# How many cars have you owned?



## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

One of my wife's friends just bought/traded for a new car! Nothing unusual about that in itself but this was the fourth time this year. So she asked how many cars have they owned since they have been married and she responded that in 47 years they have owned *147* cars or *3.12/year*

In the same amount of time, we have owned *16* or *0.29/year*

*So how many cars per year have you owned!*


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## OnlyJustME (Nov 22, 2011)

well since 1995 i have owned 6 or 0.35 a year.


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## DJPeck (May 16, 2012)

48 years, 17 cars and trucks, .35/year. But, in the course of that I drove one VW bus for 17 years.


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## muleskinner (Sep 24, 2011)

Five before I was married, 13 since. Over 47 years, that's .38/year. I've got 17 years on my current truck and 2 years on the car.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

I'm 60 now and bought my first car when I was 18. I've owned 41vehicles which includes 27 cars, 6 pickups, and 4 vans. In order, they are

1960 Anglia (English Ford) station wagon
1962 Chevy Corvair Monza 4-door 
1964 Buick Skylark
1964 Trimuph Spitfire
1967 VW type 3 fastback
1950 Chevy pickup
1937 Chrysler Royal
1964 Corvette convertible
1970 Corvette T-tops
1974 Camaro
1967 Chevy Van
1969 Ford Country Squire station wagon
1969 VW type 3 fastback
1938 Buick Special
1966 Ford F150 pickup
1970 Datsun B210 station wagon
1973 Chrysler Lebarron
1975 Ford Van custom
1982 Ford Thunderbird
1967 Chevy Impalla 
1976 Toyota Celica
1979 BMW R100RS motorcycle
1974 Toyota Corolla hatchback coupe
1984 Toyota Camry
1986 Mazda B2000 pickup
1988 Jeep Cherokee
1973 VW Beetle
1987 Chevy Impalla 
1991 GMC 1500 stepside pickup
1992 Chevy Corsica
1990 Dodge Caravan
1993 Ford Winstar van
1982 Suzuki GS1000 motorcycle
1985 Honda Goldwing 1200 motorcycle
1992 Honda Goldwing 1500 motorcycle
2001 Honda Goldwing 1800 motorcycle
1997 Ford Tarus station wagon
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2005 Dodge 1500 pickup
2000 Ford Ranger pickup
1993 Honda Accord

(The 2 Corvettes I owned at the same time. That was back at the time I got married 1974. )


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

13 cars in 33 years. .39/year.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

I probably bought a car every 3 years until 1993. But since then, I have only had two cars. I had a Saab Griffin (a limited edition Turbo 9000) for 10 yrs, and since then I have been driving a Honda Odyssey van. If I ever buy another car, it will be a van. I am seduced by the ability to carry large loads and a large number of people. One caveat, we own two cars at our vacation house, one a used Suburu and the other a new Toyota Sienna. We really like the vans.

For a woodworker, the vans have a lot going for them….......like carrying new power tools from the Grizzly Headquarters in Bellingham 30 miles away from our vacation house…............(-:


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

in 14 years of being married we've owned 10 cars,jeep and trucks so 1.4 a year.
when i was younger i would buy a truck and drive it a year and normally make a few dollars.now i don't want to risk it guess cause i'm getting old.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

Im 38 and have owned 4 cars, the one my dad gave to me after I left college, the new one I bought a year later, and now the car and truck I own now. So 0.3 per year since I was 25.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

9 since '78. That works out to 0.26 per year.


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

It's funny how guys can't remember half the things their wife tells them, but they can remember everything about every car they've ever owned.

In 27 years of driving, I've owned 9 cars. That's .33 per year.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Only 5 in 36 years - 0.139 per year.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Wow… I must be one cheap son-of-a-gun.

Not counting my wife's cars, or kids' cars, I have personally owned and driven only 7 vehicles since I received my first one (a used Mustang II) as a high school graduation gift in 1976. That's 0.19 per year. Do I win?????

Even throwing in the wife and kids, I can only come up with 11 vehicles in 37 years.

Edit: I see ChuckV is cheaper than me!


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

I got you Charlie. And I was counting my wife's cars. Without that, it's just 3 in 36 - 0.083.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

18 personal cars since 1970 ... . in my driveway today sits a Lexus, Mercury and Toyota.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

43 years old

Bought my first vehicle at 26
Second at 29
First minivan at 33
Second minivan at 39

4 vehicles in 17 years = .24/year

I think the win goes to Chuck!


