Older car daily drivers

[doublebase]

Just wondering, anyone out there have a big commute they do in an older vehicle? I’m talking 10 plus years old, doing whatever is necessary to keep that daily commuter going.

I did it once with a 1999 Honda Accord - thing had over 250,000 miles on it before I thought...well, I’d hate to break down on the side of the freeway with this thing on the way to work (and freeze half to death).

But I always found the long distance journey vehicle people inspirational. Love high mileage stories.

My latest car (2016 Avalon) I’m considering “going the distance” with this thing...250,000 plus, daily until I retire and just keeping the thing going. I’m only at 52,000 miles now, but I’ve been putting a good 500 a week on the thing as of late.

 

[BISCUT]

Not long distance commute as mine is only 50 miles round trip. I did use a 1992 Camry 4banger that was my grandfathers before he past. I used it for 2 years and sold it. Actually wished I'd kept it. Hard to beat that engine. Soooo easy for a not so great mechanic like me to work on!

 

[JC1]

If the car is properly maintained, it shouldn't be an issue. Only time it would be an issue for me, if it was a beater and I did very little maintenance besides brakes, oil changes etc.

I had a 94 Honda accord and would drive between Connecticut and Ontario weekly. Never worried about that car breaking down on the side of the road. I made sure I maintained it.

You will be fine with that Avalon.

 

[EA82]

I drive a 2004 ford van for work everyday, it just hit 250k the other day.

 

[Chris142]

87 F250. Has been all over the west coast. Unknown milage as it has no 100k digit.124k? 224k? 324? I dunno.

Same with my 02 Jeep. 182k. Bought new. Drive anywhere any time.

FJ cruiser is our family trip car now. 175k.

 

[Astro14]

My wife, daughter, and son are all driving “older” cars. Daily drivers. See the Volvo fleet in my Sig. My daughter, a doctor, keeps some long/odd hours. She drives that 2002 V70 T5 to the hospital every day, and to the ski areas or camping on her days off. It’s her only car. The 2001 T5 is my son’s only car. Daily driver 100%.

Maintaining them hasn’t been too hard, and they sure beat having payments on all three.

My wife, for example, has 259,000 on her XC. It looks good inside and out, and is perfect, mechanically. Everything works. Nice ride, tight steering, cold AC, everything.

 

[steve2016]

Depends on your attitude. I bought a 2005 MB diesel in 2005, my only new car ever. I'm 76 now. I drive out west in the summer and take 1 or 2 driving trips per year for a total of about 20000 mi. My vehicle has 329000 and runs like a top and burns no oil. I do most of my own work to include all fluid changes, brakes, alt, 2 water pumps, 2 blower fans, belt and pulleys. I also change the differential fluid and trans fluid yearly, sometimes the trans fluid twice, along with filter and gasket. I change batteries (2) every 4 years. I do oil changes all the time with synthetic oil, wheel bearings (original) every 20-30000 miles and adjust the bearings with a dial gage. The major thing, I think is, you must enjoy doing it or it's hot dirty hard work and you need a second car (when you get in trouble) and a place to work on it(I have a 2 car garage in fl, so rust is not much of a problem). As I frequently say, this could be my last car. Almost everyone asks, when are you getting a new car? People like new cars. Me, not so much. steve

 

[fd1430]

2010 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L automatic bought new 129k miles daily driven 45 miles round trip 10k oil changes using mobil 1 5w-30 extended service. So far everything is good

 

[IndyIan]

Thinking back, the newest car I've commuted in was 6 years old when I got it, and I ran it to 12 years old(was going longer but my buddy crashed it). I've never actually had a car stopping issue on the commute but I did once call my mechanic on the way to work as the 95 Neon had a misfire, so I dropped the car off and got a ride in from there.
For me, I've got other things to burn money on than running up miles on something that can depreciate significantly. Keeping decent summer and winter tires on it is all the expense I really want, plus there is the odd repair I can't do myself. Hopefully we will have a third vehicle soon which will be a nice back up, but I've also got a ride from co-workers if I'm in a pinch.

 

[rob1715]

2003 Toyota Matrix. Bought 3 years ago with about 80k. Just turned 100k. Basic transportation. No electric mirrors, seats, or windows. Ride is kinda rough. But starts right up, cold AC, easy to work on, and parts are cheap. Best part is it's PAID OFF!!!

 

[BigCahuna]

I have a '02 Exployer with approx 230k miles on it. Can't say exactly because the odometer doesn't always read out. you just kinda be looking at it when it starts reading for a few seconds. Other then normal wear and tear parts, the thing runs like a clock . 4.0 motor that I bought with 60k on it, and has had several brands of synthetic oil in it. I usually change the oil between 5-10 k miles, depending what oil I'm using. It's been used for a total mix of driving conditions including towing my 4x8 trailer with just about anything from hot tubes, tree rounds, to lawn equipment. I look at it like, it's cheaper to fix it then make monthly payments on a newer one.,,

 

[zfasts03]

I have a `97 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 that I drive 3 days a week. Mostly trips under 10 miles, but I do drive it as needed to further places (130 miles one way) as when I need to haul stuff. It has 87000 miles.

