Automaker Saab announced recently that it would give a free car to any original U.S. Saab owner who drives the car 1 million miles or more. Spurring the challenge were Wisconsin insurance salesman Peter Gilbert and his 1989 Edwardian Gray Saab 900 SPG, whose odometer not long ago clicked over to six zeros.
His car, now in a museum, still has its original engine and turbocharger.
That's impressive, but he can't touch retired New York schoolteacher Irv Gordon, who's in Guinness World Records for having driven more than 2.5 million miles in his cherry-red 1966 Volvo P1800.
Though stories such as Gilbert's and Gordon's happen once in a blue moon, people who drive their cars for several hundred thousand miles today aren't so unusual. And they're not all devotees of Swedish iron.
Virtually every marque -- Chrysler, Honda, Chevrolet, even Miata -- has a not-so-underground community that's just as proud of the car at 500,000 miles as when it was new, maybe even more. (Mercedes and Volvo hand out grille badges and window stickers.) And their secrets range from the mundane to the downright mystic.
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"Days past, 100,000 miles was usually the average life of a car," says John Ibbotson, a workshop supervisor who's in charge of vehicles that are tested for Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center in Connecticut, referring to vehicles from the 1950s to 1970s.
"At 100,000 miles, we were into major engine and transmission rebuilding," Ibbotson says. "Cars in the '90s, it was 140,000, 150,000 miles."
The U.S. Department of Transportation reports the average life span of a vehicle is 12 years, or about 128,500 miles. But that could be low simply because people don't maintain them, Ibbotson says. "If you bought a car today, there shouldn't be any problem with that car going 200,000 miles," he says.
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Ibbotson's tips:
Read the book. "The biggest key is doing the maintenance that's in the owner's manual," he says. Simply stick to that schedule. But amazingly, he says, "very few people read the owner's manual."
Clean me. Don't let road salt build up on a car if you're in a state where you have to worry about that. It'll rust the car's body.
Money isn't the answer. Not every service will prolong your car's life. "Some dealers offer fuel-injection cleaning (for example). It's not necessary," Ibbotson says.
Pray for luck. "There is some level of luck" whether you get a car that lasts forever, Ibbotson says. He recalls his father recently sold a 1995 truck with 200,000 miles, and it was in good shape even though he had done almost "absolutely nothing" to it. Meanwhile, a friend has a newer truck of the same model, same body style, with only 65,000 miles, "and that vehicle has had much more maintenance done."
A fascination with Festivas
Suzanne Mitchell and her tiny 1992 Ford Festiva L have had quite the love affair. "We bought it when we left (New York City) and moved to the suburbs," says Mitchell, who lives in Rockland County, N.Y. She started using the Festiva to commute to her job as a TV producer. The years, and the miles, rolled by.
Today the Festiva has about 250,000 miles -- not bad for a car that cost her $5,600 new.
So much does Mitchell love this car that when the odometer approached 200,000 miles she threw a "Fiesta for the Festiva," complete with margaritas, Mexican food and a piñata filled with toy cars. About 10 people jammed into the Festiva -- including a cameraman -- to watch the odometer turn over.
Why does Mitchell adore it so? It isn't because it's beautiful. In fact, it's runty, stripped-down and tinny. But others love the Festiva, too: "I could be driving in a Bentley Continental GT, and nobody would care where I got it," Mitchell says. Yet several times each year people leave notes on the Festiva asking if she wants to sell it. "Not only notes -- but people will signal me or give me the thumbs up," she says.
"It's just incredibly, highly efficient," Mitchell says, explaining that a fill-up costs only about $15 and that the car still gets in the "high 30s" for gas mileage. "It's perfect for the city" -- shorter than her family's Mini Cooper by 4 inches, she says, yet there's more interior room than the Mini.
What has she done to keep it going? "Nothing. We repair a little rust. And I swear I've only done oil changes. And we recently put a strut in. But anybody would have to do that for a car that old." The car has never been garaged, either. It helps that the car gets mostly highway miles, Mitchell adds.
