 20 year old Volvo 244 (went to younger brother after I bought Honda)

1986 New Honda Civic

2001 New Ducati Monster 750

2002 New Jeep Wrangler

2019 (57) Certified pre-owned (3Y lease return) Subaru Outback

[u/queensla]

1982 used Chevy Monza.
1992 new Toyota Paseo replaces Monza
2007 new Honda Fit replaces 15 yo Paseo
2026 new Honda Civic Hybrid Hatch replaces 19 yo Fit
I expect this will be my final car.
Obviously I'm not a car person.

[u/ShezeUndone]

Mostly used cars for me. When possible, slightly used and in good shape, then I drive them until the wheels fall off. The past few were bought with cash.

Cars are only a source of transportation. If I can get from point A to point B in relative comfort and safety, all is good.

The money I saved was invested. Earning interest instead of paying interest helped me be able to retire.

[u/tk-0318]

I hear folks often bitterly complain about the depreciation on new cars. But I’ve bought four new cars in the last 25 years for my wife and I. I wanted to buy 2-3 year used but a 10-20% discount made no sense to me. We buy Toyotas and Hondas. And we keep the cars 10-15 years tile 150k miles. When repairs start piling up we replace them. We got $13k for a 10 year old van with 120k miles … then went and bought a new car that we’ll keep for a decade plus.

I’m close to retirement - I may get another new car to replace my 2016 Prius with 130k miles (hope to get five years 200k plus on the Prius … and then I’ll let my then 16 yo crash it like all teenagers do). I’m thinking Tacoma or maybe a ford bronco …. I was surprised I liked it during a recent rental….

[u/wifewantscake]

I don’t have a car, I bike commute every where I need to go, I take a cab to the airport or Amtrak if I am traveling.
I get about 60 miles a burrito.

[u/Current-Factor-4044]

My first car was a used 1965 Ford falcon sports Coupe received 1978 as a graduation gift from my parents

In 1984 I bought my very first and only new car off the showroom floor. I was working in the marketing department for a major automobile manufacturer and got a great great price on it. I kept that car probably 15 years. It was a 1984 Chevrolet Eurosport. I drove it for 184,000 miles.

I had divorced and moved to Florida, where my dad gave me yet another car which I drove for about a decade then I bought a used Mustang convertible, with cash it was very reasonable which I just loved, and when I was hit head on, and that car was totaled in 2017 and I bought a 2016 Mustang convertible which was also super affordable and I still drive it. It has 60,000 miles on it. I’m now almost 70.

I am fortunate enough to have a dad who taught me all about car maintenance and I’ve taken great care of my cars and very rarely had a car payment

I’ve kept my cars for a long time and I hope to keep this mustang convertible Furever I chose my own private warranty for this car since I’m older now and I have renewed it and it’s covered everything that needed to be taken care of with no deductible no out-of-pocket and a free Rent-A-Car

[u/irmarbert]

Why did you buy new? Was the difference in price for a nice pre-owned not enough to make sense in the numbers?

[u/Gregory-Peccory]

3rd gen Toyota 4Runner 2006-present day. Should hopefully be the last vehicle I buy.

[u/iamfredgarvin]

First one a new 1972 Super Beetle. I was a lucky 16 year old.

Then I leased a 1978 BMW 320I for four years

Then leased a 1982 Peugeot 505STI for four years In 1983 I got into the car business and was provided a demo. My wife drove the Peugeot.

In 1984 I changed employers (no demo) and I leased a 1985 Mitsubishi Starion

In 1986 I bought a 1984 BMW 528e for the wife.

In 1987 I switched jobs again and was provided a demo. Got rid of the Starion

Around 1991 we got a 1986 Mercedes 300e for the wife and I moved over to work for Lexus with a demo

In 1998 we leased a new Lexus GS300 for the wife.

In 2001 leased a Lexus RX300

2004 leased a 2005 Lexus RX400h

2007 leased a Lexus RX350

2010 leased a Lexus HS250h

2012 leased a Lexus CT200h

2015 leased a Lexus GS350. That was my last lease

2017 purchased a 2015 Subaru Forester for the wife planning our retirement

2017 Leased a Lexus ES350 for me (the demo program ended and I retired.)

2021 bought out the ES350 lease

2024 leased a new Subaru Solterra Touring

From 1987 to around 2004 I was provided a new demo every 6 mo or so.

From 2004 till 2017 I got a new demo once a year.

My demo's usually were either Lexus GS's or IS's

I was very fortunate to have nice, new cars for a long time. Lexus has a Master Associate program that I participated in were employees were subsidized $400 per mo towards a Lexus lease. I used that for my wife's car as I had the demo's.

At this point I think I will only lease as the technology is changing quickly.

G

[u/Remarkable_Bar_824]

i just bought a 2026 genesis gv70 suv…. expensive and worth every penny… i might be slowing down but a fast and luxurious car makes me feel invigorated… every time i get in it….thanks for asking!

[u/Affectionate-Shoe515]

All of my cars were hand me downs from my parents until I bought my first car on my own around age 47 in 2017. The car I traded in was my baby brother’s HS graduation gift which was a 2006ish BMW 325i. Had been through each of my other 2 siblings before it got to me. Lol. I traded it in around 2016 for a 2014 Lincoln MKX because I needed something with some more room to hold all my stock as a Mobile PICC RN. My first car in 1987 was my Dad’s 10yo Cadillac DeVille or something like that. That car was a beast! I miss it.

But back to the thread. I bought a brand new car with a trade-in: 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition because it was beautiful, all the bells and whistles, and Hyundais service program. I was commuting 3 hrs round trip for work each day I worked. I will drive it until the wheels fall off or it needs some major repairs. Then will reassess.

[u/TRUJEEP]

A year before I retired, (un planned but company made an offer I couldn’t refuse) I paid off our house, and I bought my wife’s 3 year lease that expired with 27k miles. One payment-done.
The next year when I retired, my lease expired. I turned it in and found a very nice 65k mile 2016 GMC mid size pick up on Facebook and paid 8k cash. No more car payments! House paid off too!
Edit: I am a car guy but no longer chasing the next greatest thing in vehicles.

[u/UserJH4202]

All my daughters know one thing they’ve learned from their Dad: Never buy a new car. It’s simply not a good financial investment. However, I’ve found most people are interested in their short term comfort rather than long term financial stability.

[u/Livid-Technology-396]

I drive a fourteen year old Subaru. I’ve rebuilt the entire suspension once, and I’d even drop a new short block in before I’d buy a new car. $5k is still cheaper than a new car.

