Time For A New Car

Frances S. asks: I have a 2001 Ford Focus which has done 59,000 miles. It’s in good condition and runs well. However, the air con­ditioner doesn’t work, even after two repairs. I am told that it will cost $3,000 to get a new air condi­tioner installed for next summer. Is it worth spending that amount of money on a nine year old car? If not, do you have some sugges­tions?

We mainly use the car for short trips as we have a newer, large car we use for long rides. I have my 3 grandchildren in the car sometimes, so safety is a consider­ation. Also, I don’t want to spend a lot of money. Frances, it is time for a new car. I’ll dive into the details and explain why I think this is a slam dunk, but let me first tell you that despite my car addiction, this is a question I can relate to in many ways. In my younger days I bought two new cars in a row without AC. That was a mistake for a couple of reasons. They were uncomfortable in the heat, but they also lost value when I traded them because it turns out that not very many people are as much of a cheapskate as I am. Few will pay real money for a car with­out

AC. By the way, both of my cars without AC were also sans ra­dio. Perhaps I am a masochist? Another reason I can relate is I tend to hang onto cars too long. After I finally take the plunge and get a new car I findmyself wonder­ing why I waited so long and spent so much to maintain the previous car while it was losing value. On the topic of value, I plugged your car into one of the great car valuation websites found free on the Web. With a functional AC it is worth about $1,800. So the cost to repair the AC on this 9-year-old car is much higher than the car’s value. Making matters worse is that once the AC on a 9-year-old car is repaired, the next malady is right around the corner. Will it be the alternator next? Will it be an electrical gremlin? Maybe some­thing expensive like the transmis­sion?

These are realities of own­ing a car heading into its second decade. Soon the repair bills will start to be like a car payment. As time goes on the car will have little or no trade-in value. As a trade-in, not having AC will drop your car’s value a bit, but there are a lot of seniors about to graduate who will not care, and whose parents might be looking for an economi­cal, good-running car in this price range to get the kids through the summer and beyond. Some readers might be saying “Wow! Three grand to fix the AC seems like a lot!” I spoke to John Pargen, the mechanic at Otto’s Garage in West Haven, Connecti­cut, to get his input on this. His response was, “You’d have to re­place every part of the AC in that car to ring up a bill that high.” That price would include the car’s second “radiator” properly called the AC condenser, which was last week’s trivia answer for those loyal readers out there. A repair bill this steep is certainly not typical.

So Frances, in addition to a new car it might be time to look for a new dealership. Selecting a new car should be fun. Let’s take a look at some dif­ferent options and compare the features of each type of car. First off, let’s talk about “cute ‘utes.” The car that defines this category is the Honda CRV. Cars like the CRV include the Hyundai Tuscon, and the Ford Escape. These ve­hicles are becoming very popu­lar for their ease of use. Getting into them is very easy. The seat is at the height of your hip, so you don’t have to stoop to get in or out. Once you’re inside you have a commanding view of the road, especially at intersections. I have an aunt and sister who switched to these types of vehicles from small cars and they both love them. These cute ‘utes will all have the safety features expected of a modern car like stability control, side airbags, and modern braking. You sit higher up. That is handy if America’s top-selling vehicle (a pick-up truck) hits you. It might hit the door instead of your ear. These ‘utes get terrible fuel economy though, right? Wrong! I went to a government website and found that when adjusted for modern EPA ratings the 2001 Fo­cus is rated at 30 MPG highway. The Hyundai Tuscon is rated at 31. Cars and small sport ‘utes have made huge fuel efficiency gains in the last 10 years. Prices for the above vehicle type start at under $20K and well equipped are about $22K. Thinking of a small car that can carry five in comfort and rela­tive safety, the Volvo S40 comes to mind. This is a premium car, so the cost will be high compared to the economy cars in this size. What you will get for the money is one of the safest cars of its size and one that is still related to the Ford family. This car actually shares some of the Focus underpinnings. Why not another Focus? Well, the Focus is due for an update later this year and the car on the market now has been around a long time. The ads for the Focus emphasize the electronics and its radio’s fea­tures. In the world of pre-owned (used) compact cars there is a gem in this category. That is the 2004-2008 Acura TSX. Every review I have seen of this car was positive. On a road trip from Boston to Florida I found this car to be won­derful in every way. There are a lot of these available as “Certified Pre-Owned” vehicles. These will come with an added warranty from the manufacturer. The car features a host of luxury appointments and comes with a strong, but fuel ef­ficient 4 cylinder engine. A 2007 or 2008, low mileage, pre-owned TSX will be around$20K. There has rarely been a better time to buy a car in America. The combination of incentives from Toyota, and the desperation of the car makers in general due to the economy, have created some real bargains in the marketplace. Even used cars are more valuable, so your trade in may have more of an impact on the deal. Best of luck, Frances. If you have a question about the websites I mention, or want to submit a car question, please write to me at john@columnshift.com.