How many cars you had in your life?

[Richard3]

I think it would be funny to see how many cars (or trucks, or SUVs,... well, everything with 4 wheels) you had in your life.

I let you talk first; my list is too long!

[Throckmorton]

   
In order of acquisition, if memory serves

1963 MGB      
   
1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass   
   
1967 Volkswagen Type 3   
   
1967 BMW 1600   
   
1969 Austin America   
   
1969 Volkswagen Type 1   
   
1967 Volkswagen Type 2   
   
1964 Volkswagen Type 2 (21 window)   
   
1961 Volkswagen Type 2 (15 window)   
   
1966 Volkswagen Type 1   
   
1971 Volkswagen Type 2 (Single cab)   
   
1967 Volkswagen Type 2 (Westphalia)   
   
1964 Volvo 544   
   
1972 Chevrolet Impala   
   
1961 Volkswagen Type 2 (15 window)   
   
1976 Chevrolet G20 Van   
   
1967 Volvo 122 Wagon   
   
1968 Volvo 142S   
   
1979 Volvo 242 DL   
   
1971 Volkswagen Type 2 (Westphalia)   
   
1984 Volvo 242 DL   
   
1980 Volvo 242 DL   
   
1989 Chevy K-10 Blazer   
   
1989 Chevy K-10 Blazer   
   
1989 Volvo 245 DL   
   
1994 Plymouth Voyager   
   
2015 Volvo XC70 T6   
      
I count 27.   
   
I recently looked at a 2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country but I decided against buying it.   
   
   

[Richard3]

...great!

Here's my list. Not sure, I think one's missing.


1971 Pontiac Ventura II 2-door coupe, with a 307 V8, and a 3-speed automatic

1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass S 2-door coupe, 350 V8, A3

1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 2-door coupe, 267 V8, A3

1978 Chrysler LeBaron 2-door coupe, 318 V8, A3 (while I had the Monte Carlo)

1978 AMC Pacer 3-door wagon, 258 L6, M4

1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 2-door coupe, 305 V8, A3

1978 Honda Civic 3-door hatchback, 75 L4, M4 (while I had the Cutlass Supreme)

1979 Pontiac Grand LeMans 4-door sedan, 267 V8, A3

1982 Ford EXP 2-door coupe, 97 L4, M4

1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 2-door coupe, 305 V8, A3

1978 Plymouth Caravelle 2-door coupe, 318 V8, A3

1984 Oldsmobile Firenza 3-door hatchback, 109 L4, A3

1976 Ford E-250 Cargo van, 302 V8, A3

1983 Renault Alliance 2-door coupe, 85 L4, M5 (while I had the van)

1981 Chevrolet Caprice Classic 4-door sedan, 305 V8, A3

1980 Chevrolet G10 Chevy-Van Cargo, 305 V8, A3 (while I had the Caprice)

1981 Chevrolet Malibu Classic 2-door coupe, 231 V6, A3

1986 Ford Taurus L 4-door sedan, 152 L4, A3

1992 Dodge Shadow ES 4-door hatchback, 181 V6, A4

1997 Plymouth Neon 4-door sedan, 121 L4, A3

1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, 2-door coupe, 173 V6, M5

1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera 2-door coupe, 173 V6, A3

1985 Mercury Topaz LS 4-door sedan, 140 L4, A3

1994 Plymouth Voyager Minivan, 201 V6, A4

2002 Hyundai Accent L 3-door hatchback, 91 L4, M5

1987 Jeep Cherokee Chief 4wd 3-door SUV, 240 L6, M5 (while I had the Hyundai)

1999 Dodge Dakota Sport 4wd 2-door Club-cab pick-up, 318 V8, A4

1997 Plymouth Breeze 4-door sedan, 148 L4, A4 (while I had the Dakota)

2012 Dodge Charger 4-door sedan, 220 V6, A5 (actual vehicle)

2006 Dodge Durango Limited awd 4-door SUV, 345 V8, A5 (actual vehicle too)


As you can see, it happens regularly that I own two vehicles at a time.

[hotdogPi]

Why do you need so many cars if cars generally last about 10 years?