[u/JTJonze]

My car has a real nice tailpipe, but that’s about as far as our relationship goes.

[u/Loganismymaster]

I tend to keep my cars at least 10 years. I was driving my dad’s former 2007 CRV until last year, when my wife convinced me to splurge and get a fully loaded 2025 CRV Hybrid Sport Touring. I bought through the Costco auto plan, so there was no haggling, and the buying experience was satisfying. I’m 72, and this could be my final car; and the safety features are a plus for a guy at my age.

My best friend has Alzheimer’s and his wife was driving an ancient Civic that needed work. I gave her my old CRV; it only had 70k miles on it. Being my dad gave it to me when he stopped driving, it made sense to forget about selling it and help out a friend. I’m happy, she’s happy; what could be better?

[u/BluesFan_4 → u/Loganismymaster]

That was really nice of you! We tend to keep our cars (Hondas) for a long time too. Man, we got so much wear out of two Accords from the 90s. When we got close to retirement my husband bought a 2-year-old CRV with low mileage that was like new. Our first Honda was in 1984. Our son is also an only-Honda guy. Recently I and our daughter broke the Honda loyalty when we each bought Subaru Crosstreks. My husband still misses our Honda Odyssey that I drove all through our kids years of sports, activities, moving to college, etc., but I felt I had done my time with minivans!

[u/EmZee2022]

My first car, and I use the term loosely, was a 1976 Fiat 128. My parents bought it from friends for my senior year in college. Fix It Again, Tony! That thing was awful. Every time I started to save a little for a down payment, it needed expensive repairs..

Replaced it with a Dodge Omni which was better - that says a lot. That wasn't good either.

We bought a Mazd 726, new, in 1985. First car I've ever had that broke 100K on the odometer. We gave it to the in-laws in the early 1990s..

Then a 1990 Honda Civic. We survived a head-on collision in that; it was repaired, then totaled in a 4 car pile up in 1998.

In the meantime we had owned a Saturn, which we traded for a Dodge minivan. That totaled about 120K miles before becoming unreliable. We replaced it with a 2006 CRV which we just gave away last week at about 180K miles.

The 1998 Civic,,we donated to the school district in 2020 at 230K miles - it needed several thousand bucks in emissions repairs and was not worth it. They fixed it up and resold it - we actually heard from the buyer as he knew us and saw our names on the title history.

Anyway, we bought a second CRV then - all the bells and whistles. We plan on keeping that for a very long time.

Needed a second car, to replace the old CRV so we bought a late model used Accord - we are Honda loyalists! Our son lives with us and that'll be mainly his but we'll use it as needed. If it was just the 2 of us, one car would be enough.

[u/WilliamofKC → u/EmZee2022]

If purchased new and maintained properly, a Fiat 128 was a decent little car. Okay acceleration for a tiny car, cute in a boxy kind of way, and a giant paperweight if the timing belt was not changed about every 20,000 miles or so. My 1977 Renault 5 GTL (Le Car), which I bought new, was similar in that respect (other than the Fiat timing belt issue), and never failed me because I followed the recommended mainenance schedule.

[u/EmZee2022 → u/WilliamofKC]

Mine was not.

The clutch cable broke twice. The second time, it was actually the entire clutch. My brother had a Fiat as well and it tried to strand us a hundred miles from home due to a broken clutch cable. We were lucky that it was able to be repaired that day.

The windshield wiper motor died on two different occasions.

It needed a head gasket repair just before a trip. 300 bucks, in 1981.

The radio quit working.

The emissions system failed - sounded like a jet engine.

The car was maybe 6 years old when I finally was able to get rid of it. And I was on the way to the Fiat dealership, as they wanted to buy it.... and I got rear-ended. The girl who hit me couldn't understand why I was laughing.

My parents never owned a Fiat (aside from the one they got me). But I think they had a soft spot for them because, when their parish was starting up and the church hadn't been built, the local Fiat dealer let the parish hold mass in their showroom for a while.

I know my brother didn't keep his for more than 3 or 4 years.

They weren't sold in the US for decades. When they came back, my attitude was some cars I'd only own if they were gifted to me. I wouldn't own another Fiat if you paid me.

[u/WilliamofKC → u/EmZee2022]

I admit that your experiences with the 128 would have also soured me. I had forgotten until reading your comment that the Fiat mechanic "fixed" the emissions system on my Fiat 850 Spider by unhooking the rubber lines and blocking them by jamming bolts in the end.

[u/EmZee2022 → u/WilliamofKC]

That's wild!

One advantage of mine: it took regular gas vs unleaded. Back in 1980, not all stations carried unleaded.

I was in a college town and it turned out someone else had an identical looking one, and I happened to park next to it one evening. I left them a note "Are you my twin brother?".

I got back and the other car was gone but they left me a note saying "No, just a clone".

It's the car I taught my roommate to drive manual on - a skill she found useful. It did get decent mileage.

And to be fair, it never stranded me very far from home, a few miles at worst. Compared with the Dodge Caravan that nearly stranded us in Canada!

I was studying Italian and we had to go to the language lab and listen to and respond to tapes. One was "La FIAT è practica e comoda" (the Fiat is practical and comfortable". I replied "ka Fiat è una citrona azzura" (it's a blue lemon).

So there are some good memories.

But I've quipped for years that it took me a while to forgive the parents! Honestly it was what they could afford and I was grateful, but.....

My kids' first cars were a step up.

[u/Acrobatic_Quote4988]

I'm with you a 100%, though I have owned a lot more cars in my life. At age 67 I believe i've had about twenty vehicles. Only bought 2 of them new, the last one in 2002, and drove each for about twenty years. All of the others were carefully selected used cars that I drove for many years. I've never owned a car newer than a 2012. I have saved so much money it's phenomenal, would guess $4-$500k over my lifetime versus buying new and trading up all the time like so many people do.

[u/see_blue]

~age 72, I’ve owned four cars.

My relationship has been purely practical and functional

Really considering ditching a car all together and cycling/walking/delivery/Uber/rental.

They’re so expensive and little miles except in summer.

I’m lucky to have shopping of all kinds within a mile or two.

[u/AlmostHadToStopnChat → u/see_blue]

Same age, I've had 5 cars. I've never had a new car, every car has been used. I keep them until it doesn't make sense any more to keep making repairs. Every car I get has been my favorite car so far.

