Cars can be a very expensive thing to buy and then maintain. When we are driving along or start the car on the drive and hear an awful noise it can be terrifying, but sometimes it is not as bad as it may first appear. Have a quick look around the car and see if you can identify where the noise is coming from, often it can just be a lose bracket or a hole in the exhaust. If you cannot find anything then call your local garage and try to explain to them the noise the car is making. Make sure that you always use a garage that you trust and that will take the time to explain to you what work is required to be done and why as unfortunately there are a few out there that are all to quick to just take your money. It may also be worth investing in breakdown cover as having to be recovered to a garage can be extremely costly.

If you are luckily enough to be able to buy a new car there is some research you should do before going straight to the dealerships. It may be that you have always had a particular make of car and maybe it’s time for a change.

Different factors are important when it comes to buying a car for different people. The majority of people do consider the fuel economy, cost of parts and labour, warranties and reliability.

My advice to you is to carry out some research, do not just read what the manufacturer says about the car but if possible talk to people that already own the car or read their reviews online. There are quite a few car websites out there that sum up good and bad points about the particular make and model of a vehicle which can be very useful.

Each car is different so if someone has had a poor experience with their car it doesn’t mean you will, but there does seem to be some general trends.

There are many different types of wear that you can get on a tyre and it’s not necessarily something you can always avoid, but there are a few ways to minimise the amount of wear that occurs on your tyres.

Sharp breaking can be one of the most common ways to shed the grip on your tyres, and if you’re the type of driver who likes to get up to high speeds and then brake lately then you may be doing an awful lot of damage to your tyres, meaning you’ll have to replace them sooner.

Road surfaces vary and a rough surface can always do damage, so avoiding pot holes, rigid road bumps and cracked roads can always be beneficial. Curbs are another potentially dangerous surface, and driving into a curb at speed cannot just damage the wear over time, you may also find punctures.

Most of the time, common sense is important to maintaining tyre tread, and if you want to make your next set of tyres last as long as they are supposed to then think more carefully about the tyres and the road surface you’re driving on.

Protecting your car, or any vehicle, needs to involve a variety of solutions. Firstly, you need to have a good alarm system to protect you from theft and vandalism. When it’s parked, it may even be a good choice to have it within sight of a surveillance system. Secondly, you need to protect it from weather. Weather can affect your car in a variety of ways. If its body is made from metal, over time it can rust, which will make the vehicle look crap, but cold weather and hot weather can also affect your cars performance. Making sure that it is protected from weather can extend the cars life by a considerable margin. This can be done through a variety of ways, such as putting your car in a garage, or getting a car cover which you can place over your car. They both have benefits specific to them, but a car cover is more mobile, which allows you to use it whether you are at home or not.