Cars can last longer than ever these days. According to Consumer Reports, a modern car from a reliable manufacturer that’s been serviced at regular intervals can last up to 200,000 miles or more.
Barry Abrams, a voiceover artist, has been driving his 2013 Honda Accord ever since he purchased it as a certified pre-owned vehicle in July 2013 — over nine years. Currently, the 12-year-old car has more than 209,000 miles on it, he said, and he’s very careful about maintaining it.
Here’s his secret to making the car last.
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He Follows the Maintenance Schedule to the Letter
Abrams explained that Honda’s schedule is a bit different from the traditional.
“Traditionally, you would bring a car in for a regular oil change every 3,000 or so miles,” he said. “The larger intervals are 7,500, 15,000, 30,000, 60,000; and the biggest service at 90,000. Honda’s intervals, however, start at 5,000 miles. I have learned to re-calibrate my thinking, but nonetheless, I never miss an interval.”
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He Doesn’t Do a Lot of Stop-and-Go Driving
Most of Abram’s driving is on the highway because he commutes to his day job, which helps preserve the vehicle’s brakes and transmission. He explained that he used to put thousands of miles per month on his car and would have the car serviced monthly However, his brakes lasted for 100,000 miles, which astounded the auto technicians.
He Gives His Car a Break
Another thing Abrams does is to give his car a break on the weekends, if possible, by driving his wife’s car for their weekend outings. He said this practice helps even out the mileage on both cars, since his wife has a shorter commute during the week than he does, and her route largely consists of local, main-thoroughfare roads.
He Frequently Watches Auto Racing
“For whatever small morsel it is worth, I also watch a lot of auto racing — Nascar, IndyCar and Formula 1,” said Abrams. “Even though I have never turned a wrench on a car, I have learned from the technical explanation segments that come up on these race broadcasts how to provide feedback to the mechanics in much the same way as a race-car driver does.”
The result? Abrams said he can sometimes diagnose a problem or at least point the technicians in the right direction.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’ve Driven the Same Car for 9 Years: Here’s My Secret To Making It Last