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Her advice:
Change that oil. "My husband completely disagrees with me, but I change the oil religiously every 3,000 miles; hey, it works for me." (Other experts say to stick to the oil-change regimen prescribed by the owner's manual, whatever that is.)
Think simple. An inexpensive car like the Festiva has almost no electronics -- and therefore less that can send it to the mechanic, says Mitchell. Unfortunately, they don't make them much like that anymore.
Sticking with his Saturn
Duane Delegan isn't shy about it: He's frugal. Superfrugal. Growing up, when the family was "really, really poor," the Chicago-area man even recalls lending his parents money from his piggy bank.
So when Delegan buys a car, he makes it last. In 1994, Delegan splurged and bought a new four-cylinder Saturn SC2 for $14,000. About 390,000 miles later, the Saturn is still rolling. What's his secret?
Delegan says he once read about a short-haul railroad company that saved huge amounts on maintenance by not pushing its trains beyond 80% of their limits because the top 20% of speed was where of the 80% of the wear and tear occurred.
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He took the lesson to heart. He rarely if ever goes faster than 60 mph, instead settling in behind a slow-moving tractor-trailer on the highway. "If you slow down on the expressways, you get in less accidents, you get less speeding tickets. . . . You get better gas mileage," says Delegan, who now lives in a rural area near Chicago but has put both city and country miles on his car. "I just checked it the other day, and I still get 36 miles to the gallon."
The Saturn has required very little: an alternator, some tires. "I think I had to replace the rear wheel bearing once, but other than that it's been OK." Every other time he fuels up, however, Delegan now has to add a quart of oil. The fact that a car like the Saturn has a plastic exterior has saved it from much rust, he adds.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
KEEPING YOUR CAR RUNNING
Make your car last 500,000 KM
*****************************
Small, routine steps taken throughout your vehicle's lifetime can save you headaches and a lot of money in the long run. Here's how to get the most out of your car.
The interior door handles are held together with Krazy Glue. The gas gauge hasn't worked in at least 20,000 miles. It's got dings and dents. But the old beast still runs -- and reliably so.
Not everyone wants to drive a car that just clicked over the 250,000-mile mark, as our 1993 Ford Explorer has. But most of us can, since today's vehicles are better built than ever and can easily surpass 200,000 miles with regular maintenance (for more details, see "Cars that last a million miles").
Keeping an older car can save a ton of money. In my book "Deal With Your Debt," I figured that owning cars for 10 years instead of five could save the typical person a quarter-million dollars over a lifetime. Hanging on to your cars longer means:
Fewer car payments. Unless you take out a ridiculously long loan, you can be payment-free after four or five years. If you take care of the car, any repairs you'll need are likely to cost far less than you'd shell out in payments for another vehicle. (Our repair costs for this car for the past eight years, including a transmission rebuild and valve replacement, average out to about $83 a month.)
Lower insurance costs. Premiums tend to drop pretty steadily as your car ages. You can save even more by dropping collision and comprehensive coverage when your total premium exceeds 10% of the car's fair market value (see "Dump the insurance on your clunker"). Our annual premium for this car is just $373 -- about $31 a month -- and that's in Los Angeles, known for having pretty high insurance costs.
Time to save for the next car. Every month you can put off replacing a vehicle is another month in which you can build up your down payment for the next car. Put off the replacement long enough.
So making your vehicle last as long as possible is clearly a smart move. That's particularly true now as the economy slows. It's not a great time to be adding a big expense like a car payment, as much as automakers would love you to do so.
