QUESTION: My car is now eight years old and has 112,000 miles on the speedometer. It’s in pretty good shape, and I’m still fairly satisfied with the way it looks and drives, but I’m at a crossroads. I’m wondering if it’s a good time to trade it in and start over with a new car. A large part of my decision will be based on whether my present car is likely to break down or begin to nickel-and-dime me to death. Do you have any suggestions about how I might make the best decision?

—Fran Colleti

ANSWER: Fran, perhaps one way of doing this is to look at your car as if you were not the owner and were considering buying it. I’d start by having a AAA inspection or similar comprehensive vehicle inspection performed. This may cost $100 or more, but the thorough checkup will determine the well-being of many parts and systems that could be troublesome in the future and provide a solid baseline of mechanical condition. Besides the written report, I’d be curious to hear the technician’s verbal feelings about your car model in general and yours specifically. If you decide later to retire the car, a favorable inspection printout will be a helpful sales aid.

Additional considerations are paint and upholstery condition, care given with maintenance and usage, evidence of rust and UV damage, collision-repair quality (if any), resale value, and repair frequency information for that make and model of vehicle. My personal used car search bonanza is a well-maintained vehicle that’s been garaged rather than parked outside.

Resale value can be obtained by going to KBB.com, where you can easily estimate trade-in value and private party sale values. Common problems and repair frequency information are also simple to find online. Type the year, make and model and the word "problems" into your search engine, then take a look at what Autos.msn.com, Edmunds.com, CarComplaints.com and other sites have to say about your particular vehicle. Your research can help you make the best decisions on posting it on Craigslist or simply driving it to the dealer.

I won’t suggest what you should do with the above information. It’s purely up to you. If you hold onto the car, it might be a good idea to bank perhaps one-third the monthly cost of a new vehicle in anticipation of repairs that will occur down the road. A bright side to hanging on to it several more years is the true dollar per mile cost is perhaps the lowest it will ever be, since the majority of value depreciation has already occurred and it’s probably not yet a candidate for major or expensive repairs.

In my dad’s day, a car with 112,000 miles was considered used-up. Most vehicles today can run 200,000 to 300,000 miles with good care. The occasional faulty ball joint or power window motor will certainly occur, but the powertrains are highly durable.

Paint is another story. Once the clear coat starts jumping off, the car will look homely, and an inexpensive paint job, if there is such a thing, will likely disappoint, especially after 2-3 years. The mechanicals of a modern car are better than the cosmetics. You’ll know when it’s time.

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