If it’s cheaper and easier to squeeze 300,000 miles out of a car than buying another one I have no problem doing just that. That said there are a lot of factors coming into play.
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We lease my wife’s car for 3 years and then turn it in for the next one. When we turned in her 2016 hyundai elantra in june 2022 it had 8,300 miles.
Interesting. I live up north where it snows a lot. And they salt the road often. Just curious: Would using the touchless automatic car wash after every snow storm prevent the car from rusting ?
I can’t wash it manually due to medical reasons.
The answers you get here will be biased towards high mileage since most members here are mechanically minded and some view a car as nothing more than an appliance to be owned at the lowest price possible.
As for me, one of my daily drivers is 17 years old and 185,000 miles. I would not hesitate to jump in the car for an extended road trip.
In this day and age, 50,000 miles on a car is nothing.
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In Minnesota I use the touch less when it gets dirty. It would be every other day if I did it after a snow. Yeah it’s good to get the slush and salt off but the water is recycled and I’m not convinced you don’t get a salt wash anyway. Maybe others know better but I don’t know how you would filter the salt out of water and can’t believe you get fresh water all the time.
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To add to what @asemastec posted, a lot of here do our own maintenance and basic repairs. In my case, I over maintain my cars with regular ATF change, brake fluid, coolant, etc. In the last few years I have only taken the cars to the dealer when the repair was covered under warranty. I recently changed the radiator on my wife’s car and it cost me $120. The dealer wanted at least $1500+ and then wanted to push for new hoses which weren’t needed to the tune of $2200. I had to get this quote because my wife sometimes complains that I like to torture myself. That difference in the expense is what makes keeping a car long term much more feasible for me.
My 2020 Bolt has about 7100 miles on it right now and my turn in date is this time next year.
I stopped in to the local GM dealership and the salesman didn’t have any definitive timeline for ordering the new Silverado EV yet. I was hoping the build sheet would be available in August like most new vehicle build sheets are, but he said the new EVs are a bit different. He even said they haven’t gotten the delivery of a Hummer EV that was ordered a year or two ago and was delayed due to the chip shortage, but that problem should be ending soon.
So, I am at a crossroads on what I want to do, especially since the deal I got on my Bolt initially- $13k off sticker at the time before any down payment- should help me with any trade in value. On one hand, buying my lease makes sense as I’ve enjoyed the car for the most part. On the other hand, I’m also considering using whatever my trade-in value will be to even up trade for something new/used so I won’t have to worry about payments and/or being upside down on a loan when my reservation finally comes in.
Do you still have your Chevelle? If so you could drive every day until the Silverado is delivered. Maybe you can work something out with the dealer on your Bolt. If it’s the same dealer they might go for a month to month lease extension on the Bolt.
That isn’t practical for the most part and not needed until it warms up. As long as it is below freezing, corrosion is “on hold” so if you wash it when it warms above 32 F, that will help. Given that little factoid, a parking in a heated garabe will accelerate the rust!
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+1
Although this season’s snowfall has barely been measurable, the roads have been brined/salted several times in anticipation of significant snow/ice. Although I don’t like seeing some slight salt residue on my car over the past couple of weeks, I am delaying a visit to the carwash until at least next week, when–I think–the snow season will finally be behind us.
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Around 200,000 miles unless rust takes it before that (1979 Toyota 4X4 pickup, broken frame, RIP.)
I’ve got the snow shovel on my front porch and I’m not putting it back in the garage until april.
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You never know!
The famous Blizzard of 1888 took place in mid-March, so anything is possible.
My Great Aunt spoke about her horrible memories of that blizzard, including running out of coal for heat. And, when people finally began to emerge from their snowed-in NYC homes, they encountered scores of corpses–both horses and humans–in the melting mounds of snow. She never forgot that experience.
We’re expecting 12"+ starting tomorrow thru Wednesday. Snowing in April here isn’t unusual either. But it doesn’t last long. I’ve seen it snow 15+ inches in late April. It was all melted in 2-3 days.
Yeah march is normally a heavy snow month plus it is warm enough so you get the heavy slushy stuff that plugs up the blower. Lemon pledge helps.
Yes, or silicone spray. Some people suggest using Pam cooking spray, but I think that your solution or mine makes more sense.
You’ve just articulated much of why i don’t live in New Hampshire. Plus, it’s too cold, and the politics there don’t agree with me.
One reason I moved here was because the weather here is far better than where I lived in Central NY.
I thought you were a Conservative?
Depends on the definition for “conservative”!
I’d guess the best compromise is to switch to a newer car at 7-10 years/150K miles. Whichever occurs sooner.
If you enjoy the challenge of fixing your own vehicle, and think of it like a hobby, that’s a different calculus. For that hobby to remain fun, and you have a place to do it, the primary sticking-point is parts availability.
Damage concerns: Water damage (flooding) or an accident that resulted in frame (or unibody) damage.
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