You snooze, you lose
How do you get the most out of your car? Here's what we did, based on advice from car experts:
Follow the maintenance schedule. Duh, right? Except many people don't, and this is where a few hundred bucks' worth of prevention each year can stave off thousands in repairs. Your owners manual details what you should do when, but you can also keep track online -- plus get reminders of upcoming services, safety recalls and even a running trade-in value -- with MSN Autos' My Car feature. You should budget $500 to $1,000 a year or more for these expenses, depending on the age and type of car; Edmunds.com's True Cost to Own calculator can give you an estimate of typical annual maintenance costs for most cars.
Also, keep a file of everything you've done to and for your car. Not only does that help you track when maintenance is due, but having the records can help with resale value.
Be alert for recalls. My Car allows you to print out recall notices for your car. You typically can take these notices to your local dealership and get the defects fixed for free.
If you're in the market for a new car, one of your first decisions will be whether to buy or lease. Which is the better option? Here's a look at the math.
Take it easy on the engine, Part I. I advocate buying used cars to save money, but one nice thing about owning a car from the start is that you get to be in charge of the break-in period, the first 1,000 miles or so a car runs. Keeping your speed below 55 mph and avoiding idling for long periods in these critical first miles can help prolong the engine's life. Even afterward, it helps to avoid jackrabbit starts and racing the engine while it's idling. You can reduce wear and tear even more by bunching your errands into fewer trips, since most of the damage done to an engine happens its first few minutes of operation.
Take it easy on the engine, Part II. Avoid towing or carrying heavy loads. The Explorer has a tow package, but we've used it only a handful of times to pull a trailer with light loads. If something bigger needs moving, we rent a truck. If you do tow heavy stuff, you can try to offset the strain by changing the oil and transmission fluid more often (your owners manual will offer suggestions), but we'd rather put that kind of stress on someone else's engine.
Be diligent about oil changes. I've been known to go a couple years without a physical, and I occasionally forget to floss, but I'm pretty conscientious about getting the oil changed. The owners manual says to do it every 7,500 miles or six months under normal conditions, or 3,000 miles or three months under "unique driving conditions," such as towing, frequent short trips in freezing weather, stop-and-go driving in hot weather or driving through dust storms.
As the car has aged and I drive less, I've adopted a "3,000 miles or six months, whichever comes first" schedule. Usually, it's the six months that comes first. I also use synthetic oil, which is probably overkill, but it gives me peace of mind.
With every oil change, check the fluids, belts, tire tread and hoses. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, these chores add just a few minutes to the job. If you're paying somebody else, these inspections may be included, or you can pay a few bucks extra to have them done (our mechanic charges $12 for a thorough check).
I have to say I'm not much of a fan of the chain oil-change places; the only time my Explorer ever stranded me was the year I tried to save money by using one of these outfits, and it failed to notice a belt that was about to break. Now I stick with a mechanic I know and trust (more on that later).
Have a fill-up routine. Pop the hood and check your oil. While you're there, wipe the battery clean with a damp towel and check for corrosion, cracks or bulges. Once you're done, check your tire pressure. (Use a digital gauge, which is more accurate; you can find them for $10 to $20. I found one that talks, which is completely unnecessary but kind of cool.) You don't have to do this every single fill-up, but shoot for every other time.
Find a good mechanic or become one. Our current mechanic won our hearts by scoffing when we suggested fixing the gas gauge. It was an expensive repair, he explained, and unnecessary if we just reset the trip odometer at every fill-up. When the trip odometer nears 200 miles, we head for a gas station. We trust him to let us know when a repair is necessary or smart, and his fees are reasonable (the My Car feature has a calculator to help you check these things).
Don't keep up with the Joneses
Do a walk-around. While studying for my pilot's license, I was taught to do a "walk-around" -- a careful inspection of plane's exterior to look for potential problems -- before climbing in the cockpit. Doing the same with the Explorer has helped me spot flat tires, fluid leaks and the SpongeBob SquarePants stickers my daughter likes to sneak onto every possible surface. A simple walk-around also can help you avoid running over anything that's been left behind your car, from someone's bike to (heaven forbid) someone's kid.
