If you live in Nigeria like me, you’ll know that we don’t really change cars over here. In Nigeria, a car can be used for over twenty years until it can no longer be used. We literally recycle our cars over here and well, that in itself isn’t such a bad thing because we utilise our cars to their maximum capacity. The cars are used until they can no longer be used and eventually, they end up in some mechanics’ workshop where their parts are disassembled one after another, depending on what the mechanic needs at that point.
When Do You Change Your Car?
Nigerians majorly change their cars due to two factors; when they earn more money and feel the need to show this increment by buying a better car or when the car they currently use is damaged beyond repairs.
In Nigeria, a major determinant of your social class/how wealthy you are in your car. So as you climb the social ladder, you must change your car to correspond with your current social status.
However, asides from these two reasons there are other factors that should make you change your car.
How To Know When To Change Your Car?
- THE 50-50 RELEASE
The 50-50 rule states that if the money meant for repairs costs 50% of the price of the car, you should change the car.
For example, if your car is worth N2,000,000 and per adventure, it develops a mechanical fault or any kind of fault that requires you to spend N1,000,000 on repairs, you shouldn’t repair the car rather you should buy a new one.
This makes perfect sense because there’s actually no guarantee that after fixing the car, it will work perfectly well. So save yourself the stress and go get another one.
- THE ENGINE KNOCKS
When the engine of your car knocks/blows and is completely ruined, that’s the perfect time to change the car. Yes, you can get a new engine for a great price but we advise that you change the car at that point because major damage has occurred. If the car still has a great value, you can sell it off and use the proceeds to purchase a new car.
3. You know it’s time to change your car when it no longer serves you.
A typical example is if you owned a small sedan as a married couple and it was efficient but as time went on, you had kids say four kids. The sedan wouldn’t be sufficient anymore so the best thing to do is to do away with it and get a minivan or a full-sized SUV. Another example is, that you owned a truck because you did a lot of interstate travelling but now you don’t. That’s a valid reason to change your car.
- WHEN YOU ARE TIRED OF BEING BESTIES WITH YOUR MECHANIC
A great time to change your car is when you have fixed it too many times and it keeps developing faults. At that point, you should let it go as nothing lasts forever.
- BECAUSE YOU WANT TO
Yes, wanting to change your car is a very valid reason to change it. Perhaps you’ve grown tired of the old infotainment system and the style so you want to change it. Please feel free to do that. It’s your car and your money.
CONCLUSION
An average person may have to change their cat about five times during their lifetime. But with proper maintenance, it is possible to use a car for a very long time without having to change it.
Do well to let us know in the comments section how long you’ve had your car.
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