Taking Care of Your New Luxury Car
Being able to afford something ‘luxury’ is a big step in life; it’s the most obvious sign that you’ve ‘made it’, in the area you really wanted to the most. For some, building their own luxury, dream home is the ultimate goal. For others, living a more luxurious lifestyle is what they’re really aiming for. And for some of us, owning a luxury car model at least once in our lifetime is the big idea. However, this is a huge investment, if only for the amount of maintenance you’re going to have to keep with in the future.
So, If you’ve just invested in a luxury car model, you’re probably going to need to amp up the maintenance routine you’d usually commit to when owning a car. Because a luxury car requires a firmer touch behind the wheel, simply because so much more goes into the design, and they’re so valuable, and you want to keep that value from depreciating too quickly.
But how do you take care of your new luxury car? Well with the points below, we hope to show you just how to take on such a workload right now. Because your luxury car isn’t going to take care of itself, and the sooner you know how to handle it, the better.
Get Used to the Amount of Service Checks
A luxury car model is going to need to go through a few more services than a normal, regular car, and that’s something you might need to get used to. Usually, a car will only have to go in for a service about once a year, or if enough miles have been racked up on the clock. For a luxury car, this is going to increase - with most cars needing service after 12,000 miles, a luxury car is probably going to need one after about 10,000 miles.
However, you won’t have to break the bank here hauling your car in and out of the mechanic’s shop - you can do a few service checks yourself, and only take your car in for the more serious matters, or for the regular annual check.
The first thing you’ll need to do here is read through the owner’s manual. Get to know your car model inside and out, so you can recognise when something is wrong and what it means. Be sure to keep the manual somewhere you can always easily reach for it, such as stored in the car door or in the glove box, and refer to it regularly. Plus, when you read through the manufacturer’s manual, they should tell you exactly when the car needs to be serviced, if you’re not too sure on the details here.
Know Where You’re Driving
Now it’s time to figure out what kind of driver you are, and where you typically need to take your car (more on this in the section below too), because you need to be very careful about road conditions. A luxury model can’t afford to have any scrapes, bumps, or scratches on the paintwork, let alone a full on crash or other kind of road accident, and you need to always be prepared when hitting the road.
Sure, road conditions are something we can always predict or stay prepared for, simply because the weather can suddenly change. But seeing as your luxury car cost you so much money, you need to be thinking ahead about any kind of eventuality. Always get online before you go off somewhere to check what the road conditions are predicted to be - no matter how far you’re traveling, there’s going to be some information you can make good use of.
Always Keep an Eye on the Tires
The tires make up a big part of your luxury car’s performance. Of course, it’s standard practice to check on the air pressure within your tires every 14 days or so, but with a luxury model, you’ve got a few other things to look out for as well. Plus, you may want to give them a quick check twice every 14 days too.
However, if you’re noticing the tread on your tires thinning and wearing away, you need to have a cautious eye here; anything below 1.6mm and the tires should be replaced for a thicker and more substantial tread pair. If you’re typically driving around on well kept, all season roads, you’re going to want your treads to be at least 3mm thick. For the winter periods, you’ll want to change the tires for a set with a 4mm tread or above.
You’ll also want to focus on your rims here too. They’re a crucial part of the tire system, and having a good set of rims for your luxury model could save a lot of trouble over the years of use. Most of all, you need a set of rims that fit your desired tire models properly, and affix them to the car just right. Plus, if you’re aesthetically minded, having a customised set of rims could really set your luxury model apart from the rest of the cars on your street!
Focus on the Interior
The interior of your luxury vehicle is going to be the most obvious luxury element people will take notice of. You need to keep up to date on cleaning the interior out, at the very least, because having a tidy car is the best thing for improving your perception of your interior surroundings. Apart from this, there are a few choices you can make here, and really have a bit of fun with.
You’re going to need to break the vacuum out and use it on the seats and floor mats at least once a week, hopefully twice. You can also invest in a good leather cleaner here, for the door rims, door interiors, and seats, and use a gentle cloth to wipe them down every other week or so. If you know you're going to struggle to make the time to do this regularly, it might be worth trying to find a Mobile Car Detailing service who will be able to come out and do this for you as and when you need it. You’ll be surprised just how much mud and dust get caught within your car!
You can also change the floor mats on a regular basis, maybe once every other month, and think about investing a few spare sets of seat covers too. If you’ve got family members or young children to ferry around, you’ll definitely want to be using these to protect the upholstery in the long term!
And don’t forget to get down beneath the driver’s wheel and check out the pads there too. If you’re driving a manual transmission, you’ll want your brake and clutch pads to always be in good condition too, and even in an automatic vehicle, this is still a point of importance. Most of all, make sure the engine transitions smoothly between gears whenever you’re using it, otherwise you might need to see a mechanic.
Check the Exterior Regularly
Finally, you’re going to need to regularly check out your car’s exterior too, and not just because it looks so good. Be sure to have your luxury car washed on a regular basis, maybe once a week or once every 2 weeks, to make this task a lot easier. Don’t ever leave grime and other dirty materials on your car for more than a week, as the acids within them can erode the paint from your vehicle, which is especially expensive if you wrapped or detailed the car.
Whenever you go through a car wash, if you choose to use automated facilities, ensure you’re paying for a service that uses the right wax and polish, which will usually be recommended by the manufacturer or the dealer you bought the car from. And ultimately, this usually means you’ll be using high quality, expensive materials to clean the car with. Don’t skimp on the cost here!
However, if you’re choosing to clean your car yourself, and forgo any automated facilities, you might find it a lot easier to keep it in good condition. Mostly because you can choose the amount of product used to both clean and maintain it, as well as wax it to perfection when you’re finished. Be sure to remember to reapply the wax every 8 weeks or so.
Are You Ready to Be a Luxury Car Owner?
It’s a lot of responsibility to handle, if only because of the amount of money you forked out to be in this position. However, while maintaining such a vehicle does take a bit of time and effort, it shouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world. It should be something you take quite seriously, but don’t lose your head over it; it’s just a car!
After all, as long as you know what needs your attention, and how much of your attention it needs, you’ll do just fine. Keep all of the above tips in mind if you’re a new luxury car owner and aren’t quite used to being behind the wheel just yet. They’ll save you some serious money down the line, and ensure that your luxury investment is always in the best condition possible.
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