Car owners driving ’em ’til they drop.
 There
is a significant number of car owners out there who
plan to drive their vehicles until the end,
according to a survey. The survey reveals that car
owners are putting more miles on their current
vehicles—about 50,000 or more—than they did on their
previous vehicles, with the majority of respondents
planning to keep their vehicle until it dies.
The economy also is influencing many to do their own
repairs and pay more attention to maintenance on
their current vehicle, according to the survey of
car owners conducted online in December and January.
Other survey results include:
* Nearly half of the respondents indicated their
current vehicle had more than 100,000 miles.
* When asked the main reason for holding onto their
vehicle for 100,000 miles or more, one-quarter
stated that “in this economy, I simply can’t afford
not to.”
* 69 percent planned to drive their current vehicle
even longer: for 150,000 or more miles (13 percent)
or until their vehicle dies (56 percent).
* 77 percent plan to drive their current vehicle for
50,000 or more miles than they drove their previous
vehicle. Less than 12 percent said they will keep
their current vehicle for fewer miles than their
previous vehicle.
* 54 percent of respondents reported spending $500
or more a year to repair their vehicle, with 21
percent spending $1,000 or more.
* 44 percent said tight budgets were driving them to
either pay more attention to maintenance and repairs
or do the repairs themselves.
Not only are consumers holding on to their vehicles
for years longer but, more significantly, for miles
longer, opting to repair and maintain rather than
purchasing new.
"Fix what you have"
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