Boomer dilemna: save the car but don't buy one

I've been talked to several Boomers, and thinking myself, about how to make it to the end of the road without buying another gas powered car. 

Just talking with good friend Paul in Portland who has an SUV for mountain fishing trips, but drives it only 8,000 miles a year, about half the normal mileage for cars a year.  He expects it to last 20 years and be his last car. 

So even though Boomers are trying to save the auto industry, and can't understand a world without cars, even they/we are considering ways to reduce our car purchases.  Another ill omen for the auto industry.

Comments

[Ed]

To echo Suzanne, living in Memphis, Tennessee, I don't have a lot of hope for dynamic mass transit improvements being made here anytime soon. Memphis appears to be a true car town. I want to get back the time that I spend paying attention to the road every day. I don't want to worry about car accidents. I don't want to worry about my family having car accidents. I want to fold up a bicycle and step onto a street car or train...

[Terry Newman]

I'm a boomer who bought a mini-van when I still had 3 kids at home. Eleven years later, I'm still driving it. It was great when I and 4 young women went camping for a week in Yellowstone last summer! I won't be turning this thing in for a long time, but when I do, it will be for a small, fuel efficient SUV that still allows me to go camping anytime I want.

[Suzanne]

You know, I'm not a Boomer, but I'm like Paul on this one. I have a 2001 Stratus that I bought new and it only has about 55K miles on it. I hate driving, but living in northern Michigan, I don't have a lot of hope for mass transit coming here anytime soon. I also don't want a car payment, so I will drive my car until it dies.