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Have you ever asked your mechanic how to make your car last longer? That's what StrategyOne did in its latest survey conducted on behalf of Shell.

Ninety percent of the mechanics surveyed feel that today's car engines are more expensive to repair than they were five years ago, according to the Shell Mechanics Survey. That's something to keep in mind if you are getting ready to replace your car with a brand-new (or newer) model because you'll want to budget for your monthly payment on your car loan, higher auto insurance rates (as the car will be newer and worth more), as well as the cost of repairs once the car is out of warranty.

In the survey, mechanics provided their tips to make your car last longer. The top four things mechanics recommended were:

• Change the oil at manufacturer-suggested intervals.
• Replace fluids regularly.
• Fill up with high-quality gasoline.
• Rotate/align tires regularly.

For more tips, read Postponing car maintenance a costly error.

Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.