Owning a car is no more considered to be a luxury and has now become a necessity for most of us. With our work locations and other common destinations so far from our homes, our vehicles often have to cover thousands and thousands of miles. Even if you keep your car in a topnotch condition, the excessive usage can still take its toll and force you to avail auto repair in Grapevine, TX.
Auto repair in Grapevine, TX can help you maintain your car and increase its life. But when your car grows too old, when repairs become too frequent and when you start to spend too much on them, you may be better off with replacing your car rather than considering auto repair in Grapevine, TX.
Here are some tips, put together by the experts at Import Car Center to help you decide if should sell off the car and buy a new one, or if you should still stick to auto repair in Grapevine, TX.
CONSIDER YOUR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COSTS
How much are you currently paying for maintenance and auto repair in Grapevine, TX? If your costs are starting to add up and are more than the total worth of your car, you’re actually just wasting your money. In such a case, you should think about replacing your car.
Remember that the older your car is, the greater will be the costs associated with auto repair in Grapevine, TX. Before your yearly repair costs turn out to be greater than the current worth of your car, sell it out and buy another one.
CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE REPAIRS
You are paying a huge chunk of money for the current repair job. Seems fine? Depends on your particular case. Think about the future, and try to figure out how long the repair would last before you need the next one? If this isn’t for a good amount of time, then auto repair in Grapevine, TX is the recommended choice. But if there is a chance that you’ll need another repair only a month down the road, then replace your car.
Talk to a mechanic at Import Car Center, and ask them to assess your car. We’ll notify you of any potential problems, along with the costs involved.
EVALUATE THE SAFETY OF YOUR CAR
How long have you had this car? If it has been with you for a good number of years now, then it may not be loaded with the latest safety features. New cars are equipped with advanced safety technology like airbags, better handling, an improved braking system and cameras. High end models also include fears like drowsiness alert, automatic parking, forward collision alert and blind spot monitoring.
Talk to a company offering auto repair in Grapevine, TX like Import Car Center, and see if any of the new features can be installed in your car. It may be possible to update your airbags and make a few other tweaks, but if this isn’t so, then you may be better off with replacing your car to ensure a safer and less risky drive.
DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF GAS BEING CONSUMED BY YOUR CAR
How much gas does your car consume? Older models are less efficient than new ones because they lack the engineering and manufacturing of new cars. If your car eats too much gas without resulting in appropriate mileage, then auto repair in Grapevine, TX may be of help. But this is recommended only when your car hasn’t aged too much. For older cars, replacement is a better choice.
KNOW THE WORTH OF YOUR CAR
What is the current worth of your car? Get its condition assessed by a mechanic, and they’ll let you know the total value. Now consider the overall repair costs again, which you must have already calculated earlier if you have been following our guide. This number should be less than 50% of your car’s total worth. If it’s greater, then consider replacing.
BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH YOUR NEW CAR WILL COST
Great, so you think you need a new car. But here is the next big question: Do you have enough money for a new car? Go through the popular models in the market and figure out ones which fall within your budget. But that’s not enough. You also have to come up with a way to finance the purchase. Yes, you’ll get some proceeds from selling your old car, but if you’re buying a brand new car, they would probably not be enough, so you need an additional amount as well. You can consider auto financing loans, but then ensure that you can pay them off during the next 3, 5 or x number of years depending on your chosen term.
One more tip here: now that you have all numbers in hand, compare your current repair costs with the price of your chosen car model. If repair costs are greater than 10%, buy the new car.
FACTOR IN INSURANCE RATES AND COSTS
How much do you pay in insurance for your old car currently? If you drop services like collision, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars. But what about insurance rates when you buy a new car? In this case, you can avail a number of discounts which can lower you premiums.
Bear in mind that insurance costs are greater for luxury and sports cars compared to family sedans. And if these turn out to be too much, then you may want to stick with auto repair in Grapevine, TX.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT REBATES
Is there chance that you can avail zero percent financing? Have car prices plummeted down this year? Consider the current times and see which option is more favorable.
Import Car Center can repair any kind of car issue and defect. Schedule a consultation session with us or share your car problems through email. We’ll get back to you with a quote and a recommended plan for auto repair in Grapevine, TX.