The cost of your car: Skimping on vehicle expenses may cost you more in the long run

When it comes to owning and driving a vehicle, there are variable costs.

Yes, you can control the purchase price, governed by what you can afford or what amount you can finance to acquire the car or truck you want or need.

Another cost is taxes, paid when you buy or sell a vehicle and dependent upon its value.

About the only way you can manage fuel costs is by driving less -- cutting down on the frequency of shopping trips or cruising for fun and leisure.

Insurance costs may vary depending on coverage you add beyond what's legally required and your deductible pain threshold.

Tags and registration are determined by state law, and sometimes local regulation, which may require parking permits, for instance.

Drivers might try to save a few shekels by skimping on vehicle upkeep -- a few more miles between oil changes, holding on to tires about as bald as Mr. Clean and overlooking or delaying other maintenance and repairs.

AAA's 2014 "Your Driving Costs" study -- a report the company has produced for 64 years -- concluded the average annual cost of operating a sedan in the United States dropped 2.7 percent last year, fueled by a drop in fuel prices and increased fuel economy. The average cost fell 1.64 cents to 59.2 cents per mile, or $8,876 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving.

That number doesn't exactly correlate with the 2014 reimbursement figure the IRS issued for use in calculating the deductible costs for operating a vehicle for business purposes -- its number is 56 cents per mile.

Local experts say scrimping on vehicle maintenance may save money now, but long term, it may lead to costly repairs. Or, it may impact the vehicle's performance -- from the smoothness of its ride, noise, stopping and handling -- not to mention safety and resale value.

"It's easy to make them go, but you have to make them stop," says Mark Rhodes, president of Plaza Tire Service. "Tires are application driven. ... and each tire has a performance rating specific to the type of car. If you alter that, it changes the way the car performs. It doesn't stop as well, for instance."

Using the wrong tire may lower your vehicle's fuel economy, he says.

"There may be another tire in the same size, but not the exact spec, for lesser money. The trade-off is the performance -- handling at high speeds, being able to stop as well during water or snow," he says.

As for brakes, the sooner you get them fixed, the better.

"Brakes -- if they start squeaking -- you need brake pads. If you keep driving, you're tearing up the rotors, and that will certainly be a more costly move," Rhodes says.

James Banken, service director at VanMatre Buick GMC Cadillac in Cape Girardeau, recommends sticking to the vehicle's owner's manual when it comes to maintenance.

"Oil changes should be done on a routine basis. As long as you don't go overboard, it's generally acceptable to go beyond the recommendation," he says.

Most of today's vehicles are equipped with oil-life monitoring systems, he adds.

"The oil-life monitoring system may monitor the viscosity of the oil, and not necessarily the oil level. It doesn't tell you if it's low or not," he warns.

Regularly scheduled vehicle maintenance goes beyond an oil change, and may include checking and topping off fluid levels and tire pressure, Banken notes.

"If those things are ignored, they can cause problems down the road. Low tire pressure can cause premature tire wear," he says. "In addition, should something happen to the vehicle at 80,000 or 90,000 miles, a manufacturer's warranty will require maintenance records to participate in a repair."

As vehicles have become more technologically sophisticated, the shade-tree mechanic may be fading from the scene.

"The number of do-it-yourselfers has diminished as cars have become more complicated," says Gary Worthy Jr., store manager of Auto Tire and Parts Napa in Cape Girardeau. "Most require advanced diagnostics to figure everything out. It's all computerized and technologically advanced."

The average age of vehicles on the road is 11 years, says Worthy, who estimates 70 percent of the store's business consists of commercial accounts, with the remainder the do-it-yourself type individuals.

"A vehicle is a huge investment. In order to keep that investment from an expensive, catastrophic failure, you need preventive maintenance -- changing fluids like engine oil, transmission and antifreeze," he says. "This time of year, you should have your battery tested to see if it's weak. If your battery is leaning one way or the other, the cold weather will send it over the edge."