Can You Guess the Average Life Of Vehicle?

According to the vehicle population report released today by R. L. Polk & Co., the median age of passenger cars in operation increased to 9.2 years in 2006, a record high.

For trucks, the median age increased slightly from 6.8 years in 2005 to 6.9 years in 2006. Specifically, light truck median age increased by 3.0 percent to 6.8 years, the largest increase across the major vehicle categories. Polk's vehicle population report data is updated annually on July 1, following an in-depth analysis of more than 230 million vehicle

The percentage of total passenger cars and trucks scrapped in 2006 was 5.0 percent, a near historic low. The passenger car scrappage rate was 4.9 percent in 2006. For all trucks the scrappage rate was 5.1 percent and light truck scrappage was 5.2 percent.


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PlanoA4 - 2/16/2007 9:28:54 AM

+2 Boost

9.2 years? Hmmm, and it takes 10 to 15 years for a Hybrid or even some Diesels to break even? Sounds like were are getting sold a bunch of goods.

Loki123 - 2/16/2007 9:57:11 AM

+1 Boost

I'd like to see these statistics with Kilometre (or mile) figures instead of years.

It would be interesting to see what the stats are for cars with 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000 kilometers...

Agent009 - 2/16/2007 10:45:50 AM

+1 Boost

last time I looked its like 15,000 miles max a year for the typical owner.

rack - 2/16/2007 12:57:58 PM

+1 Boost

Must not be talking about toyota's.

quizz - 2/16/2007 1:18:33 PM

+1 Boost

Hondas and Toyotas regularly run for 10+ years. Just go to any college campus and it's full of Accords, Camrys, Civics and Carollas from early 1990s.

courtstone - 2/17/2007 2:51:35 PM

+1 Boost

Very true.

Autoegr525 - 2/16/2007 2:35:38 PM

+1 Boost

That pathfinder is holding up pretty well with 3 cars stacked on its roof. Lets see a crossover do that. Real SUV's are a dying breed.

1970toyotamarc - 2/16/2007 4:34:19 PM

0 Boost

This flies in the face of CNW's "research," which stated that a hybrid had a much higher dust-to-dust cost because it would not last nearly as long as a truck or SUV.

Also, Plano, most hybrid fuel savings are paying off in 3-6 years, not the 10-15 you're talking about. So based on 9.2 years, that could be a few years of financial rewards.

One more point about how this study benefits the hybrid argument. Batteries are warranted for 8-10 years, as long as a car can be expected to live at all. So no more talk about expensive battery replacement cost, please. (Remember, not one battery has yet worn out, after 7 years.)

So hybrid fans rejoice at this study, it proves one argument pretty successfully.

trd1 - 2/16/2007 5:42:21 PM

0 Boost

ive never seen a toyota not live longer then 10 years. every single person in my family owns a toyota and they never brake down. my uncle use to have a 1994 toyota pickup for work and it was a 4 cylinder to. he always puched it to the limit and it lived to 420,000 miles until he blew the engine going 108mph on a very hot day.

Bill - 2/16/2007 9:50:05 PM

-1 Boost

...my family owns a toyota and they never brake down...

+

...my uncle use to have a 1994 toyota pickup for work and it was a 4 cylinder to. he always puched it to the limit and it lived to 420,000 miles until he blew the engine...

=

CONTRADICTION

cdoke - 2/17/2007 1:11:55 AM

+1 Boost

Speaking of longevity. I learned something rather interesting at the car dealership last week:

80% of all Bentleys EVER made are still on the road. Of course you have to ask how often they are actually driven, and if those who own them would ever allow them to die.

I hate to say it but I bet that changes when the Bentleys under VW are aged.

Rupert - 2/17/2007 6:23:01 PM

+1 Boost

that's amazing.
It will change, because Bentley has become more mass-market.

rack - 2/17/2007 2:52:24 AM

+1 Boost

Contradiction, yes but most people would be happy with a vehicle that travels 420k miles.

rack - 2/17/2007 2:54:03 AM

+1 Boost

Rolls Royce has probably the same numbers.

The reasons being.

1. there typically have low miles on them.
2. the cars value is more than enough to justify high dollar repairs.
3. They are not supercars so they do not end up in as many accidents as say a ferrari.

TauronB2G - 2/17/2007 1:53:54 PM

+1 Boost

I have run two hondas up into the 150,000 mile range while not taking very good care of them. When they died they were both at least 10 years old the first one was probably closer to 15. They were both damn good cars. I last week I pushed my 01 Civic EX to 100,000. I do at least 20,000 a year in the Hondas and drive my Mercedes on the weekends.
T

Rupert - 2/17/2007 6:23:49 PM

+1 Boost

We have a 15 year old range rover with 131000 miles. But we're selling it...for money to buy me a car :D.

dav256 - 2/18/2007 3:52:59 AM

+1 Boost

I know a taxi driver from Greece, he has a Mercedes with 900.000KM (really).
And he never had problems with his car.
I also know guy, who has a Volvo with over 600.000 KM.

truckmen - 2/18/2007 10:44:01 PM

+1 Boost

sometimes it is as long as the warrantee providing they honor the warrantee.