Unique Auto

Posts Tagged ‘New Cars’

The East Sussex town of Brighton has just announced that it will be installing 20 roadside charging stations for use with electric vehicles. This is part of a big scheme to try and enable Brighton to be more of a Zero-emission city.

It is worth considering that maybe some people who own electric vehicles think they are bigger and better than the rest of us? If you consider an episode of South Park it would certainly seem so. Many of the South Park people who bought an electric vehicle suddenly found that they all started to think very highly of themselves and definitely far better than people without the vehicle.

Of course this is all nonsense and just put there to annoy the people of Chicago (where a lot of the episode was based) as well as everyone who own one of the electric cars.

Is the answer to all the pollution in the world actually in these cars or maybe it can cause more hassle than good? As power stations are unable to shut down overnight, currently there is a lot of unused electricity, so without building anymore stations, we could power millions of electric vehicles with no additional impact on the environment. Even if we do have to build more power plants, they would hopefully be cleaner plants. Also, the price per mile works out a lot cheaper for an electric car than it does for a gas car. The truth is it is all to do with efficiency as gasoline cars are 25% efficient whereas electric are around 95% meaning that a mile on electric costs a penny and a mile on gas costs around 15 cents.

So if you are about to Buy a new Alfa Romeo or buy a Honda you should hold off and wait until an electric car comes your way. Whether it is new cars there is sure to be an eventual upgrade for a car to help take down your C02 emissions.

Within the past year, all we have heard is how the motoring industry is being his so hard by the recession. Almost every week you read how the motoring industry is struggling due to the fact that people aren’t going to buy a new BMW. However, we rarely actually hear about how different parts of the motoring industry and doing well in the recession.

The part of the motoring industry that is doing the best is the used car market. Prices of used cars have been going against most things in the recession, they have actually been going up. This may not sound very positive for the customer because you will have to pay more for used cars, however, if you choose to trade in your old car, you will get alot more money for it than previously.

The biggest reason why the used car market has suddenly become popular is that customers are trying to save money wherever they can. One effective way of doing this is to buy a second hand car rather than a new one. One thing that hasn’t helped the new car market is that the prices have actually risen due to the recession. You would have thought that manufacturers would never even consider raising car prices, however, as a result of poor exchange rates, they have been forced to.

As a result of more people choosing to buy a second hand car rather than a new one, the demand for used cars has risen. As the demand continues to rise and the number of cars being scrapped due to the scrappage scheme, it’s becoming ever more difficult to get your perfect used car. Now as used car dealers begin to run low on supplies, they are increasing prices for trading in a car, making it sound like a better deal for car owners.

The only downside to this is that because you are getting more money for your old car, you are having to pay more when you buy your new used car. So really you will not be making any extra money on a trade in, but everyone would rather buy a second hand car, rather than buy an Audi just as it’s rolled off the production line.

It appears that the only customers that will lose out as a result of the price rises is people that don’t trade in an older car.

For the past 12 months, every piece of news about the motoring industry has been about how it’s been so badly effected by the recession. Every week there is a story of how no one is buying new cars because people just aren’t going to buy a new Alfa Romeo. However, there are sectors of the motoring industry that are doing well, but we never hear about them.

The second hand car market is one of the few parts of the motoring industry that has grown because of the recession. Prices of used cars are currently on the rise, that’s right, they are going against the flow of the recession. This news may not sound wonderful at first as you might end up paying more for used cars for sale, however, if you are going to trade in your old car towards a different one, you will find you will be offered far more for your car than ever before.

The reason why the used car market has become so popular is because many people are trying to save as much money as possible. To try and save as much as possible, they are choosing to buy a used car instead of a new shiney one. One recent thing that definately hasn’t helped the position of the new car market is that due to the recession, new car prices have actually gone up. You’d think that would be the last thing car manufacturers would want to do, however, because the current exchange rates are so poor, manufacturers are forced to raise prices.

