Average age of cars on UK roads oldest ever!

[ian f]

since i sold my '72 vanden plas 1300 i only have the "moderns" a 1997 citroen zx 1.9D non turbo as my daily driver, bought for £300 in '07 with 70k miles and now on 365,000 on it's original engine/ box and now doing a rolling body restoration . and the cortina estate i restored over seven years as documented on here for sunny day fun

 

[GRW]

I think something causing the age thing - is just how many decent reliable, comfortable, reasonable performance, reasonably equipped cars were made in the late 80's to early 00's.
Really the heyday - the ideal compromise between complexity, reliability & usability.
Current cats are increasingly being demonstrably a short-term consumable, not a durable product.
Lousy build quality, ridiculous parts and repair costs, restricted aftermarket parts etc is driving the true costs of motoring through the roof.
What's the point in having better mog & lower VED, if its more than offset by monumental repair costs and short lifespan?

Newest vehicle we have is 2011 (& there's plenty to go wrong on those). I wish I'd ran my 1998 Mitsubishi Carisma into the floor, and replaced it with a low mileage mid noughties Lancer estate.

 

[dholdi]

I can't get over the huge increase in car prices. In 2003 I bought the only new car I've ever owned, a TDI VW Passat estate which cost me £15000. Today a comparable car is £45000. I don't think my wages have trebled in the last 22 years. I just can't justify, or indeed afford to buy new now. I suppose few actually 'buy' their cars now and only pay the depreciation to a hire company realistically. My current car is 11 years old, dependable and not strangled with euro 6 emissions nonsense. I think I'll keep it for a few more years yet.

A diesel Passat estate in the luxury car tax bracket

 

[reb78]

That must be close to Historic Tax Class soon if not already.
My neighbour has a Defender Ninety that is Historic Tax Class next year.

Needs much ?

The 110 is four years off of historic. It's a late one - 1989 (so only a year pre defender).

The Magnum - mainly needs front wings (which I have in the shed), rear arches fettling, a chassis patch and a patch inside the nearside rear wheel arch by the seat belt mount. Running gear is all good (although needs a fuel pump rebuild- but I have the kit for that (all ethanol proof)). She probably just needs a proper run which she hasn't had since 1990 when we parked her up. Dad bought her new in 74 - only two registered keepers - him and now me.

 

[Gareth J]

Indeed, I keep threatening to bin my '01 3 series. It's headed scrapwards but just keeps being not quite tired enough to send off. It's a pretty good compromise between comfort, economy, performance. There aren't an features of anything more modern I value (except working AC, that might be the last straw come next summer).

 

[reb78]

Indeed, I keep threatening to bin my '01 3 series. It's headed scrapwards but just keeps being not quite tired enough to send off. It's a pretty good compromise between comfort, economy, performance. There aren't an features of anything more modern I value (except working AC, that might be the last straw come next summer).

Same with my 56 e61 5 series. It's tidy, comfortable, economical and surprisingly easy to work on.

 

[Barking Mat]

I'm driving a Pug 406, it's 25 years old, it's not a great car, but it's reliable.

I will probably regret writing this knowing my luck.

 

[reb78]

I'm driving a Pug 406, it's 25 years old, it's not a great car, but it's reliable.

I will probably regret writing this knowing my luck.

It's just broken as u typed.

 

[Barking Mat]

It's just broken as u typed.

I don't doubt it.

I've just replaced all four tyres, the exhaust system, and just ordered new electric window buttons.

Really must check the cam belt soon.

 

[harveyp6]

The problem with most if not all the vehicles mentioned above is that, as reliable as they all may be, I doubt that they will be ULEZ compliant, and if you don't live in a ULEZ zone already, if you probably will do soon, and then you'll be paying a daily rate just to drive them, currently £12.50 per day within (roughly) the M25 if you're in London, and they're coming to many other areas too, because they're such a good money-spinner.
I lost my wrecker to a £200 per day charge in 2009, and a lovely two owner rover 600 about three years ago.

 

[Windy Miller]

‘04 Mitsubishi L200 here. Had it 15 years now, and I’ve put just over 100,000 miles on it.

Getting tatty now, and it took a fair bit of welding to get it through the last MOT, hopefully the next one will be easier.

I probably need to get something less rusty but it’s just SO reliable! I’m quite attached to it now so I’ll probably keep on welding it for a while yet.

 

[Barking Mat]

‘04 Mitsubishi L200 here. Had it 15 years now, and I’ve put just over 100,000 miles on it.

Getting tatty now, and it took a fair bit of welding to get it through the last MOT, hopefully the next one will be easier.

I probably need to get something less rusty but it’s just SO reliable! I’m quite attached to it now so I’ll probably keep on welding it for a while yet.

I was looking at 2 for 2 grand earlier, one tidy and runs, one doesn't.

I was tempted.

 

[Blobber]

All this talk is exactly why I'm doing project Carlton, super reliable, all the mod cons and interior space modern blobs could only dream of!
The little Astra G keeps plodding on on and is cheap as chips to run, the Merchedes E250 is nice but I know at some point it will require me to bend over and empty what little contents I have in my wallet
We won't talk about the discovery of doom Td5...
I might have also acquired a 2.8TD Frontera

 

[reb78]

The problem with most if not all the vehicles mentioned above is that, as reliable as they all may be, I doubt that they will be ULEZ compliant, and if you don't live in a ULEZ zone already, if you probably will do soon, and then you'll be paying a daily rate just to drive them, currently £12.50 per day within (roughly) the M25 if you're in London, and they're coming to many other areas too, because they're such a good money-spinner.
I lost my wrecker to a £200 per day charge in 2009, and a lovely two owner rover 600 about three years ago.

I think mine will be so old they will be exempt soon.

The irony for me is my 06 bmw. It has a dpf. The exhaust is so clean if you wipe your finger round the tail pipe your finger doesn't get dirty. Yet it's not ulez compliant. I have to pay £12.50 every time I need a blood test or hospital appt. Despite living outside of the zone I have to pay to go into it for 'free' NHS services.

 

[harveyp6]

The one benefit of the ULEZ at the moment is that anything taxed Historic is exempt the charge, but how long that will last, who knows.

 

[Bornfree]

My 27 year old ssangyong is helping the average

 

[Smallfry]

Any benefits of a modern car are negated by the state of our roads, traffic congestion and the ever increasing fine harvesting surveillance systems. The only thing a new car in the drive does is impress the pea brained impressionable, who the hell wants to do that
I am looking for a p4 Rover which I will convert to diesel.

Bob

Trial fitting a BMW M57 into my P5B coupe. Will have to be inventive with the heater, as its in the way, as is the steering. P4 will probably have the same problems.

 

[Smallfry]

Same with my 56 e61 5 series. It's tidy, comfortable, economical and surprisingly easy to work on.

And a nice engine and box for a conversion ........

I dont have a car as a daily driver, but my Vauxhall Combo van is 21 years old, had it since it was nine months old, and the Master van is 19 ! Even if I had the money, there is nothing on the market now that takes my fancy.

 

[harveyp6]

The one good thing about the P5B is that if you do have to remove the heater under the bonnet you still have the rear one to take the chill off.

 

[marlinspike]

The one thing that puts me off older cars, earlier than 2000 say, as daily drivers anyway, is safety features like airbags. Otherwise I can live without all the electronic stuff. If anything it's just more to go wrong. Central locking and air con are enough really.