Motoring Q and A: Best fiscal move is to drive vehicle as long as possible - Reading Eagle

Question: I own a 2005 Chevy Malibu with 75,000 miles on it. I have kept up with oil changes religiously since buying the car new. The body and interior rate eight on a scale of 10. Should I buy a new car simply because of the age of the Malibu, or keep the Malibu and give it a major tuneup: Change the antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid, serpentine belt and the... What would you do. Q: I have a 2003 Toyota 4Runner with 150,000 miles on it that I have owned since new. It has been a great, trouble-free vehicle with the original starter and alternator. Answer: Today's motor vehicles and their components are so well-engineered and -built that 75,000 miles is no more than half the vehicle's service life. Compare the costs of dealing with starter or alternator failure vs. pre-emptively replacing them. According to the repair cost estimate in my ALLDATA automotive database, installing a factory-new alternator and starter on the 4Runner would cost nearly $1,000. Installing remanufactured parts would save several hundred dollars. This would cover the tow to a repair shop for a failed starter or alternator, not both at the same time unless you have truly angered the automotive gods. Since a failed alternator is more likely to strand you than a no-start failed starter, a brand new alternator installed would run roughly $600, less for a "reman. Source: readingeagle.com