"When we left home and drove across the country at 18 years old, I sat in its front seat and had a good coming-of-age cry. Its ample back carried all our possessions on the long haul across Interstate 10. Many years later, after our in-laws passed it down to us for good, my carpenter husband used it to haul sheets of plywood around with the rear seats folded down. ("Better than a pickup truck," he'd crow with delight.)"
"America's automobiles are lasting longer and longer. On average, new cars have a lifespan of 17 years, new vans and SUVs last 20, and pickups last 25, according to recent research on when cars are scrapped. That's significantly longer than vehicles lasted two decades ago. Multiple factors mostly positive, but some not so much are pushing this trend. On the good side, modern cars are better built than they were in decades past."
A 2005 Chrysler Town and Country accumulated 183,000 miles and served multiple roles: cross-country transport, hauling plywood, and a beloved family vehicle nicknamed Vanny. Mechanical failures, wasp-infested trunk and unreliable starts made the van impractical for road trips and inclined the owners toward retirement. Average vehicle lifespans have increased—about 17 years for cars, 20 for vans and SUVs, and 25 for pickups. Improvements in manufacturing have extended durability, while inflation and high costs encourage owners to keep older cars longer. Over time repair costs rise and usefulness falls, eventually turning vehicles into economic and environmental liabilities.
Read at www.npr.org
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