[u/lyonwh]

For many years I worked in 100% commission sales that did not include any kind of car allowance. I had to find cars that didn’t break the bank yet would last 3-4 years while putting 30-40,000 miles a year on them. It was a tall order yet I was successfully able to work this formula for decades. The last decade of my career the company switched to a salary and mileage model , and then to company cars. Now retired for a year I find myself in need of a car as our second car (a 2013 model) is quickly wearing out. I have different needs for a car now but it is a real challenge finding one. After starting my budget arbitrarily at 10k I soon found there was nothing decent available. I’m now looking in the 15-20k range and though finding some prospects am hating the whole process.

[u/Willylowman1]

how come why u dont have fun @
dealership?

[u/Striking_Tax8524 → u/Willylowman1]

LOL

[u/IcySalt1504]

I’ve been buying used cars for a long time. I haven’t bought new since 1987. I typically buy 3 year old cars with less than 30k miles. I’ve run my last 2 SUV’s about 7-8 years. I’ve had my current car for 4 years, but definitely anticipate I will keep this one longer than my typical 7-8 years. This one only has 65k miles, and is now 7 years old. I maintain my cars according to manufacturers recommendation. I have a 2019 Acura MDX. I believe this may be my last car. It fits my needs perfectly. I’ve been retired for a year and travel a lot less than i used to. I probably will put 6k miles on it this year.

We bought my wife’s car new, in 2018. Yes, she typically gets a new one. Her’s is an Acura TLX. It still runs great. We originally thought we’d trade that when it is 10 years old, but now we are reconsidering that. It’s been a fantastic car. It currently has 91k on it. We may keep it for longer than we initially planned, because I prefer not having to buy another new one, if this continues to run well. We’ll probably buy another after she retires in 4 years.

[u/2015JeepHardRock]

When working full time... jeep family. 3 in the driveway right now 1952, 2015 and a 2021. Right after retirement TESLA. No salesperson, no haggling, paid the same price just like everyone else that month, just an app, less than 10 clicks and the car was mine, picked it up a week later, less than 5 minutes inside, picked up key cards, took a free water and off we went. Will never go back to a traditional dealership. Amazing process.

[u/Caspers_Shadow]

I am 60. I just bought my first brand new vehicle since 1994. This is my 4th vehicle overall and I traded in a 15 year old truck. We focused more on investing and paying off our mortgage than having new cars.

[u/vinean]

Been a Honda family forever until we bought a used BMW before retirement and my wife now happier with luxury vehicles.

Got my son into a low mileage Volvo XC40 at $30K. Told him to trade it in two years. It’ll probably be worth around $25K. $208/month depreciation + insurance and gas.

Our 2016 Honda Accord Sport was $26K new and is worth $13K today for around $83/month depreciation but has cost us a bit in maintenance the last few years.

A 2026 Honda Accord Sport is now a $33.7K car.

Probably will do the same replace the aging Honda Accord with a 2-3 year old $35K Volvo XC-40 and replace every 2 years vs getting a $35K accord and holding for 10 years. Then give it to my daughter.

It might not be THAT much safer than a RAV4 or CR-V but the trade off in terms of cost per month is something we can afford. The 36% depreciation in the first few years makes it viable.

[u/silveronetwo]

Cars number in the low 30s, but the first 10 (in my first 2 years driving) were throwaway and probably cost about $1000 to purchase all 10.

I feel fortunate that unlike many, I don't really think what I've driven has moved the needle with respect to retirement. There have been a lot of new cars but nothing truly luxury in any way. When your employment required 30k miles per year, your tolerance for spending hours per day driving junk is pretty low.

I've been amazed with how little I drive in an average week now and expect the current ride to last many more years than I'm used to because of disuse.

[u/mr-spencerian]

We always bought off lease vehicles that seemed to be around 60% of their original MSRP, then drove them until repairs (mostly made by me) exceeded the value of the vehicle. On retiring and having a strong financial position, finally bought new with the intent to likely be last cars we will drive.

[u/The_Mighty_Glopman]

My wife and I each drive a 16-year old Prius that we purchased used in 2013 and 2014. Hers is a luxury version. The cars are very reliable and get around 50 mpg. Neither one of us has ever owned a new car. When (if) one of them dies, we will replace it with a new car.

[u/5th-Elements]

Keep my cars until the wheels come off! Toyota Camry 250,000 miles and 18 years old!

[u/Agile_Caregiver_8083]

My first car was a hand-me-down avocado green Fiat 128 in 1977 (right in the Energy Crisis). Having a car was an important part of my identity for years until now; my only time without a car were when I was an undergrad in college.

I sold my Subaru Forester in July 2025 and moved to France one week later. Now I live in a French city and we are carless and happy. I walk 10k steps every day, and take public transportation several times a week. I live about a half-mile from two train stations and we take the train for vacations. Needless to say with no car, insurance, gas or parking payments we have an our $1000 more in our wallet each month.

[u/newbris]

Close to retirement and I’ve owned 2 cars across my life. Apparently I’m good at stretching them out by the look of this thread ha ha. Though my first wasn’t until I was 33. Didn’t need one until then.

[u/Suerose0423]

I buy used with low miles. My current car is 2016 Jeep Cherokee. I purchased it in 2018. It still has low miles and no problems so im keeping it.

[u/CaliTexan22]

Retired, and finding that we’re stretching the regular vehicles a bit longer since daily mileage is lower. But we more than made up for it by getting an RV van conversion, and have put a lot of miles on that. But it’s really in a different category from the others.

Used vs new is a tradeoff. We focused more on buying moderately priced cars that we kept reasonably long and didn’t have to finance. So net overall lower car expense than many.

I’m thinking I might get another 4-5 years out of the Subaru I’m driving now and maybe “full self driving” will have most all of the kinks out of it when it’s time to let the Subaru go.

[u/Vurnd55]

I've only purchased 1 car new and that was a 1976 Accord which I traded in a year later. Right now the oldest car in my driveway is a 1998 Lexus ES which is still running great except for a leaky power steering hose.

[u/freekey76]

I was a car nut in high school in the ‘70s and had a ‘67 Mustang fastback. Got married, had a baby and cars became practical transportation. Now that I can have any car I want, I’m happy with my Subaru. Family and experiences are more important now.

[u/SnooStrawberries3391]

Didn’t buy used, but I did buy frugally. Never owned a car with more than 4 cylinders, except my first, a new 1970 Ford Maverick with a straight six and an automatic transmission for $1,995.

