A lot depends on complication and maybe how 'industrial' (read simple durable) the design was in the first place, then there's good servicing and maintenance which will prolong life by a large margin.

Tied in with and good mainenance is paying attention to keeping rot at bay, most cars are still prone to serious underbody rot, where we all knew someone who could keep welding our cars up for a fair price those handy chaps have vanished, so those cars with few exceptions that are neglected will not see much past 10 or 15 years.

Cars with more electronics than you can shake a stick at, ie made in the last 5 years, i doubt will see much past 10 years in most mass produced cases and many will be off to the scrappy before that IMO, rendered far too expensive to repair whilst mechanically and bodily still sound..read here and elsewhere the desperate requests for cures from people running 307's and such things, its always in the electrics.

Our old Volvo 940td estate made in 93 still soldiers on, stupidly we sold it to my sister some years ago and kicked ourselves ever since, it refuses to rust break down or wear out, has the same VW 6 cyl van engine as fitted from new which still pulls like a train, as far as i'm aware it has no ecu as such, i'm not sure quite how long it can go on, seemingly for ever....she even jump starts her Volvo artic with it when the computers and trailer eqpt run the batteries flat over Christmas break if she forgets to turn it off at the mains...they really don't make 'em like that any more, if they did i'd buy one tomorrow.

Edited by gordonbennet on 10/09/2012 at 14:22

Watching the current BBC drama, 'Good Cop' on Thursday nights, the main character drives a G-reg (1989 / 90) Audi Coupe, the jellymould one.

I haven't seen one for a while, I did wonder if it was a sly nod to DCI Gene Hunt having a Quattro in Ashes to Ashes ...

My 14 yr old Mazda Xedos 6 was doubled in value in the last few weeks - RFL renewed and today 50 litres of super unleaded.

I have had it 13+ yrs and it runs as good as new apart from a few suspension creaks..........everything works .howeve,r it is only 1 x major fault before in goes into the bin.

What do you use the talc for?

I remember reading some were that air bags only have a life expectancy of 10 years?

Old hat. They lasted longer so life as long as most cars.

Whatever repairs you do to a car, be it one year old or 15 years old, you will never recoup that money.

This is an excellent point that most people don't understand. Spending £100 on consumables on a £200 car is no worse value than on a £15,000 car. It's just that the cost of the part seems expensive relative to the 'value' of the car. But the market value of the car is of no consequence-until you sell it.

Old cars are great for nervous/inexperienced DIYers who can 'have a go' without fear of causing expensive damage. Just invest in a decent set of Stilsons, molegrips and a propane torch for those 15 year old fasteners...

The other bonus of cheap cars is that everyone else on the road has more to lose than you!

madf is right as usual. There is also the opportunity cost of the return on the capital, say £5000, which you would not have spent if you had kept the old car.

Cars without electronics, numerous electric motors and aircon are the ones likely to be troublefree the longest - see London-Brighton veterans! Solidly overengineered cars are the best. My TR7 [32yrs, all original apart from 2 recent new rear brake cylinders and a condenser 20yrs ago] will still run after the eventual predicted electromagnetic sunburst has paralysed all the computers!

ut the down time and inconviniance.

Another excellent point. Which neatly brings us to the answer to the OP.:the lifetime of a car is when the frequency of the repairs becomes intolerable. Sadly this can't be converted to X miles or Y years.

"Where have all the other posts gone?

It must be a sensitive issue this for all those posts to get deleted.

In which case, I'll post nothing."

No posts deleted on here by me - nor by anyone else, or I'd be able to see them.