Autogazette: tips to help you get more miles per dollar out of your car.

I tused to be a simple decision: If you use your car for business, lease. If it's for personal use, buy. Now the complications of changing tax laws, low interest rates and manufacturer-sponsored incentives conspire to make the choice more difficult

"Twenty percent of the people who lease should be buying and half of the people buying should be leasing," says Art Spinella, director of automotive research for CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore., the publisher of LTR 8(Lease Track Reports), a leasing industry newsletter.

The new car dealer would rather see you lease. For every lease, the dealership has the opportunity for three sales: the original lease, the next one when the car is returned, and the late-model used car you bring back. Then, the cycle begins anew.

Says Don Stitt Los Angeles zone sales manager for Chrysler Corp: "Leasing can be much like any other financing where you don't get the title to the car until you pay it off.- Often, whether leasing or buying, instead of paying it off, customers trade it in.

Lease payments have the advantage of requiring little or no down payment and result in lower monthly payments. Also, notes Stitt, "With leasing, you don't pay the sales tax all at once. It's factored into the payment."

Who should lease? if you like to trade in your car every two or three years, don't put more than 15AM miles per year on it and after two or three years your car still looks good - it's a depreciating asset - you might as well lease," Spinella says. "If you like to run its wheels off, or you have kids who eat ice cream cones in the back seat, you're better off buying."

You're likely to do better buying a car, than selling it yourself But if you prefer the convenience of a trade-in, "it's easier to just take the car back at the end of the lease, drop the keys off and say good-bye," Spinella says.

If you decide to lease, the contract isn't much more difficult than a purchase. The key factor is understanding that the car must be brought back in good condition or you get charged extra. "Before you sign a lease agreement, have someone show you what they mean by 'excessive wear,' Spinella says. Most contracts spell it out, some more clearly than others.

Also be sure to get "gap insurance." That will cover the full value of your financial commitment rather than leave you responsible for a car that's totaled in an accident.

WEATHERPROOF YOUR CAR

Spring cleaning and winter preparation. They're both often unnecessary if you stay on top of things, but the change of seasons comes in handy as a reminder to take care of things you've been putting off .

Taking care of your car is similar. It used to be that you needed to put in a winter oil and a summer oil. But with modern lubricants, only those living in northern Alaska really have to worry about such things. However, the change of seasons is a good reminder to change that oil.

Any time you're preparing to face harsh weather, it's a good time to check your car. The biggest problem - in both heat and cold - is the engine overheating. Cooling systems tend to break down in both conditions.

Check your cooling system for leaks and make sure you have the proper mixture of anti-freeze in your radiator. Check car belts and hoses for wear, tension (stress-fractures) and fit. That next cold snap or heat wave will cause the weakest link in your car to fail.

Keep an eye on the air pressure in your tires. Cold weather shrinks the air and will cause tires to lose pressure. if you prefer to have separate summer and winter tires on your vehicle, you're better off getting caught in the dry with snow tires than the other way around. High-quality all-season rubber will suffice for most places.

Get into the habit of just looking at your car once in a while. Check for anything obviously out of place. Winterizing and preparing for summer are really the same thing: It's a signal that it's time for proper maintenance.

TIRE

POWER

The most important thing you really need to remember about taking care of your car's tires is air. That's it. Okay, there's more to it than that, but those are the details. Just remember, the important thing is to check the

All passenger vehicle tires pneumatic - they're filled with Your owner's manual (and a label in the glove compartment or some other semi-conspicuous place on the car) tells you how much air pressure your tires need. But the formula is pretty simple: The further you are from the correct number, the worse performance you get That means the tires won't grip the road as well, reducing handling, acceleration and braking. The ride won't be as quiet and comfortable. It could negatively affect your fuel economy. Beyond that, the tires will wear out prematurely and become damaged more easily.

Once a month, do it - put in air. And while you're at it, go ahead and glance at the tires to see whether they're wearing evenly or foreign objects are stuck in the tread. Just look for obvious problems. Now, that covers maintenance.

Choosing your next set of tires gets more complicated; however, it will almost certainly be worth the effort if you're driving around on a set of old, worn-out tires, a new set will do more to improve the performance of your car than virtually anything else you can do. Tires are a real high-value investment

Which brings up the next point: If you like your car - ifs something special and not just a necessary appliance to get you to a job you hate - then, it's worth spending a little extra for better tires. Good tires grip the road better. They improve,your ability to take evasive maneuvers and stop more quickly if there's trouble. They'll also enhance your driving fun.

Unfortunately, all tires are a compromise. You can choose high mileage, great traction or a low price. Most people go for low price, while driving enthusiasts pick traction (as long as the other two are reasonable). Government regulations require manufacturers to specify ratings in the area of anticipated mileage and traction. While these ratings aren't directly comparable from one manufacturer to the next they offer some helpful guidelines. Each tire is coded for mileage and traction; ask your salesperson to explain the codes. If he or she can't shop elsewhere. (Also refer to last year's BLACK ENTERPRISE 1992 Auto Gazette, Nov. 199Z p.135 for a brief explanation of tire coding.)

Another important factor is weather. if you face winters, but those not bad enough for serious snow tires, look into all-season tires. If rain is your main concern, some tires do better than others. The first tire developed with excellent wet-weather performance in mind is the Goodyear Aquatred. It's at the high end of the price scale and looks a bit odd, but it works.

With all the choices out there, it's simply a matter of doing your shopping. To some extent, when you spend more, you get more. Just be sure you drive the right bargain.

Driving safety and performance go hand in hand Nobody wants their car to break down somewhere on the highway, far from civilization, or in their driveway when they're late for an important appointment.

Because cars these days are better than ever, we tend to forget about taking care of them. They always seem to run well and, until there's a problem, you can get away with plenty of mistreatment. Frankly, it doesn't work that way for cars any better than it does for a marriage. Fortunately, there are some very simple steps you can take to help hold and keep your car together

* Read your owners manual You know, that publication you tossed in the glove box when you bought about? Not only will it tell you all sorts of information about your car - maybe there is a remote trunk release hidden in the glove box - but there's a useful listing of minimum maintenance requirement The key work is minimum." Driving under more rigorous conditions requires more frequent attention.

* Check the oil. Open the hood - it's not that tough - and find the dip stick. Or find a friendly neighbor, relative or full-service gas station and have the oil checked regularly. If the car is using more than it used to, or more than a quart every couple thousand miles, that indicates a problem.

* Change the oil. You should do it every 6,000 miles as the minimum, and more often is better, particularly if you live in dusty, smoggy area.

* Check your tires. Refer to "Tire Power" (opposite).

* Listen for strange noises. Simply pay attention and if you hear something different talk to your mechanic about it.

* Take advantage of free checkups. Many mechanics offer a free brake and/or safely check, particularly with your regular oil change. If you can find a good, honest mechanic, it pays to have your cars looked over regularly by an expert.