Find your way under the hood and around the car with the help of the Car Care Council

(NAPS)--Routine auto maintenance can help drive down your car costs--especially compared to other professional services. Over the past decade, the cost of hospital services has risen more than 100 percent; financial services are up 90 percent. Meanwhile automotive maintenance and repair has risen only 4.5 percent, making auto repair the darling of the service industry, according to the Car Care Council.

"Whether it's an oil change, replacing brakes or new belts and hoses, that periodic repair bill is a drop in the bucket compared to monthly payments on a new car," says Rich White, spokesperson for the Car Care Council. "The bottom line is, a properly maintained vehicle is safer, more dependable, cleaner and more valuable."

"Perhaps the smartest way to get a solid return on investment is to keep your car through what we call the 'Cinderella Era,'" says White. "It's that period of time after the payoff when your car is still in great shape and needs only modest repairs."

Figures from Runzheimer International, a management-consultant firm that measures travel and living costs, confirm the Council's claims. Recent figures from a Runzheimer study show that trading a vehicle every eight years instead of every four can save more than $2,481.75 a year after the payoff. That includes repairs and maintenance, license, registration and taxes and insurance.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers.