If the average car on the road seems older, it's because it is

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If it seems like people are keeping their cars longer than they used to, it’s because they are. And here’s a startling fact to back that up: In 1980, the average age of a car on the road was around 5.5 years; today, it is more than 12 years – more than twice as old. Why do you suppose that is?

Actually, there are several reasons for it. Maybe the biggest reason is that cars are built to higher quality standards than they used to be. In 1980, a car with 100,000 miles on it was nearing the end of its useful life.

Today, most cars will go twice as far as that (and more) if they are properly maintained. If that is the case, what are the things that have actually improved? Here’s a partial list: -- Better machining and metallurgy -- Electronic fuel injection replacing carburetors -- Synthetic oils/better lubricants -- Rustproofing/galvanized steel -- Better cooling systems -- Tighter accurate manufacturing tolerances So, people may keep their cars longer simply because their cars are better than they used to be, and can successfully last longer and go further.

But there’s another very important reason: New cars have become extremely expensive The average new vehicle in the U.S. now costs around $48,000 to $50,000. That is a huge amount of money by any standard, and it means people simply can’t afford a new vehicle every three or four years.

And that’s not the end of the big-money story; insurance costs have skyrocketed, interest rates are up, and repair costs are through the roof. Taken together, those factors make holding on to one’s car or truck very sensible. Cars last longer, but their paint jobs don’t Here’s the irony of extended car or truck ownership: Overall vehicle quality is up, but factory paint job quality is down.

That means your car or truck may last longer, but it may not look very good doing it. There are reasons for the decline in paint quality. Environmental requirements mean that auto paint is now water-based rather than solvent-based; paint and clear-coat are applied in thinner coats as an economy measure.

Taken together, those two factors mean auto paint is more prone to chipping, and also less resistant to UV rays and things like bird droppings. Is there a solution? Yes.

When you buy that new vehicle, bring it directly from the dealership to CoaterZ (or to some other high-quality paint protection shop.) We’ll do a careful correction of the existing paint, and then either ceramic-coat it, apply our high-quality paint protection film (PPF), or do some careful combination of the two. When we’re done, that mediocre factory paint will be protected and ready to face whatever comes its way for years to come. So go ahead.

Drive that vehicle until the wheels fall off. And look good while doing it. In Tampa Bay and beyond, look to CoaterZ for help.

CoaterZ offers the highest-quality PPF film and coatings as well as factory-trained technicians. It’s a wise investment – your car or truck will look as good at trade-in time as it did when it rolled out of the new-car dealership. Three locations to serve you: 2824 Alt19 Palm Harbor, FL 34683 727-935-4621 www.CoaterZ.com 2321 Bee Ridge Rd.

Sarasota, FL 34239 (941)297-0125 www.Coaterz.com/Sarasota 16235 N Florida Ave. Lutz, FL 33549 (813)467-8149 http://coaterz.com/lutz