Brag on your MMM high-mileage or old car

[joe travers]

We have a '99 civic at like 165k and a 2011 prius at about 110k. Yea baby!

[SheepDog]

We have an 07 Chevy Cobalt with 185k miles.  Runs good, needs some front end work. 
Also have an 04 Ford Ranger.  Truck was free to me, cost about 5k to get running again and in like new condition.  111k miles currently.

Wife's 07 Cobalt with 195k miles died last week.  Timing chain broke and killed the rest of the engine.  Rather than try to find a replacement engine, we bought a 09 Ford Fusion from wife's sister for $2500.  It has 175k miles on it and if we can get it to 200k miles, we will be happy.

[alsoknownasDean]

Not sure if I can call it overly old, but the other week I picked up a 2002 Holden Barina with 111,000km for $3000.

It's got plenty of space for the driver for a small hatchback, and the 1.4L engine has plenty of go.

Let's see how long it lasts :)

I've got a photo of the odo at 111111 as well :)

Still running well at 146000km (91000 miles). The first service was expensive (timing belt), and I had to replace the pedal box a couple of years ago as something bent when I pressed the clutch, but aside from that it’s been fine.

Should be good for a while yet, but I wonder if I should sell it in a year or two while it’s still got some value left in it and buy something a few years newer. Waiting for the third gen Prius to get cheap enough, but I may not drive enough to justify it :)

Currently at 159000km. I spent about $1500 back in May to replace the clutch.

There's a bit of an issue where the heater doesn't work all that well and I think it's losing a bit of coolant. I'm hoping it's not a leaky head gasket, but the temp gauge is fine so probably not. My guess is that the radiator has sprung a leak.

The plan is to replace it in 6-12 months (after I move), probably with a second gen Prius (the city fuel economy is appealing). I'm getting over driving a manual transmission in traffic. It'll be due for a timing belt at 180000km, and I plan on being rid of it well before then.

Now at 171000km, hasn't been driven all that far lately thanks to COVID, maybe 500-600km in total since early July?

Replacing the radiator didn't fix the coolant leak, and I think the other leak is from the waterpump. I'm ready to move it on, but used cars are really expensive at the moment, so I'll keep it running a little while longer.

[Frugal Lizard]

The DH's 2004 Acura wouldn't start last week.  First time ever.  Turns out it still had the original spark plugs.  Our DD is learning to drive on it so it is getting a lot more turning on and not going very long while she learns how to start a manual and get moving. 

[WhiteTrashCash]

I've had my 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid for ten years now (bought new, yeah, I know). It has 88,000 miles on it now and it's still going strong. I put 18,000 miles on it in the first year when I had a clown commute, but I've averaged about 7500 miles a year with it since then. It's impossible for me to bike to work, because it's 16 miles all highway each way and I got the job after I bought my house. Recently, I had to do the first real repairs on the car. Had a problem with a valve in the evaporative system that was stuck open and needed to be replaced. Also needed to replace the rear shocks and a blind spot system module on the right side of the car. Other than that, it's been a trouble-free car. Hoping to keep it at least another ten years if not more.

[zolotiyeruki]

DW heads up a homeschooling co-op in our area.  I'm currently teaching the teenagers some basic car maintenance stuff.  Last week, our two vehicles, which between them have over 425,000 miles, got oil changes, performed by teenagers who had never done anything like that before! :)

[Just Joe]

DW heads up a homeschooling co-op in our area.  I'm currently teaching the teenagers some basic car maintenance stuff.  Last week, our two vehicles, which between them have over 425,000 miles, got oil changes, performed by teenagers who had never done anything like that before! :)

That is great. Hands on is the best way to learn!

[JLee]

I'm replacing suspension bushings on my MR2 with....maybe 265k miles? The speedometer was broken for a while, so I don't really know how many miles are on it. The front ball joints are looser than I'd like so I'm going to replace those too.

[Nash3222]

Most of my co-workers love to talk about buying new or very fancy cars.  Have had many poke fun at me as the poorest guy they know.  As moustachians I thought we could maybe use this thread to brag on our high-mileage cars (since no one else will ever envy them!). 

Me:
I have a 2000 Toyota Sienna with 215k miles as our family car.  Still running strong and we did a cross-country trip 2 years ago from coast to coast and back (my job paid for the trip which was a vacation for my family!!).  Only major repair has been the AC compressor.

For my farm truck (and what I use to haul building materials when building my house) I have a 2001 Ford F-350 with 260k miles.  Bought used in 2008 for $7k and kbb is more than that even now...  Bad mpg but I only use it for hauling and towing (very good money-maker).  Wouldn't recommend it from a MMM perspective due to somewhat poor reliability but a steady diet of parts keeps it running!

2012 Honda Accord.  on track for 110K miles and is just as tight as the day I bought it. Regular maintenance: Oil brakes, etc I do my self.
Car has ANOTHER 150K in it, does not burn oil, does not leak oil.     
I used to buy american cars, always took good care of them. Every american care I owned, would get 80-90k miles on them and something major would always go wrong: Head gasket, trans, etc and the all leaked oil .    NO more,  Honda's only for me. 

