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February 27, 2022
Spring is a peak season for vehicle sales; companies aggressively market new models and offer all sorts of incentives. So you may be tempted to buy a shiny new beauty. But should you?
If you've regularly maintained the vehicle you're driving now, you probably don't NEED a new one. Even if your current one needs some repairs, how do those costs compare to what you'd spend on a new vehicle?
A brand new vehicle starts to depreciate the second you drive it off the lot. How much? Experts say you'll lose half of its value during the first 5 years of owning a new vehicle. So if you pay $30,000 for a new one, you'll lose $15,000 in 5 years. That's a lot.
If you have paid off your current vehicle, think of having to start making car payments again. Let's say your new payment would be $350 a month. Bet you can think of a lot of things you can buy with an extra $350 a month.
Many considering a new vehicle don't factor how much their insurance and license tag fees will increase. You may save yourself hundreds of dollars in insurance and license tag fees every year if you keep your old vehicle.
That gets us back to the original question. Do you need a new vehicle? Reliability and durability of most models have made dramatic improvements in the last couple of decades. It's not unusual for a vehicle to reliably reach the 200,000 mile/325,000 km mark these days. That's due to new engineering in powertrains, corrosion protection and lubricants.
The best bet to keeping a vehicle on the road longer is scheduled, regular maintenance and inspection. Replacing parts before they fail is often cheaper than waiting till they do fail; frequently that prevents a damaging domino effect that affects other systems in the vehicle. Finding a service facility you can trust and developing a relationship with that facility ensures your scheduled service and maintenance will be done correctly, minimizing breakdowns.
Sure, at some point you may find you need a big repair that will cost more than your vehicle is worth, or rust will destroy vital components. But it's wise to use reason rather than emotion when you're making any decision about your vehicle, and sticking with your current one could be the most sensible choice.
Tuffy Grand Rapids - Fuller Ave.
1121 Fuller Ave. NE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
616.458.8091
https://www.tuffyfullerave.com/
November 17, 2024
Do I keep my old vehicle or buy a new one? It's a question most Grand Rapids drivers ask themselves at some time or another.Generally, what it comes down to is the choice between a car payment and the possibility of repair bills. Most of the time, we want to choose the car payment because we don'... More
November 10, 2024
If your vehicle had something in its design or production that the manufacturer had figured out had an unanticipated problem, you'd want to know about it. And you'd want it fixed. There is something that can help drivers with just such a scenario. It's called a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB.... More
November 3, 2024
There's nothing that radiates cool like a vehicle radiator that's helping to keep your engine running at the proper temperature. You don't have to baby it, but you can't simply ignore it, either. Let's take a quick dive under the hood to let you know what the radiator is doing. It takes the he... More