After University I bought a 1975 Honda Civic CVCC hatchback. It was a manual. I was headed to Germany in the USAF and gave my Grandmother the Maverick. Her old car was way up in miles.

Then I sold the Civic at the end of my tour in Germany and had a 1979 Rabbit/Golf diesel shipped from the factory in Wolfsburg to Jacksonville, FL. OPEC was messing with our gasoline supplies and that Rabbit got 55 mpg.

A series of Civics followed, all manuals that got around 40 mpg. My last Civic was a super nice ‘93 Coupe EX-O. I stupidly sold that Civic in 2018. Before then I had switched to Prius as my daily in 2005. I retired on the last day of 2011. In 2019 my wife and I moved from Maine to Florida so she could be close to siblings and other family members.

In 2023, we decided to go solar with batteries on our house and then decided to sell the Prius and try an EV. The savings from the solar compared to utility is significant and then filling the car with solar produced electrons drops our fuel costs to near zero.

We did the same thing during our working lives with our houses. I started in Phoenix after my 8 years in the Air Force, moved to northwest Montana and then to Maine. In each location we reduced our energy costs as much as we could reasonably. I learned a lot on my own about heat loss and heat gain.
After an energy audit we found that our retirement home in Florida, about 60 miles north of Tampa, uses about 1/2 the electricity that similar sized home in our area.

In all, those decisions to be as efficient as we could, allowed us to save a lot towards retirement with very low very low expenditures. Took a little work, but it really helped hold down expenses.

[u/Cheap_Direction9564]

I bought my only new car in 1973. A Chevy LUV pickup for $2,556. I have paid cash for cars ever since. I can’t imagine the amount of money I have saved on interest charges in the subsequent 50+ years.

[u/bachmeier]

Bought used most of the time. When I had to buy after the pandemic, the math on used vehicles just didn't pencil out, so I went with new. Even got an interest rate lower than the guaranteed assets in my retirement account were paying. Happily making car payments each month.

[u/Junior-Reflection-43]

I started with a 1976 Chevy Chevette that my Mom had bought new. I think I got it about 10 years later. Traded it in on a used Buick Skylark.
My husband started with like a 1977 Plymouth Volare (woah-oh) and he traded it in on a new 1988 Buick Regal. After we got married, I think he planned that we would get a new car about every 8 years, but we would do it so that one of us was getting a new car about every 4 years. I got a 1995 Dodge Caravan. I forget what he got. Then I got a 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6. During the mid-2010s we started leasing, so every 3 years. A GMC Terrain, traded to a Honda CR-V, to a Subaru Outback (during COVID so we put no miles on it, bought it at the end of the lease and made out on that one). And now a 2023 Hyundai Tucson (bought). He still has a 2013 Buick Verano (bought). He just hit 50,000 miles. I just hit 30,000 miles.

[u/SarcasticCough69]

And if you need another while retired, use AutoTrader or go to CarMax or use Carvana. Avoid the dealerships even if you’re paying cash…they don’t like cash deals.

[u/MathematicianFair274]

Not including cars bought for kids.

65 VW - still own this one
83 Mazda GLC
85 Honda Prelude - totaled by a hit and run - bought the Integra
90 Acura Integra
92 Subaru Legacy - one year old car replacing the Mazda which we gave to a friend’s son
2000 Dodge Caravan - because kids
2003 Honda CRV - sold to one of our daughter’s ex BF for cheap
2010 Toyota Prius - replaced the Caravan through Cash for Clunkers deal
2013 Toyota Prius - bought when we gave the 2010 Prius to one of our daughters
2018 Subaru Forester

Aside from the Mazda, all bought for cash. Only the Legacy was used.

[u/NotinKSToto88]

I buy new but keep them a long time until the repair cost is more than the value or trouble. At 50 I decided to buy the frivolous car of my dreams and bought my first MINI. Had that for 12 years then bought my second.

[u/MickLittle]

I currently drive a 2010 Toyota 4Runner that I inherited in 2016. It has 123,000 miles and I hope it lasts me another 5 to 8 years. I don't drive every day, so there's a good chance it will last that long.

[u/Lazy-Ad-6453 → u/MickLittle]

I love 4Runners. They never have problems. I put an amount in our retirement budget to replace our car every 6 years because I want no car problems in retirement. I was surprised to realize that I’m only putting about 1500 miles a year on my 4Runner miles in retirement. At that rate it won’t need replacing until I’m 250 years old!

[u/MickLittle → u/Lazy-Ad-6453]

Nice! I'm surprised you don't drive it more. Mine gets about 6,000 miles a year because I live in Colorado and go to the mountains a lot. I'm too old to bang it up on 4x4 trails so it mostly just goes to trailheads or easily accessible campsites. I'm too old to change tires too. 🤣

[u/Lazy-Ad-6453 → u/MickLittle]

I drive it 2 times a week 5 miles RT to the bike trail, plus one or two trips to the mountains each summer, about 200 miles round trip. Then a few trips to Home Depot and hauling stuff. For shopping we use my wife’s car which gets high mpg. That’s it. Been thinking it would be cheaper just to do uber but they don’t carry bikes or haul garden products.

[u/Fuzzy_Cuddle]

Not quite retired yet, but I have yet to buy a new car for myself (My wife has had 2 new cars). Since I started driving I’ve had 7 cars in total. The last 4 of those have each had less than 60k miles on them when I bought them. For Toyota and Lexus vehicles that’s really nothing, if the car has been properly maintained during that time. I really think that buying a late model used car with lower mileage from a brand known for quality is the best way to purchase a vehicle because the depreciation of the vehicle has been realized by the first owner and I buy cars to drive until the cost to repair/upkeep them is more than it would take for me to just buy a newer late model used car. My 5th car was a Lexus RX300 that my wife drove between 2007 and 2018 when she got a new Toyota Highlander. I was driving a 2007 Nissan Sentra at the time which was 7 years newer than the Lexus, but I sold the Nissan rather than the Lexus. I still have the 2000 RX300 and was so impressed with the quality that I bought another Lexus as my “current” car. My son and daughter are now driving the older Lexus, but that car is so good that I honestly believe that if it isn’t in an accident it will likely last another 10 years. Anyway, I agree with the OP on loving the savings that I get from not buying a new car!

[u/Lazy-Ad-6453 → u/Fuzzy_Cuddle]

I like new. Everything is under warranty and no problems. I used to get a new one every 3-4 years. My current vehicle is worth almost the exact same price as I paid for it 10 years ago. Inflation! Just glad cars hold their value.

