We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Lifetime motoring costs
Just been on holiday reading my whatcar again. They assume everybody buys a new car every three years with massive costs incurred on depreciation.
As I approach my early retirement it occurred to me that my working life will have been covered by 3 cars each lasting an average of 12 years. I bought them all less than one year old with a good discount. I regularly check my tyre pressures and fluid levels. I service and repair them myself. None of them have needed major repairs and they were all exactly the same to drive when they were old as when new. All 3 have been totally reliable if anything becoming more reliable as they aged.
I reckon that if I had bought a new car every 3 years and had them serviced by a garage as whatcar suggests then I would have to work an extra 5 years before I retire.
I know some people love working and buying new cars but for me those 5 years of freedom will be so much more important.
I'll probably have a heart attack and die tomorrow after writing this.
As I approach my early retirement it occurred to me that my working life will have been covered by 3 cars each lasting an average of 12 years. I bought them all less than one year old with a good discount. I regularly check my tyre pressures and fluid levels. I service and repair them myself. None of them have needed major repairs and they were all exactly the same to drive when they were old as when new. All 3 have been totally reliable if anything becoming more reliable as they aged.
I reckon that if I had bought a new car every 3 years and had them serviced by a garage as whatcar suggests then I would have to work an extra 5 years before I retire.
I know some people love working and buying new cars but for me those 5 years of freedom will be so much more important.
I'll probably have a heart attack and die tomorrow after writing this.
0
Comments
-
You'll be fine! :-)
And well done. One of my landlords, years ago, was on his third car and he was in his sixties. He was an accountant by trade...The comments I post are my personal opinion. While I try to check everything is correct before posting, I can and do make mistakes, so always try to check official information sources before relying on my posts.0 -
I've got three cars and have owned them for 11, 14 and 33 years respectively. My son wants to inherit the third one.0
-
Just been on holiday reading my whatcar again. They assume everybody buys a new car every three years with massive costs incurred on depreciation.
As I approach my early retirement it occurred to me that my working life will have been covered by 3 cars each lasting an average of 12 years. I bought them all less than one year old with a good discount. I regularly check my tyre pressures and fluid levels. I service and repair them myself. None of them have needed major repairs and they were all exactly the same to drive when they were old as when new. All 3 have been totally reliable if anything becoming more reliable as they aged.
I reckon that if I had bought a new car every 3 years and had them serviced by a garage as whatcar suggests then I would have to work an extra 5 years before I retire.
I know some people love working and buying new cars but for me those 5 years of freedom will be so much more important.
I'll probably have a heart attack and die tomorrow after writing this.
Unlike your memories of them I suspect.
I think I've only had four washing machines in 36 years.You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose but you can't pick your friend's nose.0 -
I've had seven cars in 30 years costing between £300 and £1000. Total cost £3410 minus £490 scrap value (£70x7). Average cost £113 per year. The most expensive was the worst. The first three should have lasted longer but were written off. The last is still going.
If fuel and insurance wasn't so expensive I could have retired decades earlier.0 -
My memory is fine thank you. They have all needed tyres, exhausts, batteries, brake pads and discs. I don't really think of these as problems or reliability issues. One broke down at less than a week old because of a manufacturing fault. I accept I may have been lucky but I do think cars are very well built and designed to last well beyond the three years that some people seem to think.0
-
Norman_Castle wrote: »I've had seven cars in 30 years costing between £300 and £1000. Total cost £3410 minus £490 scrap value (£70x7). Average cost £113 per year. The most expensive was the worst. The first three should have lasted longer but were written off. The last is still going.
My first car when I was a student (not one of the three described here) was £200. Yes it was cheap and I learned a lot of car maintenance skills owning it but I felt I suffered owning it. It was hard work. None of these 3 have been like that. They were new when I bought them and I kept them like that.0 -
My car sits in the garage and hardly comes out these days, especially since i got my bus pass. My tax; mot, and insurance are all due at the same time and i've often said, financially i should sell. It's just nice to know it's there when i need it.
Last week i took it for an Mot and in the year since the previous one i'd done 210mls. It's been a similar mileage for the last few tests. And yet i still get phone calls off and on from the Ford agent i bought from to say you've had your car a while now, are you thinking of renewing it.Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
What it may grow to in time, I know not what.
Daniel Defoe: 1725.
0 -
My memory is fine thank you. They have all needed tyres, exhausts, batteries, brake pads and discs. I don't really think of these as problems or reliability issues. One broke down at less than a week old because of a manufacturing fault. I accept I may have been lucky but I do think cars are very well built and designed to last well beyond the three years that some people seem to think.
Just out of interest, how many miles do you do in your cars?You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose but you can't pick your friend's nose.0 -
Rain_Shadow wrote: »Just out of interest, how many miles do you do in your cars?
I probably average about 10000 miles a year.0 -
I bought my first car 12 years ago, kept it about 3 years and then give it it my mum, who finally sold it a few weeks ago.
Bought a brand new car in 07, it was written off 2 years ago, and I replaced it with a very similar car, same make, same year.
So while I have had 3 car, one was a straight replacement after an accident.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.1K Spending & Discounts
- 244.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.4K Life & Family
- 258.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards