*POLL* How many miles are on your car?

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by SturnellaNeglecta

Back on topic, I'm curious why there are two lumps in the results here. The 50-100k and 150-200k groups are really pulling ahead.

When I started following this list, I was surprised at the number of people on it with quite old cars - no offense guys, I just think you're over-represented on this list when compared to the whole society.

Unless it's becoming a real classic, the older a car gets, the less its owner will worry about its looks or resale value ... and so he'll be prepared to mod it.
Older Japanese and European cars are quite light compared to today's cars, so they have a lot of eco-modding potential.

[honestabe]

WellI just rolled over 117k last night, giving my Geo a average mileage of 7800 miles per year.

[cfg83]

euromodder -

Originally Posted by euromodder

When I started following this list, I was surprised at the number of people on it with quite old cars - no offense guys, I just think you're over-represented on this list when compared to the whole society.

...

I would claim that the majority of forums are subsets of the population that skew in a specific direction. Hmmmmm, what is the average age of cars out there? :

Passenger vehicles in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Age of vehicles in operation
In the year 2001, the National Automobile Dealers Association conducted a study revealing the average age of vehicles in operation in the US. The study found that of vehicles in operation in the US, 38.3% were older than ten years, 22.3% were between seven and ten years old, 25.8% were between three and six years old and 13.5% were less than two years old. According to this study the majority of vehicles, 60.6%, of vehicles were older than seven years in 2001. This relatively high age of automobiles in the US might be explained by unaffordable prices for comparable new replacement vehicles and a corresponding gradual decline in sales figures since 1998. Also, many Americans own three or more vehicles. The low marginal cost of registering and insuring additional older vehicles means many vehicles that are rarely used are still given full weight in the statistics.

I just did a quicky analysis of the Ecomodder Garage :

Total Cars = ~4100        

Year    Cars    Running 
                Total    % of Garage
------------------------------------
2010     58      58       1%
2009    133     191       5%
2008    189     380       9%
2007    183     563      14%
2006    203     766      19%
2005    175     941      23%
2004    138    1079      26%
2003    170    1249      30%
2002    184    1433      35%
2001    188    1621      40%
            
2000 
or older       2479      60%

According to the 2001 data, about 40% of the cars in the garage *should* be older than 10 years. However, we have about 60%. That ain't all that bad.

I do think that what you are seeing is what I like to call the "MPG Rock Star" effect. The Honda VX, the CRX, and Geo Metro are all cars that are greater than 10 years old. The 1st Gen Honda Insight went out of production in 2006. I would claim that all of those cars are "over represented" here (for all the right reasons) as a percentage of the driving population.

I used to be a new-car-only person, but I've transitioned into preferring used cars. However, if my Saturn was crunched tomorrow, I don't know if I would go with new or used. It would depend on what kind of used car I could get my hands on.

CarloSW2

[sid]

I suspect that if that 2001 study were redone today, the average age of autos still on the road may have increased even more. Unless that "Cash For Clunkers" had more impact than I suspected. . .

[Ford Man]

I'm in 4 different catagories with different cars, but the one with the most miles is 510,000+.

[RandomFact314]

Originally Posted by Clev

Accord is sidelined with bald tires and 315,000 on the clock. Driving the Uranus now, and just hit 110,000 miles.

I hope my Accord makes it to 315k

Since I got it like 2 or 3 weeks ago I have been trying to restore some of the old parts and cleaning the crap out of it

Been looking at some new tires too b/c mine are bald but I dont really have any money to change them right now

[Clev]

Originally Posted by RandomFact314

I hope my Accord makes it to 315k

Since I got it like 2 or 3 weeks ago I have been trying to restore some of the old parts and cleaning the crap out of it

Been looking at some new tires too b/c mine are bald but I dont really have any money to change them right now

I think the auto is the only weak point of that car. You have a newer version of the same F22 engine I have in my car, so with regular timing belt changes and oil changes, it should just be getting broken in at around 200,000.

BTW, I finally scored four used tires off Craigslist for $10 each. Two are a matched pair with 50% tread, so I'm back on the road and should hit 316,000 tomorrow. Engine fired right up and ran beautifully after sitting for over three months.

[ac7ss]

My Mazda pickup has 280,000+ (I call it the lunar rover.) Original clutch!
The 04 Neon just passed 100,000
The Chev van is in the low 200,000 range.
The Honda Insight is about 78,000

[gascort]

I'd bet that the numbers were at least significantly changed by Cash for clunkers. It didn't affect many of our cars though! I had some coworkers who laugh at my car sneer about me trading it in on Cash for Clunkers. I told them the only car in my household that I could do that with was the nicest, least clunky car in my household, my baby, my Mustang, which was cooler than their only cars muahaha.
Basjoos, I'm once again envious. 500K miles Bwah!

Excort: 280K
Wife's Intrigue: 230K
Mustang: ??? 175K (odometer hasn't spun since 150K - haven't fixed as I don't drive it much)

[Varn]

My Mini van, a 99 Ford has 160,000 miles still running original exhaust. Has had new front bodywork twice from deer strikes. I probably wouldn't be alive if I drove a metro or small honda. I envy their mileage but not their lack of metal.