cranberry
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Post by cranberry on Jul 10, 2019 14:31:06 GMT -5
Hi folks. I haven't been here in a long while, but I've always appreciated the advice I've gotten.
I'm trying to decide how much longer to keep my car.
It is a 2008 Honda Civic with almost 47,000 miles on it. I don't commute to work, so the mileage is low for its age. I replaced the tires and the rear brakes in November. The AC is toast, and the estimates I've received to fix it range from $1,300 to $1,800. I've decided not to fix it for now. The paint is showing its age (cosmetic, but I figure I'd note it).
Part of me thinks that I still have a few good years left in this car. But part of me feels anxious about driving a car this age, especially if I start driving longer distances. I'm not handy with cars, and the peace of mind of a newer vehicle would be worth a lot. Then again, there's no immediate need to replace it.
How long do you suggest keeping a car?
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jul 10, 2019 14:35:43 GMT -5
My last two cars were Honda Civics (the cars previous to this one). I kept both over 100,000K miles. The one with the most miles was 19 years old when I traded it in.
Tires and brakes are maintenance as are struts.
I never had any issues with AC in my Hondas.
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tallguy
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Post by tallguy on Jul 10, 2019 14:42:42 GMT -5
I have had my current car for 16.5 years. I should get at least a few more out of it. And I have never sold or traded in a car that was less than eleven years old or that I had driven for fewer than seven.
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obelisk
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Post by obelisk on Jul 10, 2019 14:53:07 GMT -5
For me its 20 years driving 10K/year so 200K for a known reliable car. The AC on the Civic is most likely the clutch on the compressor that needs a smaller spacer so that it will engage when turned on. This is a known issue with the Civic.Youtube has videos explaining this. Do not take the car to the stealership but to an independent with a good reputation.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jul 10, 2019 15:03:08 GMT -5
welcome back a Honda Civic has WAY more mileage than 47k. I *gave* my younger cousin a 12yo Acura RSX (basically a 2dr Civic) with 180k miles on it for her last couple years of college, where she was never more than 10mi from dad. between the two of them, they drove it another 3y. if your car has been blessed as okay by your mechanic, you have a ton of time with this car. that said, a) it's all about your comfort level, and b) if you decide to sell, I will drive out to meet you. my 4yo Mazda has 140k miles on it, and a year left on my payments. I would love to get my hands on a ~50k mile Honda.
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Jul 10, 2019 15:47:16 GMT -5
I have a 14 year old Scion with 65K miles on it. I figure it will run for another 6 years at least.
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Jul 10, 2019 15:55:46 GMT -5
Fix the AC and drive it for many more years!
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jul 10, 2019 16:09:45 GMT -5
My current car is a 2007 with 90k miles and I have no concerns about it leaving me stranded someplace. If I were you, I would get a PM maintenance done on it if you have not, fix the ac and get it detailed. A Civic should last you awhile longer.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Jul 10, 2019 16:26:21 GMT -5
I'm driving around a 2007 Subaru with 84K on it. I need to have it last at least for another 3 years. Longer would be better. My car is starting to leak various fluids. Not bad enough that anything is landing on my garage floor. If I get all the leaks repaired, I'm looking at 3K. My mechanic suggested just to wait and see how things progress. So, that is what I'm doing.
But, the flip side to that is we don't have enough money to buy a brand new car. We have enough to buy a 2007 Subaru with 150K miles private party on craigslist. Plus I have other financial priorities. I've still got half of grad school to cash flow, and braces coming up sooner than later for #2. All told, that's another 10-13K of expenses I'm looking at in the next two years. We have AAA and I have a cell phone. I figure that covers me if my car breaks down.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2019 16:31:21 GMT -5
OMG. How I would have loved to have FOUND an 07 Civic with 47K miles when car shopping for my son. The AC is probably shot because you never use it. That's one system that needs to be run...even periodically through the Winter...or things start to dry up and it goes bad. I would get it fixed then make a point of running it at least once a month for 10 or 15 minutes at least (the AC not just the car).
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jul 10, 2019 16:46:53 GMT -5
Hi folks. I haven't been here in a long while, but I've always appreciated the advice I've gotten. I'm trying to decide how much longer to keep my car. It is a 2008 Honda Civic with almost 47,000 miles on it. I don't commute to work, so the mileage is low for its age. I replaced the tires and the rear brakes in November. The AC is toast, and the estimates I've received to fix it range from $1,300 to $1,800. I've decided not to fix it for now. The paint is showing its age (cosmetic, but I figure I'd note it). Part of me thinks that I still have a few good years left in this car. But part of me feels anxious about driving a car this age, especially if I start driving longer distances. I'm not handy with cars, and the peace of mind of a newer vehicle would be worth a lot. Then again, there's no immediate need to replace it. How long do you suggest keeping a car? DS has a 1999 Civic with about half a million miles on it. It still runs very well. A 2008 Civic with 47,000 miles? DS will buy it off you without even looking at it.
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Lizard Queen
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103/2024
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jul 10, 2019 16:53:05 GMT -5
My 99 croaked last year with about 225k (I had sold it to my DB). I figure that you have at least another 5 good years in yours.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Jul 10, 2019 17:29:35 GMT -5
Hi folks. I haven't been here in a long while, but I've always appreciated the advice I've gotten. I'm trying to decide how much longer to keep my car. It is a 2008 Honda Civic with almost 47,000 miles on it. I don't commute to work, so the mileage is low for its age. I replaced the tires and the rear brakes in November. The AC is toast, and the estimates I've received to fix it range from $1,300 to $1,800. I've decided not to fix it for now. The paint is showing its age (cosmetic, but I figure I'd note it). Part of me thinks that I still have a few good years left in this car. But part of me feels anxious about driving a car this age, especially if I start driving longer distances. I'm not handy with cars, and the peace of mind of a newer vehicle would be worth a lot. Then again, there's no immediate need to replace it. How long do you suggest keeping a car? What is it going to take for you to be comfortable that you’re driving a reliable car? Repair the car, or replace the car? Given the mileage on your Civic, and Honda’s reputation for reliable cars, it is unlikely that your Civic is going to leave you stranded by the side of the road. But, if you would be anxious about whether or not you will reach your destination without trouble when making a cross country trip, buy a new car.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jul 10, 2019 18:10:36 GMT -5
OMG. How I would have loved to have FOUND an 07 Civic with 47K miles when car shopping for my son. The AC is probably shot because you never use it. That's one system that needs to be run...even periodically through the Winter...or things start to dry up and it goes bad. I would get it fixed then make a point of running it at least once a month for 10 or 15 minutes at least (the AC not just the car). hush, you! I found the YM unicorn first! 😝
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Jul 10, 2019 19:18:30 GMT -5
I was going to offer to buy it, but it looks like others may already be fighting over it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2019 20:36:21 GMT -5
I drive a 2006 Toyota Corolla with 120K miles on it so 13 years old. It is at present our only car, but I'm not worried about the age at all. I did buy it new in 2006 so I know how well it has been maintained, though.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Jul 10, 2019 20:52:24 GMT -5
I typically keep the car until the annual repair costs exceed what my annual car payments would be if I financed. And I expect further repairs coming up in the future.
I know everyone has different comfort levels, but I wouldn’t hesitate to keep your car a few more years. If you’re worried about how trustworthy it is, find a good mechanic to take it to and have it assessed to see what problems it is likely to have coming up and what the cost would be to fix them.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 10, 2019 21:56:31 GMT -5
How long do you suggest keeping a car? I don't think there's a one size fits all answer. It depends on what you need the vehicle to do - when it's not doing what you need it to do - it's time for a new (or used) one. I'm a low mileage driver (and have been my entire life). I put about 8K miles per year on car. I've had a variety of cars. My cars tend to "die" of old age... not necessarily wear and tear. There's alot of parts on a car that "dry out" or crack with age. Even 80K mile tires get funky once they are 6 years old and have only 50k miles on them. You'd think the tires should last 10 years (at 8K a year) but they don't. You get the idea. I'm also pretty tolerate of stuff not working. I drove a car with a broken gas gauge for 6 years without any inconvenience or problem. The A/C died on that car when it was 10 years old... I managed to drive it another 2 years but boy was I happy to get a vehicle with A/C. I don't think I'd go that long without AC, ever again. The handful of days per summer when I "roasted" or had to drive long distances on the expressway with the windows down was very inconvenient and unpleasant. I live in a very dense urban area - so if my car breaks down, I've got lots of options. I'm not out in the middle of the night on a dark empty road. For example - I've had to "abandon" a car with a flat tire in a city parking garage overnite. I contacted my insurance (it has road assistance but it was so late at night, I didn't want to wait 2 or so hours for help to arrive (maybe by 2:00am. I coordinated with a tow service to meet me in the morning and took a train home. I jumped back on the train the next morning, met up with the tow truck, the guy said he could put my spare on my car - which worked and in 30 minutes I was driving my car to the Tire shop. ) So, I'm usually willing to drive a car that might fail on me. I also have family and friends to car pool with (during the 2 years of no car A/C - I was NOT the designated driver during the heat of the summer - a friend or a relative took a turn.) That said, maybe you should hedge your bets if you can live with the A/C - start figuring out how much car you want to afford - re-arrange your spending plan and start banking some "car payments". Then start playing pretend and think about what kind of vehicle you'd like and then browse on line to get an idea of prices, what's include on the various models, gas mileage, whatever is important to you. Set up a 12/28/24 month plan with the goal of replacing your old car. My old brother (who remembers when dirt was young) took 18 months to replace his really old battered almost 200K mileage Hyundai commuter car. He didn't want to have to "rush" into buying a car in an emergency (without much thought put into it). So He started thinking about what his new vehicle needed to do (he's got a very large dog, friends he drives around, and grandkids on the horizon). And started paying attention to what other people were driving (and how they were using the vehicle and how much they liked/disliked it). He was going to get thru to the end of the summer and then buy a vehicle but the car gave up the ghost on a Friday afternoon in the Jewel parking lot. He had the car towed to the dealer and Ubered home with his groceries. The dealer pronounced the car "dead". My bro spent 2 weeks selecting his next vehicle (he had a list and knew what he was looking for). He opted to rent a car for a time (and then borrowed a kid's car or Uber'd the rest of time - as he had a busy schedule and place to go/people to see). He got a previously owned (leased) vehicle with under 30K miles for under 20K out the door (taxes, title, whatever else). He likes the new vehicle (and it's Big Dog and kid friendly).
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Works4me
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Post by Works4me on Jul 11, 2019 1:31:55 GMT -5
Ti4ny, don't keep us in suspense - what did he get?
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jul 11, 2019 6:23:32 GMT -5
Hi folks. I haven't been here in a long while, but I've always appreciated the advice I've gotten. I'm trying to decide how much longer to keep my car. It is a 2008 Honda Civic with almost 47,000 miles on it. I don't commute to work, so the mileage is low for its age. I replaced the tires and the rear brakes in November. The AC is toast, and the estimates I've received to fix it range from $1,300 to $1,800. I've decided not to fix it for now. The paint is showing its age (cosmetic, but I figure I'd note it). Part of me thinks that I still have a few good years left in this car. But part of me feels anxious about driving a car this age, especially if I start driving longer distances. I'm not handy with cars, and the peace of mind of a newer vehicle would be worth a lot. Then again, there's no immediate need to replace it. How long do you suggest keeping a car? DS has a 1999 Civic with about half a million miles on it. It still runs very well. A 2008 Civic with 47,000 miles? DS will buy it off you without even looking at it. We replaced my 1999 Civic last year. I loved that car! We signed it over to a mechanic friend of ours who did a lot of work for us on it over the years, and he sold it to another mechanic for a couple hundred bucks. Such a great first car. I got it with 10,000 miles and sent it on its next adventure at 182,000 miles. As to the OP, I have a 2013 Fit with 36,000 miles on it. Hubs' 2018 Fit will be paid off in 2023, so my goal is to have at least two years of zero car payments before I even think of replacing mine. *knock on wood*
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Jul 11, 2019 7:08:25 GMT -5
My mom's 1998 Volvo S70 finally gave up the ghost in 2017 with 335k miles on it. I don't think it ever left her stranded anywhere. And if it did? That's why we have cell phones and AAA.
I'd keep driving it unless annual repairs go over the cost of annual car payments.
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cranberry
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Post by cranberry on Jul 11, 2019 10:17:14 GMT -5
Thanks so much everyone!
I'm feeling better about keeping it another few years. I'm going to get another estimate for the AC, I think.
My old car was a 1994 Saturn, and I traded it when it was 14 years old with 100K+. When I bought the Honda, I was hoping to keep it at least 15 years.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 11, 2019 14:25:26 GMT -5
Ti4ny, don't keep us in suspense - what did he get? It's a black Honda CR-V. I'm pretty sure it's a 2016 model. Not sure what the extra letters (trim level?) are (lx? se? something else?) I know it's NOT the top of the line with all the bells and whistles trim level and it's not the "base" trim level.
