Modern cars with a long life cycle?

[ambuletz]

Was having a browse at Jimnys to realise that the current car on sale hasn't really changed at all since 1998. Most mordern models tend to have a life cycle of about 6 years with a mid-life facelift. We all know older cars had much longer life cycles, but are there any other modern cars that have?

[kambites]

Depends rather on what you consider to be a "new model" and what you consider to be a facelift, I suppose. You could argue that things like the Caterham Seven and various Morgans have had long periods without a major overhaul.

The Elise has been going since 1996 with little more than a facelift and engine refresh, too.

[P I Staker]

Land Rover Defender, soon to come to an end unfortunately.

[yosamuel]

I’m not very clued-up on these things, but I believe the Mercedes G-Wagon is largely unchanged since 1990: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class...

[pip t]

1st gen Ford Ka - essentially the same car from 1996 through to 2008, with a mild engine upgrade around 2002....

[wemorgan]

Rover often made their cars last twice as long as everyone else.

Jaguar S-Type/XF

[iloveboost]

Tricky. Most popular cars seem to have a model generation or model life cycle of about seven years but for models with little or no real competition life cycles are longer. I think some superminis like the Fiesta used essentially the same chassis for about twenty years but I think it was still updated for every generation. I'll have a think/google and if this topics still up maybe I'll have come up with something else later!

[Axeboy]

Not sure if it counts and its not that high, but the Zafiri must be one of the more longer term models you still get, even thought that new Tourer one is available

[wemorgan]

iloveboost said:

I think some superminis like the Fiesta used essentially the same chassis for about twenty years but I think it was still updated for every generation.

To my knowledge each of the last 3 Fiesta have been new body-in-white. The improved crashworthiness of each model would be a part of that.

[MoelyCrio]

When the scrappage scheme came in, the Jimny was one of the few cars that could be scrapped and replaced with an identical model.

[Toaster Pilot]

Axeboy said:

Not sure if it counts and its not that high, but the Zafiri must be one of the more longer term models you still get, even thought that new Tourer one is available

Every time there's a new reg I see a Zafira on one and wonder why they still make them when there's a new model out!

[ModernAndy]

Until recently you could buy what was pretty much the original model of Toyota LandCruiser (the one that's about 50 years old) in the Middle East. They lapped them up as well.

[Garett]

MoelyCrio said:

When the scrappage scheme came in, the Jimny was one of the few cars that could be scrapped and replaced with an identical model.

Top fact!

The MX5 has to be in with a shout 1989-2005 for the Mk1-Mk2.5, largely the same car underneath until the Mk3 came along.

[inman999]

The Aygo/C1/107 are basically unchanged since 2005. Even the 'new' models are just a face lift.