How many miles on your vehicle before sell or trade?

[ultrarunner]

My dealer always hounds me to trade my stuff in because I pay for it in the first year. But then when they give me their trade in offer at 1 to 2 years old it is laughable. So I drive them until they turn to dust.
Autos are the biggest money losing loss you can spend money on.

I like my Kubota's that don't lose money and real estate that makes me money.

So far I have never sold for less than paid for auto, truck or real estate.

Tractor was very close after 17 years.

I tend to buy used but not abused and the age is a bonus... if garaged and low mileage.

Only bought one new car in my life so to keep the record I will need to keep it forever!

Mom paid 15,200 for Toyota new in 2001.... it was her only new car... when it was stolen years later the payout was $7,500... not bad considering.

A friend paid 90k+ for new loaded Range Rover... 10 years later he was offered 5k trade on a King Ranch... accident free, dealer maintained, 100k miles and looked like new...

It really does depend on what you buy...

I love repeating the next example... boss bought brand new 2006 Ford GT off the Dealer Floor... owned 5+ years, enjoyed it immensely and sold it for 50k more than paid... 160k purchase and 210k selling... it can be done.

 

[California]

Off topic but since the car gurus are assembled here:
Daughter's 98 Honda Accord has something that drains the battery if the car isn't driven for a week. Today it won't start. I tested 9.4 volts at the battery then took off the terminal and measured 10~20 ma current. That's lower than what a bulb anywhere would draw. Any ideas what it could be? The alarm system is the only thing active but that shouldn't kill the battery - ?

 

[goeduck]

A friend paid 90k+ for new loaded Range Rover... 10 years later he was offered 5k trade on a King Ranch... accident free, dealer maintained, 100k miles and looked like new...
.

Ouch. I never understood the appeal of a Range River and the prices they command. Hopefully he did not trade it in and sold it separately

 

[ultrarunner]

Better... they gave it too me.

I have been helping out and it was a way to make the transition easier... if you give it away can't put a dollar figure on a gift.

I've owned many vehicles... 50 presently. Can honestly say it is the finest I have driven... no where near the most expensive with classics and 1960's competition (None Owned by Me)

Finest does not include reliability/economy... but Range Rovers are very capable off road and when the Air Suspension works it really rides wonderfully... headlights the best by far, even the sound system from factory is amazing.

That said... would I buy one... no.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Off topic but since the car gurus are assembled here:
Daughter's 98 Honda Accord has something that drains the battery if the car isn't driven for a week. Today it won't start. I tested 9.4 volts at the battery then took off the terminal and measured 10~20 ma current. That's lower than what a bulb anywhere would draw. Any ideas what it could be? The alarm system is the only thing active but that shouldn't kill the battery - ?

Hook up the milliamps again and start pulling fuses one at a time. Once you pull the fuse that drops the ma's a large percentage you've found the circuit with the problem. Then you can start digging. This requires a wiring diagram. Sometimes the radio gives problems.

Also try unhooking the large wire on the alternator. If the ma's go down you need to get your alternator tested. Could be a poor diode in the alt. but anything is possible.

 

[California]

Thanks! That gives me a place to start.

And I never would have thought of the Alternator.

 

[kenmac]

Thanks! That gives me a place to start.

And I never would have thought of the Alternator.

Had a ford that kept draining the battery. Found it to be a bad alternator.
Good luck

 

[4570Man]

Hook up the milliamps again and start pulling fuses one at a time. Once you pull the fuse that drops the ma's a large percentage you've found the circuit with the problem. Then you can start digging. This requires a wiring diagram. Sometimes the radio gives problems.

Also try unhooking the large wire on the alternator. If the ma's go down you need to get your alternator tested. Could be a poor diode in the alt. but anything is possible.

I had a Silverado that was killing the battery. The first thing I checked was the radio and alternator. After that I started pulling fuses until I found the issue. In my case the power seat was causing the problem.

 

[Renze]

I make about 35.000km per year with my Volvo S70 TDI and so far it has clocked 452.000... repairs, regular service and depreciation are less than 2 cents per km driven. Fuel is 7 cent per liter, at
1.25 euro diesel price.

I intend to keep it till at least 800.000km

 

[bearlindsay]

My father gave me the 1995 S10 ZR2 (extended cab, V6) that I had trashed and abused throughout high school and college. I sold that in March 2014 with 235k miles for $1500. (I still miss that truck)

I used that to put new tires on my 2004 Silverado 2500HD. (Crew cab, 6 ft bed with a cap, 6.0L gas V8 and 4.10 gears so 12 mpg at best). I bought the truck in May 2013 with 110k miles for $15,000. I traded it in on a new truck in October 2015 with 170k miles for $5,500. The parking brake had fallen apart and made nasty noises every morning and the driver's seat supports were broken so you kinda sat on the side bolsters.

Now I have a 2016 Colorado (Crew cab, 6' bed, 3.6L V6) with 63k miles on it. I'll try to hit the 300k mark, but we'll see what the wife says in a few years. She might want me to get a new one before that.

Her car is a 2014 Honda CR-V with 58k on it. Neither of us are impressed by it (it doesn't have the fancy 6+" screen with Apple Car Play/Android Auto and it has a ton of road noise compared to my truck) so we'll end up replacing it before my truck.