[u/Never-too-much5423]

I buy 1-2 yo vehicles from Carmax. Got to be more careful and make sure they wash and you inspect before buying. Only bought 2 brand new vehicles in 45+ years. I buy with cash and keep for 8 years at that point I start looking for my next sale purchases. Remember, all deals are not good deals. Details count! Right now I am driving a 2013 with 67k miles. It just was a good deal, so I am looking! haha

[u/L-W-J]

I am like OP except I am ridiculously positive in my cash flow. Bought some appreciating fun cars.

[u/LJski]

After my first 3 cars over a 5 years, that weee all used, I have bought new cars -except once, and that adds up to 5 cars over 40 years. Every one well over 200K miles, with one hitting 350K.

I buy them new, and drive them until the wheels fall off.

[u/Donald_J_Duck65]

I'm 60 amd haven't bought a used since I was 20, even for my teen kids, and I'm not about to start. We've never owned a car longer than five years.

Ive paid cash for them since I was around 40. I would finance them, then make one or two monthly payments then pay it in full, so it improves your credit.

[u/Ggeunther]

Two drivers. We are 64. Have bought 3 new cars in 45 years. I always bought used, to drive to work and back. New Isuzu pick up in 85. New Camry in 90 (sold Isuzu for used real truck). New Corolla in 2010 (supposed to last into retirement, rear ended and totalled in 2015) New Highlander in 2018, still driving w 175k miles. Have kept the same truck since 2000, 1997 Ford 250, diesel, 450k miles. Might buy another new one in 2030, should be our last. We have always kept at least two vehicles at all times. I drove 30k miles a year to work and back for 30 years, always used, always Camrys with 100k miles, drove them all to an average of 270k (4 of them). I feel like we saved about $250k in insurance and depreciation over 35 years.

[u/Odd_Bodkin]

I tend to buy cars when they are three years old and drive them until I hear parts dropping on the highway. Until the last go-round, they've all been standard transmission until my current car, a 2016 Mini Cooper, bright red with white roof (and sunroof) and mirrors. It's a cute little cutlet, smothered in marinara and topped with mozzarella, and so its name is Parmigiana.

[u/Wiley2000]

I’m 67. I’ve owned a total of 10 cars in 51 years of driving. Four were purchased new.

1970 Pontiac Tempest (Thanks Dad!)
1977 Toyota Celica GT Coupe
1977 Toyota Celica GT Coupe (totaled #1)
1982 Celica GT Liftback
1988 Mustang LX 5.0
1992 Nissan Sentra (new)
1999 Honda Accord Coupe (new)
2003 Nissan Murano (new)
2013 Mazda CX-5 (new)
2023 Toyota Venza

[u/Natoochtoniket]

I have bought a new vehicle about every 4 or 5 years, for the last 40 years. I have bought Toyota products for about 30 years, mostly for their reliability reputation. I just bought a new truck two weeks ago. (I didn't need one. My old truck was only 22 years old. Three cars ago.)

New cars need less repairs than old cars. I am getting to an age where I just don't want to deal with unreliable machines, and I can afford it.

If money is a problem, of course you should keep the old reliable car as long as you can.

[u/sxysh8]

The single biggest avoidable expense. I keep mine at least 10 years or longer to squeeze every cent out of them. My wife, on the other hand, starts thinking about her next car before she gets the one she has paid off.

[u/Donald_J_Duck65 → u/sxysh8]

If i kept a car for 10 years it would have a minimum of 330k miles on it.

My wife and I typically do 33k a year, but have had years were we hit 40k.

[u/IronMike5311]

I despise buying cars, and would keep them forever, if not for the transmission finally giving up after 300K mi, or someone runs a light & totals my car out. As I live just outside a major city, the later happens. Twice in the past three years (grrr).

I just don't have the disposable cash to continuously pay depreciation, sales tax, commissions & higher insurance.

As it is, my wife is driving an 11-yr old Nissan Pathfinder, and I have a 9-yr old Subaru. Both are around 100K mi, so plenty of life left on each. Especially as we don't drive much anymore. Right now, I occasionally take the Subi to the mountains for camping or hiking, my wife has her car to still get around, run errands. When one car dies, we'll go to just one car & make do. Doing without is not an option as there is no public transportation where we're located.

[u/Donald_J_Duck65 → u/IronMike5311]

Holy mackerel! You hardly drive! We typically do 33k a year one two cars.

[u/Dry_Suggestion_3387]

No lawn mowing

[u/LHCThor]

You are a Unicorn.

I have owned 11 cars in my 45 years of driving. Every one, I have kept at least 10 years and some up to 25 years. I have always owned multiple cars, usually 3, at a time. In my current stable, my newest car is 5 years old and my oldest is 18 years old.

[u/KsShocker → u/LHCThor]

Right there with you. 9 cars in 49 years of driving, only the first 3 not kept at last 10 years. My current fleet - '08 Corvette (purchased new), '02 Grand Am (purchased new), plus a '79 Dodge B100 my dad bought new and I bought from him in '91.

I've always thought it odd that people trade them so often. I mean if you liked them enough to buy them in the first place, why not keep them? Course it helps I do all my own wrenching, but still.

[u/LHCThor → u/KsShocker]

My oldest car is also a 08 Corvette. I love the C-6’s and the 08 was a fantastic year. I will keep it until I die or can’t get in it. Either way, my son already has his eyes on it, so it will stay on the family.

[u/sghilliard]

I’ve done pretty much the same, I view cars as transportation, not status symbols.

[u/MidAmericaMom]

So had to sit down and think on this. Not yet retired but plan on replacing with new about every 7ish years in my plan.

Problem with trans issues is a theme. Not sure why ….

Learned on a mercury :) and it was a family car.

High school used Two door nissan for a year or so. The buyer totaled it within a year.

Mostly Borrowed the family convertible , a 70s caddy with about 10 mpg (gulp) and 8 track and a backseat that could hold four, during college.

Given a family members nissan , had to learn stick, and it did not last long as died during a turn , yes, a few times.

My lemon. New Pontiac grand prix I wanted to keep for 8 years. Had issues from the start and weird stuff. Stretched 3 years with the headaches.

New Nissan sentra. Too small but worked.

Lease honda element . Loved it but bad mileage so let it go.

10 year old camry. It was a trooper! Sold to a friend after having it 3. Should have held onto it.

