Last week the news reported that as a country, we’re all hanging on to our cars just a little longer than we have in the past – they call it the graying of the U.S. fleet. Not a particularly flattering term, but be assured that with aging comes a measure of wisdom. And, isn’t that true – in this unstable economy, we’ve suppressed the urge to overspend on a brand new car and kept the old one going a little longer.

Of course, keeping a vehicle longer means more maintenance and repair, but the odds are with us. While many folks at one point in time or another have shook our heads about how cars are all made of plastic and aluminum anymore – the good news is that plastic and aluminum don’t rust. That means that the body of your car, unless it is in a fender bender, can hang on longer than older cars. Further, cars are built to last. According to AAA regional president Rick Brinkman, “It used to be when you hit about 70,000 miles or so, you started thinking it was about time to get a new vehicle”, but now it isn’t unusual for cars to keep running well past 100,000 miles. That’s another year or three for many of us.

The key to being successful with the hanging on of old vehicles is simple. Maintenance. You not only will start needing to pay attention to those parts that wear out with high miles, but also those rubber hoses and seals that simply dry out and rot with age and the Arizona heat. The good news is that parts on older cars are generally less than on newer models. As one car expert said about his 25 year old truck, “I know that if I have to replace my starter that the part is going to cost me $35 … if it was one of the newer trucks, the starter is going to cost me at least $100.”

So, we recommend you start treating your car like an old, trusted friend. Stay in tune to its needs, listen when it tries to tell you something, and invest a little more into it – the payback will be worth it. Did you know we have a maintenance schedule on our website? There’s a lot of good information there to get your car back up to speed, and keep it there. Falling a little behind on your oil changes or tire rotations? That’s okay, we can help you get caught up affordably with our online specials and easily with our online appointment scheduling.