Is long term ownership in modern cars possible?
Discussion
Morning all.
Bit of a strange question maybe but, I'm gearing up to what will probably be the most significant purchase after my house. Usually with cars I don't spend much over £5000.
We need a big family car as we need 6 seats for family and my wife does child minding so as many as possible without being a minibus. We do a good bit of tenting too, and travelling back and forth to family in the holidays.
I like the look of the Tourneo customs or maybe the Renault/vauxhall 9 seaters. However. I'd like it to be a one and done purchase. Eg. Keep it till the kids are grown up and away.
Is 10-15yr+ ownership feasible with vehicles made in the last 5-6 yrs?
Any suggestions on "future proofing" a vehicle purchase?
Bit of a strange question maybe but, I'm gearing up to what will probably be the most significant purchase after my house. Usually with cars I don't spend much over £5000.
We need a big family car as we need 6 seats for family and my wife does child minding so as many as possible without being a minibus. We do a good bit of tenting too, and travelling back and forth to family in the holidays.
I like the look of the Tourneo customs or maybe the Renault/vauxhall 9 seaters. However. I'd like it to be a one and done purchase. Eg. Keep it till the kids are grown up and away.
Is 10-15yr+ ownership feasible with vehicles made in the last 5-6 yrs?
Any suggestions on "future proofing" a vehicle purchase?
You’d be advised to choose a mainstream brand so parts availability doesn’t become an issue. Also buying a model relatively early in its lifecycle will ensure that the tech is as up to date as possible. Infotainment is the thing that ages in a car mainly but aftermarket upgrades are widely available for mainstream brands
brillomaster said:
Maybe choose something with a proven engine, not new tech. Also get nice small wheels with sensible sidewall tyres, easier on suspension components and less likely to crack wheels.
Leather seats easier to wipe clean, maybe get rubber mats and boot liner too?
This is the way we’re leaning. Want to get off the usual three year rinse and repeat cycle and get something proven that will last and has a proven track record. Currently leaning towards a Subaru Outback with the 2.5 engine. No ball of fire admittedly but will get the job done and with proper care and maintenance, should outlast me.Leather seats easier to wipe clean, maybe get rubber mats and boot liner too?
GIYess said:
Morning all.
Is 10-15yr+ ownership feasible with vehicles made in the last 5-6 yrs?
Any suggestions on "future proofing" a vehicle purchase?
Any car will last as long as you want it too if you keep on top of servicing etc. Rust is what makes cars uneconomical usually, but even then can be rectified.Is 10-15yr+ ownership feasible with vehicles made in the last 5-6 yrs?
Any suggestions on "future proofing" a vehicle purchase?
Go simple, go petrol (if you can, less to bork!) less on the infotainment trinkets, a decent phone holder, and your phone for satnav and even if you so wish a android/apple car play unit to connect too, is all I need in my aging daily cars (13 years old and 17 years old respectively) .
I think so - as others have mentioned, maintenance.
There will be common issues, every car has them.
A biggie for me would be to pass on an engine that uses a wet-belt. If it cant be avoided then have it changed every three years.
Change all fluids - coolant, power steering fluid, gearbox oils.etc - they are usually overlooked when servicing.
Use quality fluids / oils and parts when needed - not the "cheapest" usually offered by independent garages.
If you don't do your own work, hopefully you have a reputable garage you use - make sure you let them know from the get-go that its a keeper.
Corrosion is usually the biggest killer for long term ownership - find one that looks decent underneath if you can. Perhaps a coating of lanoguard / bilt hamber corrosion prevention products upon purchase.
There will be common issues, every car has them.
A biggie for me would be to pass on an engine that uses a wet-belt. If it cant be avoided then have it changed every three years.
Change all fluids - coolant, power steering fluid, gearbox oils.etc - they are usually overlooked when servicing.
Use quality fluids / oils and parts when needed - not the "cheapest" usually offered by independent garages.
If you don't do your own work, hopefully you have a reputable garage you use - make sure you let them know from the get-go that its a keeper.
Corrosion is usually the biggest killer for long term ownership - find one that looks decent underneath if you can. Perhaps a coating of lanoguard / bilt hamber corrosion prevention products upon purchase.
valiant said:
brillomaster said:
Maybe choose something with a proven engine, not new tech. Also get nice small wheels with sensible sidewall tyres, easier on suspension components and less likely to crack wheels.
Leather seats easier to wipe clean, maybe get rubber mats and boot liner too?
This is the way we’re leaning. Want to get off the usual three year rinse and repeat cycle and get something proven that will last and has a proven track record. Currently leaning towards a Subaru Outback with the 2.5 engine. No ball of fire admittedly but will get the job done and with proper care and maintenance, should outlast me.Leather seats easier to wipe clean, maybe get rubber mats and boot liner too?
Avoid them at all costs.
Our last couple of 'family' cars have all been ex demo or 1 year old cars which we have run for 8 years without any real issues. Last was a Mercedes B200 and before that a Skoda Fabia.
The cars are serviced annually (around 8,000 miles) kept clean, washed, hoovered etc every couple of weeks and polished and waxed twice a year. I jet wash the underside every now and again in the winter to try and keep the salt from eating the underside.
It's been a great strategy with us only paying out for servicing, tyres and other consumable parts.
Most modern European cars are galvanised so rust hasn't been an issue for us.
The cars are serviced annually (around 8,000 miles) kept clean, washed, hoovered etc every couple of weeks and polished and waxed twice a year. I jet wash the underside every now and again in the winter to try and keep the salt from eating the underside.
