Maybe your car is just done. Had it. Not worth repairing. You do not want to spend any more money on it, you feel like you are throwing good money after bad. I have seen this happen to customers a thousand times. You have "old faithful" out in the driveway and she has never let you down. So what if you spent money, again, on her last month. Better than a car payment, right? Could be. But it might not.
Today, most manufacturers build a pretty decent vehicle right out of the box. And most of those vehicles can give relatively good service for a reasonably long time. It is certainly not unreasonable to see the majority of vehicles go between 75,000 and 100,000 miles without any significant repairs. Routine maintenance aside, the vast majority of them do.
When people get into money pit issues. it is almost invariably because they spent a great deal of money fixing a repair, but never bothered to have their technician give the vehicle a thorough MPI (Multi Point Inspection) prior to doing so. This can be a trap, and the mistakes add up real quick.
So if your vehicle is getting up there in age and miles, and has never really given you any trouble, just make certain that you know what you are getting into prior to repairing it. Simply ask your dealer or trusted repair facility one simple question.
"Before I move forward with this repair, can you look the vehicle over and give an opinion as to what I might be looking at in the near or even not so near future?" This question, and the answer to it, could change your life. I know that here at Darlings Chrysler Dodge Ram Hyundai, it is a question that we get all the time.
Look, no one wants a car payment, and car payments are going up all the time. But a consistent monthly amount that you have budgeted is much easier to count on, especially with the warranty that comes with a new car, than not knowing and all of a sudden having to come up with funds that you might not have, just to stay on the road.
Maybe you found something you love. There is a moment in all of our lives when your mindset changes in an instant. One second, you are driving along, very happy with your car and have no thoughts whatsoever of upgrading. The very next, a switch flips, and you are ready to move on. How does this happen? Easy really. And we have all had it happen to us. Your buddy gets a new ride, you see something driving down the road, a commercial on the TV catches you just right, it can happen in a million different ways.
We all have friends that could drive the same car forever. Totally happy or just indifferent to the one they have. Just not in to it. If this is you then you can pass on this section, it does not pertain to you. Only you know if this is you.
But, if you like cars, and lets face it, most of us do, then stick around. There are some basic guidelines, rules really, that you should follow if you are the type to be distracted by shiny objects. And that is exactly what cars do to a lot of us.
"Jerry", my fictitious friend, always thought he should be more environmentally conscious and stop driving gas guzzlers. Inflation came along, giving Jerry another reason, and off he went went to the nearest Toyota Store and bought a Prius. Certainly not a bad choice, millions of folks have owned them and they have a great reputation in the marketplace. Great Choice. Right? Maybe....
There are over 80 DIFFERENT hybrid models available in the US Market today. And with the rise in popularity of both Hybrid and straight electric vehicles, (EV) more are being released into the market everyday.
Did Jerry need to go look at 80 different vehicles prior to making a decision. Gosh no. I doubt he needs to test drive more than two. But with the ease of researching on the internet today, could he have not looked at least a few models prior to making a decision?
Remember, whether you are buying a family sedan, a Sport Utility, a Truck, a Hybrid, or a sports car- you have choices. Options. And If you take the time to examine a couple of different vehicles, you may just come out being happier than if you jumped, like Jerry did.
Maybe you make a lifestyle change. The most common lifestyle change that pushes people in to a different vehicle is a new child! But there are others. Job Change leading to an excessive commute. The inverse happens too. People that were driving a long way are now ride sharing or driving only a few miles or even working from home. This can and often does make for a good reason to change vehicles. Probably the most common reason that I have seen for an upgrade is an income change.
Whatever the reason you have for making the leap, just make sure you are well researched around your motivation, and the type of vehicle you think you want.
When yo have finally reached the decision that a change is in the cards for you, you have now reached the beginning of your journey.
In my next article, I will take you step by step through the process of vehicle selection. You will want to be sure that you are picking a vehicle that makes the most sense for both your wants and needs.
Until then, Have a Great time!
Comentarios