[Mapmikey]

Cars I had no say in obtaining:

1982 Aries K
1987 Reliant K
1984 Chevy Chevette

Cars I actually bought myself:
1989 Chevy cavalier (180k miles)
1996 Saturn SL (315k miles)
2003 Chevy Cavalier (203k miles)
2009 Saturn Aura (253k miles)
2016 Chevy Malibu (110k miles and counting)

[oscar]

1972 Datsun 1200
197_ Datsun B-210 (a co-purchase with my sisters, like the 1200, but this time they picked the car)
197_ Datsun 510 (for living off-campus my junior year at college)
1986 Honda Prelude (had to sell it at 20K to qualify for a mortgage)
19__ Toyota Corolla (bought used, after I bought my apartment)
19__ Plymouth Valiant (another stopgap)
1982 Honda Accord (bought at 102K miles, died at 282K; stickshift, I fried some clutches while learning it)
1996 BMW 328i (bought new, stickshift, totaled by a drunk driver at 194K in late 2007 while it was parked in front of my apartment)
2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck (bought new, died at 182K)
2008 Toyota Prius (bought new, 309K and counting)
2018 Subaru Forester (bought new, 46K and counting)

Beginning with the 1996 BMW, I overlapped my car purchases, generally using the newer car for long road trips and keeping the older one for local travel. But my latest car was bought with the plan to drop back to one car for the first time since 1996, once the Prius gives up the ghost.

[tolbs17]

1987 Chevy Celebrity
1998 Chevy Malibu
2005 Volvo S80
2000 Mercedes ML320 (mom)
2007 BMW X5 (mom)
2009 Mercedes ML350 (mom, to be replaced soon)
2011 Mercedes ML350 (dad)

[formulanone]

Why do you need so many cars if cars generally last about 10 years?

Need is totally ambiguous, when it comes to vehicle ownership. 50% of American drivers could literally get by on sub-compacts, but they like big cars, luxurious cars, and/or vehicles that can easily propel them far past posted speed limits.

Wants are a different matter; we don't all buy our clothes at the same places in which we buy our groceries (though that's 50% of my wardrobe), nor desire to live in apartments, et cetera.

1) People like to own multiple vehicles, and appreciate them for their differences/usefulness
2) need different one because the existing one doesn't meet their needs
3) don't want to risk driving around once the odometer hits a personal/physical limit where it feels like a liability
4) they lease them and then it's gone after 36-39 months
5) financially makes more sense to make payments on a new car than spend thousands on repairs
6) they drive it into the ground until it's unusable; or cheaper to buy another old car
7) work on them themselves (or arrange cheaper parts/labor), drive them for a while, and then sell them
8) paradoxically, some older cars didn't always last 10 years, while others can last for decades with the right care
9) they're really unfortunate/terrible/stunt drivers and they write them off frequently

----------------------

Six cars:

• 1988 Honda Accord LX - drove this for a few years; retirement communities were full of low-mileage machinery like this one.


• 1990 Eagle Talon TSi - drove this fun car for a year until I realized it was a terrible money pit.


• 1995 Dodge Neon - first new car, lasted 7 years w/o major issues until it met a red-light runner.


• 1993 Toyota Corolla - replaced junked previous car, paid just $48 for it; sold it 2 years later. Learned how to work on car for first time.


• 1994 Lexus GS 300 - spoiled myself on a low-mileage car, was fortunate enough to profit from a mysteriously eager buyer, five years later.


• 2009 Scion xD - current vehicle, going strong for 10 years, though only 90,000 miles. Trouble-free car, though I recommend the five-speed over the auto.

My wife has had three cars since we've been together; both of which I'd driven around a little:

• 1995 Saturn SL - an okay compact for its time. Had erratic transmission and starting issues we were tired of taking care of, traded it at 70K


• 2000 Honda CR-V (2WD) - the very definition of a trouble-free vehicle. Sold it at 110,000 miles for something with more seats.


• 2012 Mazda 5 - had early troubles (fuel tank vapor sensor, main wiring harness connectors), but has been reliable for past 6 years.

[tolbs17]

Why do you need so many cars if cars generally last about 10 years?

2009 Scion xD - current vehicle, going strong for 10 years, though only 90,000 miles.

I didn't know you like subcompact cars. I'm a tall guy 6' 1" and I like big cars like Accord, Camry, and Avalon, or even Altima, or Maxima size.

[formulanone]

Why do you need so many cars if cars generally last about 10 years?