The rust is killing it on the frame and wheel arches. The plastic deterioration is killing it also. I have replaced the plastic cracked dash and now the plastic structure under the dash, glove box and such is cracking and deteriorating. I epoxied in a metal bracket as the retractable cup holder was no longer secure from the attaching plastic that is falling apart.

Sometimes power door locks don't unlock. Compass/thermometer works intermittently. Passenger power window squeals even though I lubricated it, the noise returns every few months.
.
I keep trying to piece it together and make it work. I still need it and am not willing to buy a new one.

However, I do have younger more reliable and comfortable vehicles for more safety and security for long trips.

 

[mclasser]

My Accord has about 225k. It isn't driven much now but was up until a couple of years ago. It's good on gas and I liked the freedom of piling on the miles without worrying about depreciation. But since it is old, there's more wind/road noise and a lack of feeling isolated from the road. This gets a little tiring on long drives. This is where I prefer my newer cars; they're just more entombed-feeling, solid and comfortable on long drives. Yet as I mentioned, old cars certainly do have their place.

 

[doublebase]

If the car is properly maintained, it shouldn't be an issue. Only time it would be an issue for me, if it was a beater and I did very little maintenance besides brakes, oil changes etc.

I had a 94 Honda accord and would drive between Connecticut and Ontario weekly. Never worried about that car breaking down on the side of the road. I made sure I maintained it.

You will be fine with that Avalon.

What’s eventually did my old Accord in was things just started to add up and up. Couldn’t really keep up with it anymore. I ended up replacing the cradle at 270,000 miles, along with the rack and pinion. But then the radiator went...replaced that with the hoses and clamps. Took a look under it noticed I’d have to replace half the exhaust (again) along with the evap and brake lines (again). And previously that year I had already replaced the EGR valve, two transmission switches and took the intake apart to clean it (because it had a pretty serious idle problem..and that didn’t help it). At that point it was burning a quart of oil every 1,200 miles or so and I just thought...yeah, time to bail.

I’m hoping the Avalon can give me what the Accord did, because despite a little effort to get there, that car took me a long way.

 

[bbhero]

314,500 miles on my 08 Nissan Altima VQ...

Bought it with only 39,990 miles on it in Nov 2012. Still runs very good. Have a vacuum leak now that has got to be fixed... P0171 code... Likely no big deal. Just got to get it right again.


Lady's 98 Camry with 171,200 miles... Car runs great and easy to work on. Got it with 66,000 miles on it. Will run it forever... Those mid to late 90s Toyotas were built to last...

 

[Creekside]

I did a daily 80 mile commute in a 94 Toyota Tercel with 250k miles. Super reliable car and got great mileage. My mom still does a roughly 90 mile commute with an 04 Taurus with 350k miles. It’s always been serviced every 3k with GTX 5w20 and the oil samples are still great. The transmission is starting to get weak now and she’s looking into a rebuild. Said she’d rather repair the car as start making car payments again just a few years before retirement.

 

[doublebase]

I did a daily 80 mile commute in a 94 Toyota Tercel with 250k miles. Super reliable car and got great mileage. My mom still does a roughly 90 mile commute with an 04 Taurus with 350k miles. It’s always been serviced every 3k with GTX 5w20 and the oil samples are still great. The transmission is starting to get weak now and she’s looking into a rebuild. Said she’d rather repair the car as start making car payments again just a few years before retirement.

Wow, a 90 mile daily commute in an 04 Taurus with 350,000 miles! And I love how your mom is actually going to get the transmission rebuilt, rather than buy a new car. I always tend to chicken out when something needs a big repair at super high mileage.

 

[doublebase]

314,500 miles on my 08 Nissan Altima VQ...

Bought it with only 39,990 miles on it in Nov 2012. Still runs very good. Have a vacuum leak now that has got to be fixed... P0171 code... Likely no big deal. Just got to get it right again.


Lady's 98 Camry with 171,200 miles... Car runs great and easy to work on. Got it with 66,000 miles on it. Will run it forever... Those mid to late 90s Toyotas were built to last...

I’ll tell yeah, those Nissans just keep going and going. The rust is what kills them.

 

[Nick1994]

I quit daily driving my Camry in February 2017. I let my brother use it now as a grocery getter and scoot around town car.

I drove it for a couple weeks last February and put about 1,100 miles at least on it. Drove great! 240k miles on it.

 

[OppositeLocK]

I'm all about saving money but I choose to save it elsewhere. I don't keep vehicles once they reach about 5 years or over 60K miles.

I prefer to drive new with updated safety and features that improve quality of life.

If you putt around a small town I can understand, but I've seen people with multiple real estate properties take cross country trips in an old beater van. Not for me.

Nothing beats new.