Not the GP, but I can answer. My current vehicle is 35 years old. Prior to that, I had a '00 Jeep Wrangler for 15 years. Before that was a selection of older vehicles: an '88 Toyota pickup (that I dearly miss...), a '97 Ford Ranger, a '99 Dodge Dakota, and a '98 Honda Accord.
I keep a small toolbox in my vehicle. It's mostly inexpensive hand tools, but I include a Milwaukee M18 Fuel impact and a set of sockets for it - super handy for changing tires.
In my 25 years of driving, I've broken down probably a dozen times total. Of those, only twice have I required a tow - and one of those was in my wife's Kia Sorento, which we bought new.
Easily 90% of the usage of the tools I carry ends up being on other people's vehicles. I can swap a wheel on the side of the road in <10m with a bottle jack and a battery-powered impact, with no real manual labor involved.
Other breakdowns I've had in the past were things like the serpentine belt breaking or a coolant hose coming loose. Those are five minute fixes if you have access to a parts store. When the belt snapped on my Jeep in the middle of the night on a trip a few years ago, I used an pair of my wife's leggings that she had packed to get us home. I just tied them by hand, bypassed all the non-essential stuff on the motor, and drove the ~50 miles back home to deal with it the next day.
The only time I have ever purchased a brand new vehicle was in 1987 (Mustang GT), 2000 (4Runner). Still have both and drive the 4Runner regularly. Every other vehicle (2007 Avalon, 2010 Venza, 2006 Lexus IS350) was purchased used and all are daily drivers. Since the 4Runner, my family only drives Toyota and that is a big part of why I can keep a vehicle for 350-500k. Most of the driving is highway miles, so that also helps.
I service my own vehicles and do a lot of preventative maintenance and inspect the condition of my vehicles regularly, it's become a hobby since I enjoy working on them. I adhere to a strict schedule of maintenance and inspection. Just flushing and filling fluids (Brake System, Transmission, Power steering, Rear Differential, Coolant and Oil) can greatly extend the life of the power train. I have never had a break down where I needed to call a tow truck, Each vehicle has a small jump pack in the trunk, alternators, batteries can be tested for signs of degradation, why wait until they fail, replacing worn parts before they cause further damage. I always try to rebuild the OEM part since it is of higher quality then the replacements, like an alternator or starter. If I do need to get a replacement, Rockauto carries many OEM parts. I just replaced the original water pump on the Avalon, it had 160k miles on it. The 4Runner has approx 350k miles on it and many of the parts (alternator, starter, etc are original.
Every vehicle comes with a service schedule. If you know nothing about maintaining or repairing a vehicle, follow what it suggests (it's in your glove box). It might cost more in the short term but save you more in the long term. A friend does that and his vehicles last forever and reach crazy millage (he drives a lot as a regional sales manager).
I keep a small toolbox in my vehicle. It's mostly inexpensive hand tools, but I include a Milwaukee M18 Fuel impact and a set of sockets for it - super handy for changing tires.
In my 25 years of driving, I've broken down probably a dozen times total. Of those, only twice have I required a tow - and one of those was in my wife's Kia Sorento, which we bought new.
Easily 90% of the usage of the tools I carry ends up being on other people's vehicles. I can swap a wheel on the side of the road in <10m with a bottle jack and a battery-powered impact, with no real manual labor involved.
Other breakdowns I've had in the past were things like the serpentine belt breaking or a coolant hose coming loose. Those are five minute fixes if you have access to a parts store. When the belt snapped on my Jeep in the middle of the night on a trip a few years ago, I used an pair of my wife's leggings that she had packed to get us home. I just tied them by hand, bypassed all the non-essential stuff on the motor, and drove the ~50 miles back home to deal with it the next day.