2009 Scion xD - current vehicle, going strong for 10 years, though only 90,000 miles.

I didn't know you like subcompact cars. I'm a tall guy 6' 1" and I like big cars like Accord, Camry, and Avalon, or even Altima, or Maxima size.

I like to go faster in a slow car than slow in a fast car, as they say. They just feel lighter and nimble, in my opinion. The problems (or benefits) are that they're usually missing lots of the latest gadgets, though there are plenty of electronic annoyances that I can do without.

It has the headroom/clearance for someone just over six foot tall (I've had technicians tell me they were amazed they fit in it), but it might be a squeeze for a taller family of four.

I don't put that many miles on my own car because I fly out to places for work, and drive all sorts of rental cars.

[AlexandriaVA]

2009 Hyundai Elantra, bought it used in 2011, has about 80K on the odometer (I drive about 9,000 miles per year).

[tolbs17]

Why do you need so many cars if cars generally last about 10 years?

2009 Scion xD - current vehicle, going strong for 10 years, though only 90,000 miles.

I didn't know you like subcompact cars. I'm a tall guy 6' 1" and I like big cars like Accord, Camry, and Avalon, or even Altima, or Maxima size.

I like to go faster in a slow car than slow in a fast car, as they say. They just feel lighter and nimble, in my opinion. The problems (or benefits) are that they're usually missing lots of the latest gadgets, though there are plenty of electronic annoyances that I can do without.

It has the headroom/clearance for someone just over six foot tall (I've had technicians tell me they were amazed they fit in it), but it might be a squeeze for a taller family of four.

I don't put that many miles on my own car because I fly out to places for work, and drive all sorts of rental cars.

I hate being cramped when I get inside a small car because I feel so cramped.

I see. My dad also doesn't put many miles on his car because he doesn't really travel.

[Brandon]

A grand total of three.

2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 2.4L 4 cyl, automatic, 178,000 mi
2011 Dodge Caliber, 2.0L 4 cyl, 5-speed manual, 261,000 mi
2017 Jeep Renegade, 1.4L turbo, 4cyl, 6-speed manual, 101,000 mi and counting.

All three were bought new.  I see no reason to inherit someone else's problems.

[Rothman]

I'm actually amazed I can't remember the years of all the cars I've had:

1981 Honda Civic
Early 1990s Toyota Camry
Mid 1990s Toyota Corolla (why my wife and I got rid of this one, I still don't know).
2000 Mercury Sable
2002 Dodge Stratus
2005 Nissan Sentra (lasted me forever)
2013 Hyundai Elantra

[AlexandriaVA]

All three were bought new.  I see no reason to inherit someone else's problems.

New cars depreciate considerably the moment you drive them off the lot. By buying my 2009 Elantra in 2011 (around 10K on it), I let the original owner take that hit. Car's been fine, I'll probably have it at least 5 more years.

[TEG24601]

Personally, 2


1) 1991 Off-White Ford Taurus - Drove it cross country for school from 2003-2009, then my daily commuter until spring 2014 when the heater core blew.  Annoying to work on, and had some foibles, but a great little car.
2) 2012 Brown Chevrolet Malibu - The First car I bought.  Loved it.  Ran great.  That is, until one of the cylinders died in April, and the car with it.


Fiancee, 1
1) 2017 Grey Ford Escapé - Wonderful car with a personality I've not seen in a vehicle.  Only real flaw is that there is on ACC mode on the car, so at least once per Drive-In Movie, we have to turn on the car, and the lights come on.  Also has an annoying habit of ignoring whatever device you have connected to play audio from, and switches to the radio, at a volume, far in excess of what you normally listen to.


