For many consumers, owning a car is not a luxury but a necessity. That doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy their car, but time and road miles tend to wreak all sorts of damage and wear on even the best-kept vehicle.  Sooner or later, the decision must be made whether to repair or replace your car.  So how do you decide?  Here are a few helpful tips.

When repairs or maintenance cost more than the car is worth. You’ll know it’s time to get rid of the car and get a new one when the dollars start adding up to the point where it’s going to cost you more I repairs or continual maintenance than the old car is actually worth.  And don’t forget to look at potential future repairs. Plunking down $1,500 or so for a repair job now may help you eke out a few more miles from your old car, but what’s likely to come next? This is the automotive equivalent of a home money pit.  The more the repair estimates or forecasts climb, the closer you may be to deciding to replace.

We always have to think about safety.  New cars today come equipped with a lot of standard safety equipment, things like advanced airbags, side airbags, better handling and brakes, electronic stability control, and even rearview cameras. Optional active safety technology includes blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning systems, forward collision alert, and automatic parking. Since your old car likely doesn’t have these safety features, when it starts to show its age, maybe it’s time to look at a new car as a replacement.

There’s also a lot to be said for getting out of your old car and into a new one just because you’re past being okay with what you have. You may have started a new job and want something more appropriate for business or you’ve yearned for a new car for the past few years and kept nursing the old one along as long as you could. In this case, if the financial picture makes sense and you can snag a good deal, go for the new car.

Our biggest tip – know what your car is worth. Before making the decision to go ahead and pay for repairs on your old car, you should take the time to find out what it’s worth.

Beach Auto Brokers has been in business since 1985, Driven by excellence and proudly serving the Hampton Roads community for over 25 years. The Beach Auto Brokers full inventory of vehicles is available for you to look at, test drive, and ask questions about.  And our knowledgeable staff is ready to help you.  And while you’re here, we’ll take a look at your current vehicle and tell you what its worth – on the retail market and the trade-in value.