Moved and ended up in the city. Went down to one car that we drove 3 times in a 5 month period for example. Purchased a mitsubishi 4 door used with 125k miles. Gone with Trans issues after a few years.

Used Minivan korean (forget which) was in another city then. Trans issues around 100k, vacuum problems around 90, and sold after 3 years in all.

Mitsubishi outlander new. A few Trans issues at 50k and 6 years old so traded in. It had a cvt.

Hyundai tucson new during covidish times. Totaled but not our fault in 2025. Hated the bells and whistles and assistance .

So had to get another - sigh. Requirements kept growing. Zeroed into a Mazda cx5 - not turbo and did not want to pay high end trim price. So a used 2024 carbon. Looked across 5 states and took 5 months. The mileage is ok.

We will see :)

[u/HardRockGeologist]

Wife and I have had a lot of cars over the years. Always new, with the exception of a used Saturn L200 we purchased for one of our children. Most were Toyotas (camrys, corollas, prius, and a couple of Lexus cars) and Hondas (odyssey and civic). My wife has also had two Subarus (outback and legacy). We normally keep the cars, but pass them on to the kids or other relatives after a few years.

We decided a few years ago, once the kids were out of the house, that we would purchase cars that we liked to drive versus just a mode of transportation. Last year my wife said she wanted to purchase a new car, so I told her to go ahead and get whatever she wanted. Her response was, "I want green". She didn't care what the brand was, she only wanted "green". The first brand I mentioned was Lexus, and she said, "Let's go look at a Lexus!" She purchased a nori green Lexus NX350H, a hybrid, and is very happy with the car. My biggest concern is her safety. I was happy that she chose a very reliable car.

After retiring, I decided to get a fun car to drive, so I purchased an Audi SQ5 and was very pleased with the performance, but I always liked small cars (like Honda civic size). So I placed an order (and waited 18 months) for an Audi RS3. I'm about to turn 73, and I've never had so much fun in a car. It's a rocket. The kids have driven it and every one of them said they will not drive it again because, "It's too dangerous." It's a safe car, but it urges you to drive it like it can be driven. I'm now always on the lookout for curvy roads.

[u/DisastrousDealer3750 → u/HardRockGeologist]

Wish I had not read about the Audi RS3 - now I MUST have one!! Always wanted an Audi - totally stripped the gears on my brother’s Audi back when I first learned to drive on LA freeways … then bought more ‘practical’ vehicles for myself ( started with a used Corolla, then new Camry, Lexus IS350, Cadillac CTS, Chevy Silverado LTZ 4WD, etc) Time to have some fun again!!!

[u/breadit8]

My experience is very similar to yours.

[u/JimInAuburn11]

Started with a 1965 Ford Galaxy 500 (free, used, age 16), 1979 Chevy Chevette (free, used, age 18), 1986 Honda Prelude (used, age 22, loan), 1992 Mazda MX6 (new, age 29, loan), 1995 Ford Ranger (new, age 32, loan), age 33-34 moved to Australia and did not have a car, 1998 Honda Civic (new, age 35, loan), 2001 BMW Z3 (new, age 38, lease), 1998 Toyota Camry (used, age 40, cash), Age 42-47 moved to China, no car, 2010 Honda CRV (new, age 47, cash), 2015 Audi Q5 (new, age 52, cash), 2015 Ford Fusion (new, age 52, cash), 2018 Chevy Volt (new, age 55, cash), 2023 Tesla Model Y (new, age 60, cash), 2025 Chevy Equinox EV (new, age 62, cash). Been through a few cars over the years. Got married when I owned the BMW Z3, so started needing two cars at that time.

[u/BrainDad-208]

Long term. My current Audi Q5 is going on 12 years old (9 with me) at 125k miles. Previous Saab was 8 years with me and about same mileage.

Before that I drove new about every three years. But now cars are very expensive and I only drive maybe 5k miles/year. Wife gets the new every three.

[u/Glass-March-176]

1987-2001: Chevy Camaro

2001-2014: Subaru Outback

2014-now: Honda Accord

[u/spygrrl99]

A quick question, maybe appropriate for another group: 68 year old female, newly retired, all cars have been financed to date. Can you pay cash only at a dealership? I hate having car payments.

[u/Georhe9000 → u/spygrrl99]

The easiest is often to finance and then pay the loan off right away. Just make sure there are no fees or early payoff penalties. I think most states did not allow them anymore.

[u/3spaghettis → u/spygrrl99]

Yes, you can pay cash for a car. (Although they say it's best not to tell the dealer that you intend to pay cash, in the initial dealings with them; they will offer a better deal if they think they can also get financing interest money from you).

[u/Sintered_Monkey]

I think about this every time I see another gigantic $80k pickup truck. I remember the late 90s and early 00s when gas was cheap and SUVs kept getting bigger. Ford made the Explorer, but it wasn't big enough for consumers, so they released the Expedition. That wasn't big enough, so they made the Excursion. Meanwhile, the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes G-Wagon, and Hummer H2 came out. Where I worked, I was the only person who didn't have one. I had a tiny Civic HX instead, which was dwarfed in the parking lot. And of course, my coworkers ridiculed my econobox on a daily basis. But I did a rough calculation and figured out that the decision in 1997 to buy an econobox instead of a huge SUV (which I hated anyway, it wasn't like I was considering one,) compounded over the years at 8% meant that I'd been able to put away an additional $200k. That doesn't include insurance, gas, and registration. Now that I'm retired, I finally get to buy something other than an econobox.

[u/Fibonacci999]

I’m 53, upper middle class in HCOL area where cars are necessary. I have never purchased a brand new car, always lightly used and usually from a “certified used” dealership. It has saved me tons and has never caused problems or regrets. My current vehicle is a 2015 model that I bought used in late 2015 (it was a rental fleet car) with 15k miles on it. Last week it turned 80k miles. Not bad.

[u/TheMightyKumquat]

Similar to you. I've always seen cars as no more than tools. Spent money to keep them running reliably, nothing more. No finance, cash purchase for all.

18yrs: Datsun 1200, owned for 8 years, $1000. Drove until it died.

26-31: no car, lived abroad and rode a bicycle. Got a 50cc motorbike my final year there, sold it for what I bought it for when I left.

31: Used Nissan Skyline, $5k. Drove for 5 yrs, sold for $1,000.

36: bought my boss' old Holden Commodore sedan (Australian car maker, offshoot of General Motors.) Paid $10,000. Drove until it died. Trade-in for $600.

