Is your car feeling old, tired, and worn out? Maybe the paint has lost its luster. Or there’s a strange noise coming from somewhere. Or the radio’s kaput. Maybe all of the above. You probably loved it once, back when everything was fresh and new. But now, each time you slide behind the wheel, it’s a bit depressing.

If so, you’re probably thinking about swapping it for something newer. That seems like the logical thing to do. Newer cars are shiny and bright, and they have all of the latest features. But newer cars also come with a host of new expenses — among them, higher depreciation and costlier insurance.

At Klipnik, we believe that buying a used car is one of the smartest — and easiest — ways to save money. It protects you from the #1 car ownership expense: depreciation. The trade off is that, in most cases, your used car purchase is no longer covered by a factory warranty. And that means you are stuck paying any repair bills out of your own pocket.

That may sound scary. But it doesn’t have to be. All you need is a knowledgeable mechanic that you can trust.

No used car is perfect. They’ve all seen use and probably some abuse, been exposed to sun and wind and rain, endured muddy shoes and Starbucks spills and parking lot scapes. Call it patina. Call it normal wear and tear. Call it what you will — it’s what makes a used car “used.”

Buying a used car saves you money, but it also means picking up responsibility for all of these deficits, demerits, and scars. Some will need to be fixed immediately. Others can be left alone – sometimes for years, sometimes for good.