[iluvzbeach]

So, our beloved 2005 Honda Pilot that I’ve commented about above hit 200K miles this past Friday. Best car ever, don’t think I’m ever going to let her go.

[anni]

Though my new ski-town roommates are heckling me for it, I just bought a new set of winter tires for my 2011 Civic with 97K miles, instead of replacing it with an SUV or a crossover. Used Subarus with 100K+ miles still go for over $10K here! And from everything I've read, tires are much more important than anything else for winter driving. If there are ever 6 inches of unplowed snow on the roads, I don't think I'd want to be driving on it in anything.

[JLee]

Though my new ski-town roommates are heckling me for it, I just bought a new set of winter tires for my 2011 Civic with 97K miles, instead of replacing it with an SUV or a crossover. Used Subarus with 100K+ miles still go for over $10K here! And from everything I've read, tires are much more important than anything else for winter driving. If there are ever 6 inches of unplowed snow on the roads, I don't think I'd want to be driving on it in anything.

Good snow tires will make nearly any FWD or AWD car practically unstoppable in any typical snow situation.

[anni]

Though my new ski-town roommates are heckling me for it, I just bought a new set of winter tires for my 2011 Civic with 97K miles, instead of replacing it with an SUV or a crossover. Used Subarus with 100K+ miles still go for over $10K here! And from everything I've read, tires are much more important than anything else for winter driving. If there are ever 6 inches of unplowed snow on the roads, I don't think I'd want to be driving on it in anything.

Good snow tires will make nearly any FWD or AWD car practically unstoppable in any typical snow situation.

Yeah, the only reason I briefly entertained replacing my (perfect condition) old car is the extra couple inches of clearance you get with a bigger car. But.... again, I'm not trying to offroad in the snow if I can avoid it, LOL.

[highflyingstache]

I dunno guys, I think I win; not for my planning, but thanks to fate.

Bought a Honda Fit, base model (no air, no power locks, unfortunately and not terribly a lot of fun!) but it's stable, it's simple, and it'll never die! $9500, when it was assessed approximately $13,500. That was November 2018.

Fast forward to July 2020, we saw a typical hail storm for the area; alas finally after 6 years of living here, my car finally got hit. Great news though, unlike other vehicles or other storms this produced the most consistent small hail in years. Since the car is a uni-body design including roof, there was no point in repairing things, so it was a full write off to the tune of $7000. After some negotiation, that became $8300.

My $1200 car now has 53K Miles on it, and has a few golf ball dimples in the hood and roof. Barely noticeable, hasn't harmed the paint and (so to the work of Spalding's golf ball design) supposedly is a faster car for it. It's going to drive for many many years to come...

[grantmeaname]

I have a Fit too. I find mine ridiculously fun to drive, unbelievably capacious, comfortable, and frugal as hell. Mine's a '12 base model (we previously had an '07 sport but the powertrain is the same so all it gets you is bigger tires and a spoiler).

[Dave1442397]

Though my new ski-town roommates are heckling me for it, I just bought a new set of winter tires for my 2011 Civic with 97K miles, instead of replacing it with an SUV or a crossover. Used Subarus with 100K+ miles still go for over $10K here! And from everything I've read, tires are much more important than anything else for winter driving. If there are ever 6 inches of unplowed snow on the roads, I don't think I'd want to be driving on it in anything.

I used to drive my Honda S2000 with a set of Dunlop WinterSport tires. Never a problem in your average snowstorm, and it was fun to cruise down the highway with the roof down, the heat cranked, and snow flying over the windshield.

[ColoAndy]

2012 Honda Accord 108,562 miles.  100% problem free.  Bought it new exactly 9 years ago today, Veterans Day 2011.

[2Birds1Stone]

Been driving a 1997 Subaru Outback Sport with ~170k on the odometer since we returned to the USA in October. Neat little car. It needs some work, but it cost us almost nothing.......#stealthwealth.

[valsecito]

(Not strictly a super old or high mileage car, but I do think the story fits here....)

My retired parents were in the market for a new car. They knew the make, model and specs they wanted and got a quote from a dealership. Luckily, they had also grown a habit of always asking me to check before committing to big ticket purchases. A few emails later, I had saved them 5000€ and gotten them five years of 0% financing.

I could most probably have gotten them an even better deal, but they were happy with that, very much so. I usually go without a car, but they gave me their old one. 13 years old, 300000km and low fuel consumption. Super useful for work on our summer cottage, and now again for avoiding public transport during the covid19 pandemic.

It looks like it still has a few years of useful life in it. Once this pandemic is over, we'll park it at friends near the airport. That'll save us time and money getting to our cottage for shorter getaways.

[alsoknownasDean]

Not sure if I can call it overly old, but the other week I picked up a 2002 Holden Barina with 111,000km for $3000.