Due to the sudden rise in popularity for second hand cars, the demand for them has risen massively. As the demand continues to rise and the number of cars being scrapped due to the scrappage scheme, it’s becoming ever more difficult to get your perfect used car. Now as used car dealers begin to run low on supplies, they are increasing prices for trading in a car, making it sound like a better deal for car owners.

The only downside to this is that because you are getting more money for your old car, you are having to pay more when you buy your new used car. So to be honest, you are not making any extra money for your old car, but most people would rather buy a used car rather than buy a Toyota straight out of the factory.

The only people that lose out are the people that don’t trade in an old car.

Thousands if not millions of people every single year purchase used cars for sale, the reason people purchase used cars is because they simply hold their value much more then new cars would. I literally mean as soon as you buy a new car it just immediatley drops its value. But there are not many used cars that would do this.

But personally I believe that purchasing a used car privately is definitely the best option to take, so let us take a look at a few of the reasons why.

Cost

In all likelihood the most crucial aspect is the cost, if you see a automobile selling privately for one thousand pounds and then you go and find the same automobile at a service department, they would have in all likelihood added an extra one thousand onto the price.

Reason

A vast amount of people that sell their private vehicles do have a genuine reason to do so. The same cannot be said for automobile dealers, they are in fact selling their vehicles merely to make money out of it, so they will try and do or say anything to get the most out of you.

No Funny Deals

Garages have a huge tendency to try and push a vehicle on to you, even more they try to lock you into finance agreements, which although may sound very promising, will always see you paying much more then the car is worth. Again the same thing cannot really be said for private vehicle owners, they literally have a fixed price and will not move it.

There are so many more reasons as to why you should choose the private option for your car needs. In the end a lot of the private sellers are genuine people. As long as you acknowledge what to check for on a site you should be secure from picking up a dodgy automobile.

Do you want to Buy a new BMW or Buy a Nissan

Making a decision to buy a car is only half the battle; you then need to think about new or used cars for sale. Some people may feel that the cost of a new car is rather prohibitive and not in the budget they had planned for the auto purchase. Second hand autos lets you have the opportunity to get a great car that may only be a couple of years old. There are a few things that should be remembered though before purchasing a second hand car.

At any particular time there will be many used cars on the market that have depreciated considerably in their value. These cars are just as good as they were in the past; the only difference being people are just not buying at the moment. It is therefore an ideal time to pick up a really good deal and one that probably would not have been available a few years back. Just because these motors are at great prices doesnt mean you should be lax in checking it out thoroughly before the purchase.

If you dont really know what to look for in a used car, take someone with you who does. There are many things to check and a look in the bonnet and a quick test drive will not answer all the questions. That is why a knowledgeable person or even a mechanic will be able to fill you in on the condition of the car. They may also recognize sounds that the car is making when you take it on a test drive that you may not be aware of.

Ensure that your test drive is not a short, quick one. Try and spend as much time as you possibly can in the car during your test drive. You cant tell how comfortable the car will be to drive in only a few minutes. Also, youll not be able to determine how the car handles on longer drives.

Do you want to Buy a New Alfa Romeo or Buy a Nissan

This month, car manufacturer Jaguar have released their brand new XJ model. The XJ is the newer version of the XF model and just like the XF, the new XJ will need to bring in a lot of sales.

When the XF model was released last year, the sales that it brought in helped the company out of a financial slump it was in. Jaguar are hoping that the new XJ model will do exactly the same at the XF.

It’s been reported that Tata, the company that bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford, are losing £1 million a day on the 2 companies.

Because Jaguar are trying to use this new car to save the business, they have modified the design slightly. Although some current Jaguar owners have said that they don’t like the new design, Jaguar are standing by their attempt to make the new car mor modern. They have done this because they are trying to attract a new type of car buyer.

Jaguar have made the design more moden by making it more sleek and stylish. The designer director of Jaguar, Ian Callum said that the new design is “right and correct for the 21st Century” and they are now aiming to bring in a new type of buyer who wouldn’t have considered buying a Jaguar before.