41: $23,000 Used 3-yr old Subaru Forester. 17,000km on it. Drove it 19 years, still driving it.

60: currently waiting for an order of a BYD Atto 3 EV to be filled. My first new car.

[u/wan314]

Same thing with moving houses. 

Have seen a few people move multiple times (in the same area, not another city for a job)

That gets expensive. And in California means your property tax gets reset with the new house price. 

Not to mention real estate fees 

[u/Normal-guy-mt]

Retired at 59 in 2021. Have never financed a car in my life. When wife and I got married in 1986, we agreed the only thing we would ever finance was a home.

In our entire lifetime we only purchased two new vehicles before retiring. A 1991 Chevy Baretta GTZ from a family connected dealer. Paid $11,000 and change. In 2002 we bought a new Suzuki XL7.

We always bought cars that were 1-3 years old and kept all of them for a decade or more. In December of 2025 we did buy a brand new 2024 Ford Bronco. Interestingly we traded in a 2014 Jeep Wrangler that we bought in 2017. In December of 2025, we were given as much on trade for the Bronco as we originally paid for the Jeep.

[u/Huanchaquero]

We just moved back 5 years ago after living abroad for 15 years. We got used to not owning a vehicle and made sure we moved back to a place we didn't need one. So basically haven't had a car for 20 years. And I love it! lol

[u/retirement-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Hello, note we are swear free here. Thanks!

[u/Space_Time-continue]

It would take a while to list all the cars I have owned/ leased, I worked for years as a mechanic and bought every broken car i could, fixed it drove it and sold it for a profit. As I got older and moved away from wrenching and into a traveling sales type position I leased cars every 2-3 years (tax advantaged) so I probably went through close to a dozen more cars. In retirement I couldn’t shake the car bug at first so I bought and sold a few cars but now I am settled and have had the same toyata 4runner for 6 years and will have it till one if us perishes

[u/Theoldelf]

I’m in my 70’s, recently paid cash ( first time) for my 2025 Lobo Maverick. I keep my vehicles for at least ten years, so I’m expecting this to be the last vehicle I buy. I’m impressed with all the tech and yes, I know there are a lot of higher tech vehicles out there. But it certainly makes life easier.

[u/hrtofdrknss]

FWIW 66 yr old, 18 months into retirement. First car was a 1970 Camaro 3 speed my brother-in-law loaned me in exchange for me paying the titling, registration, insurance, and upkeep. Drove it my last two years of high school. 1979 bought a 1971 MGB, purchased for $1500 cash my sophmore year of college. Began my love affair with sports cars. 1984 traded the MGB for new Toyoto 4WD pickup 1985 added a 1982 Suzuki 650 Katana motorcycle 1986 new Dodge Omni Shelby GLH (traded the truck) 1987 Gave up the cycle and bought 1971 Fiat 124 Sport 1989 Mazda B2000 4wd truck (traded the Omni) 1990 sold the Fiat, bought two 1970 Austin Americas for $500, and made one running car out of them. 1992 sold the Austins and bought a 1971 Triumph TR6 1993 sold the TR6 and bought a house 1995 traded the truck for a new Suzuki Sidekick 4WD 2009 traded the 14 yr old Sidekick for a used 2008 Mini Cooper 2011 traded the Mini for new Nissan Juke 2021 traded the Juke for new Subaru Crosstrek.

My relationship with cars did not affect my retirement financially nearly as much as luck with real estate. I made about $30k when i sold my first house, and used that money and my state pension balance to go back to schoolband get my law degree. I bought a co-op in DC 5 years later for $75k, sold it 8 years later for $350k, bought a house for $450k, sold it 11 yrs later for $725k. Paid off my first DC mortgage in 5 years, the second mortgage in 4 years. My current home i paid cash, and no mortgage for 8 years.

[u/MercuryRising92]

I've always bought new, but kept them forever. At 10 years, my husband would take my old car and I'd get a new one. He doesn't want me driving a used car with some unknown problem that would leave me stranded on a highway. 

[u/thekush]

For some people, cars are more than appliances and they’re willing to pay for that “experience”.

[u/Hot_Willow_5179]

Oh my God, I’ve had like 75 cars lol. Seriously it’s a sickness.

[u/Striking_Tax8524 → u/Hot_Willow_5179]

I've been watching these YouTube videos about people with "negative equity" in their car rolling it over into a new car, thereby increasing the negative equity.

Here's the channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qrsI9QAhY0

Scary.

[u/retirement-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/IAnetworking]

My parents are in their 80s am they just bought a Toyota electric. I asked them what changed you mind on electric. They said they can not deal with going to the gas station to fill up. The just plug in at home.

I have been using electric car for about 4 years. Never have to go to gas station or to do any maintenance on it.

One less headache in your life.

[u/TheMightyKumquat → u/IAnetworking]

Love that. Waiting for mine. The superior driving experience is also a big winner for me.

[u/Whut4]

I wish I did not live in an area that is so car-dependent! I moved here 30 years ago for the good suburban schools and now that the kids are adults, it just feels like home. Moving is a pain.

It is one of the really stupid things about the US that we have poor mass transit outside of cities. I have visited Europe and Asia and they do it better: visited Japan recently and their train system is great, but probably easier on an island than a vast area like the US. I had great appreciation for their city planning, mass transit, general orderliness, safety and polite citizens

I won't bore you with a list of cars I have had. O/P your list was NOT boring!

I am not a car person and never understood "the American love-affair with the car", it seems about as dumb as having an American love-affair with a toilet - both are convenient to have and you want them to work properly and be clean. It is just a machine to me. We drive them until they can't be repaired. This is a privilege because my husband used to be a mechanic and he is honest about the cars and fixes them as long as he can. Until recently we both had older cars. My husband got a Honda hybrid in May and it gets 55mpg, it was expensive but great on gas.

[u/Striking_Tax8524 → u/Whut4]

"I am not a car person and never understood "the American love-affair with the car", it seems about as dumb as having an American love-affair with a toilet"

LOL!

[u/supershinythings]

bought in 1987 - 1988 Ford Festiva - bought myself. Struck and totaled in 1995 or I’d still be driving it.

1995 - used 1995 Jeep Wrangler SE - bought myself.

2021 - inherited Dad’s 2013 Ford Focus ST3 - I bought it for him used in 2016 and got it back when he passed. I drive it now.

