UNDERSTANDING TOTAL COST OF CAR OWNERSHIP: FUEL, MAINTENANCE, INSURANCE

Money cutout exchanged for small car cutout 

If you're interested in a new car, the first thing to do is confirm you can afford it. This may sound obvious on the surface - however, it's not uncommon for a car buyer to fall in love with a certain vehicle that ends up being out of their price range. This is why it's essential to calculate the cost of owning a Chevy before you start shopping at Gillman Chevrolet GMC.

Fuel

Developing an accurate estimate of monthly fuel costs depends on several factors. For example, how many miles you drive per month, your driving habits, local fuel prices, and your vehicle's fuel efficiency. This last factor is tied directly to the type of car you buy: for example, a Chevy EV will likely have the lowest per monthly fuel costs, compared to a car with a traditional internal combustion engine. 

Maintenance

Maintenance includes routine services such as oil changes and tire rotations. These things are easy to estimate - for example, the typical car requires an oil change every 5,000 miles and a tire rotation every 7,000 miles. So your budget should include two oil changes and one tire rotation per year. What's not easy to estimate are unexpected repairs, so you should set aside some money for an emergency. Also, keep in mind that your maintenance budget will grow as your car accrues more years and miles and things such as new brakes and new tires become necessary.

Insurance

Even though insurance is one of the few things we don't provide directly at our San Benito, TX Chevrolet dealership, we still know plenty about it. For example, we can tell you that car insurance is a fixed monthly cost that is determined by criteria such as your age, driving history, vehicle type, city of residence, and number of miles driven. Based on this criteria, your insurance provider will probably have a few different coverage levels for you to consider.

Choose Us for Your Next New Chevy in San Benito, TX

Now that you have a good understanding of total cost of ownership, the next step is to create a budget and then visit Gillman Chevrolet GMC. Not only do we offer a big selection of quality Chevy automobiles, but our Chevy finance experts stand ready to assist you with leasing and financing, special offers, and valuing your trade-in.