I’ve purchased four new cars in my life.  The first, a 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit, had 90,000 miles on it when my ex wife and I separated and she took it.  The second, a 1986 Volkswagen Quantum, had 140,000 miles when I donated it to a local charity.  My 1996 GMC Sonoma Pickup just turned 100,000 miles today.  I took a picture of the odometer at 99,999.9, but it didn’t turn out.  The other car, Debra’s 1996 Nissan Maxima, has right at 92,000 miles now and is still going strong.  Both cars are in very good shape and I don’t envision selling or trading either one any time soon, although I sometimes wish my truck had an extended cab.

I’ve never understood why some people get a new car every three years.  Especially today, when a reasonably well-maintained car should last 10 years or more, and 200,000 miles.  Sure, the car gets a few dings and rattles over time, but those just add character.  Scheduled maintenance and infrequent unexpected repairs don’t even approach the cost of a new car.  I figure that Debra and I will keep these two until the cost (monetary and aggravation) reaches the pain threshold.  With the average new vehicle price approaching $30,000, you can bet that I can put up with a lot of aggravation.