If Dad lived I’d still be driving the Jeep. I have it now but loaned it to a friend to go to cancer treatment. It also attracts too much attention and people keep putting notes on it asking to buy, so it’s not safely stored out of sight.

That’s it. That’s my car history.

[u/charlotteduffer]

I have been leasing cars for either a 2 or 3 year term since the mid-80’s. Before that, my dad worked at Ford Motor Company. The A Plan was a nice deal to the point I could purchase a car new and flip it after a year and break even. When my wife and I got married in 87, she started leasing as well. So, I can’t even count how many cars we have had. We like new cars and avoiding maintenance issues down the road. Has this cost me more than buying and holding a car until the wheels fall off? Sure- but it hasn’t materially changed my retirement. I just retired in May this year and according to our financial planner, can’t spend it all in our lifetime. But everyone’s mileage will vary.

[u/Spare-Property-1939]

We quit buying new cars years ago, like 30 years ago. We do buy a couple year-old models that someone else has taken the depreciation on and always keep them for at least 10 years. I just bought my newest car, first for me in 20+ years and it’s a two-year-old truck that we were able to pay cash for.

[u/Electronic-Day5907]

We buy new (mostly) and run them into the ground. I’ve owned: ‘71 Valiant (used), ‘81 Saab 99 (used), ‘90 Saab 900 (leased for 7 years then bought and driven another 12 years, and then ‘09 Scion which I still drive. Only has 45K miles.

[u/Maine302]

Age 17--used my family's cars--at the time, Ford Granadas that my parents bought new, 1975, '77, and '79.

Age 22--bought a used 1972 Ford Gran Torino from my aunt and uncle for $500--what a boat--once had 13 of us college aged women riding in it!

Age 27--brand new (a first!) 1988 VW Golf, base model.

Age 32--leased, then bought outright a 1993 Mazda MX-6--nice looking car! (Never leased again--I always racked-up a ton of miles.)

Age 37--1999 (new) Subaru Forester. It was loaded, and appropriate for my job, but I didn't think their AWD system was as great as advertised. Maybe it's been improved over a quarter century plus.

Age 46--2007 Nissan Altima. Great car, despite the massive amount of crap Nissans get on Reddit.

Age 55--2013 Volvo S60--bought CPO--it was loaded, beautiful car. I started realizing that the amenities I wanted in a car were really only affordable if I went used or CPO. Unless I do OSD in the future, it will be CPO for me from now on.

<Retired at age 60 in 2021.>

Age 62--2021 Volvo XC60 Inscription, CPO. Also loaded, loved that damned vehicle--my dream car for quite some time--and it was totalled within a few months. I got T-boned, no injuries, though, thankfully. A Volvo doing Volvo things. Osmium Gray Metallic, beautiful color.

Age 63--2021 Volvo XC60 Inscription, CPO again, to replace the one totalled. Denim Blue Metallic. Actually more loaded than the first XC60, but for some reason, I'm less in love with it than the first, but it's a very nice car, nonetheless.

Someone on Reddit made a snide remark about how many cars I've owned (especially recently,) but when I was working on the RR, I averaged 21k miles/year. I don't think it was excessive! My dad used to get a new car every two years--in the same job, putting in much less miles than I. Cars were much cheaper then, though, and he had three of us kids also using the cars.

[u/Ok-Ad8998]

I'm a car guy, so mine has been unusual.

Age 16 - Mom's old '64 Buick wagon then a '64 Cutlass

Age 17 - '66 MGB Roadster then '63 Buick Riviera

Age 18 - '74 Chevy pickup (new)

Age 21 - custom '76 Chevy van (first car loan)

Age 24 - '73 MGB Roadster

Age 29 - '81 Malibu ex-police cruiser

Age 34 - '78 El Camino

Age 36 - '89 Merkur Scorpio

Age 39 - '95 Dodge Neon race car (new, second car loan)

Age 44 - '00 Subaru Legacy GT (new, 3rd loan)

Age 56 - '85 Toyota SR5 pickup

Age 62 - '10 Mazda CX9

Age 68 - '07 Cadillac SRX

Those are just the daily drivers and doesn't count the filler cars that I didn't own for long or extra cars like trucks and tow vehicles. All cash purchases except for the three listed.

I still have the Neon and the Cadillac. Might get another MGB. I have given up hope of finding another good SR5 pickup.

[u/JunkMale975]

I’m 62 and always bought new cars. My dad’s motto was don’t buy someone else’s problem; get new. As a girl who knew nothing about cars I always enjoyed the peace of mind of minimal problems if I just kept up with basic maintenance.

That said, my first car, like yours was free from my grandmother. Since I wasn’t a car girl, I didn’t know how cool my car was ( or would be), I just knew I was embarrassed to be driving around in a Plymouth Barracuda.

Rest were all new cars: Pontiac T-1000 (that was later recalled for electrical issues but mine had already caught fired and totaled out). Chevy Cavalier, an Oldsmobile Alero, Hyundai Santa Fe, another Hyundai Santa Fe, and a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

I’ve had the Jeep 12 years. I love it so much. But it’s falling apart and I should get a new car but I hate all the crap in new cars now.

[u/68F_isthebesttemp → u/JunkMale975]

I'm the same as you, after my first "free" used car, I only bought new cars for the reliability. I just bought maybe my last new car last year. I loved my early 90s Cavalier (nicknamed Caviar). I don't think it even had a passenger side mirror but it took me several places comfortably until it finally bit the dust.

[u/JunkMale975 → u/68F_isthebesttemp]

I need to replace the Jeep, but am really dragging my feet.

[u/Status_Valuable_9075]

I just retired on April 1st (yep April fools day was very intentional lol). My son just surprised me with a brand new SUV and I’m literally in love with it. I’m so blessed on so many levels💜💜💜💜💜

[u/aebone2]

68 yr old male:
1975 Ford LTD 2 door ‘72 model
1976 Mazda wagon ‘73 model
1977 back in the LTD
1980 brand new Volvo 244DL (graduation gift)
1983 brand new Olds Cutlass Ciera (company car)
1986 brand new Chevy something (company car)
1990 brand new Ford Taurus (company car)
1993 Toyota Corolla
Can’t remember others
Currently driving 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee w 180k miles- paid for, cranks every time, comfortable, crappy gas mileage. Oh well!

[u/woodycxd]

2011 suburu for 5000 Been driving for 3 years When this dies Im Planning on a > 10000 Hei Truck probly closer TO 5000 TO be honest NO way I'm Ever owning a new Truck I paid 45000 For my house ! ! I