Drive defensively. Your car will never be the same after it's been in a major accident, and its useful life can be shortened significantly (assuming it's not already totaled). So slow down, expect other drivers to be idiots, and don't be one yourself. That means hang up and drive.
Keep it clean and waxed. I'm less meticulous about this than my husband was when this was his primary car, but regularly clearing off the grime helps protect the exterior, as does a regular paste wax (as soon as water stops beading on the paint, it's time to wax again). If you live in a cold-weather climate, it's important to regularly sluice off the road salt, sand and slush to prevent rust and other damage.
Know when to fold. Consumer Reports says you should ditch a car when the cost of a repair exceeds its fair market value. We haven't gotten there yet, but my bright line for retiring this car will be when I can no longer trust it to get me from Point A to Point B. If one repair follows another, maybe it is better to bail, but it takes a lot of repairs to outweigh the cost of car payments (or the interest we'd lose by using savings to pay cash for the next car).
If you're in the market for a new car, one of your first decisions will be whether to buy or lease. Which is the better option? Here's a look at the math.
Refuse to care what other people think. I'm convinced that many, if not most, cars are traded in before their time simply because people become embarrassed about driving them. I've chosen to turn that thinking on its head by taking perverse pride in showing up with the oldest car at any restaurant, preschool party or local event I attend. My motto: "Laugh all you want. It's paid for. Is yours?"
Any other high-mileage drivers out there with tips for keeping your ride running? Share them on the Your Money message board.
With every oil change, check the fluids, belts, tire tread and hoses. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, these chores add just a few minutes to the job. If you're paying somebody else, these inspections may be included, or you can pay a few bucks extra to have them done (our mechanic charges $12 for a thorough check).
I have to say I'm not much of a fan of the chain oil-change places; the only time my Explorer ever stranded me was the year I tried to save money by using one of these outfits, and it failed to notice a belt that was about to break. Now I stick with a mechanic I know and trust (more on that later).
Have a fill-up routine. Pop the hood and check your oil. While you're there, wipe the battery clean with a damp towel and check for corrosion, cracks or bulges. Once you're done, check your tire pressure. (Use a digital gauge, which is more accurate; you can find them for $10 to $20. I found one that talks, which is completely unnecessary but kind of cool.) You don't have to do this every single fill-up, but shoot for every other time.
Find a good mechanic or become one. Our current mechanic won our hearts by scoffing when we suggested fixing the gas gauge. It was an expensive repair, he explained, and unnecessary if we just reset the trip odometer at every fill-up. When the trip odometer nears 200 miles, we head for a gas station. We trust him to let us know when a repair is necessary or smart, and his fees are reasonable (the My Car feature has a calculator to help you check these things).
Don't keep up with the Joneses
Do a walk-around. While studying for my pilot's license, I was taught to do a "walk-around" -- a careful inspection of plane's exterior to look for potential problems -- before climbing in the cockpit. Doing the same with the Explorer has helped me spot flat tires, fluid leaks and the SpongeBob SquarePants stickers my daughter likes to sneak onto every possible surface. A simple walk-around also can help you avoid running over anything that's been left behind your car, from someone's bike to (heaven forbid) someone's kid.
Drive defensively. Your car will never be the same after it's been in a major accident, and its useful life can be shortened significantly (assuming it's not already totaled). So slow down, expect other drivers to be idiots, and don't be one yourself. That means hang up and drive.
Keep it clean and waxed. I'm less meticulous about this than my husband was when this was his primary car, but regularly clearing off the grime helps protect the exterior, as does a regular paste wax (as soon as water stops beading on the paint, it's time to wax again). If you live in a cold-weather climate, it's important to regularly sluice off the road salt, sand and slush to prevent rust and other damage.
