25 great ways to save on car costs | members only

GASOLINE Optimize tire pressure — and save money on fuel usage — by checking monthly using a tire gauge. Sam Island 16. CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE Maintaining the right level of tire pressure,

as recommended by the sticker normally found inside the driver’s door or your vehicle’s manual, could save you as much as 11 cents per gallon on fuel usage and extend a tire’s life by 4,700

miles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, tires regularly lose air, so you may need to make frequent adjustments. Usually, cars built since 2007 have

tire pressure monitoring systems, so act quickly when the warning light turns on. To optimize tire pressure, check yours monthly using a tire gauge, as most monitoring systems only alert you

when pressure dips 25 percent below its target level. 17. USE AN APP TO LOCATE CHEAPER FUEL Want to save money at the pump? Several free mobile apps, such as AAA, GasBuddy and Gas Guru,

allow you to view fuel prices at nearby stations to help you find the cheapest option. (You can filter results by fuel grade and distance.) Warehouse stores and gas stations away from major

highways and city centers tend to offer the lowest prices. Switching to a station charging 18 cents less per gallon than your regular spot when refueling a 15-gallon vehicle weekly equals

$140.40 less spent on gasoline annually. Just remember: Driving out of your way to the cheapest spot could cost you more than you’ll save, so carefully weigh the journey. 18. CHOOSE THE BEST

PAYMENT OPTION With gas stations, cash remains king. Many charge 5 cents to 10 cents more per gallon when you pay with a credit card to help offset the transaction fees levied by major

credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard. For a 15-gallon vehicle refueled weekly, shaving 10 cents per gallon leads to $78 in savings annually. If you’d rather pay with a credit card,

opt for one that rewards spending on gasoline. For instance, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers 3 percent cash back on gas station purchases up to $6,000 per year,

then 1 percent after that. The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card also pays 3 percent cash back on gasoline, up to $2,500 per quarter. 19. BUY THE RIGHT GASOLINE Choosing

premium-grade gasoline may seem like a smart way to improve your car’s fuel economy and performance, but for most vehicles the upgrade brings no benefit, according to a test conducted by

AAA. If your car was designed to run on regular fuel, choosing premium at the pump can be a costly mistake — one that 16.5 million drivers make annually. Premium gasoline can cost 40 cents

to $1 or more per gallon than regular. 20. DRIVE SMOOTHLY Your car’s fuel economy has a lot to do with your driving behavior. Aggressive drivers — those who often speed, accelerate hard and

slam the brakes — lower their car’s gas mileage by 10 percent to 40 percent in traffic and 15 percent to 30 percent on the highway, meaning they waste $0.25 to $1 per gallon, according to

the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Try to drive smoothly and watch out for red lights and stop signs to avoid accelerating or braking rapidly, which can lower your

vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Also, avoid idling and don’t disable the auto stop-start feature common in newer cars — it can reduce fuel usage by 7 to 26 percent, according to test results

published by the Society of Automotive Engineers. While driving on the highway, turning on cruise control to maintain a steady speed can improve fuel efficiency. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND

REPAIRS Save by checking your vehicle’s engine oil, replacing wiper blades and adding washer fluid yourself. Sam Island 21. DO SOME BASIC MAINTENANCE YOURSELF Taking on a few routine tasks

yourself can reduce maintenance expenses. “Changing the cabin air filter usually just takes replacing a few clips and popping in a new one. Most people can do it after watching a YouTube

video explaining it,” Montoya says. If you took a 2021 Honda Civic to a dealership in central Florida, for example, you’d likely pay between $78 and $96 for the service, with labor costs

accounting for more than half the amount, according to Kelley Blue Book estimates. Checking your vehicle’s engine oil, replacing wiper blades, adding washer fluid, changing light bulbs and

swapping out air filters are fairly straightforward tasks you could try tackling. Many owner’s manuals provide instructions, and there is no shortage of step-by-step video tutorials online.

Missing a tool? AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts and O’Reilly Auto Parts allow customers to borrow specialty tools, like slide hammers, torque wrenches and ball joint press adapters, for a

limited time — you just need to put down a deposit that covers the tool’s purchase price, and the money will be refunded when you return it. 22. FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER’S MAINTENANCE

SCHEDULE Your car’s owner’s manual typically spells out what maintenance services your exact model requires and when to do them. Sticking to that schedule will keep your vehicle running

efficiently and help prevent breakdowns. It could also help you avoid falling for deceptive sales pitches. “Dealerships and garages may recommend services you don’t need till much later

because they want to make extra money,” Montoya warns. Reviewing the manual can also clear any outdated beliefs from your mind. For instance, in the past, many vehicles benefited from oil

changes every 2,000 to 5,000 miles, but newer cars may only need oil changes once a year or every 10,000 miles. “You may be doing too much and wasting money if you could have gone several

more months without that service,” Montoya says. 23. ESTIMATE REPAIR COSTS BEFORE VISITING A MECHANIC If you know what maintenance or repair work your car needs, research the average cost in

your area before you commit to a particular mechanic, Tucker says. Using Kelley Blue Book’s repair pricing tool, you can enter your car details and ZIP code to see what it deems a fair

local price for many common services provided by dealers and independent garages. Armed with this knowledge, you can better judge if a repair quote is a rip-off or the going rate. But don’t

talk to just one mechanic. Researchers from Jerry, a digital auto insurance comparison company, tested the benefits of shopping around by calling 145 repair companies near Phoenix. They

found that costs for an engine air filter replacement varied from $20 to $60, while replacing brake pads could cost anywhere from $240 to $900 for the same vehicle. 24. ASK FOR A BREAK You

may be able to knock a bit off your bill by simply asking for a discount. Customers who went to an independent mechanic or a chain repair shop had more success with this method than those

who went to a dealership, a Consumer Reports survey found; independent repair shops were the most likely to negotiate on price. Repeat customers, those who visit in the morning or midweek

when the shop may be slow, and those seeking larger repairs or service packages may find it easier to get a discount or negotiate the price. “Negotiating might allow you to get a slight

discount, maybe 10 percent. But the best way to pay less for a repair is to get price quotes from different shops in your area,” Montoya says. “Either way, you should negotiate upfront

before the repairs are performed.” Some memberships automatically entitle you to discounts. For instance, AAA members receive a 10 percent discount on repair labor, up to $50, when they

visit one of its approved facilities. Costco members get 15 percent off, up to $500, from certain service centers. 25. PAY ATTENTION TO THE WARRANTY When you purchase a new car, it includes

a manufacturer’s warranty that covers repairs if certain parts fail, either within a set time period or mileage. Most manufacturer’s warranties last for three years or 36,000 miles,

according to Kelley Blue Book. Damage from accidents and typical wear and tear, however, are not covered. “Garages are great places to get repairs, but save them for when your car is outside

of warranty,” Jones says. “When in-warranty, go to a dealership so you can be sure manufacturer parts are used, the service is performed the way the manufacturer directs, and there’s a

record detailing the service received.” Altering parts, adding new parts or failing to adhere to the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule could void parts of the warranty and allow

dealerships to deny your claim, so be careful. Check your owner’s manual to see your car warranty’s terms and conditions.