To think 12 years is old enough to change a car?

[toconclude]

Bought a secondhand Astra in 2013, it's coming up to its twelfth birthday and generally a bit battered and scruffy (neither DH nor I are careful parkers or frequent car hooverers/washers) with over 100K on the clock. I'm aiming to change it in the summer for another car around 3 years old, got a pension lump sum coming that should go most of the way.
OTOH it had new tyres just before Christmas and hasn't cost much MOT-wise over the years. Better the tat you know? A friend still drives her 18 year old Corsa...

If it’s in as good mechanical nick as you say someone will be happy to get it. Go for it!

It's neither reasonable nor unreasonable.
Will depend on your budget and your future plans and how much / what type of driving you do etc etc etc

My dd's Corsa is the same age as her (22) and has sailed through 3 or the last 4 MOTs.
OTOH some people feel their car is their "thing" and want something newer / flashier / more powerful / with more gimmick / etc every 3 years. Neither person is right or wrong, just different choices.

I mean, do what you like? I’m not really sure what you’re asking tbh.

Agree with the above poster. Not really sure what you are asking. If you can afford and want a new car then go for it. If you don't then keep your current car.

@JackietheFart

Thinking aloud really. And thinking of my friend's Corsa, and that technically we don't NEED to change it, as it still runs - we have historically only changed a car if it broke irreparably or was crunched by someone else (happened twice sadly)

And there's the whole environmental question. Obviously the greenest option is no car at all but with a widespread family that's tricky.

The 'environmental question' works both ways though.
On the one hand, newer cars tend to have cleaner emissions , but OTOH, it goes against my instincts to replace things that work perfectly well, as that is incredibly unfriendly to the environment.

I'd start looking for a good deal on a 3 year old car while your old car is still running rather than waiting until you need a replacement. Don't get bounced into a bad buy by desperation.
One of our cars is 15 years old but it's not our only car.

@BackforGood

Same here, usually. Obviously the older it gets the more chance that at the next MOT there will be a big bill, which is another consideration.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

That's another consideration, this is our only car.

Have I blinked and missed 4 years?

No, I've lost the ability to read - don't mind me!

It won't be going to the scrap yard in the sky though, so the environmental argument isn't a strong one. It will go on to be used by someone else until it is beyond economical repair, and then likely parts.
Agree with PPs it's personal choice. I tend to buy 3yo vehicles and run them until they die/are no longer worth fixing. DH buys 3yo vehicles and will change them every 3 or 4 yrs. Partly this is down to the rules of the car allowance he gets through his job (although he could keep them longer by just always being a bit slow to get around to upgrading. It's never chased), but mostly because the moment it needs anything more than a new tyre or wiper blade he deems it to be on it's last legs (🙄).
I recently sold on my 16yo van (was just under 3yo when bought) as it suddenly developed multiple issues that were fixable but would cost far more than its value if you needed to pay a mechanic to do it. I had a load of people messaging who were keen to buy it, so clearly many don't care about age (and like a project). I would still be happily owning it if it hadn't developed the faults, and by buying at £6k and selling for £350 it worked out as fantastic value over our 13+ yrs.