How to future-proof your car
Making your car last longer than you is the ultimate in sustainable motoring. James Ruppert shows us how
PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON
New cars aren’t just for the lease period. No, for buyers of used bangers, that’s where a car’s life begins. But how long will it last? That can be down to you, because it genuinely is possible to future-proof a car and make it last at least until you find yourself in a care home. You’ll save a fortune in the meantime, too.
Obsolescence can come courtesy of legislation (see ULEZ and 2035 ban) as much as an inability to find spares or mechanics with the skills to fix them, but there’s usually a way. Here, then, is how to make your car last longer – and how to pick the right one in the first place.
WHICH CARS ARE FUTURE-PROOF?
The truth is your future-proofed motor won’t have to be a fusty old classic or riotously expensive bespoke creation that runs on carrot juice. There is plenty of info out there. Take a good, hard look at reliability stats, such as the annual What Car? Reliability Survey; freedom of information requests aimed at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency reveal which cars routinely fail MOTs and why. Talk to friends and family about their motoring experiences. Ideally you want a popular model in a low specification, and easy on the DIY.