Gobbling on the Go Could Cost You

The interior of a vehicle contributes roughly 30 to 35 percent of a vehicle's overall resale value, according to Kelley. The three major areas that affect a vehicle's value are interior, exterior, and engine and transmission. Each contributes about a third to a car's overall resale value.

I thought this was an interesting survey even if I wasn't sure initially why this information would matter to Taco Bell. I understand why Kelley would want car owners to know that being messy can cost them money. The company is in the business of providing new and used vehicle pricing information.

So what's Taco Bell's motivation? Well, the company is pushing a product you eat on the go with less mess. Taco Bell calls it the "Crunchwrap Supreme," a grilled tortilla you can eat with one hand because the taco fixings are sealed inside the shell.

Although I'm trying to keep my new car tidy and ding-free, as the years go by I won't really care how messy it gets. I won't be stressing about the scratches it's bound to get. It won't matter because I keep my automobiles for years. I don't typically trade in a car or resell it. When I need another vehicle, I usually give the old one to a relative.

I keep my cars so long that folks start to feel sorry for me. I have no shame in driving around in a hoopty. (For those not up on urban lingo, "hoopty" is a messed-up, banged-up car.) I have to tell you that one Sunday I came out of church to find that one of my fellow congregants had placed his business card under my van's windshield wiper.

He was a salesman for a dealership.

Someone else might have been embarrassed. Not me. I laughed knowing that my hoopty was paid for. However, far too many people trade their cars the way children swap trading cards. On average, vehicle owners trade in their cars every three to five years, according to Kelley.

I just don't understand why someone would trade in a perfectly good car, especially since technological advances have resulted in cars and light trucks becoming much more durable than in the past.

In fact, the median age of U.S. vehicles has been steadily increasing across all major categories. The median car age was nine years in 2005, which continues a four-year record-setting trend, according to R. L. Polk & Co., an automotive information and marketing company.

For all trucks, the median age increased to 6.8 years in 2005. Light-truck median age in 2005 increased to 6.6 years.

Personally, I'm not trying to eat less in my car just to increase its resale value. I'm eating less because those meals on wheels have a tendency to increase my hips.

· On the air: Michelle Singletary discusses personal finance Tuesdays on NPR's "Day to Day" program and online athttp://www.npr.org.

· By mail: Readers can write to her at The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.

· By e-mail:singletarym@washpost.com.

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