Know when to fold. Consumer Reports says you should ditch a car when the cost of a repair exceeds its fair market value. We haven't gotten there yet, but my bright line for retiring this car will be when I can no longer trust it to get me from Point A to Point B. If one repair follows another, maybe it is better to bail, but it takes a lot of repairs to outweigh the cost of car payments (or the interest we'd lose by using savings to pay cash for the next car).
If you're in the market for a new car, one of your first decisions will be whether to buy or lease. Which is the better option? Here's a look at the math.
Refuse to care what other people think. I'm convinced that many, if not most, cars are traded in before their time simply because people become embarrassed about driving them. I've chosen to turn that thinking on its head by taking perverse pride in showing up with the oldest car at any restaurant, preschool party or local event I attend. My motto: "Laugh all you want. It's paid for. Is yours?"
Any other high-mileage drivers out there with tips for keeping your ride running? Share them on the Your Money message board.
*****************************
Small, routine steps taken throughout your vehicle's lifetime can save you headaches and a lot of money in the long run. Here's how to get the most out of your car.
The interior door handles are held together with Krazy Glue. The gas gauge hasn't worked in at least 20,000 miles. It's got dings and dents. But the old beast still runs -- and reliably so.
Not everyone wants to drive a car that just clicked over the 250,000-mile mark, as our 1993 Ford Explorer has. But most of us can, since today's vehicles are better built than ever and can easily surpass 200,000 miles with regular maintenance (for more details, see "Cars that last a million miles").
Keeping an older car can save a ton of money. In my book "Deal With Your Debt," I figured that owning cars for 10 years instead of five could save the typical person a quarter-million dollars over a lifetime. Hanging on to your cars longer means:
Fewer car payments. Unless you take out a ridiculously long loan, you can be payment-free after four or five years. If you take care of the car, any repairs you'll need are likely to cost far less than you'd shell out in payments for another vehicle. (Our repair costs for this car for the past eight years, including a transmission rebuild and valve replacement, average out to about $83 a month.)
Lower insurance costs. Premiums tend to drop pretty steadily as your car ages. You can save even more by dropping collision and comprehensive coverage when your total premium exceeds 10% of the car's fair market value (see "Dump the insurance on your clunker"). Our annual premium for this car is just $373 -- about $31 a month -- and that's in Los Angeles, known for having pretty high insurance costs.
Time to save for the next car. Every month you can put off replacing a vehicle is another month in which you can build up your down payment for the next car. Put off the replacement long enough.
So making your vehicle last as long as possible is clearly a smart move. That's particularly true now as the economy slows. It's not a great time to be adding a big expense like a car payment, as much as automakers would love you to do so.
You snooze, you lose
How do you get the most out of your car? Here's what we did, based on advice from car experts:
Follow the maintenance schedule. Duh, right? Except many people don't, and this is where a few hundred bucks' worth of prevention each year can stave off thousands in repairs. Your owners manual details what you should do when, but you can also keep track online -- plus get reminders of upcoming services, safety recalls and even a running trade-in value -- with MSN Autos' My Car feature. You should budget $500 to $1,000 a year or more for these expenses, depending on the age and type of car; Edmunds.com's True Cost to Own calculator can give you an estimate of typical annual maintenance costs for most cars.
Also, keep a file of everything you've done to and for your car. Not only does that help you track when maintenance is due, but having the records can help with resale value.
Be alert for recalls. My Car allows you to print out recall notices for your car. You typically can take these notices to your local dealership and get the defects fixed for free.
If you're in the market for a new car, one of your first decisions will be whether to buy or lease. Which is the better option? Here's a look at the math.
Take it easy on the engine, Part I. I advocate buying used cars to save money, but one nice thing about owning a car from the start is that you get to be in charge of the break-in period, the first 1,000 miles or so a car runs. Keeping your speed below 55 mph and avoiding idling for long periods in these critical first miles can help prolong the engine's life. Even afterward, it helps to avoid jackrabbit starts and racing the engine while it's idling. You can reduce wear and tear even more by bunching your errands into fewer trips, since most of the damage done to an engine happens its first few minutes of operation.
