Keeping your car running smoothly is always important, but never more so than in tight economic times.

You want to avoid huge repair bills or having to buy an entirely new car, but you don't want to break the bank paying for the basic upkeep of your car, either.

With that in mind, here are some basic tips that will help you find a good deal and drive away in a safe, dependable vehicle.

Shop around

In its April 2009 issue, Consumer Reports notes that when its editors called around to check up on the cost of a 60,000-mile checkup for a 2004 Ford Explorer, they were quoted prices that varied by as much as $252, even among Ford dealers in the same area.

Consumer Reports was quoted prices of $400, $499 and $589 by Ford dealerships in the New York City metro area. In Los Angeles, the same service drew quotes ranging from $338 to $590.

"Basically, you're dialing for dollars," said Mike Quincy, auto content specialist for Consumer Reports.

Coupons and deals

With all the coupons out there, it can become easy to get lost in the "labyrinth of auto repair," as Tom Torbjornsen, a veteran of nearly 40 years in the auto service industry and a blogger for AOL Autos, calls it.

"Automotive advertising and marketing is drowning the marketplace with excessive mailings, Internet ads, television ads and newspaper ads," he says. "Everyone is having a big sale."