Let's put it like this - I still have my 1998 SAAB with 188,000. I am hoping to exceed that with my 2010 G3 Type V. Or if a get a good deal on the Plug-In ....
I just traded my 1995 SAAB 900 (bought new) for the Prius. Unless something catastrophic happens I plan to hold onto this one just as long.
At age 70 I have had 130 vehicles. 24 in the past 10 years with 12 of them still in the garage. My plan was to keep the Prius for four to five years. However, if Toyota comes out with the smaller version, I just may trade for it. I am getting hooked on this high mileage thing. I do put about 20,000 miles/year on the daily driver which the Prius is. It goes out every day and sometimes two. It seemed quirky to me when I first drove it. Now at 14,000 miles, it is my other vehicles that don't seem right. My wifes 11 Impala requires a heavy foot on the brake to slow down. There is almost no slowing down when I let off the gas for a stop intersection. I like the Prius because it does not need much brake to slow down and when you use the brake it only needs a light touch. I did look at the several proposed Prii at the Auto Show this past winter in Chicago. Didn't like the plug in one because of the li - ion battery.
In earlier times, it would have been "Until death do us part". But I'm 55, and I would really like a Mini Cooper before I die.
Eight years with mileage in the low 200k range. About three years from now, I'll probably buy another car to replace my '97 Honda with the 2010 Prius rotating to be the older car.
Assuming the Prius c is not a real steal, when has buying a new car been a good steal, assuming my GenII does not start giving me trouble and assuming that it is not crashed, I do not see any reason I can use to convince myself to change it. It's not like I will be able to get much better mileage anywhere else. Maybe I can add aftermarket leather if I get really bored of it. Currently at 3 years and 360 days and 44500 miles of ownership.
That is one of the problems of owning a Prius. You can no longer use gas savings too justify the economics of purchasing a new vehicle. Even if the Prius C got 60mpg average, the price of the car would never pencil out to a true savings. After 40mpg or so, you reach a point of diminishing return.
Until it costs to much to repair. Previous Nissan Altima was 12 years old with only 101K miles (too expensive to repair: needed $2000 repairs on car worth only $1000. Water pump $500, tires$500, brakes$100, vacuum hoses$400, dents/rust$500.
Till it dies. It's a 06 with currently 175,000 kms on it (almost 109,000). So far haven't done anything to it, so if it does need anything it will be justified simply by "this is the first time we've put any money into it."
You've got that one right. I've wanted a pure EV since the early '70s, so I got my '04 in April 2009 and jumped at the chance to do the Enginer PHEV conversion. I figured that would be the best I could do since there weren't any reasonably priced EVs out and nothing in the foreseeable future either. So along comes the Leaf, and then later this year will be the Focus EV...but now I can't justify purchasing either. Maybe if one of my kids takes it off my hands and the wife's not looking... :rockon:
Brought my 06 2nd hand in 2009 and plan on having it until it dies or... until it costs too much to maintain, Cars are just too expensive here to trade in every 3 years. Mybe an Enginer PHEV conversion in a couple of years once the kit becomes stable... and I can convince my wife (heh heh) Petrol (Gas) is now at $2.18 a liter!