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

8 in 30 years. Two of those were temporary PsOS. In all that time, I've never turned over 100,000 miles. Closest so far is a truck I bought new in 2002. It's got about 85,000.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I use to buy and sell antique cars before I restored them and afterwords too, I stopped counting @ 600 .I know I've owned one of every model of Ford from 1927-1954 plus numerous 55-57 t birds and lots of 19641/2 -1966 Mustang's , many Packard's from 1934-1954,I've also owned a few Chevy's , Austin Healy's, MGs ,Jaguar's, Cadillac's, buicks,Mercedes,sprite's ,one Bentley ,one Jensen, one Rover,one Sunbeam,one Borgeward ,one Daihatsu,one Hillman,one Fiat. I know there's more but that's all I can think of right now. Many of these cars I owned for as short time period as one day,many times using my mortgage payment money to buy them,so they had to be sold quickly. This really had me scratching my head It's been 40+ years since I was in that business.


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Lemme think…
Since 1967, when I was 18…
1967 Chevelle 327/325hp. Loved that car
1965 Chevy Impala 396/325hp, Didn't love it.
1973 Plymouth Duster
1968 Camaro
1975 Pontiac Grand Prix
1975 Chevy Nova
1977 Chevy Van
1978 Chevy Truck
1977 Mercury Monarch
1979 Pontiac Firebird
1967 Chevy Corvette fastback 
1976 Chevy Blazer
1983 Olds Cutlass
1982 Chevy Truck
1979 Chevy Blazer
1985 Olds Cutlass
1982 Chevy Suburban
1988 Chevy Astro Van
1992 Chevy Truck
1998 Chevy Truck
2003 Chevy Tahoe
2006 Chevy Tahoe
2009 Chevy Truck


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Well, I'd only have 6 in 27 years I it weren't for my wife.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

Thinking about all the cars I owned, meaning the one I drove to work etc, not the one my wife had, it was 11 in 48 years, or 0.23 cars per year.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

5 cars in 40 years. I keep each one more than 10 years. The better way of looking at it is to add up the Cost of each one and divide the total by the number of years

1st $2700
2nd $6800
3rd $14,400
4th $32,000
5th $23,600

Cost equals $1,988/year


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

I usually keep a car for three years or slightly less with some exeptions. Over forty years of marriage We have owned under twenty cars .Three to four cars a year the guys or gal sound like dealers surely ? why would anyone normal change their cars so often? Alistair


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

I have a friend that goes through cars very quickly, he is always complaining about money go figure. The state of Maryland charges an arm and a leg to register a vehicle.


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## ScottinTexas (Jan 24, 2013)

On my 3rd car since '88. Second and 3rd (present) I bought new. I don't understand the point of cycling through cars so much.


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## OnlyJustME (Nov 22, 2011)

Some of us cant afford new and have to replace an old broken down car.


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

I have had a bunch of cars. Went through them like I did women it seems 

1969 Pontiac Firebird
1968 Buick GS 350
1970 Oldsmobile 98
1982 Datsun 310 GX
1983 Datsun 210 Station Wagon
1973 Oldsmobile 98
1984 Ford Mustang
1979 Pontiac Grand Prix
1982 Datsun 280 ZX
1979 Chevrolet Camaro
1982 Chevrolet Camaro
1968 Chevrolet P/U
1984 Pontiac Fiero
1997 Pontiac Sunfire
1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1990 Mazda B2000 P/U
1990 Volvo 480 Turbo
1973 Saab Sonnet
1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega
1970 Fiat 500
1987 Porsche 911
2000 Land Rover Discovery Series II
2005 BMW Z4
2009 BMW X3
2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser (present)
2010 Nissan Frontier P/U (present)
1997 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28
1987 Chevrolet Corvette (present)

Ok, so first car purchased in 1983, so that makes 1.42 cars per year. This doesn't include motorcycles I owned, of which there have been a total of 12 (3 presently) over the past 13 years.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

My truck is 12 years old and I'll probably drive it at least another 12. My wife would drive her car for about 6 years and then it was my job to finish running her car into the ground.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

@Alistair.. when I was a kid I would change cars on a whim. After getting married not so much. Several times I drove a vehicle for many years while the wife may have had 4 or 5 in that same period. We seldom bought new but usually we at least TRIED to upgrade, even though there were a couple that didnt turn out that way.

