Making my Camry go 1,000,000 miles

sphinx99

You know, at 25 miles per gallon (which seems like a reasonable lifetime average) you will end up purchasing 40,000 gallons of gas.

yaman

Lets see from July til now you put on 10,000 miles so right now you are averaging 20,000 miles a year.At that rate it will take you 50 years-Good luck!

8u6hfd

Since your engine bay has plenty of room, go for it, dual filter (bypass & filter) system. Do synthetic and pay for the oil analysis. With the analysis, you can extend the oil changes based on their recommendations (while maintaining the normal filter changes).

HID, ain't worth it aftermarket in OE housings. Get HID driving lights.

Sound, add an amplifer and a subwoofer.

mrdetailer

I assume you want maintence suggestions as well.

1. Repack CVboots every 75,000 miles. Never had a Japanese car that could go much longer without many problems. Expensive, but still cheaper than getting rebuild axles, and original equipment well maintained is generally better.

2. Spend extra money on the 30K, and 60K mile checkups. Exchange the Transmission fluid, power steering, and brake fluids. Drain and refill radiator fluid at least every other year. Valvoline has a Maxlife Radiator fluid. Recommended for extra conditioning. I do my radiators yearly.

3. Consider Lubegard for Transmission and Powersteering. Check the site www.Lubegard.com. I found that it helped both automatic and manual transmissions. In one case I believe it prevented an overhaul. Lubegard reduces acid formation, and dissipates heat. Not a fraud -- developed in conjunction with the government.

4. Install a transmission cooler if not OEM. Heat destroys the transmission. By the time color changes and a burnt smell are noticed it's often too late. I would also consider a synthetic transmission fluid.

5. Watch steering components and shocks/struts carefully and replace immediately if showing signs of wear.

I've heard of people getting over 500K on Toyotas so Good Luck.

beethoven07

armtdm - Thanks for the advice, perhaps you could enlighten me a bit more on pre-oilers. I'm pretty familiar already with bypass oil filters.

8u6hfd - Good to hear your Camry is doing so well. Have you considered a new Camry 4cy? You can get mid 20's in the city and 30+ on the highway.

beethoven07

I have to disagree with you on the Toyota OEM oil filters. Despite what Toyota wants the public to believe, I think Mobil 1 and Amsoil oil filters are vastly superior to the Purolator designed OEM filter.

I don't know for sure if Franz is still in business or not - I think they are. You're right though, it just seems gimmicky. Lots of people swear by them though.

beethoven07

Thanks again for the high mileage stories. I never realized there were so many durable domestics.

beethoven07

Perhaps your friend should repaint his BMW and put a new dash in it. BMW's are nice cars and it sounds like he has a nice one.

beethoven07

Thanks for your comments. I don't know if you read my first post (#1). I actually intend on putting 1,000,000 miles on my Camry on the same drivetrain - no rebuilds of engine or transmission.

Your point on structural longevity is an excellent one. As part of my preventative maintenance plan I cyclically hoist my car up and clean and inspect the entire undercarriage. I will add rust proofing and paint as needed. I will also replace bushings, and reweld as necessary too.

In terms of verifying mileage. I have extremely detailed log books in Excel (very very detailed). Do you know of any device I should install on the car that will verify mileage on original drivetrain to one who may investigate my mileage claims.

beethoven07

Sphinx99 - I have often calculated how much gas I will conceivably need to take me to my goals end. You are right on at about 40,000 gallons with my estimate too. I'm glad I didn't choose an Excursion (not that I think it could make it anyway)

yaman - You are the first to point out the miles verses years to compile them data. The fact that I've only driven 10,000 miles in 6 months is an anomaly due to my business. My business will change as such so that I will be putting closer to 50,000 miles a year on the car within a year or so. You're right 50 years is a long time - I'd pretty old if it took me that long.

beethoven07

Good point on re packing the boots. I missed that one when designing my preventative maintenance program. Thanks also for the tip on Lube Guard - I will research it.

Do you really think a transmission cooler is a good idea on a 4cy that I don't tow with? I'm curious to hear more of your thoughts on this.

By the way is your screen name indicative of your career. I did mobile detailing for a couple years when I lived in Arizona. I'd be curious to hear your take on waxes and polishes.

beethoven07

I guess I better sign out and get back to work. I'll check in this evening.

