HONDA life expectancy...... HOW LONG?

[pmptrading]

Hello All,
I have just taken delivery of a HONDA ACCORD VTI 2.4. Picked it up 31/12/07.

Picked up the car with 20km on it...... Car has just over 500km on it now.

anyhow..... I have hopes of keeping the car for 20 years.

I intended to do everything possible to extend the life of the car..... ie changing oil and filter ever 10,000kms (instead of just the oil as per service manual)...... I also try and limit the cars time standing in the direct sun..... car is always garaged...... kids do not eat of drink cola in the car......

When I was on the Alfa Romeo forum (i had an alfa 156 Selespeed) ..... I was laughed off with the suggestion that I could get 20 years from a car..... WITH AN ALFA I DO BELIEVE 20 YEARS IS IMPOSSIBLE.... OR you can get 20 years from an Alfa but it will be economic suicide.....

Do you think this goal is unrealistic?

What measure should I do to get this 20 year trouble free motoring?

Am I silly for wanting this? I think keeping the same car for 20 years is the best environmental thing anyone can do to preserve the world's resources.

[SHOGUNOVDDRK]

nope....

if you service and treat it well (imho) any service the car at regular intervals,keep it in a garage and dont beat on it your going to be all right :D

i currently drive a 22 year old car with original engine....it doesnt have as much power and response as it used to 22years ago (because the carb needs a flush) but you can realistically keep a car 20+years without problems :cool:

[FAT VTI]

20Years easy if it is kept right.
Mines going on 14years, still drives great.

If ur in sydney, get your car serviced by rob at Hannys, tell him what you plan to do and I have 100% faith that he will give you some very helpful pointers on how to keep your car for an extended period of time.

(Hannys performance in Smithfield)

Sean

[dwn_boi]

20Years easy if it is kept right.
Mines going on 14years, still drives great.

If ur in sydney, get your car serviced by rob at Hannys, tell him what you plan to do and I have 100% faith that he will give you some very helpful pointers on how to keep your car for an extended period of time.

(Hannys performance in Smithfield)

Sean


he he i 110% belive that hannys will prolonge the life of our vehicle, they brought mine back to life !!!

i rekon its possible for sure, thnk of all those holden vl's and vk's out there!!

[m0nty ITR]

Manufacturers now engineer their cars for an efficient life expectancy of 10 years/250,000kms. After that expect mechanical maintainence to start getting away from you, fuel consumption to increase and emissions to deterorate.

Can I ask why you'd want to keep a car that long? The advances in technology are moving faster than 20 years ago. You wouldn't drive a VN Commodore now so why would you drive an Accord in 2028?

It's more than likely that federal governments will start placing strict guidelines on cars for emissions which means quicker turnover of cars to prevent global warming anyway.

[m0nty ITR]

Am I silly for wanting this? I think keeping the same car for 20 years is the best environmental thing anyone can do to preserve the world's resources.

Yes, you are silly. Manufacturers are constantly improving their emission levels. A 20 year old car is a 20 year old car and the technology doesn't remain efficient in the years to come. Just remember that old smoky bomb was once a brand new car too.

There are new technologies like hybrid diesel, hydrogen, solar and water powered cars. The days of the fossil fuel powered car are numbered.

[panda[cRx]]

a honda is not an alfa romeo! do not compare the 2 in any way, they are apples and oranges.

there is no reason an accord wont last 20yrs. there are plenty of mid 80's hondas out there with no problems still goin fine.

just follow the service schedule, if you wish you can carry out extra oil changes at the 5k interval between servicing.

the only car in the current lineup that wouldnt last 20yrs imho is the jazz, and this is only due to the cvt trans which is an absolute dud.

[vipaccord]

in 20 years you prob wont be able to buy petrol lol or it will be too expensive for most people.most cars will be hydrogen or solar ect.

[FAT VTI]

Guys,
remember what he is asking, can an accord last 20years.
The answer is yes it can, if it is kept right.

Dont confuse urselves with "what will my car be like to drive in 20 years"

Also, whoever said they wont drive a vn commodore is a wanker.

Theyre are some clean vn ss out there, with alot of custom work, which I would love to drive.

sean

[Cvik_ryda]

Guys,
remember what he is asking, can an accord last 20years.
The answer is yes it can, if it is kept right.

