Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Study Shows the Median Age of Cars is Up

    William Maley

    Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

    January 18, 2012

    According to a report from research firm R.L. Polk & Co, the average of age of a vehicle on the road stands at 10.8 years last July. The report says the average age of passenger vehicles stands at 11.1 years, while for light trucks, it’s 10.4 years.

    Polk says the median age of cars has been on the rise for the past 16 years because people are keeping their cars longer due to various reasons. Most recently, the economic downturn has caused many Americans to keep their vehicles even longer, waiting for a better occasion to buy a new car.

    Polk says for this year, the average age will still be around the 10 year due to higher unemployment rates. But, Polk also expects the age to level off with sales increases for new cars.

    Source: R.L. Polk

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    I heard this on the radio. I was searching for whatever angle may (or may not) have been there, IE; does anyone feel 10.8 yrs old on average is a bad thing? I don't, yet reporting this has to have some significance for those that do...

    Edited by balthazar
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Would love to buy a new car (in addition to what I own now) but that's not in the cars for some time. With that said I love my 11 year old car and still get compliments on its condition, I'm not in a huge hurry.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Maybe the reason the median age of cars is so high is that the price of new cars is so high. $30K median price for a new 2012 car? Seriously? Maybe if they were priced at $20K, sales would actually go up and pull that median age down.

    I only own a 99 Park Avenue Ultra because I cannot afford something newer (newer LaCrosse? or SRX? or CTS?......). I suspect a LOT of people would agree that a new car, even with a lease, is currently unaffordable given their budgets.

    • Agree 4
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I own 2 cars, one being 33 years old and the other 17. I would love to own a brand new car just as much as anyone. I've never personally had the feeling on sitting down in a new car that belonged to me and being the first one to drive it off the lot. As it stands right now, that's not something I can foresee happening anytime soon either. Cars are way too expensive now, and while I am a car guy and have been my entire life, justifying paying nearly 40 grand is something I know I can't do without seriously affecting my life. The reason I say 40 grand is because if I were to buy a new car, it would have to be pretty well optioned and most likely a Challenger R/T, I'm not certain on pricing with the way I would equip it, but I'm sure it's near 40k.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    As much as I enjoy driving the new cars from the manufacturers all the time, driving the Toronado gives me much more enjoyment. Out of all of the test vehicles I've driven, only 4 come to mind as something I would consider for a daily driver. CTS-V coupe, Chevy Volt, the New New VW Beetle Turbo, and the Buick Lacrosse eAssist. However, the cost of those vehicles is rather preventative. The least expensive of the lot, the New New Beetle, was still over $30k.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    My 12 yr old Jeep ('00 model year, built Nov 99) has 135k, still driven daily...my sister's two Mercs are 20 and 27 years old w/ indeterminate mileage driven often (over 130k and 175k, odometers no worky). But both of us need new cars, sooner or later...

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    94 GMC Suburban approaching 300K and people are shocked at how nice it looks. A vehicle can last forever if taken care of.

    After all auto's are the worst investment, so they are going to have to really build the right ride for me to bite. :) Course I am considering a fairly new Trailblazer SS with only 36K miles. :) That would become my new ride and the Suburban would be used for pulling only the boats in the summer. :P

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    94 GMC Suburban approaching 300K and people are shocked at how nice it looks. A vehicle can last forever if taken care of.

    After all auto's are the worst investment, so they are going to have to really build the right ride for me to bite. :) Course I am considering a fairly new Trailblazer SS with only 36K miles. :) That would become my new ride and the Suburban would be used for pulling only the boats in the summer. :P

    Thought you had an SRX and Escalade?

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    In the last few years I've gone from 3 low-mile vehicles purchased new within the decade of 2000-2010, to a single, 17-year old vehicle purchased used that now clocks over 195K. Which sometimes gets parked while my 35-year old wagon takes up daily driver duties.

    All of which was due to the complete collapse of demand for the sort of work I do.

    You might say that I've done a measure of adjusting.

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • Community Hive Community Hive

    Community Hive allows you to follow your favorite communities all in one place.

    Follow on Community Hive
  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Posts

    • At the New York Auto Show this week, Hyundai unveiled the 2025 Hyundai Tuscon.  This mild refresh modernizes the Tuscon and brings it more into alignment with the rest of the Hyundai lineup, including their EVs. The exterior styling updates, largely consisting of a front fascia update, are subtle. Inside, Hyundai made the interior more open and airy with a new, lower-height dashboard featuring a panoramic gauge and infotainment screen. The screens consist of twin 12.3-inch displays with crisper colors and graphics, as well as faster processing speeds.  While the screens can control all functions of the car, Hyundai still included physical buttons for the most frequently used controls.  Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay are now standard across the line. A new steering wheel features a much more open design, and on premium trims, the gear selector is now an electronically controlled stalk on the right side of the wheel, much like in the Hyundai Ioniq 6. On some Tuscon models, a new 12-inch color heads-up display with premium graphics is available, and for the first time, navigation directions from Apple Carplay and Android Auto will appear in the display. Proximity key with push button start is now standard across the 2025 Hyundai Tuscon lineup, while an available Digital Key 2 allows for fob-free driving and access via the driver's mobile phone. For 2025, Tucson adds Forward Attention Warning, which utilizes an infrared camera mounted on the steering column to help track the driver’s eye gaze and monitor attention levels to help ensure safe driving. Available Smart Cruise Control 2 continually assesses driver alertness. If the driver is found to be unresponsive, the system can even help safely bring the vehicle to a stop, activating the hazard lights and the electronic parking brake once the vehicle is stopped. Additionally, rear outboard passenger seatbelts now feature standard pretensioners and load limiters. The powertrains largely carry over from the previous model with a standard 187-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder at the entry level end. Also available is a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid with 231 horsepower with a slightly more powerful electric drive unit (47.7-kW, up from 44.2-kW), and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The plug-in hybrid model features the same 1.6-liter unit, but now paired with a larger electric drive unit with 72.0-kW of output rather than the 66.9-kW motor from the prior year. The plug-in hybrid boasts 268-horspower total system power. With a 13.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the 2025 Hyundai Tucson plug-in hybrid takes less than 2 hours to charge on a level 2 charger.  All hybrid models come standard with all-wheel drive. 2025 Tucson 2.5L models will arrive at U.S. dealerships in June, while 1.6L turbo hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will be available late summer. View full article
    • Plastic cladding = off road.  Instead of killing the Sonata, they should just put plastic body cladding down the side and raise the price by $10k and call it the Sonata HD Overlander X.  Instant hit.
    • Considering a planet with 8 Billion and he sold almost 2 million cars, then he is covering .025% of the population compared to other auto companies. I think 2024 going into 2025 we will see other auto companies top Tesla. You and I are two peas in a pod as I also was up on a hill watching the implosion and thinking what a waste as it was a great building. I love the Kingdome and hate the new stadium.  Agree it was surreal to see the ship hit the support pillar and the whole building just collapse. Be interesting to see what replaces it as today bridges built like that are not allowed due to the exact nature of how it collapsed.  Yes, Tesla is a love or hate and the minimalist approach is not for everyone. I honestly have to agree with the comment @smk4565 I believe made that the touch screen only will be the future of cheap autos and switches and buttons will be the higher end autos. Interesting times we live in for sure.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings