Buying a car is perhaps one of the most expensive things you’ll ever do in your life. As such, you might feel inclined to upgrade it and buy extra stuff to make it “better”. This is especially true if you don’t have much experience with cars and are going purely off what other people tell you, videos you’ve watched, or perhaps articles that you’ve read.

Unfortunately, a lot of people get tricked into buying things for their car that they really don’t need. So if you’re looking to save money with your already expensive vehicle, then we’ve got a couple of tips to help you avoid unnecessary purchases!

High-end audio systems

This is purely something that you get if you’re looking to blast loud music or really want the in-car audio experience to be something amazing. While they obviously do sound better than your average speaker system, the cost of installing a high-end one can be extremely expensive.

Most people won’t be able to tell the difference between their car’s current audio system and a more expensive one unless someone tells them specifically what to look for. If you’re the type of person who enjoys listening to good-quality music, then you should consider that a car is hardly the best acoustical environment for listening. Save your money and get a really nice speaker system for your home instead.

Overpriced rims and tyres

Don’t be fooled into buying extremely expensive rims and tyres. A lot of these are just for looks and don’t offer much of a performance boost. Many of them come with prestigious brand names and may have fancy websites and brands backing them, which is why it can be tempting to get some yourself.

The exception is getting good tyres that do actually make a difference. Perhaps you want tyres with more traction for the winter, or maybe you have to replace your tyres because they’re getting worn out. These are good examples of when you should be spending a bit more on your tyres. However, if you’re getting them purely for cosmetic reasons, then we urge you to save your money instead!

Improving engine performance

You might be tempted to get car upgrades that can improve your engine’s performance. There are usually promises like getting better fuel efficiency or running your car faster. However, you should know that these types of improvements can potentially void your car’s warranties. It may even cause long-term engine damage if you’re not careful.

While these engine upgrades can actually improve the performance of your car, it’s often not worth the potential damage caused to your vehicle. For the average driver, it’s often best to leave your car on its default settings so that if something happens, you at least have your warranty which should protect you against different kinds of damage.

The exception here is if you are an experienced mechanic or have knowledge of tuning cars. If that's the case, then you can definitely squeeze a bit of extra performance out of your vehicle, but we wouldn’t recommend it otherwise.