It's been a great strategy with us only paying out for servicing, tyres and other consumable parts.
Most modern European cars are galvanised so rust hasn't been an issue for us.
)Our family car is usually replaced after 10years. Yes it's very easy to keep a new car longterm.
I do all the servicing and if theres ever a noise or an issue I'm on it straight away so we are always driving what feels like a new car.
Selling is hard because I know how good the car is so usually sell it to family for pittance and they drive it for years after me.
Avoid adblue, and complex 4x4 systems, get a normal average car and look after it, easy peasy.
I do all the servicing and if theres ever a noise or an issue I'm on it straight away so we are always driving what feels like a new car.
Selling is hard because I know how good the car is so usually sell it to family for pittance and they drive it for years after me.
Avoid adblue, and complex 4x4 systems, get a normal average car and look after it, easy peasy.
If I was looking for a ‘one and done’ type vehicle, then most of these points have been suggested already but my plan would be:
Pre-purchase:
- Mainstream manufacturer only.
- Something slightly oversized now may come in handy later.. however, the opposite could be true.
- Sensible day-to-day running costs (fuel, RFL, etc) as they are only likely to increase.
- Mechanically and electronically as simple as you can realistically live with.
- Consider the need for ULEZ compatibility going forward; local zone expansion, picking older kids up in town etc.
Post purchase:
- Stick to a max service period of 1yr/10k.
- Carry out interim oil changes every 6mth/5k.
- Change the ‘sealed for life’ stuff every 5 years.
- Have it properly protected underneath after you buy, Lanoguard seems to be the most popular one currently. Then pre-road salt, I’d top that protection up every year.
- Have it properly detailed/protected and add some PPF to areas likely to wear over time.
Pre-purchase:
- Mainstream manufacturer only.
- Something slightly oversized now may come in handy later.. however, the opposite could be true.
- Sensible day-to-day running costs (fuel, RFL, etc) as they are only likely to increase.
- Mechanically and electronically as simple as you can realistically live with.
- Consider the need for ULEZ compatibility going forward; local zone expansion, picking older kids up in town etc.
Post purchase:
- Stick to a max service period of 1yr/10k.
- Carry out interim oil changes every 6mth/5k.
- Change the ‘sealed for life’ stuff every 5 years.
- Have it properly protected underneath after you buy, Lanoguard seems to be the most popular one currently. Then pre-road salt, I’d top that protection up every year.
- Have it properly detailed/protected and add some PPF to areas likely to wear over time.
If I wanted a car for long term ownership (15+ years old) I'd avoid turbochargers and undersized engines, I'd want something with direct and port injection or just port injection, and I'd change the oil at half intervals. It's not usually engine failure (although take a bow, Ford and oil burning smokey VAG) that kills modern cars though.
Absolutely 100% avoid VAG like the plague, you see them with big miles on them if you do it quickly but age kills them as sure as it turns milk. Come about 12 years old it'll be one irritating failure after another, every repair is time consuming and thus costly due to terrible access, and half the time finding the right part for the particular week your car was made in can be a real time sink. They've perfected the disposable car.
I would, without any hesitation, buy a Toyota if I wanted an everlasting car. I've got a 1997 Paseo hanging around that flies every MOT, starts perfectly after months of being neglected, and never needs anything. Modern ones are not quite that perfect because they're more complex, but the memes about the reliability and quality are absolutely true.
Absolutely 100% avoid VAG like the plague, you see them with big miles on them if you do it quickly but age kills them as sure as it turns milk. Come about 12 years old it'll be one irritating failure after another, every repair is time consuming and thus costly due to terrible access, and half the time finding the right part for the particular week your car was made in can be a real time sink. They've perfected the disposable car.
I would, without any hesitation, buy a Toyota if I wanted an everlasting car. I've got a 1997 Paseo hanging around that flies every MOT, starts perfectly after months of being neglected, and never needs anything. Modern ones are not quite that perfect because they're more complex, but the memes about the reliability and quality are absolutely true.
Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 18th March 10:51
Toyota or Dacia if you want a spanker that does it all. Not sure if there’s a large minibus type in their range however?
Fella at work has had his Dacia since 2014 and it’s not skipped a beat. Dirt cheap motoring too. From what I’ve read their new models are all singing and dancing too!
It’s hard to find pure ICE cars brand new these days, particularly in the cheaper market. It’s mainly lower range German stuff that you pay a fortune on through the years!
Edit to add: all of my long term vehicles I’ve tried to keep have blown up unexpectedly! So my opinion on this should be taken with that in mind
Fella at work has had his Dacia since 2014 and it’s not skipped a beat. Dirt cheap motoring too. From what I’ve read their new models are all singing and dancing too!
It’s hard to find pure ICE cars brand new these days, particularly in the cheaper market. It’s mainly lower range German stuff that you pay a fortune on through the years!
Edit to add: all of my long term vehicles I’ve tried to keep have blown up unexpectedly! So my opinion on this should be taken with that in mind
Edited by 90CHPAXL on Tuesday 18th March 10:53
Miserablegit said:
Petrol with as many physical buttons as possible- if a screen dies 5 years in you still want to be able to use the car.
"If the screen dies"Has anyone had this happen ?
And do you not just get the screen replaced ?
From a breakers, or one of the multitude of aftermarket solutions that improve on the original.
Got two ten year old cars, screens still work, LCD screens are pretty reliable, quick look on eBay shows a secondhand working unit for either is £70 delivered, can get specific Android ones fitted to the dash.
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