But what are the types of things that we need to look at? I would suggest reliability and even manufacturer support for starters. Recently, General Motors, aka Government Motors, now claims that it has no warranty responsibility for vehicles built prior to GM's bankruptcy filing in 2009. Responding to a lawsuit regarding warranty work for a vehicle built before reorganization, General Motors states that warrantees that were covered by the old General Motors prior to the bankruptcy filing in 2009 should no longer have to be honored because that entity of General Motors no longer exists. Now this is alarming on many fronts, Since the Obama administration had promised that warrantees would be honored and backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government. As a result of this action, you might need to reconsider purchasing GM and Chrysler vehicles built before their reorganization in 2009 if the manufacturers will not honor their warranties.

I also recommend that folks talk to a trusted mechanic to get some ideas about cars. I've been in discussions with friends in the past and maybe they like the VW, or a Volvo, or an Acura. But the problem is that while those cars are great performers and even fantastic cars, you may be in for a little bit of sticker shock once you have some repair work to be done. So it's a good idea to do some research. There are resources on the web that will tell you what the average annual maintenance costs, or even the lifetime maintenance costs of a vehicle can be. If you do find a vehicle locally, do be afraid to get it checked by a mechanic before you purchase it. You want to make sure that there are no surprises in store for you. The last thing you want is to wind up shelling out a lot of money afterwards on repairs. I know this first-hand.

Just understand that maintaining a car well, and not taking shortcuts will help you in the long run avoid needing to replace it too soon.