jpnjim Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Average age vehicle in America is now 10.8 years old. A record high. http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/fin ... ging.Cars/ DETROIT — That clunker in America's driveway has reached a record old age, but there are signs that people may be growing confident enough in the economy to get a whiff of that fresh new car scent very soon. The average age of a car or truck in the U.S. hit a record 10.8 years last year as job security and other economic worries kept many people from making big-ticket purchases such as a new car. That's up from the old record of 10.6 years in 2010, and it and continues a trend that dates to 1995, when the average age of a car was 8.4 years, according to a study of state vehicle registration data by the Southfield, Mich.-based Polk automotive research firm. However, Polk Vice President Mark Seng says that a rebound in sales last year and expected growth for the next couple of years is likely to slow the growth rate in the age of cars as a whole in America. Polk has not predicted if or when the age will start to drop, but Seng doesn't see that happening for at least two or three years, if not longer. "It's going to take the good economy several years of very high sales again, and people being willing to let go of those older vehicles that they've been holding onto," Seng said. Last year, auto sales rebounded a bit to 12.8 million vehicles, especially in November and December, when sales were unusually strong. In 2010, U.S. sales totaled 11.6 million after hitting a 30-year low of 10.4 million in 2009. Polk expects sales around 13.7 million this year, rising by about 1 million per year through 2015, when they reach about 16 million. That's back to around what industry analysts consider normal, and approaching the U.S. sales peak of 17 million in 2005. But even a 1 million per year sales increase will have little impact on the average age because there are more than 240 million cars and trucks on the roads in the U.S., Seng says. The aging of the American auto fleet has been a big boon for repair shops and companies that sell replacement auto parts, and Seng expects that to continue. He says people can hang onto their cars longer because automakers are making them far better than they did in 1995, the first year that Polk began tracking the average age. Shares of major auto parts stores, such as AutoZone Inc., O'Reilly Automotive Inc. and Advance Auto Parts Inc., have easily outpaced the S&P 500 index since late 2007 when the recession began. Polk also says the number of vehicles in the U.S. has been falling since 2008, but that trend reversed itself last year. In 2010, there were 240 million cars and trucks registered in the U.S. That grew slightly to 240.5 million last year, the company said. The aging vehicle trend and relatively slow sales have kept auto companies and parts makers from hiring new workers in great numbers, and that helps to hold unemployment at relatively high levels. Last month, the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent — still high, but the lowest level in three years. But that started to change last year as sales started to rebound. Last January, Ford said it would hire 7,000 workers over the next two years. During the summer, GM said it would add 2,500 at the Detroit factory that makes the Chevrolet Volt electric car. Volkswagen hired 2,000 for a new plant in Tennessee, and Honda added 1,000 in Indiana. Just last week Chrysler announced plans to add 1,250 jobs at two Detroit factories next year, mainly to build a diesel version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The industry will add 167,000 jobs by 2015, a 28 percent increase over current levels, predicts The Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. Government estimates show Americans spent roughly $40 billion more on new cars and trucks in 2011 than in 2009. Based on annualized figures from the first quarter of 2011, new-car spending totaled $206 billion, or 1.3 percent of the gross domestic product, Commerce Department data shows. That compares with $166 billion in 2009, about 1.2 percent of the country's economy. Polk said the average age of a car in the U.S. last year was 11.1 years, while the average truck was 10.4 years old. In 2010, the average age of a car was 11 and the average truck was 10.1 years old. So how old are your vehicles, what is your household average? My average is 21.6 years old 06'Caravan 98'XJ 89'MJ 88'MJ 71'Javelin/AMX 22.875 years old if you include motorcycles. 1988,87&86 GSXRs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue88Comanche Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 1961 CJ-5: 51 two 1988 MJs: 24 1989 MJ: 23 1989 XJ: 23 2003 KJ: 9 2005 KJ: 7 2005 WK: 7 2005 Ford Five-hundred: 7 average: 19.444 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Automan2164 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 '86 MJ : 26 '87 MJ : 25 '98 ZJ : 14 21.67 year average. I survived Cash For Clunkers. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 shortbed Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 1943 Willys mb. 69 years old 1968 Chevy c-10 44 years old 1971 Amc gremlin 41 years old 1982 Amc spirit. 30 years old 1985 Jeep cj7. 27 years old 1989 Jeep mj. 23 years old 1992 Jeep mj. 20 years old 2000 Jeep wj. 12 years old 2004 Jeep lj. 8. years old 30.44 average Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbrand Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 '01 Mazda MPV: 11 years '89 MJ: 23 years Average: 17 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backdraft Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 1987 Jeep MJ...................................25 years old 1989 Jeep MJ...................................23 years old 2007 Pontiac Solstice.....................5 years old 2009 Harley Davidson Sportster...3 years old Average age of 14 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acfortier Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Well, since I only own one vehicle currently, I'll combine all vehicles I've had. 1989 Dodge W100 - 23 years old 2000 Saturn SL2 - 12 years old 1988 Jeep Comanche - 24 years old 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 16 years old Average of 18.75 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroxsteve Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 1988 Comanche 2008 HD Roadglide 2008 Honda Accord Average age=10.6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimoshel Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Factoring in my 1927 Harley JD and my 1932 Pontiac, over 40 years. Got too many to be doing brain calculations. Gives me a headache. Do airplanes count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Factoring in my 1927 Harley JD and my 1932 Pontiac, over 40 years. Got too many to be doing brain calculations. Gives me a headache. Do airplanes count? Jim, you easily win this, the rest of us are battling for second place. :yes: :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejndssn Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 totally agree what he said as for me avrg = ~ 16 years cavalier 13 cheeroke 14 manche 23 ( in a holding patern) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 88 86 90 97 90 00 avg: 20.1 my youngest beats their avg. :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue88Comanche Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Factoring in my 1927 Harley JD and my 1932 Pontiac, over 40 years. Got too many to be doing brain calculations. Gives me a headache. Do airplanes count? Jim, you easily win this, the rest of us are battling for second place. :yes: :cheers: :agree: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody4359 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 87 MJ 88 MJ 05 GLI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Interesting idea: 03 Rubicon: 9 years 92 Comanche: 20 years 86 Comanche: 26 years Average: 18.33 years old. Sheesh, I thought my Rubi was still new :shake: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glundblad Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 This is a depressing post. I had a 2002 tahoe and a 2003 tahoe. They started to rust in the indiana weather. After fixing them and seeing the rust return, we parted our ways. I passionately hate purchasing vehicles. :( 2009 Wrangler Rubicon (her's) 2011 Tahoe z71 (mine) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheKid45 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Ill include the whole familys fleet. 88 MJ 89 MJ 90 MJ 93 Dodge Shadow conv. 93 YJ 96 XJ 00 WJ 04 WJ (dads company car) 05 KJ too early for math... :hmm: :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86customanche Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Ill include the whole familys fleet. I will as well for the fun of it. 92 MJ - 20 86 MJ - 26 00 protege - 12 96 ranger - 16 01 sienna - 11 04 rav4 - 8 avg = 15.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16gsr Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Who would have thought they ever tracked this, but makes since: 87 Comanche 00 Cherokee 05 Mercedes 06 Chevrolet 10 Jetta makes us a 10.4 so right on the average. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zone Offroad Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 All my vehicles average out to 14 yrs and I am ok with that because they are all paid for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgred2 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 1989 Comanche another 1989 Comanche 2010 Terrain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 2008 Cadillac CTS 4 1991 Comanche 21 AVG= 12.5 :waving: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakal Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 85bmwcsi 88mj 06xb 19 yrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chastings Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Lets see: 66 Datsun Roadster 67.5 Datsun Roadster 68 Datsun Roadster 70 Datsun Roadster 70 Gto Judge 73 240Z 87 Jeep Comanche 89 Jeep Cherokee 2010 Jeep Commander 34.1 average years old After making a list of my vehicles, I now realize its time to put some stuff on craigslist, Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drahcir495 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 1982 CJ7 - 30 yrs 1984 CJ8 - 28 yrs 1986 MJ - 26 yrs 1986 MJ - 26 yrs 1989 MJ - 23 yrs :eek: 26.6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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