Can We Guess How Old Your Car Is?

By: Steven Miller

6 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Whether you just drove it off the lot or the odometer has ticked over the capacity to count, we think we can figure out how old your car is just from asking you the following questions.

How many oil changes has your vehicle had?

There's no way to really tell. More than can be counted.

Quite a few.
A handful, at the most.

It hasn't had an oil change yet.

How much modern technology came standard on your car?

It is loaded with all the latest gadgets.

It may not have the latest stuff, but it's all pretty modern.
If there is any, I had to add it myself.

Does a tape deck count as modern technology?

How much rust is there on your vehicle?

It has some pretty rusty sections, especially underneath the car.

I hope there isn't any yet. If there is, it would be very small.
I think there's some metal somewhere under that rust.

There is no rust anywhere on the vehicle.

What kind of mechanic do you have to go to?

It has to be someone with some specialized knowledge. They don't make them like this anymore.

I've only had to get the oil changed to this point.
I shouldn't have to go to a mechanic for quite a while.

I'm at the mechanics fairly regularly, but anyone can pretty much work on it.

Does your car still have a new car smell to it?

It's still there, but it's pretty faded now.

Maybe if I buy an air freshener.
Oh yeah. It still very much has that smell.

That smell is a long and faded memory in this beast.

How many digits is your odometer at?

Four or less.

It's maxed out on the numbers.
Five.

Six.

How far do you feel comfortable driving your car?

I just keep it close to home these days.

I still take it on trips, but it feels a bit risky.
I feel comfortable taking my car anywhere.

Until it's broken in, I try not to overdo it too much.

Is the original battery still in your car?

Dear Lord, I hope so.

Yes, absolutely.
I don't think it's original or the original is about to need changing.

The battery in there now is definitely not the original.

How faded are the headlights on your vehicle?

They're pretty cloudy.

They are very clear.
Light can barely get through those things.

They are perfect.

How do you play music in your ride?

Just the radio.

It has a wide range of options for playing music.
I use an app on my phone.

There's a tape deck or a CD player that I use.

What speed do you feel comfortable driving at in your car?

I don't worry too much about speed. It can handle it.

65 is about the max before there's significant rattling.
Pedal to the metal. This baby can fly.

I try to keep it below 55, otherwise something might shake loose.

How faded would you say the interior color is on your ride?

It's very crisp and has original colors.

It's hard to say what the original color of the interior actually was.
It's a little dirty, but the color is still all there.

It's definitely faded a few shades lighter than the original.

Have you ever changed the gear oil in your rear differential?

I've done this three or more times.

I've done this once or twice.
I've been told that this is something I will eventually need to do, but I'm far from having to do it.

No, and I can't imagine I will ever need to.

How many brake jobs have been done on your vehicle?

Just the original install. I have many, many miles before my first brake change.

I haven't had to do one yet.
The brakes have been changed a few times on it.

It's been done so many times that I've lost count.

How many sets of tires have you gone through on your car?

I've worn through a few sets at this point.

I'm still on the original tires, but they've got a bit of wear.
It's hard to say for sure, but it has been many sets of tires.

I'm on my first set and they are still brand new.

Is the original transmission still in the vehicle?

No. I'm at least on the second transmission on this car.

It's still original, but there is a bit of wear on it.
Absolutely. The transmission has very little wear on it.

I think it might be the original. It's definitely acting up a bit.

How well do you know your mechanic?

I'm just starting to do business with an oil change place.

We recognize each other by sight.
I don't have a mechanic.

We've become pretty close after all my time in that shop.

How well does your air conditioning work?

It works like a dream.

That hasn't worked right in years.
There's nothing wrong with it that I can tell.

It's starting to loose its cooling power.

How many times has your car overheated?

If I don't keep a close eye on things, it can definitely happen.

This has happened a time or two and I'm learning to keep an eye on my temperature gauge.
I haven't had an issue with this to this point.

That has never happened before and I don't see it being a problem anytime soon.

Does your car ever have difficulty turning over when you start it?

That is not a problem at all.

I haven't really run into this yet.
I have definitely had some troubles with this from time to time.

I usually say a prayer before I start the car.

Which is the most likely reaction that your friends would have to seeing your car?

How many miles does that thing have on it?

Looking good! What year is that?
Whoa! Is that thing safe?

Hot ride! Did you just get that?

Do they still manufacture your make and model?

They discontinued this model a long time ago.

Yes. There are newer versions of it, but the model is still going strong.
Absolutely. I happen to have the most recent version.

It's been a few years since they stopped making it.

How well would your car fit into a classic car show?

They would most likely ask me to leave.

There might be some minor interest in it, but it wouldn't qualify for classic status.
People might be interested in the latest model on the road.

It would fit right in at a classic car show.

How much of the original value has your vehicle maintained?

It still holds most of its original value.

I might be able to get some money from the scrap yard.
It's lost a bit of the original value, but it's still worth a lot.

It's lost most of its original value.

How "cool" is your ride?

It might actually be coming back into style.

It's about as far from cool and hip as you can be.
There is cooler stuff out there, but it's still pretty hip.

It's an extremely cool car. It turns a lot of heads.

What fad was going on when your car was made?

Autonomous cars.

Smartphone apps.
Boy bands.

Hula hoops.

What music was first blaring in your vehicle?

Hip hop.

Alternative.
Motown.

Pop.

Can a computer analyze the performance of your vehicle?

A computer would be useless with my ride.

I'm pretty sure you can plug in and find out pretty much anything you want.
Absolutely. Everything in the vehicle can be diagnosed by computer.

It might be able to get some basic info.

How hard is it to get parts for your vehicle?

I should have no issues whatsoever.

Sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge.
I shouldn't have to find out for a while, but it will be no problem.

I have to special order them.

Is the original engine still in your vehicle?

Yeah. I'm just breaking it in.

Nope. This is at least the second engine.
It's got a few miles on it, but it's still original.

It's got a ton of miles on it, but it's still plugging along.

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