It's got plenty of space for the driver for a small hatchback, and the 1.4L engine has plenty of go.

Let's see how long it lasts :)

I've got a photo of the odo at 111111 as well :)

Now at 171000km, hasn't been driven all that far lately thanks to COVID, maybe 500-600km in total since early July?

Replacing the radiator didn't fix the coolant leak, and I think the other leak is from the waterpump. I'm ready to move it on, but used cars are really expensive at the moment, so I'll keep it running a little while longer.

As of tomorrow I'll have owned it six years. Currently at 174,000km. Considering I spent $3K on the car and have had a couple of $1000-1500 trips to the mechanic in that time, it's been a pretty good deal.

It's actually about to be sold in the new year as there's a few things that need to be done, and I've been offered a 2004 Ford Falcon (with just 118,000km) through family. It's got the automatic transmission and cruise control that I was after, but it's quite a bit larger (harder to park) and uses about 50% more fuel.

My thinking is that another $10-15 a week on fuel is much cheaper than a car payment. Since the last service was March 2018, it's about to get an oil change and transmission fluid change (along with a bunch of filters and spark plugs), and a couple of things I need to do for roadworthy. Just put new tyres on it today, and gave it a good clean over the weekend.

[grantmeaname]

But those aren't the only two options right? You could get a cheap car with fuel efficiency, auto trans, and cruise control...

[alsoknownasDean]

But those aren't the only two options right? You could get a cheap car with fuel efficiency, auto trans, and cruise control...

Not in the current used market. Prices are way up due to COVID, especially for small automatics. I was actually seriously considering biting the bullet and buying new/near new.

Besides, I don't drive a huge amount per year, and this car is a known quantity as it's been in the family since new.

[grantmeaname]

but $10-15/week is a lot of money - $500-800/year of gas, $2500-4000 over five years

[koziknight]

My Ford Fusion, which is so stinking fun to drive, is 9.5 years and just over 224,000 miles.

[Decibel]

1996 Suzuki Sierra 470000 km.....

[FIreSurfer]

1994 BMW Station Wagon with 210k miles - bought off a neighbor for $2500 a few years back - I live in LA and I can help but smirk at all the people I know who have expensive leased Audis and Jeeps that just sit in front of their houses now through Covid Lockdown, sucking hundreds of dollars from their bank account every month....

[Lomonossov]

I have a 18 year old Mazda 6 (do they sell those in US?). It has served me pretty well since I bought it in cash 6 years ago for 3.5k EUR. I do use it for three things only: weekly groceries, monthly visit to in-laws and one road trip per year. That's why despite the age its mileage is only 175k km.

I do have a question to the MMM community though. The car is starting to have some very light rust in the fenders. Here in Poland is common due to the common use of salt on the roads during the winters. The question is: is it worth it to repair it? Do you have any experience with that, or any idea if it can be solved at all? Given the use we give to the car I would like to stretch the life of our beloved machine for as long as possible, but it would be one of those situations where I would be probably putting more money in the car than its market value. Still, if it gives me another 4 - 5 years of transportation at a very reasonable price.

Thanks a lot for your input.

[daverobev]

I have a 18 year old Mazda 6 (do they sell those in US?). It has served me pretty well since I bought it in cash 6 years ago for 3.5k EUR. I do use it for three things only: weekly groceries, monthly visit to in-laws and one road trip per year. That's why despite the age its mileage is only 175k km.

I do have a question to the MMM community though. The car is starting to have some very light rust in the fenders. Here in Poland is common due to the common use of salt on the roads during the winters. The question is: is it worth it to repair it? Do you have any experience with that, or any idea if it can be solved at all? Given the use we give to the car I would like to stretch the life of our beloved machine for as long as possible, but it would be one of those situations where I would be probably putting more money in the car than its market value. Still, if it gives me another 4 - 5 years of transportation at a very reasonable price.

Thanks a lot for your input.

You can get them in Canada, I assume the US.

For a while there was a massive problem with the Mazda 3 in Canada, they rusted like crazy I guess due to poor paint composition (and of course the literal truckloads of salt on the roads - at least where I was).

From what I've heard the only way to really deal with rust is to cut out the rusty metal and put new in. I think it will cost you more than the car is worth to do it properly (and even 'properly' isn't usually good for that long). Just keep it clean and dry, as much as you can. Drive it til it doesn't pass whatever safety inspections you have there.

[zolotiyeruki]

For a car of that age, it's probably not worth doing body work. If the rust is just starting to show, you can spray it with rust converter, then paint over that.  For something extra durable, maybe pickup bed liner? :P

[JAYSLOL]

Don’t have a truck, but spot someone giving away a free 300+lb safe on marketplace and all you have to pick it up with is a tiny 2-door Japanese sub-compact?  No problem.  In fact, easier than a pick up truck, only had to lever it up about 8” to slide in into where the passenger seat used to be