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bobosensei
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Post by bobosensei on Jul 15, 2019 6:12:18 GMT -5
I'm currently looking to replace my 2004 honda civic. It has 186k and is on the original clutch. It spent 7 winters in germany and has a lot of rust damage on the bottom so certain repairs no longer make sense. I'm leaking oil now among the other issues. I'll be happy to sign it over to a junk yard for a couple hundred bucks if I can manage when I replace it.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Jul 15, 2019 9:00:22 GMT -5
"How long do you suggest keeping a car?"
Any car or a Honda (or Toyota)?
I put Hondas and Toyotas in the same category. We bought a new Toyota truck in 1992. In 2003 DH wanted a newer and bigger truck so we sold it to DS cheap (it had 195K miles on it at the time). He put another 100k miles on it before getting rid of it.
We drove the 2003 truck until last Dec. It had close to 250k miles.
You will be money ahead to do whatever it takes to make you happy with your Civic. Spend the money to fix the air, maybe replace the hoses and belts (since you may be driving it longer distances). Detail it. Then drive it at least another 50K miles.
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stillmovingforward
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Post by stillmovingforward on Jul 16, 2019 23:28:23 GMT -5
I've gotten 230,000 on a Toyota and it's still going. 280,000 on my honda and it ran great when I sold it. I'm at 189,000 on bt honda fit and figure I'll get at least another 150,000 miles out of it.
About every 2 years, I take my cars to a mechanic I trust and pay them to go stem to stern on it. Runs me about $150 aaaaand then we talk about what issues might be coming up. Last time, my fit was sent away with a clean bill of health. Nothing needed done. It pays to be proactive. This way, I can stop issues before they get out of hand.
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Jul 24, 2019 13:50:21 GMT -5
Good grief my 2017 has 45000 miles on it, that is nothing. Hubs truck is a 2006, has over 137000 miles on it and still running fine. Why would you trade off a car that just needs a few maintenance items? We put new tires and he also finally had to put new rotors and brakes and replaced the plugs. He also serviced the transmission and he changes the oil regularly and filter. So maintenance will make these things run for years.
I don't know how long I will keep my vehicle, but I won't sell it with so few miles on it.
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nidena
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Post by nidena on Jul 24, 2019 21:16:38 GMT -5
Yeah, an 11 year old Honda with less than 50,000 miles is barely broken in. You've got another decade and/or 150,000 miles that it should be good for.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jul 24, 2019 21:28:56 GMT -5
I got my first car a 1998 Ford Taurus for $800. Drove it almost 10 years.
Next car was my dad's 2005 Chevy Impala with over 200k on it. Boughtnif from him.for $1500 the cost of repairs after a wreck. Drove it seven years.
Never had any real problems with them till the very end. Just routine stuff that comes with age.
In your case I'd repair and keep driving. 45k miles is nothing. $1500 is a lot up front but divide that over how long you plan to keep the car. I probably sank about that much into both cars but over an average of 10 years that's pretty cheap.
I could still drive the 2005 Impala with a few hundred in repairs but it was postponing the inevitable. It's age has caught up with it. I decided to buy now while I had a driveable vehicle so I didn't feel rushed.
I got a 2012 Impala with 80k miles. I plan on driving it into the ground like my last two.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Jul 25, 2019 13:46:35 GMT -5
So, I agree with those who say keep it. Werunour cars into the ground, and then some. Our record is the 23 year old VW Rabbit that only had 180k on it but the frame was rusted through (Massachusetts uses salt on snowy roads).
That said, however, there have been significant safety improvements made in recent years — many of them government mandated. When looking for something used for ODS last year, our highly-trustworthy independent mechanic recommended a 2012 or newer Honda or Toyota with 100K miles or fewer. We ended up with an end-of-model-year 2018 BASE model, 2 seat, Tacoma for the price of a used CRV. But, he’s a college boy so that model made sense for him. If you want to increase the safety of your vehicle by getting something newer, there ARE tons of USED Toyotas and Hondas that meet our mechanic’s criteria. Many are coming off leases over the next few months because people are stupid and attracted to the new model year vehicles.
Either way, you’ll be good. I know you’re a couple hours west of me, but if you don’t mind driving, I can recommend a fabulous independent mechanic. Just PM me.
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