Take it easy on the engine, Part II. Avoid towing or carrying heavy loads. The Explorer has a tow package, but we've used it only a handful of times to pull a trailer with light loads. If something bigger needs moving, we rent a truck. If you do tow heavy stuff, you can try to offset the strain by changing the oil and transmission fluid more often (your owners manual will offer suggestions), but we'd rather put that kind of stress on someone else's engine.
Be diligent about oil changes. I've been known to go a couple years without a physical, and I occasionally forget to floss, but I'm pretty conscientious about getting the oil changed. The owners manual says to do it every 7,500 miles or six months under normal conditions, or 3,000 miles or three months under "unique driving conditions," such as towing, frequent short trips in freezing weather, stop-and-go driving in hot weather or driving through dust storms.
As the car has aged and I drive less, I've adopted a "3,000 miles or six months, whichever comes first" schedule. Usually, it's the six months that comes first. I also use synthetic oil, which is probably overkill, but it gives me peace of mind.
With every oil change, check the fluids, belts, tire tread and hoses. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, these chores add just a few minutes to the job. If you're paying somebody else, these inspections may be included, or you can pay a few bucks extra to have them done (our mechanic charges $12 for a thorough check).
I have to say I'm not much of a fan of the chain oil-change places; the only time my Explorer ever stranded me was the year I tried to save money by using one of these outfits, and it failed to notice a belt that was about to break. Now I stick with a mechanic I know and trust (more on that later).
Have a fill-up routine. Pop the hood and check your oil. While you're there, wipe the battery clean with a damp towel and check for corrosion, cracks or bulges. Once you're done, check your tire pressure. (Use a digital gauge, which is more accurate; you can find them for $10 to $20. I found one that talks, which is completely unnecessary but kind of cool.) You don't have to do this every single fill-up, but shoot for every other time.
Find a good mechanic or become one. Our current mechanic won our hearts by scoffing when we suggested fixing the gas gauge. It was an expensive repair, he explained, and unnecessary if we just reset the trip odometer at every fill-up. When the trip odometer nears 200 miles, we head for a gas station. We trust him to let us know when a repair is necessary or smart, and his fees are reasonable (the My Car feature has a calculator to help you check these things).
Don't keep up with the Joneses
Do a walk-around. While studying for my pilot's license, I was taught to do a "walk-around" -- a careful inspection of plane's exterior to look for potential problems -- before climbing in the cockpit. Doing the same with the Explorer has helped me spot flat tires, fluid leaks and the SpongeBob SquarePants stickers my daughter likes to sneak onto every possible surface. A simple walk-around also can help you avoid running over anything that's been left behind your car, from someone's bike to (heaven forbid) someone's kid.
Drive defensively. Your car will never be the same after it's been in a major accident, and its useful life can be shortened significantly (assuming it's not already totaled). So slow down, expect other drivers to be idiots, and don't be one yourself. That means hang up and drive.
Keep it clean and waxed. I'm less meticulous about this than my husband was when this was his primary car, but regularly clearing off the grime helps protect the exterior, as does a regular paste wax (as soon as water stops beading on the paint, it's time to wax again). If you live in a cold-weather climate, it's important to regularly sluice off the road salt, sand and slush to prevent rust and other damage.
Know when to fold. Consumer Reports says you should ditch a car when the cost of a repair exceeds its fair market value. We haven't gotten there yet, but my bright line for retiring this car will be when I can no longer trust it to get me from Point A to Point B. If one repair follows another, maybe it is better to bail, but it takes a lot of repairs to outweigh the cost of car payments (or the interest we'd lose by using savings to pay cash for the next car).
If you're in the market for a new car, one of your first decisions will be whether to buy or lease. Which is the better option? Here's a look at the math.
