"You Renew Your Phone Every 2 Years--Why Not Your Ride?"

[Cycling Stache]

Ad that I saw on television today suggesting that you should get a new car every 2 years.  Wow!

[forummm]

What if I keep my phones for 10 years?

[MrStash2000]

Is there a link on YouTube?

I need a laugh.

[sol]

I think 2 year old phone is about 80% as good as a brand new phone.  A 2 year old car is more like 95% as good as a brand new car.

I wouldn't consider replacing either of them in 2 years unless they were actually broken or my needs had substantially changed.  And I don't mean because I saw a commercial.

The older versions of both items still perform their core function 100% as well, so really the only difference is the details around the edges.  But of course it's those details that most consumers will focus on.

[nobodyspecial]

I'm heading off to the dealership now. My phone has 8x the memory, 4x the CPU cores, 2x as many pixels, better battery life and (nearly) works seamlessly with my office email - and cost less.

So a new Ford F150 should do 60mpg, seat 8, and do 200mph for about $10K by now.

[LeRainDrop]

I bought a new car in December 2011 from a dealership.  I went back a year later for a (synthetic) oil change for like $15 bucks.  While I was waiting, the sales people were talking me up, of course, trying to sell me on a new car.  I was like, "I just bought my car new from here a year ago."  They were like, "Perfect.  They added a bunch of cool features to the car in the last year."  I said, "Uh, I owned my previous car for 11 years.  I'm really not going to be buying another car for a long time."  They looked at me like I was crazy.

[nobodyspecial]

I have a Subaru. I like going into the dealership and saying I'm looking at the new models for when I need to replace mine.
As they begin to circle just exclaim, "Yep, should be another 14-15 years now...."

[Cycling Stache]

I'm heading off to the dealership now. My phone has 8x the memory, 4x the CPU cores, 2x as many pixels, better battery life and (nearly) works seamlessly with my office email - and cost less.

So a new Ford F150 should do 60mpg, seat 8, and do 200mph for about $10K by now.

There's no such thing as a sales price anymore.  It's what kind of monthly payment can you afford.

[One Noisy Cat]

The owner's manual for my parents 1967 Ford station wagon argued you should get a two year car loan, pay it off and use it as trade in for new car instead of repeating the cycle every three years. Even as a kid I remembering "why not keep the car as long as possible?"  I think my parents kept it for 6 years, then got a Chevy Malibu as two of us moved out.

[I'm a red panda]

Every 2 years is too frequent for a phone, and WAY too frequent for a car.

Phones seem to last me about 4-5 years before they start malfunctioning. Cars I expect 10-15 before I want something newer, I'm sure they'd last a lot longer if I let them.

[Gen Y Finance Journey]

I got an email from Toyota a few days ago, not trying to sell me on a new car, but telling me that they NEED my car for their pre-owned inventory, and they're offering the HIGHEST POSSIBLE value for a trade-in. Sigh.

[zephyr911]

I got an email from Toyota a few days ago, not trying to sell me on a new car, but telling me that they NEED my car for their pre-owned inventory, and they're offering the HIGHEST POSSIBLE value for a trade-in. Sigh.

Apparently that's the new marketing gimmick. It must be working, because I've been hearing this story more and more often this year, and it just happened to me too. WE NEED YOUR CAR, LOOK WHAT WE'LL PAY.
Focusing on the trade value, I guess, is supposed to distract you from the fact that you'd obviously be buying a newer, more espensive car to replace yours.

[Jeremy E.]

I went with my friend who was thinking about getting a new car at a dealership, and he saw a price in an ad that he thought looked acceptable. He liked the car so asked what the FINAL price would be, and they printed some paperwork showing about 5k more than the ad said, even with him wanting no extra warranty, no added on costs, etc. We tried to ask them what the extra costs were for, and they couldn't give us a real answer, they did say $500 of it was because we can't get a mazda loyalty discount because the last car he had wasn't a mazda, and $1600 was tax, but that still left about $3,000 difference which they couldn't explain. They tried to justify it by asking what he wanted his monthly payment to be, but he said he doesn't care about the monthly payment he just wants the total price to be the advertised price but they couldn't comprehend that, they said they could get his monthly payment to only $300 with a 96 month loan.... Then we both just turned around and walked out.

[MoonShadow]

I have a flip phone. It can make phone calls. My daughter says the texting thing is pretty cool. I wouldn't know about that, but I have noticed her quality of spelling has degraded.

[expectopatronum]

I keep seeing "replace every 8" ads for mattresses. Can't tell if founded in science or if it's just something the mattress industry is making up.

