I love a great story about someone who gets all the “goody” out of something before they replace it. I’ve found that many people who drive a car until the wheels fall off also tend to be well-situated financially.
I don’t believe that is a coincidence.
One of my favorites comes from my friend Bob Miller, a real estate broker who owns Millshire Realty in Lakeland. I’ve followed with excitement Bob’s Facebook saga of “Foxy Flex” for years.
He and his wife, Lisa, bought the 2011 Ford Flex when it was six months old with 6,000 miles on it. Lisa drove the car for years and when she attempted to trade in Foxy Flex for her dream car, the dealership offered her $500.
“The car had cold air, so we kept it and I started driving it,” Bob said. “I drove it all over the place.”
Bob circles the county daily, so the miles racked up. He made repairs as needed and even had the seats reupholstered.
Eventually, his teenage daughter, Evie, “couldn’t stand the car anymore,” Bob said. “It was showing some wear but ran great.”
However, Bob wanted to put 320,000 miles on it. Doing so would break his previous record of 318,000 miles on a 1988 Ford Festiva he purchased brand new.
Bob bought a new vehicle but much to Evie’s chagrin, he parked it and continued to drive Foxy Flex until he reached his goal. At 326,000 miles, he finally threw in the towel.
A Gift That Keeps on Giving
Now here’s where the story gets even better. Bob gave Foxy Flex to a family who needed it. They drove it for a year before moving out of state.
The husband told Bob that the car had been a true blessing for his family, and it helped get them back on their feet.
“Do you know someone else who could use it?” he asked Bob.
He did. He gave Foxy Flex to a man who had been biking to work for the past year with this caveat: “If you ever get back on your feet, you must return the car and I’ll give it to someone else who could use it.”
Today Foxy Flex has 338,000 miles on it and still runs strong.
“I’d drive it to California today,” Bob said.
Bob Isn’t the Anomaly I Thought He Was
I asked my friends on Facebook recently, “Who has a vehicle that you personally have put 200,000+ miles on?
I was shocked by the comments.
- Ron has 270,000 miles on his 2002 Chevy Tahoe.
- Suzanne has put at least 250,000 miles each on four vehicles.
- All of Jeni’s Chevys and GMCs have 400,000 or more miles on them.
- Ashley and Matt bought a Toyota with 200,000 miles on it for $600 and doubled the mileage before trading it in.
- Mike’s 2010 Ford has 318,000 miles and it’s still running strong.
I also have a story of truck longevity. Although I didn’t put all the miles on it myself, I was given my daddy’s Dodge 3500 that he bought new in 1999. Today it has 263,000 miles on it and runs like a champ.
What Does Dave Say about Cars and Millionaires?
I came across Dave Ramsey’s post recently about the top five vehicle makes driven by millionaires:
- Toyota
- Honda
- Ford
- Lexus
- Subaru
Not all of those makes are luxury cars.
“They’re cars that make sense,” Ramsey said. “Millionaires understand the difference between looking rich and being rich.”
To all of you drivers of high-mileage vehicles, I salute you, and I admire your desire to get all the value out of something before replacing it. You are an inspiration.
March 2025