Parents


1) 1978 Red Mercury Bobcat - My Mother's car when she and my dad got married.  Had it shipped to Ohau when he was stationed there.  Awesome car.  My Half-sister inherited it when we moved back to the mainland.  She ended up catching it on fire a few years later.  It's hulk is likely haunting some property on the island.
2) 1986 Black Jeep Cherokee (AMC) - First car my parents bought together, in Hawaii.  Built like a tank, and would run forever, thanks to its manual transmission.  Mostly original parts for its life, aside from a rebuilding of the transmission at 240,000 miles. The vehicle I learned to drive stick in. Killed at 265,000 miles, by a boat.
3) 1985 Blue Chevrolet Luv - My dad bought it for commuting to work, largely because he could park it on the mainland and store is bicycle in the back, making it much easier to travel to, from, and around the Boeing plant.  Sold to a friend.
4) 1977 Orange GMC C/K 15 (Sierra Grande) - Great truck, ended up ripping the camper off the back after 10 years of ownership to reduce drag.  Was my primary vehicle in High School.  Dual Fuel Tanks were awesome.  Helped my dad rebuild the engine after the heads cracked.  Took 4 months, but was an incredible experience.  Donated to charity in 2013
5) 1995 White Ford Contour - Bought for Cash for $8000 in 1998.  Car I got my license in.  Fun to drive and nimble... just couldn't keep the interior of the windows clean without keeping the defroster on, year-around.  Died when my parents were driving to Seattle, were cut-off by another driver, and in the act of breaking and hitting the soft shoulder, flipped the car.  Afterwards, the rear axel was found broken, but no one know if it was the cause or the result of the crash.
6) 1985 White Toyota Camry - Another cash vehicle, to replace the Jeep as a daily driver.  Helped my dad re-build the engine.  Would go like a rocket, and get 40-45MPG.  Sold to our house cleaner in 2014.  Ended up getting T-Boned in 2018.
7) 2002 Candy Apple Red Chevrolet Corvette - I swear this car was nothing more than my parents' mid-life crisis.  Bought less than 6-weeks after buying the Camry, used sparingly, but did force us to keep the garage clean.  Was really fun to drive, of course.  Wasn't allowed to tell most of my Dad's family about it, as they would want to see it or beg for money.  I only got to drive it alone a few times.  Traded in for #9.
8) 1995 Blue Honda Civic - Purchased for $75 dollars.  Was an electrical and mechanical mess.  Drove well, but the central locking didn't work, and you could only unlock the driver's side with the key.  Fun car to drive for a few years, until it was donated, as it just wasn't a fit long-term.
9) 2003 Golden Toyota Tacoma - My Dad had wanted a Tacoma since 2004.  He'd been talking and talking, and finally found one in 2009.  He bought it, and loves it.  It has been hunting, camping, prospecting, and squatch hunting; even went cross-country once.  The front end was completely destroyed when a Tundra stopped short for a "deer".  Was completely repaired (having gone up in value since purchase), and actually drives better than it did before.  Currently my vehicle, while I save up for a replacement for mine.
10) 2011 Warm Grey Buick Regal Turbo (seriously, the color looks like Bender when he had a fever) - Another fun car bought to replace the Corvette as a better "family" car was needed than the Camry.  Been great, aside from an odd sticky break issue.  Been to every Canadian Province (just clinched Saskatchewan and Manitoba this summer), and everyone state north of Virgina, and the southwest.  Parents love using it for a Grand Touring vehicle, and they can take the "grandkids" in it, much easier than the Tacoma.

[Max Rockatansky]

Fewer than might be expected considering I'm a car person:

-  1992 Pontiac Sun Bird
-  1997 Chevy Silverado 4x4
-  2002 Ford Mustang V6
-  2010 Camaro 1SS
-  2011 Ford Fiesta SE
-  2014 Chevy Sonic LT Turbo
-  2016 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack 392
-  2019 Subaru Impreza

There was a 1997 Cadillac DeVille that kind of sort of counts given how long I drove it.  My wife owns a 2006 Toyota Corolla and a 2018 Subaru Forester which I operate regularly. 

[1995hoo]

I've owned six. All have been manual-shift. I've never owned a car with an automatic, although my wife has one now and I drive it fairly regularly.

–1977 Ford Granada (bought at age 16 from a family friend who worked with my father)
–1982 Honda Accord (bought from my father during my senior year of high school when he got a new car; I then sold the Granada to my brother)
–1986 Acura Legend (after I graduated from college, the '82 Accord failed state inspection due to undercarriage rust and my parents got me the Legend as a graduation present)
–1997 Honda Accord (in 1999 the Legend's maintenance bills simply got out of control, so I traded it in on the '97 Accord)
–2004 Acura TL (in August 2004 the '97 Accord was totalled when I got rear-ended by a Volvo wagon; I bought the TL a week later and I still have it and still love it)
–1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible (bought it from my then-girlfriend, now wife, in May 2005 when the maintenance was more than she could manage; at the same time, I gave her the down payment for a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. We still have both cars.)

[Brandon]

All three were bought new.  I see no reason to inherit someone else's problems.

