Diesel engines are capable of lasting for half a million miles, if not longer, mostly. Per my driving habit, you are right, my car could serve me for 30 years. Do I plan to drive it that long? Maybe because if it works great, why do I want to change it? The style has never been my real attention, I am comfortable with it for a long long time no problem, and I am aware that a style has a tendency of recycling back to where it started. If its paint is faded, I might repaint it for $1500, that's all.
Have you seen some Mercedes 300D produced in 70' or 80' running on the streets? Those are diesels and running strong. Do you feel they are out of fashion? I don't as I know the drivers of those cars are savvy, they have saved tons of money and they must be proud of their cars.
I have another one, a 86 MB 300SDL. It has 168kmi and already 22 years "young". You know what, it runs smooth and still like a champ. Have you ever heard people saying "once you drive a diesel, you'll never turn back to gas"? Only when you have a diesel, you'll understand why they say so. I am a true diesel believer.
Here is the car I am talking about:
