Buying car to last 15 years?

Angus_Og

I guess this is a two or three part question.


To give you an idea of what I want I have in mind a Volvo V60 D4 is currently rising to the top. I want an estate, SUV or hatchback (in that order). Need the boot for dogs and horses but not for towing horses but still need to tow 1,500kg infrequently. I want comfort over all else so no big rims for me (but it would be nice to have a little grunt to take the pressure off overtaking). Would also prefer a decent auto box.

1. What similar cars would you shortlist that are reliable and will last the test of time.

2. What age is the sweet spot for buying especially taking in to account longevity of ownership? New, Pre-Reg, etc

3. I plan on paying cash but is that the smart move? Or do I take finance and pay it off immediately? Would prefer not to have an extended loan hanging over me.

AdrianC

"Lasting 15yrs" is as much about your attitude to maintenance as it is to the choice of car.

Also, remember that the average age for scrapping a car in the UK is only a whisker under 14 years...

https://www.smmt.co.uk/industry-topics/sustainability/average-vehicle-age/

Herzlos

Anything that's been looked after properly could last 15 years. Your best bet if you're keeping it that long is to try a few and get something you really like - 15 years with an awkward driving position or a niggle could become a nightmare.


In terms of buying, new from a broker could be cheaper than nearly new. Taking finance almost always results in a discount (incentive or deposit contribution), you can then pay it off immediately.


Volvo V60 is a good car.

Zero_Gravitas

Whilst it may sound a bit repetitive, the answer is once again a Skoda Octavia...

scaredofdebt

Mileage?

If you do ~5k a year then most cars should last you 75k

If you're doing 30k a year then not much will do 450k, but as mentioned servicing is key.

Tokk

As already noted - your attitude to servicing is a huge factor in how long the car lasts... And this is often a big factor in how long certain cars are perceived to last - Volvo being a case in point, Volvo owners tend not to neglect servicing (there are always exceptions) and Volvo's tend to last very well as a result...

An V60 would be a great choice IMHO - but keep on top of servicing.
But as already noted - shortlist a few and test drive them, there's no point favouring one heavily and then deciding you don't like it the minute you test it.

Angus_Og

Zero_Gravitas wrote: »

Whilst it may sound a bit repetitive, the answer is once again a Skoda Octavia...

I'm not fan of VAG group cars (these days) trouble with them being a bit too low slung for our farm track.

16 years ago I banned Golfs from the list because the undertray got battered to bits on the last one.

But I'll have a look.

Angus_Og

Very fair point about servicing.

TheMoonandBack

Angus_Og wrote: »

I'm not fan of VAG group cars (these days) trouble with them being a bit too low slung for our farm track.

16 years ago I banned Golfs from the list because the undertray got battered to bits on the last one.

But I'll have a look.

Octavia for me. I’m on my 3rd one. Bought it 3 years old and will run it happily to 150k miles then decide whether to keep going or change (it’ll be about 10 years old then). Service any car properly as stated above and it will last, but there does come a point where you start getting heavier repairs needed such as steering rack/gearbox etc and that’s usually when I bale out.
Octavia Scout if you need ground clearance

AdrianC

Angus_Og wrote: »

I'm not fan of VAG group cars (these days) trouble with them being a bit too low slung for our farm track.

Ground clearance is ground clearance, no matter who makes it.

There's lots of raised "soft-roader"-style estates, such as Octavia Scout... or V60XC (rather than XC60)

Goudy

Have you considered a C-HR Hybrid or Rav4 Hybrid?
It's the same engine, battery and gearbox/electric motor set up as the latest Prius and mini cabbers are putting mega mileages on these with little trouble.
Ground clearance shouldn't be a problem either.

As you're planning to keep it so long, due to the Hybrid system it should pretty much future proof it from various emission zones and emission regs that might be planned, they are already trying to force all but the latest euro spec diesels off the road now, what will it be like in 10 or 15 years?