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Longevity of a Car

Mischief007

Mischief007

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Messages
4,710
Location
London, Ontario, Canada
Car(s)
1995 Chevy Camaro Z28, 04 VW Jetta GLS
Is it absurd to expect to keep a car for 20 years??

I'd like to know about the Audi A4, Volvo S40 T5 AWD, and the Subaru Legacy 2.5GT.

With the next car I'm purchasing, I'd like to keep it for a very very long time. I hate change so the longer I keep the car the better for me. Plus very little expenses. Of course the cars would have regular maintenance done to them.

Stuff like interior, exterior, electrical,.....and so on.
 
well... if you want a car to last long and its cheaper to maintain... I suggest the Legacy... however cars like the legacy would easily go out of fashion wherelese the 3 series you previously wanted would still be a BMW in 10 years time and would still look quite good
 
I don't care about the car going out of fashion :). Not that kind of person :lol:
 
I'm on my 2nd Audi, and I don't describe them as reliable, not in the way a Japanese car is. I've had more problems in 7 years of 2 Audis ownership that my father with around a dozen japanese cars (Datsun, Mazda, Toyota, Honda). As much as I adore them, don't buy that Audi if you're thinking in keeping it that long. The new Subaru Legacy is a great car, and one I would buy if I was going for a petrol sedan. Nothing I'm saying is foulproof. You may have more problems with the Subaru than with the Audi, but that's not probable.
Drive them all and see which one fits you best, basically. That's a the best way to choose "your" car.
 
It's also a question of where you are, how often you drive, how much you drive, and how you drive in general. People that hammer their cars can expect them to go out in about 5 years realistically. If you take care of a car, they can last for decades easily. Also, location is a big issue. Snow = salt = inevitable rust unless the car is all aluminum (NSX). California cars are stereotypically thought to last forever, but it's also a question of where you live. Stuff on the seaside like the CA coast tends to get that marine layer which carries sea water and causes rust.
 
If you want a car that lasts twenty years without costly repairs I would seriously suggest you look for a naturally aspirated car. My choice from ur list above would be a Legacy, but with the 2.5L NA engine.
 
yea.... and I 4got... turbo cars don't last that long... you should stay away from those... I would advice you to get a Lexus ES330
 
yes, lexus is a toyota with actual leather in some places. comfy and all, and virtually a very reliable mercedes clone. won't have all the merc specialties or performance but you can't really go wrong with a lexus unless you try to resell it in <5 years, where you would lose most of your investment and reliability isnt usually an issue for a 5 yr old or less car.
 
but in 5 years time... you will start to have problems with you merc and the electronics and all their wonderful gadgets like hydraulic suspension, your radar guided cruise control might fail or something :lol:
 
Bad thing is, you never know... Some cars have just been built like shit and stuff happens to them all the time... In Germany they are called "monday-cars" as the workers may still be in weekend mood and do something wrong with it...

Well, I wish you luck and recommend the A4... Never heard of one breaking down...

Buba
 
If you want something that will last well for 20yrs I'm afraid the only choice is a truck with a good diesel engine. I'm not talking SUV crap. Something that was built to work.
Like an older model toyota Hi-lux, landcruiser. Old style Mitsubushi L200. Older Model LR Defenders.

Simply because A) the chassis are stronger and easier to repair than a car
B) The Diesel engines will last longer and have no ECU's so you don't have to worry about complex electric's
C)If there is a problem it's far easier to fix it because they are designed to be simple with good access to most important parts.
D) The tires last a lot longer (got 45K out of my last set) as the tread is deeper

If the idea of a truck isn't so good then I'd go for the legacy
 
You guys have some good advice...well appreciated.

A little bit more about me.

Currently I live in Southwestern Ontario aka part of the snow belt. So LOTS AND LOTS of salt. I got sprayed a couple of days ago when driving the 91 Cavalier.

I drive hard BUT take care of my car. ie. :) Today I drove 40 km/h in first gear before changing to 2nd. Shifted to third at 80 km/h. I drive a vehicle hard and have a *cough* lead foot *cough*. I like to test a car's limit :twisted: , often, sometimes too often...:lol:

I prefer smaller cars to trucks and currently have a used car that has all kinds of small problems here and there. To keep the Cavalier, I'd basically have to redo the whole car.
 
if you experience alot of snow... Volvo's and Subaru's AWD technology would be a great advantage.... pesonally I'll take the volvo... I think they are alrite in terms of reliability esp. in your climate which is what volvo's are built for and it is still fun and fast to drive and if you care, safe
 
o yeah andrews right, maybe the legacy will be the best choice. make sure u get a powerful version too. i will kill u if u get one without the engine scoop.
 
Ask me in 3 years!

17 years old 141K on the original engine and trans.

Apart from the Cheap interior neeeding a refurbish the car is mint and is yet to require anything other than a service.

Matthew
 
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