Someone mentioned never had one that went over 100,000 miles. The '91 GMC pickup I bought new and only put 102,000 miles on her in 14 years, because for 11 of those years I lived within one mile of my job.

The current car I drive is the '93 Accord. I got it from a friend ( the original owner) a few years back with right at 300,000 miles on it. Yesterday the odometer turned 382,000 and I still get 34 - 36mpg … I think this Honda may out live me!


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## shelly_b (Aug 8, 2012)

I have had 4 cars in the last 12yrs(since I was 16). I drive them until they are costing more than they are worth to keep running, or are wrecked lol. I am a good driver, people just like to hit me! I started with a 93 sentra my parents bought me, got hit by a car that totaled it, even though it was still driveable. So we took the insurance money, had it fixed cheaper, then sold it and I got a 98 eagle talon in 2003(my senior year). I drove it until it had almost 200k miles on it, blew the engine once, then got pregnant so had to have a baby friendly car. This was in 2008, so we got a 98 monte carlo that only had like 40k miles on it. Drove it until 2 years ago when we got hit head on by some moron that didn't know how to drive and came into our lane. The bf was driving and broke his ankle and was out of work for a few months and I was currently only working part time so we borrowed one of my parents 5 vehicles for a while. About a year ago I got my dream car, a 09 nissan murano. I had an appt to look at one 3days before we wrecked so had to put it on hold. I plan on driving this until it doesn't run anymore, don't see a reason to change if it's safe and reliable. The bf has had 3 trucks in our 5yrs. Sooo, that's .3/yr for myself.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

I can't remember all the vehicles I've owned, but I have always driven a vehicle, as long as I liked it, until it was just too worn out to be repaired anymore. I done mechanic work most of my working life, so that helped. 
I've had several vehicles I put over five hundred thousand miles on. Of course, there was usually at least one engine overhaul in that engine life.
I had one old '79 Ford truck that I put just over nine hundred thousand miles on before I replaced the engine and sold it. Besides three I wrecked, every vehicle I've ever owned I fixed up and sold after I was done abusing it. 
My wife has usually had at least three or four vehicles to every one I've owned. Currently she has a truck and a Jeep while I'm still in the Blazer that I've driven about five years now.
The Blazer is actually a good example of what I do with vehicles. When I bought it, it had a blown engine, a POS transmission and various other issues. I rebuilt it from bumper to bumber. The engine started from a block and heads I had in the corner of the shop. It is built up and has around four hundred horsepower. The transmission I rebuilt from a junk yard donor. It completely rebuilt the rear end from after market parts. The entire thing has been rewired with new wires and fuse box because whoever had it before done some terrible wiring in it and I thought it was safer to rip it all out and start over. About the only thing original on it is the body and frame.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

I could add that I am on my 4th bicycle. Still own the last two. Bike #3 has ~43,000 miles on it. Bike #4 has ~11,000.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

4 before I got married (wife bought a new car when she finished college herself a year before we got hitched.

1 since for me one for her.

Starting at 16:
in 1982 - 1974 Mustang II
In 1985 a 78 Fiat 124 (for the summer break)
In 1986 an 82 Ford F250 (auctioned from Alaska Pipeline service)
In 1988 a new 88 F150 when i finished College ( and still have it today)
2002 Suburban.
2009 Subaru Forrester. - (she had an accident with her 1992 Accord)
So in 20 years marraige (1993) I have bought 1 car for me and 1 for the wire.

