8 Signs You Should Replace Your Car

Cars are one of the most common forms of transport around the world. Many people rely on them for travel to and from work, and for trips to the store.

Even modern cars don’t last forever though, and there comes a time when you will need to consider replacing your car. Seeing those problems isn’t always easy, so here are the signs you should replace your vehicle.

1. Your car becomes less fuel-efficient

As cars get older, they can get less fuel-efficient. This is because the engine wears and the components are not as effective as they once were. Advances in technology also lead to more fuel-efficient cars being manufactured, which can lead to you filling up more often than others.

This doesn’t mean you have to invest in a brand new car, however, as there are businesses that sell cheap used cars in Southend and around the UK. These cars may be newer and with less wear than your present vehicle, so they might still be somewhat better for fuel economy.

2. Your car is breaking down more and more often

What’s inevitable about a car as it gets older is that the original parts will start to wear out. This can lead to breakdowns and more money being spent on the car and more frequent visits to your car dealership. While almost any car can break down at some time or another, if these occasions happen increasingly frequently for your vehicle, it might be time to consider a new car.

While most repairs can be done by your mechanic, you might find an occasion when the cost of repairing the car is more than its value. When this happens, you need to consider your options.

3. Your car is attracting higher insurance premiums or breakdown cover

Both insurance and breakdown companies know that as a car gets older, it will break down more often. This means the chances of their services being used increases and they will raise the cost of your cover accordingly.

With insurance and other car costs already so high anyway, avoiding unnecessary increases can be a good idea.

Be sure to shop around and get the best deal you can on your car insurance before you commit. Some companies can offer savings over your usual insurance company, so simply letting your policy renew can cost you more than you need.

4. The chance to get the latest safety features

Cars are becoming safer all the time. New technology is being introduced into the manufacturing process that was not available a few years ago. This means that if you have an older car, it might not be as safe as a comparable, more recent car is.

Although your car will have to pass safety tests to pass the MOT, you might also want to have the benefits of other safety features like side airbags or lane departure warnings. If you use your car a lot for work or commuting, getting a newer model will likely be a safer option for you and your family.

5. Your car has developed a few too many ‘quirks’ for its own good

It’s well-known that as human beings age, they can become a bit… well, idiosyncratic, and a not dissimilar thing can happen with cars. All those odd squeaks and noises can become an aspect of your vehicle that you just become ‘used to’ as if it’s supposed to be that way.

However, you really shouldn’t ignore such unusual noises, as they could turn out to be signs of something serious or even dangerous about your current car.

Even if it emerges that certain noises have an innocuous cause, such ‘quirks’ emerging with a car over the years can be another indicator that the vehicle could do with being replaced, sooner rather than later.

6. Your car has racked up more than 100,000 miles

We have cited a specific figure here, for the simple reason that it is often once a vehicle crosses into six-digit mileage territory that it starts to encounter real problems.

In fact, cars tend to be fairly reliable up to around 75,000 miles on the odometer – after which, the chances of the given vehicle breaking down will climb, and climb, and climb.

You might be well-advised to be particularly urgent in replacing your car if your existing one has surpassed 100,000 miles and hasn’t been very well maintained over the years, as this will further heighten the likelihood of a breakdown.

7. Your current car is becoming less suited to your lifestyle

We might have given the impression so far in this piece that a person might only ever reasonably consider replacing their existing car if they keep on suffering from reliability issues or are worried about ever-higher costs. And of course, that simply isn’t true.

The reality is that you might love your existing vehicle and it might still be serving you well, but changes in your own life may necessitate that you switch to an alternative set of wheels.

The ‘stereotypical’ example of this, is having to get rid of that sleek sports coupe or cabriolet once you have a new arrival in the family. You might replace such a much-loved vehicle with something more practical for the school run, such as a dependable hatchback or sturdy SUV. While the choice really is yours, it will also likely be guided by your practical circumstances.

8. You simply desire a new car!

There’s a good reason why we have paired together this and the aforementioned tip; they are the ‘opposite’ situations in many ways, but both are absolutely valid reasons to replace your existing vehicle.

Maybe you have recently had a pay rise, and all of a sudden, you are able to afford that executive saloon or sexy supercar that you have always dreamed of owning.

Or perhaps you love your existing roadster or 4×4, but you have found out there’s a new model, and you like the idea of getting behind the wheel and experiencing the improvements to the drivability, refinement, and/or equipment that the manufacturer has introduced?

It might sound to some people like the car driver’s equivalent of immediately upgrading to the latest iPhone, simply because one can. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and there might be a vehicle out there on the market that makes your current car seem much less appealing than it once was.

Last words

If your car is starting to cost more than it used to, it might be the right moment to trade in your old car and look for something else. But as we have detailed above, costs and reliability aren’t the only potential reasons you might look to replace your existing car, as raw desire counts for a lot, too.