When it comes to car maintenance, most people immediately think of 4S service centers. However, high price and labor intensity are a headache for many people. During warranty period, almost everyone will have to choose a 4S store because they don't want to void warranty. But if warranty has expired, then where to service it?
If this problem had been posed 5 years ago, roadside auto repair shop would have been only option. But now, in addition to auto repair shops, there are backyard services like Kaladin, which are admired by car owners. So, for people after insurance, who is most convenient and economical in 4S stores, auto repair shops and on-site service? Who is more comfortable? How can I choose?
To compare prices in 4S stores of different brands, we chose JAC Yueyue 1.0 representing its own brand and Mazda Angkesaila 1.5 representing a joint venture brand (these two cars just need to be maintained). See which type is more suitable for independent brands and joint venture brands.
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Fees: 4S stores are not very expensive, there is a big difference between own brand and joint venture
The 4S store maintenance fee varies greatly by brand, with 4S JAC Yueyue store maintenance fee of 90 RMB and Mazda Angkesaila 170 RMB if booked in advance.
Most people think auto repair shops are cheap. We consulted several auto repair shops. If you bring your own engine oil, hourly fee for minor maintenance is between 50 and 80. What brand of car do you drive? You will be charged same hourly rate at the same store. This price is slightly lower than 4S own branded stores and almost half that of co-branded stores.
Because Angkesaila uses 0W-20 fully synthetic motor oil, which is relatively rare outside of 4S stores, so we only chose Yueyue for comparison, and motor oil we chose is cheapest motor oil in store.
If you don't bring your own motor oil there is no hourly charge, but motor oil is not cheap at auto shop. For example, cheapest Total Mineral Motor Oil we finally chose has a higher asking price of 200 yuan! And after this disassembly, oil in 4S store will be cheaper.
In terms of door-to-door service, opening hours of three companies we studied: Carradine, eMaintenance and Youyang are between 100 and 150 yuan, price is not much lower than that of 4S stores, if not more. than some 4S brand own stores. And since most people prefer to carry out maintenance on site at home or in company's parking lot, they have to pay to park other party's work car during maintenance period, and price will be higher after paying for parking. added.
Time: 4S shop takes a long time
4S stores usually have a short service time of 60-90 minutes and in our real experience it took about 60 minutes. However, due to high traffic of 4S stores, even if you make an appointment on weekend, you often have to wait.
The efficiency of workshop is relatively high, and it takes only 40-60 minutes to complete same maintenance. In our real experience, it only takes 40 minutes to complete maintenance. On-site maintenance takes about 45-90 minutes, in our previous experience, time taken was 45 minutes, which is a little more than a car repair shop.
Other elements of service: service of auto repair shop is not as bad as expected
Maintenance at 4S store is relatively professional and thorough, such as reading fault codes with a computer and installing a protective pad next to engine compartment to prevent scratches and dirt on car's paint. If you want to repair your car while keeping it, most of accessories can be replaced on spot at 4S shop.
The maintenance service content of auto repair shop is similar to that of 4S workshop, such as checking chassis, adjusting tire pressure, refilling water glass, etc., and free car wash after maintenance. The filling and equipment in store are similar to 4S stores.
On-site maintenance is limited to only one running vehicle, and tools and accessories you can take with you are relatively limited. Checking condition of a vehicle is relatively easy, and most problems cannot be fixed on-site even if they are found. Some complex maintenance operations, such as changing tires (only changing tires, not rims) and changing transmission oil, cannot be performed on site. Finally, car wash after maintenance is mainly limited to engine compartment and windshield without a full car wash.
Convenience: home service is the most convenient
Typically, there are relatively few online stores in 4S stores. Let's take our JAC as an example. If you want to go to a 4S store for service, round trip takes about two hours.
On contrary, convenience of auto repair shops is great, because auto repair shops are located all over street, and most people can always find one or two within a few hundred meters.
Onsite maintenance is most convenient, time and place is determined by owner of car, owner only needs to make an appointment by mobile phone, hand over key to master before maintenance and pay for key back after maintenance is completed. The maintenance process can perform its functions, and maintenance process can be monitored and played back through camera at any time.
Reliability: workshop qualifications tend to be low and counterfeit parts are high
For big brands such as 4S and Carradine stores, if they sell fake motor oil and fake accessories, after they are discovered, negative impact and loss will be quite serious, so they generally do not dare to sell fake products as you wish. (However, even JD.com has seen counterfeit motor oil sold before, so we can only say that 4S and Carradine stores have a relatively low percentage of fakes.)
On contrary, most auto repair shops are not chain brands, with different qualifications, and supply of oil and accessories is relatively unstable.
Any other options?
Finally, in recent years, another method of maintenance has emerged - car maintenance e-commerce. When it comes to car maintenance e-commerce, many people may be unfamiliar, but if you're talking about Tuhu.com, I think most car owners have heard of it. Its biggest advantage is that it is cheapest. The installation fee for small maintenance is only 30 RMB. Take Yueyue as an example, minimum maintenance fee is only 127 RMB.
However, cheapness is only on surface, because 30 yuan he charges is an installation fee, not a labor fee. After consulting with customer service, I found out that he is only responsible for changing engine oil and filter, and is not responsible for other vehicle inspections and car washes. In addition, since project is simplest, time is also shortest. Small maintenance takes less than 30 minutes.
But since there is no specific experience, all of above can be found by asking for information and consulting with customer support. Therefore, if we have opportunity, we will personally experience this service method, so please look forward to experience report.
How to choose?
As a car after warranty period, first way we recommend is to go to a car repair shop for service. Regarding reliability of engine oil and accessories, we suggest that if you are not at ease, you can buy engine oil and bring it there , or check official website of engine oil manufacturer Authentication Methods (there are inquiry methods on official websites of Castrol and Mobil). This can be done quickly, cheaply and conveniently.
Despite fact that auto repair shops are scattered all over street, this is not a random choice. The level of store is too low to go anywhere. Also don't go for shops that specialize in famous cars or Mercedes-Benz and BMW, these shops are more expensive.
As far as 4S store maintenance is concerned, although it is more expensive and relatively inconvenient, accessories are more complete and with better warranty. If you want to have your car repaired during a major overhaul or maintenance, it is recommended that you choose a 4S shop.
As for driveway service, since service fee is very high, inspection is not very detailed, and there is no car wash, there are no other advantages besides convenience. Unless you're really busy or lazy, I really don't recommend home service.