Automotive

Long-lasting: How to Treat Your New Car

The Top Tips on How to Keep Your New Ride in Mint Condition

Buying a new vehicle can make you feel warm and fuzzy all over, but it can cause a little bit of anxiety as well. You love the shine and gloss of the exterior. You love how the interior doesn’t have a single crumb or speck of dust in it. It even has that new car smell that greets you every time you hop in your new ride.

So, what happens when the newness of your new car begins to fade?

How’s the interior going to look after a few weeks of taking the kids back and forth from school?

And what’s going to happen to your car’s glossy finish after the first rainfall?

These are all valid questions. Fortunately, there are several best practices and tips you can use to retain your new car’s stellar condition and keep it running smoothly for the foreseeable future. Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re shopping for new cars for sale in Houston.

Tip #1 – No Food or Drinks Allowed

There’s nothing worse than when a passenger treats a car like their own personal cafeteria. All it takes is one loose lid on a drink or a particularly messy hamburger, and suddenly, the interior of your ride is covered in lunch gunk.

Our advice? Have a hard and fast rule that no food or drinks are allowed in the vehicle. In the event that you or your passengers absolutely have to eat while on the go, try to stick with food and beverage options that don’t cause a mess. For instance, go with water instead of soda. Stick with foods that don’t use sauce or condiments.

Tip #2 – Abide by Your Maintenance Schedule

New cars drive incredibly well. There’s no question about that. So, how do you ensure that your vehicle keeps driving that way in the years to come? All you need to do is follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.

Keep up with the basic services like filter changes, oil changes, tire rotations, and so forth. This should all be laid out very clearly in your owner’s manual; however, most new cars will display maintenance and service reminders in the vehicle’s main console display. Additionally, keeping up with regular maintenance drastically reduces the chance that you’ll need a repair.

Tip #3 – Invest in Proper Cleaning Supplies

There’s a reason that new cars appear so shiny and glossy when on the showroom floor. It’s because the dealership uses clear coat on the vehicle to give it that immaculate appearance. However, all good things must come to an end. After about two weeks, you’ll notice that the glossy shine that originally lured you in has faded.

Clear coat isn’t designed to last forever, which is why vehicle owners are encouraged to invest in the proper cleaning supplies and processes that keep your vehicle looking its best. A great way to go about that is by researching the best cleaning supplies for your particular vehicle. You can even ask the dealership about this. They will have no qualms about sharing trade secrets about how to keep your car looking shiny and new.

In addition to getting the right cleaning supplies, you should also learn how to properly wash your vehicle using either a foam bath and/or the sponge method. Although it takes a little longer, these methods are far more effective than the standard gas station car wash.

Tip #4 – Invest in Paint Protection Film

Driving means being exposed to the elements on the road. This includes sand, rocks, road salt, and other forms of debris. If you’re going 70 mph on the highway and hit a small rock, chances are, it’s going to leave some form of an impression on your vehicle. This is how nicks and chips naturally occur while driving, but that doesn’t mean you need to put up with it.

Do yourself a favor and invest in paint protection film. You can almost think of it like installing a shield on your vehicle’s paint job. The thermoplastic urethane film will bond with your paint job once applied, effectively protecting your new ride from the damage common road debris causes.

Tip #5 – Invest in Tinted Windows

This one should be a no-brainer. Not only do tinted windows keep your vehicle cool during the height of summer, but they effectively block 98 percent or more of the UV rays trying to infiltrate your vehicle. These are the same UV rays that make your interior fade and are harsh on exposed surfaces.

By investing in tinted windows, you’re going to get a lot more premium mileage out of your interior. Tinted windows are also great for maintaining your privacy and keeping valuable items that you may leave in the car out of view from passersby.

How to Find a New Car Near You

If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, the good news is that they’re not hard to find. You can kick off your search by Googling the phrase “new cars for sale near me.” Or you can be more specific in your search and put in the exact year, make, and model of vehicle that you’re looking for. That should bring up numerous results of new cars in your direct vicinity that you can go test drive. Once you have your new vehicle, follow our five tips to ensure that it stays in mint condition.

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button