When should you get rid of that old car?
Buy a good, reliable car and you should be able to keep it going for 200,000 miles or more if you take care of it. Improvements in rust prevention, engine technology and lubricants make this possible.
Our news partners at Consumer Reports say if you can keep your car going that far - which is about 15 years of average use - you'll save tens of thousands of dollars.
Keep your car long enough and chances are you'll need to make a decision: make a costly repair or sell the vehicle?
Jim Travers at Consumer Reports Autos says there are a few signs that it's time to say good-bye to that old car.
"Get to the point where it seems like it's spending more time in the shop than it does in your driveway," he says. "Or if it needs a big repair that's going to be more than the value of the vehicle, if you're spending more on it than you would on a car payment or if it has something like rust that's going to be compromising the structure and safety."
To keep your car going the distance, follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. Consumer Reports says even missing one oil change "can contribute to premature engine wear or cause damage."
And look for small problems that could develop into bigger ones. Travers says you should get in the habit of opening the hood to "look, listen and smell for anything unusual."
For more information
How to go the distance and save big bucks on car ownership
Our news partners at Consumer Reports say if you can keep your car going that far - which is about 15 years of average use - you'll save tens of thousands of dollars.
Keep your car long enough and chances are you'll need to make a decision: make a costly repair or sell the vehicle?
Jim Travers at Consumer Reports Autos says there are a few signs that it's time to say good-bye to that old car.
"Get to the point where it seems like it's spending more time in the shop than it does in your driveway," he says. "Or if it needs a big repair that's going to be more than the value of the vehicle, if you're spending more on it than you would on a car payment or if it has something like rust that's going to be compromising the structure and safety."
To keep your car going the distance, follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. Consumer Reports says even missing one oil change "can contribute to premature engine wear or cause damage."
And look for small problems that could develop into bigger ones. Travers says you should get in the habit of opening the hood to "look, listen and smell for anything unusual."
For more information
How to go the distance and save big bucks on car ownership
One of the main issues with today's most of the newer automobiles is the fact that so many rely on
computer technology and replacing a defective computer is sometimes more expensive than going
out and buying the same exact model from a used car lot. I miss the older cars that a person could
work on without having it hooked up to electronics to determine where a problem was.
Either being able to the work yourself or finding an honest shop will make all the difference in keeping an older car.
I just retired my 2000 Jeep Cherokee with 280,000. It would have made it another 50k but, my cousin blow the water pump and did not realize it till the check gages light came on. At that pint the damage was done and so was the headâ¦. I will not buy a new car. Looking for a 5 year old car with low miles that I can pay cash for that will fit my current work needs. Will drive the wheels of that one alsoâ¦..
Smart thinking. I enjoy not having car payments as I have in the past. Also allows me to pick cars I like and stick with them.
Some people just have to have the latest and newest model cars.
I think they use Apple phones too.
Do the regular maintenance on it, drive it until it drops then throw it away. So far my $400 commuter has lasted 2 years and 100K miles that I have driven it, 250K miles total.