How long do you keep your rig before re-selling???

[Colemanfu]

I just paid off my 04 4runner and am thinking about how long I should keep it. I kept my old 96 ranger for 6 total years and took a big hit on resale. It was a combo of mods and age. I was wondering what you guys would suggest as a balance how long to keep it before you resell it? At what point will it only be worth about 15K? Another year? Just don't want to take too big of a hit when I go to trade it in. I have resisted decking this one out but still did a lift and big tires - a turn off to some dealers. Not sure what I want next. H2, 4door jeep? No matter what it is it's got to be cool.

Edit for the thread from the dead}
Still got the Runner, nothing cooler out there still. Only 56k miles. Replaced the front calipers and tierods in the last 2 years - not too bad. I did bust up my suspension on a massive speed bump so added UCA to my OME lift. But that was my fault not Toyotas.

 

[MAC4Runner]

Not the answer you're looking for but just keep it and drive the wheels off of it. After all it's a Toyota. You're 4Runner will also hold alot more of it's value than the Ford for the same reason. After all it's a Toyota. :

 

[sharp4runr]

Yeah, I'll be keeping this 4Runner for a long long time. I hate having a car payment. Before I bought the 4Runner, I did not have a car payment for about 3 years. I'm almost done paying off the 4Runner and I can't wait.

 

[jharris2]

Not the answer you're looking for but just keep it and drive the wheels off of it. After all it's a Toyota. You're 4Runner will also hold alot more of it's value than the Ford for the same reason. After all it's a Toyota. :

:iagree:

It's a depreciating asset, so just ride the depreciation all the way down.

We usually plan to keep a vehicle at least 10 years or 100K miles (except if wrecked or stolen). I drove an Olds Calais (4 cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission) for more than 13 years before buying the Camry. In May, we will have had the Camry for 10 years. It's running fine, no major repairs yet, and we're planning on keeping it longer.

Another thought -- I also track repair expenses. When the monthly average of repairs over 6 months equals a car payment, then it becomes a simple financial decision.

 

[Uneek]

Going to drive the 4Runner until it can't be driven anymore. My daily driver is almost 14 years old with 115k, when it decides to take its last breath, the 4Runner will step in.

I say sell the vehicle after 3-5 years old is a good compromise. First year depreciation is huge on most vehicles, anything more than five years old for some could be too old and the amount its sold for probably couldn't buy another vehicle with the same care and maintenance that you given to yours. Also, if a vehicle that's only a year or so old, I always ask could there be something wrong with it. Just my two cents.

 

[87&00-4runner]

If your definitely set on selling your 4runner you should sell it privately and not use it as a trade in, you'll surely lose out! you could use this or other Toyota forums, where people with knowledge of Toyota's can appreciate all the mods and value that a person puts on their vehicle and both would not feel cheated...for me I'll be running mine till it dies or someone comes up to me and offers a deal that I can use it to upgrade to a newer USED Toyota with mods and decent maintenance, and upkeep, something like YOURS??

 

[Colemanfu]

Thanks guys - great info.

I guess I'll keep it for as long as I did the Hummranger? Another 2 years. Try to stash away some coin between now and then. So sell when it starts go go south - who knows with a Toyota? Could last another 10? Yet to have any problems and it's only got 34K on the clock - average to low milage. Has had a much easier life than the truck.

The Ford's trans was starting to go from the wheeling in the heat and big meats, so it was fix the trans or use that $ to a new car. Spot on with the trade vs the private - it was pretty obvious that the trans was going so I kind of had to dump it on a dealer.

I just love punching rigs out - so I have to hold back from moding this to death so it won't hurt me too bad when it's time to sell. Wheel spacers and weld on sliders are calling - but so is the wife and hard wood floors, then a new roof, then a new irigation system..........

Manfu

 

[jacal]

If the vehicle meets your needs - keep it! It will probably always be cheaper to repair then replace. The body has to be in good shape as well, engines are so much easier to replace then rust.

If you like getting something different, why not try to always buy a 3-5 year old vehicle and sell it every 2 years? That way there is plenty of newness factor, and honestly, you will not change the resale much even if you never even do 1 oil change. Not that I could bring myself to do it, but it could be an option.

Your desire for mods might be satisfied with a vehicle *just* for modding & doing your passtimes with (off-roading, whatever).



