Americans are more hesitant than ever before when it comes to deciding to throw away their old autos and upgrade to a new one.

A new study shows that the average age of cars being driven on America’s highways has climbed to 10.8 years, a record. Last year the age of the average vehicle was slightly less, 10.6 years old. Back in 2008, 10 years was the average age for cars in the US.

The research firm of Polk, which specializes in automotive research, affirmed these figures.

Since 2008 the average age of America’s cars has been on the rise, but last year’s rebound in car sales will most likely slow the auto’s aging rate, according to Polk. Last year auto manufacturers sold 12.8 million cars in the US, a rise from 11.6 million in 2010. The expectation of experts on auto sales is that the buying trend will continue to rise in 2012.