Keeping Your Car Can Save You Money (NAPSA)—Theright answer to the question “Should you keep the car or trade it in for a brand-new vehicle?” could help put many motorists on the road to economy. So when you choose to keep your car rather than buy a new one, you'll end up saving money. “People who keep their cars, treat them as valuable investments and commit to regular vehicle maintenance end up saving a lot of money,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. The most common maintenance procedures and repairs to keep your car operating safely andreli- ably while maintaining its longterm value involve checking the oil, filters and fluids, the belts and hoses, brakes, tires and air-condi- taxes, insurance, maintenance and tires, were $16,548. A resale value of $3,759 puts the total fouryear cost at $12,789. New Car Costs On the new car, expenses including the car payment, interest on the car loan, fuel, license, registration, taxes, insurance, main- tenance andtires totaled $32,258. A resale value of $8,575 puts the total four-year expenseof the new car at $23,683. A cost comparison showsthat hanging on to your old car can save you money. Q_ “We advise our clients that if they want to see an increase on their investments every year, they tioning. The council also recommends an annual tune-up and wheel alignment. Over a four-year period, the difference in savings between keeping a car and buying a new need to cut down on their expenses,” said Terry Mulcahy, vice president of investments for R.W. Baird in Mequon, Wis. “A new automobile is for most people their second-biggest investment Cost Of Keeping The Old One The cost comparison identified the expenses of keeping a 2003 six-cylinder, four-door sedan that assets is to hang on to their current vehicle rather than buy a new one every few years.” The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, one is $10,894, according to RunzheimerInternational. gets 21 miles per gallon (mpg) and costs $19,727, versus buying a new six-cylinder, four-door sedan with 23.5 mpg that costs $23,451 and had a down payment of $10,158, the trade-in valueof the older car. At the end of four years, expenses on the used vehicle, including fuel, license, registration, next to a home, so a great way to save money andincrease financial maintenance and repair to con- sumers. For a copy of the council’s consumer-friendly “Car Care Guide” or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.