J

 

[spyne]

We keep our daily drivers between 10 and 12 years on average. That way I get a new car and by the time it's paid off it's time for my wife to get a new car. Then when hers is paid off we start the process over again.

If the vehicle that's due to be replaced is still running well and not costing a lot in repairs we'll sometimes hold off replacing it for a year or two to enjoy some payment free time

Of course, by the time the vehicles are 10 years old the dealer won't give you anything on a trade in so we almost always wind up selling to a private party. Since both my wife and I average under 10K miles/year we've done well and almost always managed to recover about 25-30% of the original purchase price. Then we use that money as a down payment on the next car.

 

[Mark86]

I will probably keep mine for 100,000 miles, which is when my extended warranty runs out. It is still to soon for me to decide!

 

[jrs2]

I'm a firm believer in buying a quality vehicle, whether new or used, and taking good care of it and driving it until it's not practical to keep any longer. My 90 4Runner with 192K still runs great. In the last couple of years, other than tires and shocks I've only had to spend about $600 on repairs.

A new car is always fun but that newness factor is pretty expensive. A new used car can be just as much fun if it's the right car.

You're always better off selling privately, especially if you've mod'ed the vehicle. Dealers want stock trade ins, not something only an 'enthusiast' would want.

One nice thing about older vehicles, it's easier to mod and work on them yourself. If you mess up on a $3k vehicle it's 'oops', if you mess up a $35K one, it's 'Oh $#!t.'

 

[Dbone]

I will be keeping my 4Runner for at least 8 to 10 years minimum...

To try and replace a vehicle with this capability every 3 - 5 years would put most people in the poor house...myself included...

As much as I like vehicles....there are better places to be putting one's hard earned cash...investing, mortgage, etc...boring but necessary if you wanna get ahead...

As it is I feel guilty dropping the cash I did on the 4Runner, let alone repeating the guilt ever couple years To each their own...

Cheers

 

[hkspwrsche]

It's a good idea to buy it well and keep as long as you can. If you can afford to you should try and stay current with the latest saftey advances.

 

[Colemanfu]

Nice - year old thread still alive and kickin! Must be a common question.

Still got the rig. Paid it off about a year ago and have been putting money in the bank each month for my next toy. Only got 41K on the clock. Still plenty of TLC. Yet to come across something I like more - H3t v8perhaps? Not a fan of the Rubicon motor but love the 4 door look with a hard top. Looked at a 1998 H1 but the wife put her foot down (in the direction of my ass).

 

[Net4n6]

I'll keep mine for a long time. I promised my son that I will give it to him when he know how to drive (6 more year). I have mine 2 yrs and it only got 20K miles on it. It's mine weekend vehicle.

 

[Neversummer]

1-2 yrs.

 

[Muskie Junkie]

:iagree:

It's a depreciating asset, so just ride the depreciation all the way down.

We usually plan to keep a vehicle at least 10 years or 100K miles (except if wrecked or stolen). I drove an Olds Calais (4 cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission) for more than 13 years before buying the Camry. In May, we will have had the Camry for 10 years. It's running fine, no major repairs yet, and we're planning on keeping it longer.

Another thought -- I also track repair expenses. When the monthly average of repairs over 6 months equals a car payment, then it becomes a simple financial decision.

J - Your logic is flawless, I love it. Are you an accountant or an appraiser?

You'll always have a car payment, the only question is how much will it be and will it be in the form of repairs or actual car payments. To me it's simple numbers plug it all into a spreadsheet and the answer should be black and white. However you can't put a number on that new car smell, if you hear what I'm saying.

I try to run my vehicles up to 200 or 300k miles, it's hard to do when you start looking at new ones. Right now theres a 08 Camry and an 07 4Runner sitting in my garage so I don't plan on replacing either one until for a LONG time.

 

[MikesToy]

i'm keeping mine forever. who knows it might be worth something (kinda like those supras on ebay). Now if some idiot t-bones me, then that's a diff story.

 

[Mtneer001]

i'm shooting for 200,000 miles.

i average 15,000 miles a year, so that comes out about 13 years.

i got 158,000 on my explorer, so hopefully my 4runner will do better than that.

 

[Mark86]

I really like my truck and am not tired of it yet. I plan on keeping this one for at least 100,000 miles which would be around 5 years.