Jaguar have also fitted the car out with modern gadgets like a virtual dashboard. This will allow you to change what displays on your dashboard, you can even put your sat nav on there. The car also comes with a large boot, a panoramic windscreen and finally, it’s all in a light weight aluminium shell.

This makes the car sounds even better, however, it comes at a steep price. The car price ranges from £50,000 for the standard model and going all the way up to £90,000 for the most luxury model.

I don’t think this would really be an ideal car for driving lessons. Maybe if you went with an experienced Worthing driving instructor, it might be more successful.

The American government is following in the footsteps of many European countries and implementing a ‘cash for clunkers’ incentive to try and encourage buyers back into the struggling car market. The scheme will offer an incentive of up to $4,500 to owners of old cars getting 18 miles per gallon (mpg) or less if they upgrade to a vehicle that gets at least four mpg more, so people could trade in a gas-guzzling 4×4 and buy a Honda, Nissan or other smaller more efficient car in its place. Getting cash rewards for purchasing a newer vehicle is intended to show potential customers that it makes good financial sense, but can a scheme like this really work in the long run?

A similar incentive was introduced in the UK in May, where the government and car manufacturers are giving consumers £2000 towards a new replacement vehicle in exchange for scrapping ones over 10 years old. Since the scheme began it has taken over 35,000 orders, perhaps not enough to save the industry but certainly enough to make a difference. The question is how long will it last, when progressively less and less car owners will still be eligible and the money for the incentive starts to run out. Recent predictions by a chief executive at French automakers Renault suggest that the time of crisis will continue for few years yet, and that the numbers of people wanting to buy a Renault were unlikely to return to normal levels any time soon. So despite the fact that these cash incentives are succeeding in coaxing buyers back into the market in the short term, it could be an even bigger blow for manufacturers if the orders stop coming in before the recession is over.

And obvoiusly it’s not only motoring that has been hit by the global recession, money is tight for everyone. Giving consumers a cash incentive is a good idea but compared to the cost of a new car it doesn’t go very far. It’s not as if you could trade in your old banger and buy a new BMW in its place, and a lot of people just wouldn’t consider making such an expensive purchase when they’re already struggling with debt and the uncertain economic climate. The scrappage schemes are a short term solution but will help to re-establish consumers’ confidence in the industry, as well as encouraging people who may otherwise have bought a second hand car to pay just a little extra for a new one instead.

When it comes to buying new cars, a lot of people fall in to one of two groups – those who don’t particularly care about the car itself, and will be looking for the cheapest option or the least likely to break down, and petrol heads who want the fastest, sleekest, coolest car they can find. ‘Green’ cars, designed to be more fuel efficient and produce less or no carbon emissions, have never really fitted into either of these groups. Sure, it’s a nice idea that you could help to save the planet by driving a different car, but let’s face it these environmentally friendly cars just aren’t capable of performing as well as their petrol-powered counterparts, and they usually cost a lot more too.

But these ideas could change and soon. A heightened awareness of green issues and climate change combined with the general public’s need to find the cheapest cars to run in the recession means demand for more fuel efficient vehicles is rising. Car buyers are starting to consider greener alternatives to petrol as a viable future for the car industry, and the technology is developing and improving in leaps and bounds. The recent Revolve Eco Rally showcased the latest in environmentally friendly cars, driving en mass from Madeira Drive in Brighton to gather outside London’s City Hall. The cars were driven by celebrity guest drivers and they were met in London by Mayor Boris Johnson, himself a keen supporter of green transport, for the What Car? Green Awards.

The purpose of the rally and the awards was to show what the latest developments in green cars are capable of, and awards were given to vehicles in a number of categories. The overall winner was the Volvo S40 DRIVe for combining its green credentials and supreme fuel efficiency with safety, security and being an all-round good small family car – it’s still not cheap though, and for around £50 more you can buy a Toyota Avensis, winner of the large family car category. Other winners were the Mini Cooper S, which won best green sports car for the second year running, and for those who still have cash to spare and can afford to buy an Audi the A8 was named best green luxury car. The innovative Tesla scooped the Editors Award for its battery-powered Roadster, which takes electric cars to a whole new level and proves that they can perform as well as any car enthusiast could hope.