Dont confuse urselves with "what will my car be like to drive in 20 years"

Also, whoever said they wont drive a vn commodore is a wanker.

Theyre are some clean vn ss out there, with alot of custom work, which I would love to drive.

sean
i totally agree. I rekon some of us are a bit too full on. The guy ask a question of yes or no he didnt ask for the energy market analysis.

[JohnL]

Manufacturers now engineer their cars for an efficient life expectancy of 10 years/250,000kms. After that expect mechanical maintainence to start getting away from you, fuel consumption to increase and emissions to deterorate.

Can I ask why you'd want to keep a car that long? The advances in technology are moving faster than 20 years ago. You wouldn't drive a VN Commodore now so why would you drive an Accord in 2028?

It's more than likely that federal governments will start placing strict guidelines on cars for emissions which means quicker turnover of cars to prevent global warming anyway.

My Accord is now 17 years old and very fuel efficient for a car of it's weight, even by today's standards (7.3L per 100km on the hwy). It uses almost no oil (has a very slight leak), blows no smoke and I would think is likely still to be relatively clean on emissions (assuming the original cat is still working as it should...). A well looked after Honda may not be a typical example of an older neglected car, but most cars well maintained and not thrashed to death will last a very long time before they start being particularly environmentally problematic (assuming any car can be environmentally friendly, which is highly debatable).

When considering a car's environmental 'footprint' we need to not only consider it's day to day economy, but also the energy that went into making it in the first place, which is typically huge, something like the equivalent to ten years car fuel input in energy and carbon di-oxide emmisions. Keeping a reasonably economical car on the road for as long as possible, so long as it remains reasonably economical to run during this time, tends to be more environmentally friendly than scrapping it and building a replacement, even if that replacement is more fuel efficient.

On the other hand scrap an old smoky worn out Failcon or Commodire (spellings intended) and the planet might thank you!

In any case, many late model cars aren't always more economical than their equivalents of 20 or 30 years ago, despite advances in engine design etc etc. The reason for this is that cars just keep getting heavier and heavier over the years, and more and more powerful. Two cars of similar size built say 30 years apart can be easily as much as 200kg different in weight, with the more modern car being heavier. The reasons for this are the modern use of extensive sound deadening material, almost universal fitment of AC and PS, powerful sound systems, central locking etc etc. Some of these additions are heavy, and some aren't, but it all adds up.

[Spoon-Accord]

i got a 1982 model honda civic sitting in my front yard, till today car still looks mint, panels and paint is in perfect condition,
engine timing belt clapped out, car has done 186 thousand K's.

seats and everything inside is mint

depends how people treat their cars, then it will go along way!

best with luck with maintaining your new car, love and care is the way!

kenny

[Vinnie]

the percentage of people who keep their cars for 20 years is very slim, usually its just the elderly :p

a base model accord, although a nice car, is just a standard midsize sedan and i cant see any particular reason why anyone would be set on preserving one for the next 2 decades. thats not to say it wont still be running then, just that you will have most likely moved on to something more suitable by 2028 :)

[pmptrading]

Hello !!!

This is not just a base model.... it has everything I could ever want.... alloys, velour, stacker CD player..... THIS IS A LUXURY CAR!!!!

A true 4 cyclinder LIMOUSINE!!!!

I want to keep her for 20 years for the following reasons:-

1) Economic - much cheaper to keep 1 car for 20 years than buy and sell etc.... all it takes is keeping her MINTY
2) Environmental - THIS is the biggest thing you can do fo rthe environment.... a normal person goes through 4 or 5 cars over this period..... what a waste of the world's resources.....
3) I AM CRAZY! This is a great social experiment
4) I want to prove it can be done by a lay person
5) It sets a good example to all.....
6) It is a goal of mine.

Kind regards,

[JohnL]

Go get em pmptrading! I do agree with most of what you've said, a worthy project, I'm all for great social experiments (if I ignore some other great social experiments such as Nazism and Communism!).

Not sure about velour seats though, in 20 years they'll be starting to look tatty no matter how well you look after them. Leather on the other hand will get that nice aged patina if you look after them properly, and leather smells so nice!