Refuse to care what other people think. I'm convinced that many, if not most, cars are traded in before their time simply because people become embarrassed about driving them. I've chosen to turn that thinking on its head by taking perverse pride in showing up with the oldest car at any restaurant, preschool party or local event I attend. My motto: "Laugh all you want. It's paid for. Is yours?"
Any other high-mileage drivers out there with tips for keeping your ride running? Share them on the Your Money message board.
With every oil change, check the fluids, belts, tire tread and hoses. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, these chores add just a few minutes to the job. If you're paying somebody else, these inspections may be included, or you can pay a few bucks extra to have them done (our mechanic charges $12 for a thorough check).
I have to say I'm not much of a fan of the chain oil-change places; the only time my Explorer ever stranded me was the year I tried to save money by using one of these outfits, and it failed to notice a belt that was about to break. Now I stick with a mechanic I know and trust (more on that later).
Have a fill-up routine. Pop the hood and check your oil. While you're there, wipe the battery clean with a damp towel and check for corrosion, cracks or bulges. Once you're done, check your tire pressure. (Use a digital gauge, which is more accurate; you can find them for $10 to $20. I found one that talks, which is completely unnecessary but kind of cool.) You don't have to do this every single fill-up, but shoot for every other time.
Find a good mechanic or become one. Our current mechanic won our hearts by scoffing when we suggested fixing the gas gauge. It was an expensive repair, he explained, and unnecessary if we just reset the trip odometer at every fill-up. When the trip odometer nears 200 miles, we head for a gas station. We trust him to let us know when a repair is necessary or smart, and his fees are reasonable (the My Car feature has a calculator to help you check these things).
Don't keep up with the Joneses
Do a walk-around. While studying for my pilot's license, I was taught to do a "walk-around" -- a careful inspection of plane's exterior to look for potential problems -- before climbing in the cockpit. Doing the same with the Explorer has helped me spot flat tires, fluid leaks and the SpongeBob SquarePants stickers my daughter likes to sneak onto every possible surface. A simple walk-around also can help you avoid running over anything that's been left behind your car, from someone's bike to (heaven forbid) someone's kid.
Drive defensively. Your car will never be the same after it's been in a major accident, and its useful life can be shortened significantly (assuming it's not already totaled). So slow down, expect other drivers to be idiots, and don't be one yourself. That means hang up and drive.
Keep it clean and waxed. I'm less meticulous about this than my husband was when this was his primary car, but regularly clearing off the grime helps protect the exterior, as does a regular paste wax (as soon as water stops beading on the paint, it's time to wax again). If you live in a cold-weather climate, it's important to regularly sluice off the road salt, sand and slush to prevent rust and other damage.
Know when to fold. Consumer Reports says you should ditch a car when the cost of a repair exceeds its fair market value. We haven't gotten there yet, but my bright line for retiring this car will be when I can no longer trust it to get me from Point A to Point B. If one repair follows another, maybe it is better to bail, but it takes a lot of repairs to outweigh the cost of car payments (or the interest we'd lose by using savings to pay cash for the next car).
If you're in the market for a new car, one of your first decisions will be whether to buy or lease. Which is the better option? Here's a look at the math.
Refuse to care what other people think. I'm convinced that many, if not most, cars are traded in before their time simply because people become embarrassed about driving them. I've chosen to turn that thinking on its head by taking perverse pride in showing up with the oldest car at any restaurant, preschool party or local event I attend. My motto: "Laugh all you want. It's paid for. Is yours?"
Any other high-mileage drivers out there with tips for keeping your ride running? Share them on the Your Money message board.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
AUTO WORLD
Welcome to our blog www.Bcautoworld.blogspot.com,The idea behind this blog is to
Provide a Neutral point on the web to sell,buy,exchange,finance,lease and trade in
Vehicles in British Columbia with professional approach and excellent customer service.
Provide a Neutral point on the web to sell,buy,exchange,finance,lease and trade in
Vehicles in British Columbia with professional approach and excellent customer service.
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