The average age of cars, pickups and sport utility vehicles still on the road has reached a record 10.8 years, up nearly half a year from 2010. Research firm R.L. Polk & Co. said the average age of the typical car has reached 11.1 years, up from 11 years in 2010. The average age of pickup trucks and SUVs rose from 10.1 to 10.4 years. There are 240.5 million cars, SUVs and light trucks on the nation’s roads. While an aging fleet indicates car owners are staying away from auto show rooms longer, automobile sales rose by 10.3% to 12.8 million vehicles in 2011 over 2010. A longer delay in replacing a car also means more work for repair shops and a larger demand for auto parts.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Automobiles Are Getting Older
The average age of cars, pickups and sport utility vehicles still on the road has reached a record 10.8 years, up nearly half a year from 2010. Research firm R.L. Polk & Co. said the average age of the typical car has reached 11.1 years, up from 11 years in 2010. The average age of pickup trucks and SUVs rose from 10.1 to 10.4 years. There are 240.5 million cars, SUVs and light trucks on the nation’s roads. While an aging fleet indicates car owners are staying away from auto show rooms longer, automobile sales rose by 10.3% to 12.8 million vehicles in 2011 over 2010. A longer delay in replacing a car also means more work for repair shops and a larger demand for auto parts.
