Warranties are included in the price of new vehicles while service contracts are extra and are generally sold separately. You may want to consider waiting until your warranty period expires before purchasing a service contract to prevent duplication of coverage already supplied by a warranty or to prevent the service contract from voiding part or all of a warranty. To maximize the resale value of your car, maintain the mechanical condition and appearance of the vehicle. Save all sales and service receipts. These can be valuable in assessing the condition of a used vehicle.
Cars usually depreciate the most in the first three years.
Consider the depreciation of the car relative to the length of time you expect to own it. Consider selling the car yourself. You may get a better price selling it yourself rather than trading it in on your next purchase. This also simplifies the new car negotiations. For a small fee, you may be able to obtain a computer printout from your bank or credit union showing the manufacturer's invoice to the dealer.