Trade in regularly or run into the ground. Opinions please?

bouicca21

Thanks. Surprised to find such unanimity, but it tends to add rationality to what was just a gut feeling. I'll maybe spend some of the money I save by not trading the car in on a Haynes manual, and ask around for recommendations to a good local mechanic rather than going to the main dealer every time.

martinthebandit

AdrianC wrote: »

Option C. Maintain the damn thing properly, so it'll keep on going.

This ^ is the correct answer.

OP spend your time and effort finding a good independent garage, main dealer prices on an out of warranty car never (or very rarely) make sense.

bouicca21

I am definitely going to stop going the main dealer. Car serviced 3 weeks ago, developed fault which turned out to be something to do with spark plugs. 'The service didn't cover spark plugs' they said when I protested at handing over another 100 quid for a new set.

AdrianC

bouicca21 wrote: »

I am definitely going to stop going the main dealer. Car serviced 3 weeks ago, developed fault which turned out to be something to do with spark plugs. 'The service didn't cover spark plugs' they said when I protested at handing over another 100 quid for a new set.

You would be astonished at the by-the-book change interval for modern plugs. 100k miles is not unusual.

Robisere

When looking for 'recommendations to a good local mechanic' I suggest that you ask local friends and relatives for their experiences. Ask a fair few as a sample and include some who have older cars.

No reviews can match personal recommendations: as an ex-workshop foreman, I used to make a living out of "So-and-So says that you are fair here, how much for a..... ?"

EdGasketTheSecond

If you keep trading in, you lose out on the deal every time. The fewer deals you have to make, the better. I run mine into the ground and then scrap them; saves the bother of selling too. My current cars are 17 and 18 years old and both running well though one is starting to struggle with emissions at the MoT.

AdrianC

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

My current cars are 17 and 18 years old and both running well though one is starting to struggle with emissions at the MoT.

<shrug> So maintain it. Sort that (undoubtedly relatively minor) problem.

EdGasketTheSecond

AdrianC wrote: »

<shrug> So maintain it. Sort that (undoubtedly relatively minor) problem.

Ah but the 'undoubtedly relatively minor problem' is a new cat and header (manifold) that costs more than the car is worth so probably won't bother with that. Cataclean and a good Italian tune up pre-MoT usually works.

AdrianC

...and there we go.

Comparing maintenance costs to the car's value. THAT's why low-value but perfectly good cars get lobbed in the bin for a couple of tyres, a light lens, and a good service.

EdGasketTheSecond

Not exactly. For the price of the cat and header (about £800), I could buy a much younger car with much less miles on it than my Hyundai Lantra. There are limits and 'maintenance costs' can quickly turn into 'chucking money at a money pit' which is a bad idea.