American motorists are waiting longer than ever to trade in their cars, trucks and crossovers — with 10 years and 150,000 miles becoming the new norm, rather than the exception, according to a pair of new reports.
In the golden era of planned obsolescence, it became common for American new car buyers to trade in as often as every two to three years. Perhaps that was no surprise when quality and reliability were secondary to styling and automotive one-upsmanship. But as quality and reliability become essential requirements for automakers, consumers can feel comfortable that a car will last longer — something that has become a requirement as prices rise and the economy falters, analysts suggest.