BTW - A Buick Lesabre almost side swiped me on the way to work this morning (within an inch I'd guess). Good thing I have ABS. I'd hate for my endeavor to end that way.

sinjin_dog

I also have CamryLe4cyl. Not like you, I am hoping for 250K with same tranny and engine.
Using Mobile1 since 800 miles (now have 18K). Switched to Mobile1ATF at 12K (5.0 quarts).
True or not, the oil gets very dark at 4500 miles (this is when I change). In compairson, my 96 Previa(with 97 k miles) oil is still much lighter honey color at 4500 miles.
This may be 1. Previa holds 6.2 quarts of oil vs 3.8 quarts of oil on Camry.
2. Could this be Toyota's 2.2 liter engine, ie sludge? I sure hope not.
They both use PureOne or Mobile1 filter and see similar driving conditions.
May be Camry is not the right car for 1 Million miles.

armtdm

Don't want to start a war here. I have used about as many products on my cars as are available on the market and still have shelves of the stuff. I really like the Collinite Marque D'Elangance and the Mequire # 26 unitil I tried Zaino.

Stuff is truly incredible. Shine about the same as all others, depends on color and condition of finish, but for durability nothing compares to this product. I love it! But, like all things in life whatever floats your boat!.

Some people think it is overrated.

Real problem will be keeping those stone chips off the front of the hood!

richardg40

One big difference is i am canadian and our odometer reads kilometers and not miles.

A trip to the corner store is a few km.

My Toyota pick up has 143,000 km and i plan to keep it till it reads 999,999 km on it .

Doing what you plan to do in miles seems like a long time because i remember when here in Canada we were in miles the odometer turned twice as slow.
Good luck anyway and keep us posted

nematode

How little can I do and still get 7 years or 100k. I have an 01 Mazda Protege ES 2.0. I only have about 10k on it.

I do 7500 mile oil changes. I have synth in there now but when I run out of free oil changes I'm going to take dino oil to 7500miles. I see red-line in 2 gears twice a day during my merges and drive about 50 miles (round trip) a day between 70-80mph. That works out to 3000-3500rpm for about 40min a day after a 2 mile drive to the highway. I push all the maintainance to he limits for staying within the warranty and there are times where I dirve it like it stole it. The maintainance always gets done but not until the upper limit of whats in the manual. I do check the fluids and tire pressure when I fill-up and take it through a car wash when its really dirty (4 times a year??) but thats about it. My guess it that it will easily get to 150k without problems. I bet the paint even looks fair at 7 years and 100k miles at which point I will sell it. It took me a while to accept it but cars are disposable.

1,000,000. Thats a pretty impressive goal even without trying to keep the original components. I do about 14-15k a year and keep cars about 7 years. With just one car that about 65-70 years if my math is correct. I'll be dead by then. I'll probably be dead in 50 years so I may never see you get to 1M miles.

My predictions: With the driving that you have described my guess is that you will reach 150k and need a new transmission (200k on the outside even with synth). 200k and need a engine rebuild or major overhaul (300k on the outside). You can fight engine wear but you reach diminishing returns very quickly.....so my solution is to do the absolute minimum.

wain

those people talking about the availability of parts might have a point in 10 or 12 years you might look around for an identical wrecked parts car if you have a place to store it.
lots of toys on the road

mrdetailer

Nope, I'm just an avid amateur. I do take care of 7 cars however. My 3, and my Dad's and son's. I have one red car that should have been repainted years ago but due to good car it still looks great. Check on the Store bought waxes for some good comments. Here's what I would do.

The real key to paint maintenance is surface preparation.

1. When the weather breaks use a Clay bar. This removes pollutants, rail dust, small pieces of grit, and surface stains. Clear coats look good, but after a clay bar they sparkle. I did detailed instructions on this in the store bought waxes site a couple of months ago. It should feel mirror smooth when done. I clay bar and glaze my own vehicles 2 times a year.

2. Use of Glaze. Never do it without using the clay bar first. This will minimize scratches. Glazes polish and nourish the surface and make it very slick. This actually helps preserver the clearcoat by removing etching. I use a random orbital buffer for this task. Porter Cable makes an adjustable speed one, but I have gotten along very well with my single speed Sears 9 inch at a much lower price. Much faster, and it does a better job than glazing by hand. 3M Imperial Hand Glaze, and Meguiar's Show Car glaze are very good. However, since your car is new, I would recommend the finest grit glaze that I have found -- 3M Perfect-IT foam polishing pad glaze swirlmark remover. This is slightly harder to use, but the results are astounding. It will look better than when you purchased it if you follow these steps regularly.