New cars depreciate considerably the moment you drive them off the lot. By buying my 2009 Elantra in 2011 (around 10K on it), I let the original owner take that hit. Car's been fine, I'll probably have it at least 5 more years.

I honestly don't give two shits about depreciation.  I keep the car and run it for a long time and many miles.  I'd rather have a warranty and a dependable machine over someone else's problems.

[hbelkins]

1971 Dodge Dart (hand-me-down from my mom)
1979 Olds Cutlass Supreme
1984 Chevy Camaro Z-28 (biggest piece of junk I ever owned)
1988 Chevy S-10 Blazer
1994 Saturn SC2
2000 Toyota Tacoma 4WD
2008 Saturn Vue

Still have the SC2 and Toyota, but neither are running at the moment.

I also have, inherited from my dad, a 1990 Chevy 2WD pickup. It's the oldest vehicle I have, but has the fewest miles on it.

I honestly don't give two shits about depreciation.  I keep the car and run it for a long time and many miles.  I'd rather have a warranty and a dependable machine over someone else's problems.

Very often, you'll get a warranty if you buy a used car. I bought my Saturn Vue used. The only reason the family traded it was because they needed a bigger vehicle (they traded it for a Toyota Highlander). I bought it with 24K miles, which meant I still had 76K miles on the warranty.

[Max Rockatansky]

All three were bought new.  I see no reason to inherit someone else's problems.

New cars depreciate considerably the moment you drive them off the lot. By buying my 2009 Elantra in 2011 (around 10K on it), I let the original owner take that hit. Car's been fine, I'll probably have it at least 5 more years.

I honestly don't give two shits about depreciation.  I keep the car and run it for a long time and many miles.  I'd rather have a warranty and a dependable machine over someone else's problems.

Lack of proper maintenance or even basic maintenance is a huge problem in the used car market.  The 02 Mustang, 97 Silverado and 92 Sun Bird were all owned by other drivers previously, all of them gave me the biggest issues because proper/basic maintenance wasn't done on them.  At the time those vehicles were what I could afford so often I found myself fixing problems myself in my garage with my own equipment to save money.  I'd much rather get a cheap new small car these cars and drive it up to 150k-200k before giving it to a family member.  At least when I've have control I can count on a car being maintained the way I want.

[Rothman]

All three were bought new.  I see no reason to inherit someone else's problems.

New cars depreciate considerably the moment you drive them off the lot. By buying my 2009 Elantra in 2011 (around 10K on it), I let the original owner take that hit. Car's been fine, I'll probably have it at least 5 more years.

I honestly don't give two shits about depreciation.  I keep the car and run it for a long time and many miles.  I'd rather have a warranty and a dependable machine over someone else's problems.

I am with AlexandriaVA on this one.  I've only bought used and the only time I inherited problems was with the first car I bought myself -- I bought from a crook and was stupid on that one (timing belt blew on the first drive after I test drove and bought it!). But, the other cars I've purchased have been fine as I smartened up.

Warranties don't cover things that will go out up front -- and extended warranties are a fool's purchase.

So, yeah, I don't know if I'd ever buy new and will go with a recent year used car that I'll drive into the ground.

[1995hoo]

One thing about buying new is that you know it's been broken in and maintained properly (assuming you do so), although of course if you buy a car from a family member you'd probably have a good idea on that as well.

[Rothman]

One thing about buying new is that you know it's been broken in and maintained properly (assuming you do so), although of course if you buy a car from a family member you'd probably have a good idea on that as well.

"Broken in" new car?  In what way?  A brand new car doesn't have that many miles on it.

[Max Rockatansky]

One thing about buying new is that you know it's been broken in and maintained properly (assuming you do so), although of course if you buy a car from a family member you'd probably have a good idea on that as well.

Or known it's not a good idea to buy from family.  Case and point, my Dad was a mechanic but it was also very clear to me once a vehicle hit 100k he stopped doing the basic maintenance as required because he was looking to dump it off on someone.  I've found (at least in my family) that tends to be the M.O. when they are looking to get rid of an older car.  That 97 Silverado I listed above was my Dad's and was something I took over payments on until I bought it.  Some of the stuff he tried to peddle on to me at 16 was pretty bad in retrospect.  At minimum I made him help me fix some of the body damage that he hid from me that found when I removed a bumper.