How should I plan on maintaining a new car?

This week's post comes from our very own Dan who takes pride in maintaining his own cars to a very high standard and is always on the lookout for new innovative ways to improve his maintenance techniques.

The topic of car maintenance is often a huge hurdle to cross when considering a new car.

There are a number of factors which require attention when you’re considering this topic. Most importantly – am I able to maintain a vehicle myself? If you answered yes, then this topic Is probably not one which concerns you. But for the other 99% us the main considerations here are:

• The frequency of the required servicing,
• The associated costs of meeting the recommended service interval and finally,
• If the vehicle has specific requirements or features which will add to the cost.

On the most part, cars require a service every year or 12,000 miles. Some more frequent and others less, but they will all require the same basic work to be carried out;

• Oil and filter change
• Air filer change
• Inspection of perishable gaskets and seals
• Inspection of brakes, fuel tank and tyres
• Visual health check and test drive to ensure nothing has been missed.

Often however, there are other requirements requested by the manufacturer to ensure you vehicle is kept within its warranty parameters. If your prospective purchase is past its manufacturer warranty then this concern should be less profound in your mind. Ensuring a reliable and frequent service provider will help you keep on top of your cars needs as the years go on and your vehicle requires other pre-emptive maintenance.

It is important to note at this point that an Annual MOT, is a very different thing to a service. The MOT ensures that at the specific time of testing it meets the legal minimum requirements. A good service will ensure that your car is far in excess of these Minimum requirements. Who can really take pride in just scraping through? When it comes to our vehicle we all want to feel secure, safe and reassured.

The costs associated with your annual service will depend on where you get the vehicle serviced. Labour rates vary significantly from independent garages to main dealers, also the type of vehicle can affect your general cost of parts and consumables. For example, a small car may only hold 6 litres of oil, compared to 12 litres which you might expect in a larger engine car - you can see there is already double the cost of materials. In addition to this, consumables can vary in cost too, for example, a simple oil filter change, may only take an hour on almost any vehicle, so labour will be largely the same on a Polo or a Porsche. But the cost of the oil and filter is what can send these costs soaring. Finally, the consideration of vehicle specific costs has to be bought into mind. As a buyer, we all aim to get the most motor for our money. Features form a big part of the decision-making process.

Taking the example of an Audi A4, the Quattro system which is a desired option and well worth having in those tricky weather situations. Your run of the mill A4 won’t have Quattro (4-wheel drive) but if your dream car has this feature, or your lifestyle requires it, then it will come with an additional cost every 5-7 years. Your Haldex (Quattro 4x4 system) will need a service over and above the usual service. This can come with a cost in the region of £2,000.

In Summary, as a consumer it is a valid concern to budget for your servicing. Alternatively, responsible retailers such as Prestige Cars Kent, offer our clients a complete maintenance package, which means all you need to do is drive your vehicle and we take care of all the maintenance costs so you have no nasty surprises along the way.

For more information on the packages we offer, please follow the link below or make an appointment to see us and we can explain all of your options to you.

Enquire today!

If you are interested in either of the cars detailed within this post, please use the form to the right to enquire with us directly.