3. Don't use a cleaner wax. A regular wax can layer and will be much more durable. I use 2-3 coats twice a year for my intermountain conditions. I use Meguiars #26 in the summer and 3M Perfect-It Show car wax for the winter. However, there are many good brands available. I would do at least the mid grade waxes. www.thewaxtest.com really loved Pinnacle. I am personally not in favor of Acrylics because they are fussier, and frankly, I learn a lot about a car when I am waxing.

Good surface preparation makes the finish extremely resilient. My Meguiar's treatment this summer lasted 7 full months. I have excellent beading on my cars which were done in October. 2 with 3M, and a third with Meguiars #26. In our area it has snowed or rained about every other day since Thanksgiving, so this year has been tough on finishes. This has already exceeded the waxtest for similar products. I believe that careful surface preparation and multiple applications of wax coats really protects the paint finishes.

catam

I currently own and drive an 86 Camry with 186,000 miles on the odo. This car is my daily driver to work 70mi round trip. Based on my experience here's what I think you can expect.
I gather you have an auto tranny, (this was a big mistake for trying to make a durability run). If you do have an auto, GET THE TRANNY COOLER. The biggest single killer of automatics is heat. The other big killer is racing them and forcing frequent high RPM shifts under load.
I bought my Camry used in 94, it was 8 years old with only 65,000. So I have put about 120,000 on the clock. Here is a list of the significant repairs I have made this includes some items designed to wear out:
1 clutch replacement,
replaced both rear struts,
alternator,
battery,
1 CV joint (boot only), I was lucky enough to find the torn boot while replacing the front brake pads, and contrary to other advice, I think replacing the lube in these joints every 75,000 is excessive, to my knowledge pass side joints have never been redone, and none of the joints have failed.
3-4 sets front bake pads, Ive lost track, but they are cheap and easy to replace.
1 set rear brake pads
1 throttle position sensor
1 water temp sensor
2 clutch slave cylinders
1 muffler, and it needs another right now
I am sure the are some other minor repairs that I have forgotten.
The car does burn about 1 quart of oil every 1000 mi., but it still runs great, and I get 34 MPG in the summer, and I like to drive between 75-90MPH.
You made a good choice to attempt your run, just don't bank on that auto tranny, the engine I suspect will make it though.

armtdm

There are more companies out there then these listed below but basically the systems work by the installation of a small electric motor and pump and you switch it on before starting your engine thus the oil is pumped through the vital parts before the engine starts which is ( from what most people say) when the most wear occurs, at start up.
So let's see, a block heater for the winter, pre oiler, bypass filter, synthetic oil, highway miles to the extent possible, sure one million??????
http://www.autoenginelube.com/index.htm
http://www.keith-eickert.com/oil_preoiler.htm http://dodgeram.org/ki4cy/preluber/Preluber.htm#sources

beethoven07

Thanks for the info on your Toyotas.

I think there may be something to the idea of your oil being darker in the Camry due to it's oil capacity. The ratio of surface area to be lubed in the 4cy to the amount of oil it holds in the sump is, I'm sure greater than, the ratio of the Previa's. Thus you probably see the suspended contaminants easier in the engine with the smaller oil capacity as they are more concentrated. As I'm sure you may know - dark oil doesn't necessarily equate to bad oil. Many oil analysis tests by truckers have proved this fact.

beethoven07

So true that waxes can start a war... Anyone been over to the Zaino board recently?

armtdm - I haven't tried Collinite products as of yet. I've read a lot about them. I will probably give them a try here soon. I also haven't tried Zaino, I think I will have to break down and do this as well.

mrdetailer- Thanks for your advice. It sounds like you are a fairly adept detailer for an "avid amateur". I'm familiar with the processes you outlined and use a similar prescription for my Camry. I do however do more "mini maintenance details" than it sounds like you may do. I'm probably a bit excessive - I enjoy detailing though.

I hand wash my car (always, I've never taken it to a car wash) weekly. I've done this every single week without fail since I've owned the car. BTW, it gets pretty cold washing a car in December. I use Meguiars Gold Class Soap and generally use Meguiars products for other detailing tasks as well. I have a distinct set of procedures for each detail I give my car. My details vary i.e. 'Summer Show Car Detail', 'Winter Protection Detail', etc. For each given task i.e. 'the final wax coat', I use a different product. My plan is to buy a different brand of product for a given task when the current product I have runs out. This way over the course of a few years I will have tried many products and can then select the cream of the crop for subsequent details.

beethoven07

Perhaps my objective would be easier if I lived in Canada.

