Seven years is not a long time for a car. My family's last car was kept for almost 30 years. My aunt has never bought more than one car in her entire life -- a toyota camry. Man, if you toss out your car after seven years, you will end up buying almost seven cars(!!!) in your lifetime. That's insane.
I think the key point you left out is Finland. Long drives, harsh winters, and corrosive salt do a number on cars. 5 years is a long time for a Finnish commuter. It's not very long if you typically use it for Sunday family trips to the ice cream shop in Southern California, however.
