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Something that always bothered me: how do so many cars get sold? Aren’t these very durable objects that last years? I’m just having trouble wrapping my mind aro

Something that always bothered me: how do so many cars get sold? Aren’t these very durable objects that last years? I’m just having trouble wrapping my mind around the scale of demand for new cars.

all_blue_chucks 6y ago
Average vehicle lifespan is 11 years per https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/make-your-car-last-200-000-miles/ https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/make-...
- jiggawatts 6y ago
  What the!? I've owned three cars, all three of which I inherited used and were already ~8 years old when I got them. My current car is nearly 17 years old and drives great! What in god's name are people doing to their cars that they have to be scrapped so early? My partner was nearly crying with sadness recently when she had to scrap her 22 year old car!
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
- Noumenon72 6y ago
  The average _age_ of a vehicle is 11 years, making the average lifespan 22 years.
artsyca 6y ago
A lot must be getting leased and returning as used cars I'd venture the average life is within ten years even though with proper care a Toyota could ostensibly go for a lifetime
wideasleep1 6y ago
If I had to guess, leasing made a vibrant secondary market, which enjoys a steady stream of new cars/trucks, so financing options displaced a portion of the durability. Or should I say, shifted the durability.
Forge36 6y ago
Used car sales are big too. I don't know how many are exported. 17 million new cars are sold each year. They're are 300 million people. 10 years per car (average) only ~56% of people would have bought a new car. 91% of households have access to a car. The sheer number of people help create large car sales volumes. While shared, and while durable this is the rate needed to replace cats which cannot be (or not worth) repaired.
- tonyedgecombe 6y ago
  Yes, we replaced the cat on my wife's car last year, it cost more than the car was worth. That and a ton of expense on sensors and fuel injectors pushed us into replacing it. It was a shame really as cosmetically it looked fine and generally drove well.

all_blue_chucks 6y ago

Average vehicle lifespan is 11 years per https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/make-your-car-last-200-000-miles/ https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/make-...

jiggawatts 6y ago
What the!? I've owned three cars, all three of which I inherited used and were already ~8 years old when I got them. My current car is nearly 17 years old and drives great! What in god's name are people doing to their cars that they have to be scrapped so early? My partner was nearly crying with sadness recently when she had to scrap her 22 year old car!
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
Noumenon72 6y ago
The average _age_ of a vehicle is 11 years, making the average lifespan 22 years.

artsyca 6y ago

A lot must be getting leased and returning as used cars I'd venture the average life is within ten years even though with proper care a Toyota could ostensibly go for a lifetime

wideasleep1 6y ago

If I had to guess, leasing made a vibrant secondary market, which enjoys a steady stream of new cars/trucks, so financing options displaced a portion of the durability. Or should I say, shifted the durability.

Forge36 6y ago

Used car sales are big too. I don't know how many are exported. 17 million new cars are sold each year. They're are 300 million people. 10 years per car (average) only ~56% of people would have bought a new car. 91% of households have access to a car. The sheer number of people help create large car sales volumes. While shared, and while durable this is the rate needed to replace cats which cannot be (or not worth) repaired.

tonyedgecombe 6y ago
Yes, we replaced the cat on my wife's car last year, it cost more than the car was worth. That and a ton of expense on sensors and fuel injectors pushed us into replacing it. It was a shame really as cosmetically it looked fine and generally drove well.