Quote:
Originally Posted by joesgot4
i'm not very mechnically inclined as far as cars go!
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That still doesn't make the new car the more sensible nor even necessarily the more reliable choice. You can buy a whole lot of fuel and reliability off of just a few months worth difference between new car payments and no car payments.
New car =- Monthly payment including interest penalty.
- More depreciation.
- More insurance.
- Better mpg.*
- NO Long Term Maintenance items due in the near future.
- and POSSIBLY fewer unexpected mechanical problems.
Though, every model has the occasional lemon!
Current car =- No monthly payment & no interest.
- Less depreciation
- Less insurance
- Same mpg.*
- Long Term Maintenance items coming due
- and CONCEIVABLY more unexpected mechanical problems.
If their haven't been problems in the first 70k
and the car has received regular maintenance
and hasn't been hot-rodded,
there's little if any reason to assume unexpected mechanical problems in the next 70k!
* Same vs better mpg. If you do 1,000 per week thats 52k per year. Assume new car is EPA rated 50 mpg highway. Assume same 28% improvement over EPA highway you're getting now, means 64 mpg. 52,000 miles / 41 mpg * $3/gallon ~= $3,805 per year in fuel. 52,000 / 64 mpg * $3/gallon = $2,437
Assuming you have an independent (not dealership) mechanic you trust -
Keep the 2006 Malibu LS with 70,000 miles.
Do any scheduled maintenance you've put off or ignored.
- R&R Coolant?
- R&R belts & hoses?
- R&R transmission fluid & filter
- Check your owner manual's scheduled maintenance section for
...
Tell your mechanic, you're going to be taking those frequent 1,000 trips during the course of the next year and you DON"T WANT TO HAVE ANY PROBLEMS ON THE ROAD. Pay him/her an hour or twos worth of labor to inspect the Malibu for any developing problems with a definite eye toward PREVENTATIVE replacement / maintenance. eg.
- Water pump expected to fail between 80-120 miles? = replace it now.
- Pull alternator to inspect and possibly replace brushes.
- OEM battery not giving any problems yet, but it is four years old? Maybe you should replace it now.
- ...
Get a printed list of everything that still needs an eye kept on it. eg.
- CV Joint Boots are weather checked but not cracked or leaking.
- Front brake pads are 40% worn.
- Rear brake pads are 40% worn.
- ...
Have the same mechanic do all of your oil changes!!!
Leave a copy of the Keep An Eye On It List on the dash at every oil change.
If you don't already have one, get a Scanguage II and occasionally monitor each possible gauge type including X-gauges specific to your car - so you know what normal. Once you've got an idea what is normal for each gauge, report any changes to your mechanic in case it suggests something new to keep an eye on.
At return home from each trip, use the Scangauge to scan for pending codes that haven't yet triggered the Check engine light. If there are any pending codes, let your mechanic know and see if he has any advice. (eg. "Might not be anything - not worth trouble shooting now, but could be an A or a B going bad, watch for X or Y.)