7 cars in 31 years (with "future" wife having a new 92 accord for 16 years)

0.22/year


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## TorqNut (Apr 29, 2012)

6 cars in 41 years for me - starting in 1971 through today:

1957 Chevy Nomad
1969 Ford LTD
1978 Volvo
1988 Toyota 4Runner
2001 Prius
2008 Altima

0.14/year


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

All my Cars since I got a license in 1962

1. 1954 Plymouth
2. 1957 Mercury Montclair
3. 1956 Chevy
4. 1957 Chevy
5. 1957 Chevy
6. 1965 Dodge
7. 1964 Corvette
8. 1968 Pontiac Catalina
9. 1971 Camaro Z28
10. 1971 Chevy Chevelle
11. 1974 Buick Electra 225
12. 1976 Cadillac
13. 1977 VW Sirocco
14. 1978 cadillac
15. 1979 BMW 320i
16. 1981 cadillac
17. 1984 Dodge Daytona
18. 1963 Corvette convt.
19. 1984 Corvette
20. 1984 cadillac
21. 1985 Toyota Tercel
22. 1986 Corvette
23. 1986 cadillac
24. 1988 Ford Taurus SHO
25. 1989 Corvette
26. 1987 Jeep
27. 1989 cadillac
28. 1991 Chevy Blazer
29. 1991 Cadillac
30. 1992 Mazda mini van
31. 1993 Cadillac
32. 1994 Mercedes S600
33. 1997 Lincoln Navigator
34. 1997 Cadillac
35. 2000 Ford F150
36. 2000 Cadillac
37. 2000 Porsche 911
38. 2002 Cadillac sts
39. 2004 Mercedes CLK 420
40. 2005 Honda Accord
41. 2008 Honda Pilot
42. 2009 Infiniti G35
43. 2008 Mercedes e350
44. 2012 Mustang 5.0 cs Convertible

So 42 cars in 51 years


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## jeffski1 (Nov 29, 2008)

1.1991 honda crx si.
2.1993 jeep wrangler.
3.1999 jeep wrangler.
4.2001 jeep wrangler.
5.2004 nissan armada-current.
6.2011 chevy malibu-curent and the wifes.No more new cars for some time because I want more $$$ for wood working


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

Married 33 years owned 7 vehicles for both of us combined. .21 per year. Not a big car person. Owned 3 crapshooters in high school and college before getting married and 1 decent Datsun (B4 Nissan) pickup.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Hey Charlie, don't feel bad about so few cars owned. I am in the same boat and I started just after HS in 1970. I have not owned a "car" car since about 1979. IF you count the motorcycles in the mix, then I have owned 0.18 vehicles per year, over the past 44yr. If you only count things with FOUR wheels, 6/44 = .136 per year.

That is eight total vehicles and I still have and drive two of them.

Cars
1964 VW Bug
1965 Impala
1965 Impala SS

Trucks
1981 Toyota HiLux 2×4
1992 Toyota 4×4
1993 Toyota 4×4 I am still driving this one after 20yr and 140K mi.

Motorcycles
1972 Honda CB750
1997 Harley Davidson Heritage Special I am still riding this one with +107K mi.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Just today, we received our annual Massachusetts auto excise tax bill. We have two vehicles with a total valuation, for this purpose, of $3,500. At the rate of 2.5%, our total bill is $87.50. If we had two new vehicles valued at, say, $50,000, the bill would be $1,250.

And then there is the insurance savings.


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## Goatlocker (Dec 31, 2012)

wow, now this is a tuff thing to remember but here goes. Dont remember the years exactly so this is approximate.

1976 Olds cutlass supreme
1980 Dodge Omni
197? Chevy chevelle (really a piece of junk)
1985 Chevy Chevette
70's Mercury Cougar
1984 Chevy s-10 blazer
1985 Chevy Cavalier
1987 ? Pontiac something (tiny car)
1988 Chevy S-10 Blazer
I start losing track of what year I bought the darned things now
Chevy Geo storm
Pontiac Grand Prix
Chevy astro van
Dodge Ram
Impala SS
Chevy Camaro Z28
98 Chevy Silverado
2002 GMC Sierra
Nissan maxima
Nissan 350z convertable (long story - I lost a bet with the wife)
Another Dodge ram
Another silverado
Nissan Sentra
Nissan altima - didnt last long wife didnt like it
Jeep grand cherokee (small gas tank and crappy mileage)
Saab 9-3 convertable
GMC Yukon Denali ( lasted 3 weeks then totalled by a guy who hit me that had no insurance)
2010 Saab 9-5
2011 Saab 9-5
and finally
2012 GMC Sierra Denali

Next up is trying to talk the wife into the new 2014 Corvette !!!

29 in 33 years. Only reason I could do it was dad was a GM employee so I got the discount.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Including the wifes and my cars I come up with 22 since 1964 (49 years)


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

As it looks right now the couple I mentioned in the opening of this forum hold the record for the most cars per year at over 3.12 cars/year.

