When is it Time for a New Car?

This is part of a sponsored series of auto posts. 

If you’ve been driving your current vehicle for a while, you’re probably nice and comfortable with it. You know how it works, it’s strengths and maybe all too well, it’s weaknesses. You learn certain things you have to do to accommodate your vehicle; for example, my driver window sometimes whistles when it’s windy out and I haven’t manually pushed it up far enough. Sad, I know, right? Well that was just a sign of many things wrong with it because alas, this last week I went to roll it up and *CRACK* something popped and now it doesn’t roll up or down.

Long story short there, is that when it seems like you are spending more money on fixing your vehicle than the actual value of your vehicle, then it might be time to look into something new. What are some other ways to know it’s time for a new vehicle? Here’s somethings to consider:

• The age of your vehicle. If you don’t feel like your vehicle is reliable anymore with it’s age or depreciation, then now may be the time.
• Does it still work for your lifestyle. If you’re finding that you have to adjust your lifestyle to fit your car (instead of vice versa) then it may be time to start shopping.
• Current recalls on your vehicle. If you have active recalls available for your car, then you may be in luck that you could save yourself the expense of having to fix the car on your own dime.
• Your ability to buy a new car. If you have your current car paid off, then you’ll need to assess if it would be worth it to pay for repairs or if your costs would make sense.
• Insurance premium changes. Would you save money on insurance premiums if you purchased a new vehicle?
• Upcoming lifestyle changes. Much like the above statement about fitting your lifestyle, if you foresee an upcoming lifestyle change (new addition to the family, or children moving out) then you might have new priorities in a vehicle.

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There are so many more ways to know if it’s time to move on. Check out this list for a larger list of when to know if it’s time for a new vehicle!