10 year cars

[A.Wilder]

I tend to keep my cars for a long time, about 10 years. What current vehicles being sold will hold up the best in 10 years? Obviously nearly everything can last if it is treated with care, but let's assume it gets your average family abuse: unreported crub hitting by the wife, scratches and bumps from the parking lot, long washing intervals, long oil change intervals, teenage drivers, dogs and cats, eating, drinking, trips to the dump, trips to home depot, etc.

[RacerrRex]

I dont know of any cars that will not last 10 years.

Hell, my baby turns 10 this year:

[A.Wilder]

I dont know of any cars that will not last 10 years.

That wasn't the question. The question is which will hold up best.

[VDub2625]

10 years x national yearly average of 15,000 miles = 150,000 miles. Almost any car will last that long, but a 10/150 warranty will guarantee the powertrain. I think Jeep does that. hell Chrysler has an 80 year warranty.

[2.0_Mazda]

My best guess would be Hondas and Toyotas.

[TheDarkEnergist]

My answer is whatever car has the least electronics. They do have a shelf life. I'm not so sure even the best engineer could design something to extend that life.

And while I'm not saying I'm against all electronics and want to toss around in a horse and buggy, it's always in the back of my mind that wiring/electronics repair = $$$

[Activ8]

[VR6boi65]

More electronics than any car on the road. Even though it's a Lexus, things will still break out of warranty. And it isn't cheap.

[Jrod511]

Toyota Tacoma

Lock 'er up.

[tango_28]

Crown Vic

[.:Chr!sVR6]

current generation impalas? mkvi jettas with the 8v? IIRC current cars are more reliable than older cars...I could be wrong though.

[mikes96GTI]

budget? If you don't want Japanese, or a Silverado, I would say a left over BMW E90. Has to be a 328, no 335 here. Manuals never break. The auto, going against conventional wisdom of other BMW's, is a good trans. I think I may have done ONE in the 7 years that body was out. The ZF leaks, the GM steel pan doesn't. The only things that go wrong that seem to be recurring trends are the electric water pump, which after the redesign has been lasting longer then 60K miles. Belt tensioner fails for the serp belt. Oil filter housing starts leaking around 50K, valve cover a little after, and the Pan gaskets seem to go around 100K....... Control arm bushings, depending on the roads can be 60-90K miles..... thats about it. We do get the odd car that needs an evaporator, but thats rare. With routine maintenance, they are absolute tanks. Fun to drive, safe. Mine will get about 27 on the highway with cruise, 19-20 mix commute. I have a customer with an '08 coupe closing in on 200K and several others around the 150k mark and only a few years old.

[PrimaVW]

Crown Vic

Actually this is a pretty legit answer, I know first hand and have seen a handful with 200+ idle miles plus ten years of abuse for everything else and they still seem to be aging pretty well

[Avicenna]

Crown Vic

These cars will take your average family abuse x 10.

[adrew]

My old EP3 Civic Si (gave it to my mom a few years ago) will be ten years old later this year. It has just under 100k miles on it and has only had bulbs, wipers, tires, two batteries, fluids, filters, an A/C compressor (they all implode) and a power lock actuator (not repaired). The suspension, rotors, pads, clutch and everything else is original and it still feels and sounds tight and new.

[Lifelong Obsession]

As boring as it may sound - most mainstream Honda/Toyota products, preferably with a manual transmission.

Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive cars have been holding up very well (the clever transmission and brake system ensures low maintenance), and the batteries have an 8-10 year, 100K-150K warranty depending on the state you live in.

Among domestic cars, probably the pony cars, lower-end trucks, and Jeep Wranglers. All of these have a huge aftermarket that keeps parts prices low, and of course, these cars/trucks have to be durable.

Among European cars - I'd say the VW 2.5L 5-cylinder is the safest bet.

But I would say any of today's cars will hold up much better over a decade than even the average 2002 car, let alone 1992 car.*

(* exceptions = those with funky automatic transmissions, i.e. PowerShift)

[GolfTango]

But I would say today's cars will hold up much better over a decade than even the average 2002 car, let alone 1992 car.

