From My Mind to....

Upgrade or Maintain?

Car dealerships can certainly be pushy.

I bought my 2022 Toyota Corolla brand new on 9/11/2021 (just a coincidence on that date).And every year since as we approach that date I get text message, phone calls and letters from the dealership wanting me to upgrade to the latest year's model. Oh, the promises are there--an offer of $1579 special bonus off the MSRP of a new 2025 model plus a trade-in value of up to $18250 (depending, of course, upon verification by the dealer. Kelley Blue Book says it's worth up to $19,500.

Essentially, I'd be paying about $10,000 to upgrade to a 2025 model with the same features. My average annual maintenance costs after the initial warranty period have been less than $250. And the 2025 model touts 6-8 mpg less in the city than my car currently gets. With a car that should easily reach 150-200,000 miles and I'm averaging only 1000 miles per month, I figure I'm good for the next ten years at least.

I figure dealerships are like telemarketers--once they have your number ....