The problem with being a car lover is that it can become something of an expensive hobby. If you’re forever looking towards the next car, then you’ll end up in a situation where, well, you’re spending far too much of your money on your vehicle. Unless you’re a millionaire, then you need to content with your car if you’re going to stay financially savvy. Fortunately, you don’t have to be subject to your passing whims and interests when it comes to your car. You’re in control! There are things you can do that’ll keep you in love with your car for longer periods of time, as we’ll see below.
BUY SENSIBLY
OK, we admit that this isn’t such great advice if you already own a vehicle. However, if you’re in the process of looking for a new car, and have eyes to make it last as long as possible, then make sure you’re buying sensibly. People can often get drawn to the wrong things when they’re searching for their next vehicle. An underrated approach is to buy not just for now, but for the future. If you’re planning on having kids in the coming years, for example, then think about whether the car is going to be suitable for a family. Things change, of course, but it’s usually possible to have a general idea about where you’ll be in the future.
KEEP IT CLEAN
It’s not the age of the car that matters. It’s the condition. You could have a car that’s from the 1990s, but if it were brand new, it really wouldn’t seem like the worst option in the world. While you won’t be able to retain that brand new car feeling, you can keep things in general tip-top condition by staying on top of the cleanliness of your vehicle. This means more than giving it a simple hose down when the outside is dirty. It means going deep, and cleaning it thoroughly on the inside. It won’t take too long, but will make a big difference to your overall enjoyment of your car.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE
Left to its own devices, your car is going to have a few issues that’ll compromise the overall quality of the driving experience. If you have multiple small issues, then that’ll eventually add up to one big problem. You can keep your vehicle in excellent condition by staying on top of the maintenance. Things like keeping the fluids topped up, tyres inflated, and changing the windscreen wipers all really do make a difference to the overall feel. Make sure you invest maintenance from specialists that have experience in dealing with the type of car you drive. For example, you may need to seek out professional Subaru Service providers. The parts will be much higher quality and the warranty will be longer, too. Ensuring that your car is maintained and prepared as the manufacturers intended.
MAKING MINOR UPGRADES
You should also ensure that the car is safe too. This will give you a sense of security and probably make you realise how much you truly love your car. Look at the tyres and the brakes, you could even look at Performance Brake upgrades! If there is something annoying that happens to a car it is scratches and especially those that are not your fault… One of the most important things to do to make a car look new and fresh is to treat all these scratches and today, thanks to existing technologies, it has never been easier.
At the same time, it is important to do it at a garage that really knows what it is doing and has experience in the field. In conclusion to this point, renewing and upgrading your old vehicle can be a fun and enjoyable process that will only be a doorway to the enjoyment you will feel from your old vehicle. Over time, and especially if there are children or it is a vehicle used for work, the upholstery tears, wears out and loses the pleasantness of sitting.
One of the simplest things is to renew the upholstery or replace it with other upholstery altogether. If you do decide to change the upholstery, you can decide to change it to a different color and texture that you always thought would be more appropriate or that you would have fun sitting on and enjoying in your car every single day!
HANDLING THE ISSUES
Of course, while those small issues will affect the quality of your vehicle, they’ll have less of an impact than the big problems, the ones that compromise not only the feel of the car, but the usability. If you’re having trouble getting from A to B in your vehicle, then you’ll have problems! When you first sense that something is wrong with your vehicle, then make sure you’re having it looked at by experts like those at Certified Car Clinic. There are few issues that can’t be fixed. If you’re handling any car problems as soon as they present themselves, then you’ll be putting your car in a strong position to last as long as possible.
UP THE COMFORT
We think a lot about how our car looks from the outside, and how it runs. There’s one important factor that’s often overlooked, however: how comfortable the car is. After all, you spend many hours sitting in your vehicle. If you’re itching to get out every couple of hours, then you’ll have a problem! One way around this is up your car’s comfort levels. You can bolster the seating, for example, and also ensure that the air conditioning is in full working order. You’re trying to reach the point where you could happily go for a long, four drive hour without having to pull over for a break.
MODERN TECH
There have been plenty of advancement when it comes to cars in recent years. Indeed, the jump in quality (and also some gimmicks) has been more pronounced over the past few years than in most other periods of the car’s history. If your car doesn’t have that tech, then it’s understandable that you might begin thinking about upgrading. But there’s little value in buying another vehicle all because you want a more advanced infotainment system. Depending on the car you have, it might be possible to upgrade. It’s much simpler to add a little bit of tech to your car rather than go through the process of finding another vehicle. In any case, keep in mind that you’ll never win this battle — there’ll always be better tech coming out. If you’re tying the value of your car to that aspect, then you’ll always be on the lookout for new vehicles
AVOID CAR-ENVY
It’s not so much that we’re unhappy with our car. It’s that we’re human, and we look at other people’s vehicles, which are slightly better than ours, and decide that we want to have that one instead. Even though we grow older, we’re essentially still children! You’ll have tinges of envy when you get into your friend’s new car, and find that it is, indeed, pretty cool, but is that emotion really worth buying a new car? Don’t let those fleeting moments be the ones that motivate a new car purchase. Wait until you’re legitimately interested.
EMBRACE THE PERSONALITY
It’s all too easy, after many years of owning the same car, to get a little fed up with all of its little eccentricities. It might have a tick there, or only start when you tap the key three times before turning, or whatever. However, instead of getting annoyed at these imperfections, why not change the way you think, and embrace them, instead? Everyone and everything has flaws, and these are the ones that belong to your car.
Take the above tips, and you’ll free yourself from always having to upgrade your vehicle. You’ll save a lot of time and money!
Photo Credit: Copyright 2019 Angel Mosqueda / Car Fanatics Blog
