We've had one of our vehicles since early 2010, and the other since early 2012. We put very few miles on the one we bought in 2010 (a 2005 model year now with about 85,000 miles on it), a few more on the one we bought in 2012 (a 2001 model year, has about 145,000 miles on it). I would agree with regular maintenance, fluid checks, etc. You can have all that stuff checked when you get an oil change, assuming you do that annually, and if you don't, you can bring in your vehicle for checkups or inspections once a year (I would do this before winter if you live in a cold climate; they can test the battery and check tires for you at that point).
Believe it or not, the tires are the one area of your car that is critical to safety--and the most highly engineered part of the vehicle, too. Lights in your vehicle will likely alert you for regular maintenance, and obviously, if the "check engine" light goes on, you get it checked (also, hot tip: you can buy your own car computer code reader and get an app to read what the codes are). But tire replacement depends on how much you drive, I would do whatever the tire place recommends (we like Discount Tire, and they repair flats for FREE!), and check tire pressure regularly (like, monthly) since this can help with gas mileage. And, batteries usually last around 4 years (maybe more if you live in temperate climate, but I'm in Minnesota and just replaced both of our batteries this year).
Another thing that can help extend the life of the vehicle is parking in a garage--protect it from body damage due to hail, etc. and also keep it warmer during winter (again, assuming you're in a cold climate).