I have yet to determine who has the lowest and what is average and I will try to do that in the near future so keep tuned.

*Is anyone really surprised what they found out about themselves?*


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Yep Hans,... I found out my ass is even TIGHTER than I thought! .136 per year (motorcycles excluded)

*;-)*


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

*Is anyone really surprised what they found out about themselves?*

Yep Oldnovice … I miss my old pickup


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

"Is anyone really surprised what they found out about themselves?"

Yep. Hindsight is 20 - 20. (Oh how I wish I had kept a few of the ones I have had)


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## LoydMoore (Jan 16, 2013)

11 in 40 years . .27/year

that include 7 cars/suvs for her - .175/year. 4 pickups for me .10/year


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Been driving since I was 15, owned 1 car and two trucks. That's 3 in 28 years of driving comes to 0.1071. Perhaps I have cheated though, I am a mechanic by trade. (Laughing)


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## BoiseMy3SONS (Feb 25, 2013)

married 24 years: 5 cars

89 toyota camry 
84 Volvo 240
2001 Wndstar (total crap car)
2007 Outback (Crap car)
2002 Avalanche


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

About 20 and I'm 67!


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

Thought this might be a humorous bump without moving off course too far.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Either I am a severe alcoholic or this "average" thingie is way too low. (laughing)


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## 489tad (Feb 26, 2010)

I've had one from age 16 to 22. 1973 Duster. Married, then sold the Duster so my wife could get a better car. I've call 8 my own after that. Mostly junkers with exception to the last three. Currently I drive a 11 Yukon XL. the most fuel efficient one to date. Burns gas like no other. Not a drop wasted. I love that beast.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

61 BUICK SPECIAL








57 FORD FAIRLAINE








61 FORD STARLINER








61 FORD FALCON








69 FIAT SPIDER








70 MERCURY COUGAR XRZ








74 FORD MUSTANG








1978 PINTO WAGON








1973 PINTO








1980 CHEVETTE








1972 FORD THUNDERBIRD








1995 SOMOMA PICKUP








1997 GMC PICKUP








2000 GMC VAN








1998 CROWN VIC








1996 CROWN VIC POLICE CAR








2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUES








2011 TOYOTA COROLLA


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

Dan, are those all *YOU* have owned? If so, over how many years?


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## stonedlion (Jan 12, 2011)

Not sure I can recall all of them now, but this is mostly complete:

1973 Ford LTD (Had the 429 engine and *TONS* of power. I still miss that car sometimes)

1975 Pontiac Bonneville

1970 Plymouth Duster (Had a slant 6 engine and was one of the most reliable running cars I have ever owned. But the body was in horrible shape.)

1976 Chevy Impala

1985 Isuzu P'up

1988 Dodge Lancer (My first turbocharged engine, was fun to drive)

1990 Dodge Caravan

1993 Ford Fiesta (40 mpg - great gas mileage, detestable car in every other way)

1993 Ford Ranger (Reliable and ran like a Swiss watch)

1990 Plymouth Sundance

1986 Dodge Daytona (Another super reliable Chrysler product with an absolute nightmare body)

1993 Dodge ? (memory fails me, just another piece of crap Dodge)

1991 Mercury Grand Marquis

1985 Dodge Ramcharger (My "Bubba" truck with 31 inch tires. Terrible gas mileage, but was not a daily driver)

2003 Jeep Wrangler

2002 Ford F150 (current vehicle with no intention of driving anything else for a few years)

16 cars in 33 years of driving. Averaging a little over two years per, but that stat is deceiving. A couple of times I have owned some of these cars simultaneously or driven for several years. The Duster and the Ranger were both 5+ year cars, while the Bonneville, Festiva and Sundance only made it 6 months or so.


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## Dakkar (Feb 14, 2013)

I hate car shopping. Since 1970 I've bought exact 3 automobiles, though I've also driven 2 inherited cars/trucks. Unforch it's about time to replace the Mazda PU. An F150 sounds like a good idea.


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## F40qwerty (May 16, 2012)

I've only had 4, 3 personal and one for the wife since I started driving. Then again, I'm from a city where I didn't need a license and only started driving once I left home:

1995 BMW M3
2004 Audi S4
1994 BMW 325ic
2013 VW Jetta


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