Professional Automotive Consulting for Smarter Car Buying, Maintenance and Repairs
What Will I Do For You?
I'll guide you to find quality used vehicles, project maintenance and repair costs, aim to minimize depreciation and maximize your resale value. Whether you’re buying new-to-you or managing your current ride, car ownership can be difficult. Let's talk about it.
Looking for a used vehicle? Don't trust the local repair shop's findings? I have 20 years of automotive dealership experience, with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, etc. Building relationships is what I do. Let me help!
Professional Automotive Consulting for Smarter Car-Buying, Maintenance and Repairs
About INTEL Automotive Consulting
who am i and what can i do for you?
My name is Stephen Tilley, and after 20 years in the automotive dealership world, I've seen many trends that have left clients and consumers in challenging financial situations. On AVERAGE, a brand new car loses 20% of its value within the first year. After 5 years, you're going to sell it for about 60% less than you paid for it (pending many variables). Many consumers gravitate towards a brand or a specific vehicle, where, once out of warranty, can become virtually cost-prohibitive to maintain and repair. I can help people find quality used cars, calculate a general long-term cost of maintenance and repairs (based on common trends/reliability ratings), explain warranty coverage, etc. The goal is to prosper financially, when it comes to owning an automobile.
Topics of Discussion
Warranty / Service Contracts
This is one of the most common areas of confusion. There is NO such thing as a "bumper to bumper" warranty. Shall I repeat? This commonly-used automotive terminology does not mean everything is covered.
Factory warranty covers manufacturer defects.
Brake pads? Wearable item. Tires? Wearable item. Unless you purchase extra protection, or it comes with purchase, these are never covered under warranty.
Extended/3rd party warranties are available when vehicles are out of factory warranty coverage. This also does not mean everything is covered - in fact, more often than not, you will still end up paying more than what the warranty company will pay. They use an 'industry standard' labor guide, and often value labor hours much lower than what the facility charges, especially when it comes to luxury brands.
It's very important to read the fine print on your warranty contract.
Maintenance / Repairs
After 20 years in the dealership world, I've seen a lot of trends. One of those being consumers owning a vehicle, frankly, way outside of their means, or not having a realistic expectation in regards to maintenance and repairs.
The flipside of this - there is a stigma with dealerships and independent repair facilities, which are statistically accurate, and for good reason. It is a world of sales, afterall.
BUT - I also know, from experience, there are many honest and reputable facilities out there, with advisors and technicians who value their craft and take great care of clients.
To step back a bit - when a dealership makes recommendations for repairs and maintenance - often, one would ask, "do I NEED to do this?"
There isn't necessarily a rulebook here. I've seen very poorly maintained vehicles with 200,000 miles, and very well maintained vehicles suffer unexpected catastrophic failures.
The Car Choice / Convenience
What do you drive? And WHY? A lot of people gravitate towards a specific brand or model, and choose to buy or lease NEW, or slightly used, for the convenience factor.
What do I mean by convenience?
Warranties, dealership support, a sense of reliability. What people DON'T think about is the depreciation factor, planned obsolescence, and common modern-technology fail points, which can be cost-prohibitive outside of warranty coverage. The more tech a car has, the more components there are to potentially malfunction, which can certainly cause inconvenience, when it comes to a needed dealership service visit.
Do you NEED the latest and greatest? If the answer is 'no' (it is) - there is a whole slew of used automobiles available that have more-than-adequate tech, are (proverbially) battle-tested, and have reliability ratings that speak for themselves, with a price tag a fraction of new, and resale value much closer to the purchase price.
The Mission
The world is changing rapidly. A brand new car, in this day and age, isn't always a wise investment. The cost of living is higher, gas is more expensive, and the service industry is largely inflated, so that providers can stay competitive.
In contrast, a 10-15 year well-maintained used car can be a GREAT option. Parts are often LESS expensive, the depreciation over a 5-year-span is much lower, in comparison, and repairs require less manufacturer-specific diagnostic equipment, meaning independent local shops can fix them.
I will help guide you to good quality, cost-effective vehicle options. Additionally, I can help to decipher repair shop recommendations, to help you decide what you need and what you don't need, to keep your EXISTING vehicle on the road and proper mechanical condition.
Lastly, I can answer any other questions you have, regarding warranties, service, parts, buying/selling, etc.
Car ownership can be difficult. I'm here to help you through that process.