Personally, if you get to 999,999 km, I would drive one more km before thinking about getting rid of your pickup.

Best of luck to you on your endeavor as well. Keep us posted.

beethoven07

Thanks for your story... You're goal is actually the antithesis to mine. I respect your concept though. If you except that cars are disposable, and you only plan on keeping a vehicle for a few years, it is sensible to take your maintenance to the edge of acceptable. I'm sure you will easily be able to do this with a Protege - they are nice cars. Good Luck!

beethoven07

Good thought, I may just have to get myself a parts car. It would have to have nice paint though. I don't want an eye sore in my yard.

beethoven07

Your post was very informative - Thank you

You sound like you have a very reliable Camry. In almost 200k you have had no problems with the engine or transmission. It sounds like just the usual expected parts went bad.

Thanks for the tip on the transmission cooler. It has been mentioned to me before on this board.

Any advice on cooler types, where to mount them, any caveats, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Anyone out there using a cooler on a sedan?

beethoven07

Again, thanks for the information. I'm embarrassed to admit that in all my research (and believe me I've done years of it) I've never heard of a pre-oiler. I will look into this and keep you posted on what I decide.

This is a great example of why it is valuable for me to have this discussion board.

beethoven07

Got to go for now - I'll check in again later this evening. I plan to post my preventative maintenance program and my detailing program by this weekend at the latest. I'd love everyone's scrutiny and input on my plans. Perhaps I've overlooked something.

Any more comments on bypass filters, pre-oilers, transmission coolers, and my questions in post #44 would be great.

210delray

Thanks for the tip about brickboard.com for aging Volvos. Actually I have posted my problem there, but haven't yet been able to solve the stalling problem. I learned about the "biodegradable" wiring harnesses there, which seem to affect the '83s and '84s the most. My engine stalls regardless of its temperature, or ambient temp in the 20 to 60-degree range.

Based on my Volvo experience, I don't think there will be problem in obtaining parts for an '01 Camry. The Volvo 240's last model year was 1993, yet I have no trouble in obtaining parts for my 1980 model.

beethoven07

The fact that you have know problems finding parts four your 22 year old car that has been out of production for 9 years just confirms my thought that parts availability won't be much of an issue for my Camry in 22 years. I still may take wain's advice and pick up a parts car in 20 years though.

I wish you luck with your Volvo. It is frustrating I'm sure to have a seemingly simple problem that you can't find a resolution to. keep us posted if you figure things out.

beethoven07

excuse the grammatical error in my last post...

beethoven07

I plan to do the following service to the Camry this coming weekend:

1. Change engine oil and filter. I have been using Mobil 1 5w30 Synthetic oil and Mobil 1 oil filters. I think I may try the Amsoil oil and filter this time around.

2. I will replace the factory OEM air filter with an Amsoil foam type filter

3. I will replace the fuel filter

4. I will drain the transmission and differential fluid and replace with Amsoil Synthetic.

I've never used Amsoil before, but all my research indicates it is a logical choice. Are there any users out there?

Also, as aforementioned, I plan to drain and refill my ATF fluid. I realize by doing this that some of the old fluid will remain in the transmission. I plan to drain and refill every 10,000 miles for a while to ensure new fluid throughout. I will also drop the pan at 20,000 to clean the magnets and screen. Does this approach seem reasonable or should I pay to have a shop hook up the transmission dialysis machine? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Guess I'll sign out - I'll check back tomorrow at lunch.

adc100

I'm not sold on the idea. Radiator actually heats up the oil in winter which allows the transmission to operate better. Having cooler oil in winter may actually increase wear. I think that syn oil and no oil cooler may be the best solution-just don't know. Perhaps than again again the syn will flow good enough in winter with an oil cooler.

Dark oi-function of ring efficiency. One engine will come off of the assembly line with more efficient oil rings than its brother or vice versa. I think the darkness of the oil is related to the amount of oil the vehicle uses. That has been my experience over the last 40 years. Clean oil-vehicle does not use oil.

8u6hfd

I believe your came with either platinum plugs or dual ground copper plugs, both with 60k life.

