Tips to get your car past 200,000 miles

Think you’re saving money by trading in your car every three to five years? Think again. Many of today’s cars last for 200,000 miles or more, with few ‘ if any ‘ major repairs, but only if properly cared for. In fact, holding on to a car long after the payments are through can save you $30,000 or more.

In its 2007 Annual Auto Online Survey, Consumer Reports compared the costs of buying and keeping a car for 225,000 miles with buying and financing an identical model every five years. The analysis showed that by taking good care of a car and holding on to it, the savings could be more than the vehicle’s original purchase price ‘ and even greater if the money saved was invested.

DRIVING YOUR SAVINGS TO THE BANK

The study looked at the purchase price, including destination fees, depreciation, maintenance and repairs, finance and interest, fees and taxes, and insurance for 15 years, comparing these figures with the costs incurred by purchasing a new model every five years. Consumer Reports found that the owner of a Honda Civic EX with an automatic transmission could save as much as $20,500 by properly maintaining the car over that period ‘ $1,500 more than its purchase price.

And by putting that money in the bank, the owner could make an additional $10,300, assuming 3 percent inflation and an annual 5 percent interest rate. Maintaining the Civic EX over 15 years, for example, would cost approximately $30,800 less than buying a new Civic EX every five years. Savings were similar with all models.

GETTING YOUR CAR TO GO THE DISTANCE

Consumer Reports offers the following tips to help you get your vehicle to 200,000 miles:

‘ Buy a reliable, safe car. Buy a car with a strong track record. Choose one that has performed well in government and insurance-industry safety tests and is equipped with the latest safety equipment, such as electronic stability control and curtain air bags.

‘ Go by the book. The best way of making sure a car performs properly is by following the maintenance schedule in the vehicle owner’s manual and making necessary repairs promptly. Skipping even one oil change can accelerate premature engine wear and cause engine damage.

‘ Use the right stuff. For maintenance and repairs, use only parts and fluids that meet the manufacturer’s specifications. Using the wrong type of oil or transmission fluid, for example, could result in damage that requires expensive repairs.

‘ Know what to look for. Because problems can arise at any time ‘ and often for inexplicable reasons ‘ get in the habit of opening the hood and looking, listening and smelling. Look for fraying or cracked belts and hoses with cracks or bulges.

‘ Keep it clean. Regularly clean your car inside and out to make it a more pleasant place to roll up the miles. Washing and waxing the exterior helps preserve the paint and keeps the sheet metal below it from rusting. Vacuuming sand and dirt out of carpets and seats can minimize premature wear that leads to tears and holes.

Consumer Reports has created a list of ‘Good Bets’ (cars that have performed well in tests and have better-than-average reliability scores for several model years) and ‘Bad Bets’ (cars with multiple years of far-below-average reliability and more problems than other models overall) based on its annual reliability survey sent to subscribers.

Some ‘Good Bets’ include Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Lexus ES, Lexus LS, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius and Toyota RAV4. ‘Bad Bets’ include BMW 7-Series, Infiniti QX56, Jaguar S-Type, Jaguar X-Type, Mercedes-Benz M-Class (V8), Mercedes-Benz SL, Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan, Volkswagen Touareg and Volvo XC90.