I see more 92/93 Camrys/Corollas/Altimas than I'd like to.

[barry2952]

hell Chrysler has an 80 year warranty.

Really?

[mhjett]

hell Chrysler has an 80 year warranty.

Really?

Yeah, I've never heard of this either. Source?

[ChristpherWa1ken]

Really?

Actually, I thought it was a lifetime warranty. There's only one catch though, it only covers the original owner.

[cheap sunglasses]

I would say a left over BMW E90. Has to be a 328, no 335 here. Manuals never break. The auto, going against conventional wisdom of other BMW's, is a good trans. I think I may have done ONE in the 7 years that body was out. The ZF leaks, the GM steel pan doesn't. The only things that go wrong that seem to be recurring trends are the electric water pump, which after the redesign has been lasting longer then 60K miles. Belt tensioner fails for the serp belt. Oil filter housing starts leaking around 50K, valve cover a little after, and the Pan gaskets seem to go around 100K....... Control arm bushings, depending on the roads can be 60-90K miles..... thats about it.

How are the 128s holding up?

[Anony00GT]

Crown Vic

This. Ford Panther platform cars (Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, Town Car) are probably the most reliable vehicles built. Ever.

Taxis, Limos, cop cars, you name it. They get used and abused left and right, and they'll go 10-15 years and 300k+ miles without a hiccup. In addition to regular maintenance, you might have to replace a tie rod or ball joint every now and then. That's it. Heck, even with lax maintenance they go forever.

I've personally seen several taxi examples with 400-500k miles, still going strong. The only problem...they don't make them anymore. And I doubt the new Nissan...thing...will hold up nearly as well in NYC Taxi use.

[cheap sunglasses]

And I doubt the new Nissan...thing...will hold up nearly as well in NYC Taxi use.

Had the recent displeasure of taking a ride in one of NYC's Altima Hybrid taxis. 80k miles and it felt like it was on its last legs.

[volkstyle]

Toyota Tacoma

Lock 'er up.

x2 Im looking at an 03 with 120K, I will probably pay 8-10gs if I want it.

[volkstyle]

Had the recent displeasure of taking a ride in one of NYC's Altima Hybrid taxis. 80k miles and it felt like it was on its last legs.

Thats funny, boss just bought a new company vehicle. Its a chevy outlander, 07 with 83k drives like its fresh out the showroom. I was very impressed.

[daveschi]

10 years x national yearly average of 15,000 miles = 150,000 miles. Almost any car will last that long, but a 10/150 warranty will guarantee the powertrain. I think Jeep does that. hell Chrysler has an 80 year warranty.

My jeep turns 10 next year, 208,000 miles. No oil leaks, no compression loss, zero issues whatsoever (knock on wood). All that's been done since new was regular, expected maintenance: fluids, belts, etc. Granted, it's the 4.0 you can't get anymore, but I'd still be comfortable buying anything in their lineup.

[Bakounine]

This. Ford Panther platform cars (Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, Town Car) are probably the most reliable vehicles built. Ever.

Taxis, Limos, cop cars, you name it. They get used and abused left and right, and they'll go 10-15 years and 300k+ miles without a hiccup. In addition to regular maintenance, you might have to replace a tie rod or ball joint every now and then. That's it. Heck, even with lax maintenance they go forever.

I've personally seen several taxi examples with 400-500k miles, still going strong. The only problem...they don't make them anymore. And I doubt the new Nissan...thing...will hold up nearly as well in NYC Taxi use.

In the same vein, Impala I guess. Since the Caprice and Crown Vics are pretty much gone by now (in my area anyway), the Impala seems to be the taxi fleet's favorite. If a car can withstand a few years and hundreds of thousands of miles as a taxi, a non-taxi version can very well last 10+ years, no sweat.

[mobile363]

People always neglect the Koreans. Looking through my car it seems very well built and robust. I expect it to hold up well.

[digraph]

1. No AWD only because it entails more substantial mechanical parts
2. I'd stay away from anything with a sculpty body (like the elantra) if you're looking for a car that can get hit and isn't so noticeable.

