Yahoo Lifestyle We independently evaluate the products we review. When you buy via links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read more about how we vet products and deals.
Make your old car feel like new without breaking the bank — here's how
The average age of a car on the road is over 12 years, but that doesn't mean your car has to feel old every time you get behind the wheel.
The average age of a car on the road in the United States is 12.6 years and that number has been increasing in recent years. As much as I love driving a new car, the average cost of one in the United States is north of $47,000, which is just too rich for most people, myself included. But that doesn't mean your car has to feel as old as its age. Some well-chosen tech and accessories and good ol' cleanliness go a long way when it comes to making your vehicle feel new.
Catch up on your maintenance
This one isn't so fun, but it is necessary. Sometimes all you need for your car to start feeling new again is to catch up on all of that maintenance you've been putting off. Get an oil change. Rotate or buy new tires. Put on new windshield wiper blades. None of these things makes a night-and-day difference by themselves, but together they can really improve your driving experience.
Winter is upon us, and that means driving through winter storms. A good quality wiper blade like this one may seem expensive, but it works better and lasts longer than the cheapo alternatives out there.
If you're like most drivers on the road, chances are you are in need of a new cabin-air filter (it's that thing that they want to swap out for way too much money every time you get your oil changed). If you don't replace them, the atmosphere inside your ride can get a bit funky. As far as car parts go, these are relatively inexpensive (I just bought one for less than $15) and incredibly easy to swap out. Use the guide at Amazon to see which one fits your vehicle.
The first month I lived in the mountains my car was hit by a pretty violent hail storm. Luckily it is black, so this was all I needed to deal with some of the chips. You can purchase pens like this in literally any color, but it might take a bit more googling if you drive a car that isn't white or black.
This is the most expensive item on this list, and for good reason: These babies are literally what separate you from the road. Don't cheap-out. This is my current fave tire for everyday use. I've used them on every car I have daily driven and owned in the past decade.
Though ... while these may be a great tire for my needs, make sure to run your vehicle's information through the Walmart tire finder to make sure it's right for you.
Actually clean out (and organize) your car
I know, I know, what fun is that? Actually, cleaning? I hate to say it, but no amount of air freshener is going to mask the rotting french fries you have under the seat. Luckily, it doesn't take much to tidy up a car interior. A regular once-over with a car vac will keep the pet hair and stale Cheerios to a minimum. And to keep things spic-and-span in between vacuuming, an over-the-seat garbage can like this one will keep wrappers (and stinky scents) from accumulating.
This gel is specially designed to clean air vents, consoles, steering wheels and other tricky spots on your car.
When it comes to introducing a scent to your car, it's best to start with a clean slate, or in this case a clean vehicle. This Dustbuster for your car comes with a 16-foot power cord that will plug into any standard 12-volt outlet, as well as a HEPA filter, so all of that pet fluff and spilled food will be no more.
You don't have to go so far as to detail your car every year, but wiping it down with car and glass cleaner wipes as well as protectant will keep your vehicle looking fresh between washes.
Trash stinks. Literally. Keep it all in one place with this small yet feature-filled trash can. A water- and leak-proof design means you don't need to worry about anything icky dripping onto your floor mats; it's easy to empty (which you should do often to avoid unwanted odors); and its liner is removable and machine washable. Alternatively, you can use this as an in-car organizer for accessories and other supplies.
Have items other than trash rolling around your car? Store them in this hold-all. It'll keep everything in one place and has a lid so passersby won't be able to see what you have in there.
Odor out, fresh air in
Unless you never plan to eat at a drive-thru or jump in the car after a day at the beach, you’re going to need something to combat odors. You don't just want to mask nasty scents, you want to eliminate and neutralize them. That means updating your filters and keeping some odor absorbers on hand.
Next, invest in a quality air freshener. Forget danlging one of those little fragrance trees from your rearview mirror. They emit a chemical smell and, honestly, their scents are way too strong. There are much better options out there that smell better, last longer and won't hinder your view of the road.
Once your interior is vacuumed and (very important) dry, sprinkling baking soda around the interior of your car will help neutralize odors. However, activated charcoal is even better, thanks to millions of microscopic pores in each piece that attract and absorb moisture and odors.
This wooden air freshener features a handy clip that fastens to your visor. The Drift has a more sophisticated look than typical car freshers, and its scents follow suit — it comes in a variety of long-lasting fragrances, including Amber, Apple Orchard, Cabana, Grove, Open Air, Pine and Teak. Each sustainably produced block lasts about 30 days; once it's ready to be replaced (or you just feel like trying a different scent), just pop it off of the visor and swap in a new one.
Add in some new tech
If your ride was built before 2016, chances are it didn't come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. These features now come standard on most new cars, but for older models, you're left with two main options: splurge on a new infotainment unit, or keep it simple with a convenient phone mount — especially if, like me, you rely heavily on Google or Apple Maps for navigation and Spotify for music and podcasts.
If you'd like to peruse some other options, check out our recent rundown of the best phone mounts for your car.
One of the biggest differences between driving a new car and my decade-old Subaru is the user experience of the infotainment system. Rather than buy an entirely new car, why not just upgrade with a touchscreen like this one? Seven inches my not seem huge, but it's plenty big for your car and this one comes with a camera as well.
Don't want to splurge on an entire screen for your car? How about a phone mount instead? This one is easy to install and easy to remove, and it leaves behind no sticky residue.
This handy little gadget can charge two devices at the same time. Get up to 80% battery back on your phone in only 35 minutes.
At this point, none of the bulbs inside my oldest car are working, which, of course, means I should replace them. But I should also install secondary light strips like these. Use the app to customize the color and you won't ever need your phone flashlight to find whatever it is you just dropped under the seat.
Replace, repair or cover your seats and floor mats
Normally the first things to go in your car are the parts that you come in contact with: your seats and the floor mats. Years of climbing in and out can really take a toll and what used to look cozy and comfortable can now be what is aging your car the most. If you're really lucky you can find some new(er) seats to buy in a junkyard near you, but if you don't want to bother with all of that (I don't blame you), replacement floor mats and seat covers are super affordable and can go a long way toward spiffing up your ride.
Are your floor mats beyond cleaning and repair? No worries; they're among the least expensive things to replace in a car. Take these: For less than $20 you'll have new flooring in your vehicle. Not bad.
There are tons of seat covers out there, but I'm a fan of these Carhartt numbers, which look rugged and offer some serious protection.
