They don't make 'em like they used to

...and if you want to keep your car long after the warranty expires, that's a very good thing:

The number of vehicles 10 years old or older has increased steadily during the past decade, but statistics now indicate the numbers are accelerating dramatically.

Just as 60 is becoming the new 40 for fitness-conscious adults, 15 is starting to look a little like the new 10 in age among cars and trucks in Canada, industry watcher Dennis DesRosiers said yesterday.

"Canadian drivers are taking full advantage of their vehicles' increased usage potential by extending their ownership into previously unplumbed high-mileage territory," he said in an analysis on vehicle lifespans.

Research from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants and R.L. Polk Canada Inc. reveals the number of automobiles older than 10 years in Canada jumped to 6.7 million vehicles in 2006 from 3.9 million in 1990, which is an increase of 72 per cent.

Furthermore, the total number of vehicles older than 15 years has climbed by almost two million to 2.8 million since 1990.

In 2000, about 28 per cent of 15-year-old passenger cars remained on the road but the research found that last year, the number had climbed to 43 per cent.

Among nameplates, the research showed the survival rate for vehicles older than 15 years from offshore-based manufacturers including Toyota and Honda had shot up to 53.9 per cent last year from 30.5 per cent in 2000.

North American-based General Motors, Ford and Chrysler also had improved their survival rate for those aging vehicles to 43.7 per cent from 35.2 per cent in the same period.

The downside? Older cars' environmental impact:

...[DesRosiers] noted that if old autos stay on the road, it will take longer for more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles to make an impact. A new vehicle emits 98 per cent less toxins into the air than a 15-year-old model.

"Keeping these old smokers on the road is definitely not good for the environment," he said.

DesRosiers also criticized lawmakers for focusing on forcing automakers to produce greener vehicles when the real challenge is how to reduce the number of older polluting autos on the road.

In Japan, tax rules make it very expensive for people to keep older cars, but such policies would be politically suicidal in Canada. Any other ideas out there?

Porsche is the durability champ, with over 97% of 11-15 year old models still on the road. They're very well-made, of course, but it's also safe to assume Porsche owners take much better care of their cars than, say, Saturn drivers. The biggest surprise is probably Subaru, which ranks in the bottom half (below the likes of Chrysler, Oldsmobile and VW) - but, then again, Subarus circa 1992 didn't have the cachet of their current models.

5.1% of 10-15 year-old Ladas in Canada are still being driven, and I have to admire anyone who can keep these things running.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at November 25, 2007 12:33 PM