Covering the other side of the equation, either find a shop that does reasonably priced, high quality work, or be brave enough to fix your own car. Cars will break, so learning how to fix them at a good price point is a good skill to have.

To that end, it's important to find a car that's maintainable. There's also a philosophical component where you can choose if you want a crown vic which could take a beating, or do you want a yaris which is lightweight and sees less force directed toward it, which in the end for equal use would mean less degredation.

[Benjamin.]

I don't think it would hold up too well to curb jumping, etc... but I've been pretty hard on my '09 Honda Fit, now at 95k miles. I anticipate I'll have 250-300k miles on it by the time it's 10, and I expect it will probably cost me the usual $500-600 in maintenance (not including oil changes and tires) every 100k miles as it has so far (that includes the upcoming brake fluid flush, spark plugs, brake pads, coolant flush, serp belt change, valve adjustment, etc... that I plan at 100k).

It's got a couple dings and dents, but I've overloaded the heck out of the car on multiple occasions, driven it hard through mountainous areas w/ over 1000lbs of people and cargo in and on the car (roof basket), hauled major appliances around, large loads of mulch, 10-foot tall trees from Lowes sticking out the back, etc... and ultimately the car would still clean up nicely and drives like new.

[adrew]

I expect it will probably cost me the usual $500-600 in maintenance (not including oil changes and tires) every 100k miles as it has so far (that includes the upcoming brake fluid flush, spark plugs, brake pads, coolant flush, serp belt change, valve adjustment, etc... that I plan at 100k).

Do the trans oil, too. It de-notchified my Civic quite a lot when I had it changed at 6 years.

[danny_16v]

Probably alot of cars would make it 10 years... however cars that would make it 10 years with very little maintenance is a different story.

I'd probably think this is a good cheap family car with an engine that's proven decades of reliability.

Jetta 2.0 8V... sure it's not fast, but that engine won't give much any issues, pretty handsome too.

[AKADriver]

People always neglect the Koreans. Looking through my car it seems very well built and robust. I expect it to hold up well.

That's because we're looking at long-term, and if you look at a 2002 Rio, they hadn't figured it out yet - those cars fell apart.

That said, I do see a lot of the early-2000s Elantras still around... interiors look like garbage but the rest of the car is a tank.

[adrew]

That's because we're looking at long-term, and if you look at a 2002 Rio, they hadn't figured it out yet - those cars fell apart.

That said, I do see a lot of the early-2000s Elantras still around... interiors look like garbage but the rest of the car is a tank.

Our '07 Sonata was flawless for the first four years -- but started aging rapidly after that. At 60k miles it felt like an Accord with 150k+ on it.

[Jrod511]

People always neglect the Koreans. Looking through my car it seems very well built and robust. I expect it to hold up well.

That's because, at this point, 10 year old Korean cars have not held up well, at all. They may still "RUN" but more often than not you are going to literally see the car falling apart. Thin sheetmetal (these things look like tin foil once they get a door ding), very cheap plastic on lenses (causing all sorts of oxidation and clouding issues not fixed with wetsanding). I've seen plenty with interiors where the dashboard is rotting and curling up.

Some of this has to do with the OWNER of a newly bought '02 Korean car, but some of it is just down to the car. Are the new generation Korean cars up to the task? Time will tell all.

A car which disintegrates around me, but still runs, and no one wants is not, to me, a 10 year car. A 10 year car is something with the most basic of care and moderate use will still look, feel, and drive fresh after 10 years. There are certain cars out there at 10 years old that manage to pull that off quite well, consistently.

I am biased, but in an educated way I feel, because I spend 3-4 days a week at car auctions so see a much bigger pool of good, bad, and ugly out there than most here. Clean 10 year old Toyotas demand strong premiums and always bring a big crowd. And they feel like great trucks if they were taken care of. Whenever something like a Ferrari 360 comes through the lanes and draws a crowd I always say "What are they selling over there? A Toyota Tacoma?"