As we say goodbye to summer, now is the time to start thinking about whether to winterize your car vehicle, or trade it in.
Which option is best for you? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
Winterizing Your Vehicle
As cold weather hits, your car can take a lot of wear and tear. Winterizing your vehicle includes:
- Changing to snow tires.
- Checking your tire pressure.
- Checking your battery.
- Changing your wiper blades.
- Refilling your wiper fluid.
- Checking your four-wheel drive (if you have four-wheel drive).
- Checking your anti-freeze mixture.
- Changing the oil and adjusting the viscosity.
- Checking your belts and hoses.
While not all of this will cost money, depending on what is needed you could be in for big expenses.
Trade In Car
When you trade in your car, you are returning it to the dealer and receiving money for the amount of value remaining in the vehicle. You can put these funds towards a new (or new-to-you) car.
Winterize or Trade In?
In order to make your decision, you will want to consider several items:
1. The age of the car.
How old is your current vehicle and how many kilometres does it have on it? This will help determine the best course of action.
An older vehicle with more kilometres won’t receive as high of a trade-in value, but winter repairs might cost you more.
A newer vehicle with less kilometres will receive more trade-in value, but likely won’t require as many repairs and, in some cases, repairs may even be covered under warranty.
2. What’s involved in winterization.
Knowing how much you will have to spend to winterize your vehicle is a big factor to think about.
Are you due for new winter tires? Do you need to replace the battery? These can all add up in costs… If you’re spending more on the winterization than makes sense, it might be time for a new car.
On the other hand, if all you need to do is change the wipers and change the washer fluid, then winterization is likely the better choice.
3. How much you have already spent on repairs to your vehicle.
At a certain point, you may be spending more than is worth it on your current vehicle.
If you’ve already spent money on repairs, even before the winter, do you really want to keep putting money into this car? If you can assess how much life your current vehicle has left, it can help you decide how much more to spend on it.
4. The features on your current car.
Older vehicles don’t have some of the same bells and whistles as newer ones. Many of today’s new cars come with four-wheel drive, better gas mileage, new safety features (like blind-spot detection and rearview cameras), and more.
While not always necessary, if you’re looking at putting a lot of money into winterizing, it might be safer to trade in and upgrade.
Consider how your current vehicle is running — is it reliable? Does it get you where you need to go? How is it on fuel consumption and maintenance costs?
5. The trade-in value you will receive.
On that note, the trade-in value you receive can also affect your decision.
The trade-in value you will receive is only going to depreciate. So, if you are considering whether to winterize or trade it, spending a lot of money on winterizing won’t necessarily increase the value of your car.
6. Your overall budget.
If you do decide to trade in your car, you’ll be on the market for a new vehicle. Even with the trade-in value, this may hit your bank account.
Take a good hard look at your budget to assess if you can afford to make car payments over the next few years. If your current car is paid off, the added expense may not be worth it — but again, this depends on how much work your current vehicle needs.
When you are considering your budget, look too at car financing. What financing options are you eligible for? What kind of car could you afford? These can all affect your decision.
Deciding whether to winterize or trade in your vehicle can be a tough decision — but you have options available.
If you decide to winterize, Prudent Financial can help you fund the cost with a car title loan.
If you decide to trade in, consider Prudent Value Cars to find superior pre-owned cars for people with bad credit history in Toronto and GTA.
Need help making a decision? Contact us today for a free consultation. Call 1-888-852-7647 or visit www.prudentfinancial.net.