And the result of all this? Well it looks like green cars are the future after all. Sure it’s true that they are still somewhat more expensive than most, but it won’t be long before they won’t cost the earth, and it looks like when that time comes people will be queueing up to buy one.

Summer is almost here and what better way to make the most of the long days and sunny weather than by cruising around in a shiny new convertible? It might sound like an expensive luxury, but it really doesn’t have to cost as much as you’d think, and you won’t have to fork out to buy a new BMW, Porsche or Lexus to be out there enjoying the sun in your new motor. More and more people are choosing to buy smaller cars as not only do they cost less but they are also more fuel efficient. Here are five of our favourite convertibles for the summer that won’t break the bank:

Nissan Micra C+C
The Nissan Micra has been one of the most popular small cars for years, and this coupe cabriolet version comes with a neat folding glass roof for panoramic views and a sense of being outdoors even when the roof is up. It’s cute, sleek and best of all it doesn’t even cost much more than it would to buy a Nissan Micra in its normal form, without the folding roof!

Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet
With a metal roof that folds away effortlessly, the Colt Cabriolet is a small convertible for people who like the little details. It’s well equipped with the little touches to make life easier, and also has generous storage space in the boot, all helping to make it one of the most desirable convertibles in its price range.

Audi TT Roadster
Alright so this one does cost more but we couldn’t have left it off the list. Audis are renowned for being a class above the average car on the road and the Roadster model stays true to this rule. Its sleek interior, smooth handling and powerful engine make it one of the most desirable small convertibles around – if you want to buy an Audi this could be the perfect car for you.

Mazda MX-5
The MX-5has been a common sight on the roads since it first launched in the late 1980s, and it’s hardly difficult to see the reasons why. The aesthetically attractive interior and lightweight body ensure that it is a fun and sporty drive. Whereas previous models have all come with a soft roof, the latest version also has the option of an electrically powered hard top that retracts in just 12 seconds.

Mini Convertible
You’ve probably noticed that most Minis look pretty much the same, but the fact is that they are one of the most customisable cars around. The obvious difference in the convertible is that it comes with a retractable canvas roof, but there is a seemingly neverending list of other alterations you can choose so you can customise the car to your exact specifications.

The Government’s £300m car scrappage scheme launched last month and has proven to have no real effect after sales figures were released that showed a 24% drop in new car sales.

The Government’s car scrappage scheme provides the consumer with £2000 when they scrap their old car for a new model car. The scheme launched in May and hit a road bump quite quickly after there were arguments over costs which resulted in Ford holding off on their involvement in the scheme.

Even with the introduction of the new car scrappage scheme, the UK has now suffered a streak of 12 months where the car market has suffered losses. There has been news that consumer confidence is recovering slightly, however, with these new sales figures, it simply weakens that idea.

A total of 35,000 new cars have been ordered through the scrappage scheme, according to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, however, they say that it would take some time for this number to affect the sales figures. They also used the excuse, to give the scheme some extra time to prove itself, that a number of customers are weighing up offers to try and get the best deal before buying a new car.

Overall, 134,858 new cars were sold in May with the popular Ford Fiesta selling the most. Vauxhall have suffered this May after they were hit by a 40% drop in sales, they only contributed 15,386 to the overall sales.

The amount of corporate sales has had a major affect on the number of new car sales in May. Car leasing companies that offer a range of makes, such as Vauxhall leasing and BMW leasing, are reducing the amount of cars they are buying because they are also suffering from the economic crash.

Leasing companies are struggling because when many people consider getting a new car, they forget about leasing options which tend to be cheaper than buying a new car. Plus with the introduction of the car scrappage scheme, consumers are encouraged to buy a new car rather than consider other options.