I don't buy old or worn out cars; those are the ones I sell. I have no problem buying new or nearly new, I just keep them for more than a decade and sell them when they reach the point of diminishing returns.
My 1999 Durango could last 20 years; the body, frame, and drivetrain have been remarkably robust, except for rust on the body seams at the rocker panel/floor pan and the front bumper, both of which I took care of early and keep a close eye on. The brake lines were crappy from the factory and I replaced all of them. It does not rack up many miles becuase I do not commute with it.
My 2005 Matrix will hit 100,000 miles today and has never had a failure. I expect a good 10 to 15 years from it.
My 2001 Kawasaki Ninja ZX9R has just under 80,000 miles. I expect it to go 100,000 before it will need new valves. The rest of it has held up well and I intend to get a complete cylinder head for it for <$100 rather than change valves, when the time comes. I think I could get 20 years out of it.
|