Here's the expensive part: every 60k replace the distributor cap, rotor, & wires (if needed, anything over 25K-Ohm). Ditto to fuel filter (10,000 miles is too soon) and good luck with the first fuel filter change, so tight, as if someone welded it on.

Likewise, timing belt & accesory belts.

Every other timing belt change, include the water pump.

Get valve clearance adjusted every 60,000 miles (that's expensive labor)

Every year, pour a bottle of BG 44K and drive the car hard (to burn off the carbon)

Oil: Buy the oil analysis packs from Amsoil. If a extended interval is recommended, remember to change the oil filter every 5,000 miles.

Coolant: flush & fill every 5 years with OE Toyota Red, nothing else.

Brakes: TRD/Peformance Friction HP pads (carbon metallic). The OE pads are very soft, for less noise, but wear quickly. Every other year, flush the brake fluid.

That's all for now.

corey76

This truck still runs great, it hasn't needed any major mechanical work. As far as I know it only needed a water pump and alternator. There are some other issues though, the overdrive portion of the transmission no longer works, and the speaker paper has fizzled away. The doors all kinda creak and moan, and they have to be slammed to be shut all the way. My dad finally broke down and bought a new car last month, and gave this one to my 16 year old brother. Can you guess what he bought?

lancerfixer

hopefully will not equal this:

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/96024.htm

...and I know for a fact that '91 Astros don't have airbags.

andre1969

...pay no attention to those crash tests. As long as he runs into Kias and Hyundais and other small cars, he'll be fine! Just stay away from mature trees, bridge abuttments, and other immovable objects! ;-)

corey76

This truck still runs great, it hasn't needed any major mechanical work. As far as I know it only needed a water pump and alternator. There are some other issues though, the overdrive portion of the transmission no longer works, and the speaker paper has fizzled away. The doors all kinda creak and moan, and they have to be slammed to be shut all the way. My dad finally broke down and bought a new car last month, and gave this one to my 16 year old brother. Can you guess what he bought?

Mr_Shiftright

Good advice Andre, even for kids on tricycles.

Beethoven---I think your goal is commendable, but I don't see any way you will get 1 Mil miles out of any conventional car engine. You'd be in the 99th% percentile if you got to 300,000. They simply wear out.

I believe you can buy a mileage counter that attaches to the rear wheel somehow.

armtdm

Used Amsoil 10W30 in 92 Camry V6 since 1000 miles with Amsoil filter and oil analysis. Now have 140,000. Change oil and filter every 7,500. Uses about 28 ounces of oil in the 7,500 mile stretch, always used some but cannot remember how much back 7-8 years ago. . Tranny switched to Amsoil at 25,000 (drain and fill) and filter changed. Fluid (drain and fill only) done every 30,000 but have not changed the filter since the one at 25,000.

If I had to use gear oil though I would recommend RedLine, IMHO it works better then Amsoil.

By the way, IMHO OEM air filters are the best, not true of OIL (Amsoil, Mobil 1 and Pure One are better then OEM) but air filters, OEM only, I tried several, the foam ones eventually fall apart, a pain to clean and re-oil and do not filter any better based upon my oil analysis results.

lancerfixer

"Good advice Andre, even for kids on tricycles."

So it's OK for kids on tricycles to hit Hyundais and Kias?

richcolo

consider this: The oil cooler on my 1991 GMC Sierra just about cost me my engine. Specifically an o-ring in the adapter where the cooler lines originate at the engine got old and failed. It pumped put about 2 quarts of oil in 500 miles, which is the time between fill-ups. The sloppy winter roads covered up the drips on the garage floor, which were minimal anyway, because it only leaked when warm and under pressure. I pull the dipstick at every fuel fill, even though the truck uses less than 1 qt/4K miles. Finding the dipstick not touching oil when you expect it to be near the full mark is quite startling! The problem was easy enough to fix, but it could have been (nearly was) disastrous for the engine. Both the GMC (175,000 miles) and the 1988 Volvo 760 Turbo (185,000 miles) are now having problems with brittle seals. Also, the Asian-Warner automatic transmission on the Volvo is doing some strange things that make me think a decision about re-building/replacing or junking is coming soon.

Mr Shiftright, I know I don't have an astonishing total number of miles on the Volvo, but the Odometer still works fine, and I have absolutely complete service and repair records from the date and mileage of original purchase. (1.7 miles on 3/22/88 at Empire Volvo in Boulder, Colorado).

