On average, according to research from IHS Markit, people are keeping their cars an average of 11.9 years, an entire month longer than in 2020. The average person does not keep their current car for much longer than 10 years, although a report in "Car and Driver" notes that people are keeping their vehicles longer now than in years past. Highway miles are usually better than stop-and-go city miles, and a car that doesn't get driven as much will have less mileage on it. A temperate climate is better than an extremely hot or cold one, while a garaged vehicle typically wears better than one kept outside. Similarly, in terms of other factors, some conditions are better than others. Still, there's no doubt that certain cars like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have reputations of being reliable, long-lasting vehicles and tend to come with higher resale values. Any vehicle that is well maintained stands a good chance of having a long life. Several things affect how long your car will last, including the environment you live in, the driving conditions, weather, whether it's in a garage or outside, how many and what type of miles you drive, how well it's maintained and, to an extent, the type of car it is. If you're asking, "How long should I keep my car?" it can be helpful to think about the factors that go into your vehicle's longevity.
All of these could determine whether it's time to go car shopping. But even the most reliable makes and models of cars can eventually develop significant problems that are expensive to fix.
Modern vehicles are generally made to last longer than vehicles in the past, and there are some makes like Honda and Toyota that are well-known for going the distance. And although the answer may be partially subjective, the truth is that whether to keep your car or not depends partially on the vehicle in question and partly on you. Every vehicle owner faces a choice at some point to get rid of their existing car.