[gimp]

I think 2 year old phone is about 80% as good as a brand new phone.  A 2 year old car is more like 95% as good as a brand new car.

Hell, I'd say a 2-year-old car is almost better than a brand new car, because you've spent two years getting really acquainted with the car, and now you can feel it really well, so actions have become automatic and perfect.

A 2-year-old shitty smartphone phone is probably terrible, because it just barely did things when it was new and now can't do things anymore. (Example: no browser support for new formats like gifv.) A 2-year-old dumbphone is as good as a new one. A 2-year-old flagship smartphone is probably still pretty good, as long as it has had software updates over time...

[MoonShadow]

I keep seeing "replace every 8" ads for mattresses. Can't tell if founded in science or if it's just something the mattress industry is making up.

Both, really. The idea is that, on average, after 8 years mattresses can develop some rather dangerous infestations from fecal matter that has managed to escape a complete cleaning and worked down into the inner portions of the mattress.

Of course, if you are a rational, healthy adult; you don't poop in your bed.  So when your kid is about 8, replace his mattress and don't worry about it. Or invest in a plastic mattress pad when you buy the kid his first twin sized bed.

[infogoon]

I bought a new car in December 2011 from a dealership.  I went back a year later for a (synthetic) oil change for like $15 bucks.  While I was waiting, the sales people were talking me up, of course, trying to sell me on a new car.  I was like, "I just bought my car new from here a year ago."  They were like, "Perfect.  They added a bunch of cool features to the car in the last year."  I said, "Uh, I owned my previous car for 11 years.  I'm really not going to be buying another car for a long time."  They looked at me like I was crazy.

My car is a 2008, purchased used from a dealership in 2009. I was trading in a 1997 model.

The saleswoman was shocked when I told her I'd see her again in 2020, once this one was 12 years old.

[forummm]

I keep seeing "replace every 8" ads for mattresses. Can't tell if founded in science or if it's just something the mattress industry is making up.

Sounds made up. Jiffy Lube still has the 3000 miles between oil changes thing, when a lot of cars are on much longer service schedules.

[MoonShadow]

I bought a new car in December 2011 from a dealership.  I went back a year later for a (synthetic) oil change for like $15 bucks.  While I was waiting, the sales people were talking me up, of course, trying to sell me on a new car.  I was like, "I just bought my car new from here a year ago."  They were like, "Perfect.  They added a bunch of cool features to the car in the last year."  I said, "Uh, I owned my previous car for 11 years.  I'm really not going to be buying another car for a long time."  They looked at me like I was crazy.

My car is a 2008, purchased used from a dealership in 2009. I was trading in a 1997 model.

The saleswoman was shocked when I told her I'd see her again in 2020, once this one was 12 years old.

Lightweights. My car is a 1993 Park Avenue.  Back when GM still made good cars.

[TheThirstyStag]

I bought a new car in December 2011 from a dealership.  I went back a year later for a (synthetic) oil change for like $15 bucks.  While I was waiting, the sales people were talking me up, of course, trying to sell me on a new car.  I was like, "I just bought my car new from here a year ago."  They were like, "Perfect.  They added a bunch of cool features to the car in the last year."  I said, "Uh, I owned my previous car for 11 years.  I'm really not going to be buying another car for a long time."  They looked at me like I was crazy.

My car is a 2008, purchased used from a dealership in 2009. I was trading in a 1997 model.

The saleswoman was shocked when I told her I'd see her again in 2020, once this one was 12 years old.

Lightweights. My car is a 1993 Park Avenue.  Back when GM still made good cars.

Long live the 3800 series v6.  One of the best engines I've ever seen. 

[gimp]

GM 3800 v6 here, L67 master race.

[jba302]

I managed to get taken off the Honda dealership's call tree recently. Our CRV is approaching 3 years old and one of the salesman responded to my no thanks with "you know once the warranty is expired you don't know what will happen to this car" to which I replied "I'm not sure if you are aware that you just told me that you have no faith in the reliability of Hondas after telling me I should buy a new Honda for their reliability." He then mumbled a sorry and promptly hung up.

[forummm]

I managed to get taken off the Honda dealership's call tree recently. Our CRV is approaching 3 years old and one of the salesman responded to my no thanks with "you know once the warranty is expired you don't know what will happen to this car" to which I replied "I'm not sure if you are aware that you just told me that you have no faith in the reliability of Hondas after telling me I should buy a new Honda for their reliability." He then mumbled a sorry and promptly hung up.

They also do that right as you're buying the car. I always thought it was ironic juxtaposition.