I think the choice of the Toyota is good. With the Volvo, the dealer is gone, parts are becoming a challenge and knowledgeable technicians are rare. The 760 (in 1988) has several differences from the much more common 740, and it is these specialized things that are becoming unobtainable or absurdly expensive. (Power seat parts and the hideously expensive Nivomat self leveling rear shocks...more than $500/pair at discounters!) I'm sure you will discover a few weaknesses in the Camery, but the large numbers will keep parts available while you learn what the problem areas are. You may have to step up the pace a bit though, to get there while parts are still available. I'll also put my name on the list of those who will be surprised if the transaxel goes the distance. I don't have a specific theory as to how it will fail, but 1,000,000 miles from an automatic without rebuild is too far from my personal experiences.

mrdetailer

All the more reason to use Lubegard IMHO.

beethoven07

Thanks for the tips on the oil / transmission coolers. Richcolo, I'm glad you didn't end up with engine seizure. Having to rebuild an engine due to a failed o ring in a cooler would have sent me over the edge.

Based on your input, and a conversation I had with a good local mechanic around town here, I don't think I will add a transmission cooler. The mechanic indicated that the radiator keeps the fluid pretty cool in the transmission already. I of course don't do any towing, so I don't think severe heat will be an issue for me.

My concern with adding too many contraptions in the name of 'increasing vehicle durability' lies within the durability of the contraptions themselves. If I add a pre-oiler, a bypass oil filtration system, a transmission cooler, etc., I'm opening myself up to the possibility of leaks and fluid bursts. This would counteract the good they would likely do for me in the first place. This said I'm still considering adding 'some' of these contraptions.

On a side note the mechanic I spoke with this morning indicated that he thought the Toyota Camry was by far and away the best vehicle on the market for long term durability, parts availability, and ease to work on. I asked him how he thought it compared to the Accord and he said from an engineering standpoint he felt the Camry was vastly superior. This surprised me as I've always thought very highly of Accords. Just his opinion of course. What are other types of cars (I've heard MB's D's and old Volvo's) do you think could make the distance?

beethoven07

Thanks for the tune up advice. Please check back this weekend as I plan to post my preventative maintenance plan - I'd love to hear your input.

If you don't mind, maybe you could expand a little bit on the brake work you've done. How much better are the TRD pads verses cost? Did you turn the rotors when you did your brake job? Did you flush the fluid yourself or have it done? Did you use any particular brand of fluid? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

beethoven07

Wow - I never new an Astro could go that type of distance. I agree though, I wouldn't want to be in it in a crash. Maybe your dad should by a Sienna when he retires the Astro.

andre1969 - funny about the Kia's... I know someone who had the misfortune of owning one of these cars. In fact I even drove it a couple times. She experienced nothing but the usual horror stories. Bad brakes and rotors before 20k, a bad battery shortly after, the lock fell out of the door, wipers quit working, I could go on and on... I won't mentioned how upside down she was on the loan when she finally traded it in on a new Corolla.

beethoven07

I'll email you a picture of me and the car when it rolls over 300,000 miles.

I know you're being realistic, but I hope your wrong for the sake of my endeavor.

Check back this weekend when I post my preventative maintenance plan and let me know what you think.

beethoven07

Thanks again for the post. I'm curious how often you did oil analysis and what the results were over the course of time? If you tried the Amsoil foam filter how long did it last - I thought they were supposed to have a lifetime warranty? Also... why do you feel Redline ATF would be a better choice. I'm getting ready to change the transmission fluid this weekend and would love to hear your thoughts.

Got to go for now.... I'll check in again tonight.

sgrd0q

beethoven07: Any thoughts on nice road trips - I obviously will need to take quite a few! I drive to Sedona, AZ at least once a year.

Boy! Driving for the sake of accumulating miles! Isn't that a little obsessive?

If you assume a truck driver doing 50mph for 8 hours, 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, it will take more than ten years to complete one million miles! That is a significant portion of ones life.

As far as I am concerned - I hope I never accumulate a million miles in my lifetime, let alone on one car. If it takes more than 10 minutes to get to my office I am moving - myself or the office! Long commute on a daily basis is such a waste of time.

Now if you enjoy some spirited driving once in a while - that's a different matter altogether. The key is to enjoy your car - drive it hard, and don't worry about every minor thing.

isellhondas

I'm sure I missed this, but how many miles do you drive in a year anyway?