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Old 01-04-2019, 09:15 PM   #11
lemming
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Originally Posted by clyde View Post
But those totaled cars aren't crushed. They're resold, fixed, and put back in service.



I'm often amazed at how many moderately aged BMWs and MBs I see in pretty ratty shape driving around.


Easy, Clyde. I drive a 2009 5er wagon around with well over 100,000 miles. It’s far from perfect.

Okay. I guess it’s getting ratty.
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Old 01-04-2019, 10:43 PM   #12
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Easy, Clyde. I drive a 2009 5er wagon around with well over 100,000 miles. It’s far from perfect.

Okay. I guess it’s getting ratty.
Never seen your '09 wagon, but I seriously doubt it makes my wife's twice wrecked and twice washed not-a-square-inch-too-small-for-its-own-scratch-or-ding-often-a-few-of-each 125k mile 2013 Outback look nice. The ones I'm talking about do.
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Old 01-05-2019, 02:17 AM   #13
Terri Kennedy
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I know I live in a wealthy part of the country, but since I moved to the US, I've always been fascinated by how quickly the population of cars turns over.

Of course, some cars get totalled in accidents and floods. Others become prohibitively expensive to keep running - but can't can happen to a car that is only a handful of years old except for the relatively small percentage of people who rack up 25k+ miles a year. Is that it? Is it as simple as they get crashed and old?
It is too bad there isn't something like the UK's How many left? for the US. But of course, given the "51 kingdoms" nature of the DMV here, it isn't practical.
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Old 01-05-2019, 03:07 AM   #14
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Good point, FC. I've noted a similar tendency... I do think some of the lease fleet (0 to 3years) moves away from the NYC hubbub after 4+. And then some more again at 6+ when past CPO, I see those cars more often in PA e.g.

Another aspect might be your sample... People commute in and put most miles on their newest cars.
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Old 01-05-2019, 08:27 AM   #15
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I was thinking about something similar the other day.

1. The consumer has encouraged manufacturing of vehicles to go in a direction where they are a) insanely expensive, b) depreciate quickly, c) are extremely expensive to repair. This is a terrible combination. People buy and sell beautiful, complex pieces of engineering and sell them for a huge financial loss because of the fear that they might break down. It's pretty crazy that this feels so normal.

2. It's only going to get worse now that cars are computers. It's like buying a new $600 smart phone every year because you don't feel like changing (or cannot change) the battery. I can't believe it's happening now for $60k vehicles.

As a society we have committed to pouring significantly more money (an order of magnitude more ?) into vehicles than was necessary. Was this the right choice? Is this really where we as a society should be pouring money?

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Old 01-05-2019, 10:55 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by rumatt View Post
I was thinking about something similar the other day.

1. The consumer has encouraged manufacturing of vehicles to go in a direction where they are a) insanely expensive, b) depreciate quickly, c) are extremely expensive to repair. This is a terrible combination. People buy and sell beautiful, complex pieces of engineering and sell them for a huge financial loss because of the fear that they might break down. It's pretty crazy that this feels so normal.

2. It's only going to get worse now that cars are computers. It's like buying a new $600 smart phone every year because you don't feel like changing (or cannot change) the battery. I can't believe it's happening now for $60k vehicles.

As a society we have committed to pouring significantly more money (an order of magnitude more ?) into vehicles than was necessary. Was this the right choice? Is this really where we as a society should be pouring money?
I'm having that dilemma with TV's. Old CRT's used to hang around forever.

New TV's are large and "cheap," but what do I do with my 2007 Sony 42" that has a border/frame 1.5" wide and I hardly use? In our bedrom we have a TV 2009 Sony 46" is far too small for my room (used to be in the FR in my old house). What to do with that? They both work perfectly well. I fear even as donations they will just get thrown away.
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Old 01-05-2019, 12:34 PM   #17
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I'm having that dilemma with TV's. Old CRT's used to hang around forever.

New TV's are large and "cheap," but what do I do with my 2007 Sony 42" that has a border/frame 1.5" wide and I hardly use? In our bedrom we have a TV 2009 Sony 46" is far too small for my room (used to be in the FR in my old house). What to do with that? They both work perfectly well. I fear even as donations they will just get thrown away.
What size TV is in your garage?

We have one TV on a DVR/cable box. Every other TV in our house is using Roku type of connection to the internet
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Old 01-05-2019, 01:34 PM   #18
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I "sold" my good-for-2009 (still pretty good) Sony 46" Bravia for $100 to a bike mechanic friend.
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Old 01-05-2019, 04:09 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FC View Post
I'm having that dilemma with TV's. Old CRT's used to hang around forever.

New TV's are large and "cheap," but what do I do with my 2007 Sony 42" that has a border/frame 1.5" wide and I hardly use? In our bedrom we have a TV 2009 Sony 46" is far too small for my room (used to be in the FR in my old house). What to do with that? They both work perfectly well. I fear even as donations they will just get thrown away.
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What size TV is in your garage?

We have one TV on a DVR/cable box. Every other TV in our house is using Roku type of connection to the internet
With Doug here. Garage. Or keep them ready for wherever the kids watch TV/hang out as supplemental TVs for the gaming console, so they can game or stream something from a device while having the "tv" on. I see this in a lot of neighbors' houses and it works nicely.
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Old 01-05-2019, 04:43 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by FC View Post
I'm having that dilemma with TV's. Old CRT's used to hang around forever.

New TV's are large and "cheap," but what do I do with my 2007 Sony 42" that has a border/frame 1.5" wide and I hardly use? In our bedrom we have a TV 2009 Sony 46" is far too small for my room (used to be in the FR in my old house). What to do with that? They both work perfectly well. I fear even as donations they will just get thrown away.
Give them away at the office or give them away to relatives or friends .... that’s what I do ... I feel too guilty to throw them out and not everyone can afford new tv’s and are generally happy to get them.
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