Maintaining A Long Term Relationship With Your Car

When a car lease is up after two or three years, many vehicle owners simply turn around and lease a new one. Rarely do they renew, or buy it out. Many dealerships offer deals too good to pass up, such as low or non-existent interest rates, in order to encourage a new lease. After all, there's an eager market for young, slightly used sets of wheels.

Even folks who have purchased their cars outright, routinely trade every three, four, or five years. The idea is that the cost of maintenance will start to escalate as the vehicle ages.

A survey published online in 2007, by an organization called Consumer Reports, discovered over six thousand readers who had kept their vehicle for 200,000 miles or more. Some of the vehicles that had achieved impressive totals included a 1994 Ford Ranger pickup truck with 488,000 miles, a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 332,00 miles and 1995 Honda Civic with 227,00 miles.

The organization calculated that purchasing and maintaining a vehicle for 15 years, with estimated mileage of 225,000, when compared to the buying and finance charges of the same vehicle every five years, that savings greater than the original purchase cost could be realized. All costs were factored in, including depreciation and insurance.

Of course, not every vehicle is a good candidate for owners who hope to attain the 200,000 mile club. In general, a couple of Honda models, two types of Lexus, and more than three Toyota makes, earn good grades on the longevity report card.

Unfortunately there are lots of seemingly fine vehicles that do not make the grade at all. We won't go into the exact models here, you can do your own research online. Surprisingly some models of these well known manufacturers get the thumbs down, Volvo, Nissan, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Infiniti.

It is obvious then, that to play the long term relationship game you must first purchase the right vehicle, and then follow very explicit rules.

Find and read consumer reports that offer safety and reliability results for test trials that have been sponsored by government and the insurance industry. Make sure that the car you buy has electronic stability control and curtain air bags. Safety and reliability are paramount.

Be sure and follow the maintenance schedule found in your owner's manual. Don't skip oil changes, and make any repairs promptly. Missed oil changes can lead to premature engine damage and wear.

Don't be tempted to skimp on cheap or incorrect parts or fluids. Use only the oil and transmission brands that meet the manufacturer's specifications. There are good reasons that particular types are recommended.

Learn to be vigilant and proactive. Get in the habit or lifting the hood and actually viewing the working innards of your vehicle. If you enjoyed playing doctor when you were a kid, then this is a chance to extend the thrill. Study for your degree by purchasing a service manual. They are available at dealerships, auto part stores, and online. If you discover a cracked belt, or bulging hose, repair it right away.

Keep your pride and joy looking like it just stepped out of the showroom. Wash, wax and buff the exterior to keep the paint in tip top shape and the metal underneath from rusting. Make use of those high powered vacuum cleaners available at your local car wash to suck up dirt and grit from the carpets and upholstery.

Go ahead, strive for the 200,000 club. Head for your computer, do your research, and find a really good auto maintenance repair shop. Make friends with the folks there. Together you can achieve your goal of carefree driving. Happy trails!

Author Resource:-> Finding accurate auto repair information can be difficult due to the wide variety of vehicles on the road today and the vast differences between them. You can find helpful auto repair information at AutoRepair-Info.com

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