Category: Auto

With a commercial life close to four decades, the Mitsubishi L200 has just been renewed with an update that was crying out since the last facelift back in 2014. One of the most popular Japanese pick-ups has been rethought in depth to follow being one of the best options as a work or leisure vehicle. (more…)

The problem with most electric cars is that they are, well, not that sexy are they.  They have a bit of a PR issue and for most petrol heads they just aren’t cool enough to be seen driven around in……until now.

The new SRZero is one car that has been produced to help improve the image of the electric car.  This car particular car would wipe the floor with most “regular” cars and with its 400bhp it has a top speed of 125 mph and can last 400km on one charge.  It also accelerates at a range of 0-100kph in approximately seven seconds.

The car is a “rebooted” version of a Radical SR8 and it retains the original bodywork and the chassis of this car but instead of a regular combustion engine the car operates off two supercharged batteries – and offers some serious power.

Whilst cars like this are great for the environment, just how handy are they and how easy are they to charge?  There are now lots of charging points now on the roads and some energy companies like Hydro Electric are now even offering specific tariffs so that people can charge their cars all over the UK and abroad.

It is thought that there around 3,000 electric cars on the road at the moment and as reported in The Guardian sales are likely to double in 2013 with the increase in cheaper models and the number of points where cars can be charged.

The reason sales were slow to begin with was due to the pricing of cars, they were too expensive and they weren’t able to do what regular petrol and diesel cars could do.  The range on most electric vehicles is still not long enough to warrant moving to an electric car – yet.

Obviously there are some slight disadvantages that having an electric car has but when you weigh them up against the financial and environmental impact that regular cars currently have.  It is thought that the cost to every EU citizen for the pollution and noise that cars create is £600 per year.

In a report by the Dresden Technical University in Germany they calculated that even with driver’s insurance contributions discounted, it still costs the 27 EU member states £303bn (approximately 3% of the bloc’s yearly GDP).

It is very easy to see why people may not fancy getting on board the electric vehicle route just yet but assuredly the numbers will increase and there will be more of these types of vehicles on the road.  This will only increase also with the newer, sexier models that will be available in the near future.

One of the few nice things about getting older is that eventually your car insurance rates will decrease, provided you are a safe driver. After the age of 25, you are no longer in the highest-risk age group for drivers, and you’ll see your rates for auto insurance go down as a result. But even if you are a cautious driver with a clean driving record, you may notice at some point that your rates have gone up. As it turns out, there are actually a number of factors that can play a role in the cost of automobile insurance aside from age. And if you want to avoid rate increases, it’s probably a good idea to understand the circumstances that could lead to rate hikes. Here are a few ways to keep your rates in an affordable range.

1. Drive carefully. This is the obvious first step if you don’t want to pay through the nose for auto insurance. Both tickets and accidents can impact the price you’ll pay for insurance coverage when you get behind the wheel. So follow the rules of the road, avoid high-risk activities like drinking and driving, distracted driving (talking or texting, for example), and so on, and allow for plenty of reaction time when operating a motor vehicle since other drivers may not be as safety-conscious as you. Even if another driver is at fault for an accident, your rates could go up. So accounting for other drivers around you is equally important to following the rules yourself.
2. Don’t buy a brand new. The car you drive can definitely play a role in the cost of your insurance, so you can reasonably expect your rates to increase when you scrap your old clunker in favor of a brand new automobile. Luckily, you can temper this rate hike by purchasing a vehicle that is not brand new. There are all kinds of workable options these days if you don’t want to go for an older used car. For example, you can buy a certified pre-owned vehicle for significantly less than the sticker price of a new model and still enjoy the benefit of a warranty. And considering a new car loses value the moment you drive it off the lot, you may have to purchase gap insurance in addition to your regular policy to cover the gap between the value of the car and what you still owe on an auto loan. The lesson here is: don’t buy new if you want to avoid insurance rate increases.
3. Skip luxury and sport vehicles. The cost of your vehicle will partially determine your insurance rate since your provider is planning for the cost to replace parts in the event of an accident, or even total value if the car cannot be salvaged. So you might want to skip the luxury vehicles in favor of something a little less pricy. You should also know that the relative risk associated with your car can result in higher rates. If you drive a minivan or even a sedan, you’ll likely pay less, all things being equal, than you would for a 2-door sports car, which insurers consider to hold a higher risk factor.
4. Limit your drive time. Statistically speaking, the more time you spend on the road, the more likely you are to get in an accident. So if you can make your morning commute using public transit or you have the option to join a carpool in order to cut down on mileage, you stand to avoid a rate increase for your auto insurance (and save on fuel and maintenance costs, to boot).
5. Don’t let others drive your vehicle. Of all thecar insurance tips you might follow, the most important for avoiding rate hikes is this: do not let other drivers get behind the wheel of your car. Of course this doesn’t apply to others on your insurance policy, such as a spouse or teenage children. But even if your brother or your friends insist that they’re covered under their own insurance, there’s no guarantee you won’t be held liable in the event of an accident. And you’re the one who will have to pay for repairs and deal with insurance hassles if you’re wrong. So whether you’re covered by a policy with State Farm or your local Pronto Insurance Franchise, be smart and don’t loan out your car.

Purchasing a used car can be an interesting experience. Because you aren’t going through the traditional routes, you will be dealing with non-dealers, people selling their cars from their own garages and even used car dealers. One big downside of buying a used car is that you never know what you are going to get – the vehicle could look great on the outside, but on the inside could be a complete lemon. So, avoiding lemons is critical. However, a big plus side of purchasing a used vehicle is that you can often negotiate the price down. Here are five effective tips and tactics for negotiating the price of a used car.

1. Don’t do anything at all. This is by far the toughest negotiating tactic, but it can work. If you find the used car that you want to purchase, you want to give the person selling it your offer price. Even if it is significantly lower than the sticker price, you want to avoid any interaction – you simply want to write down your phone number and walk away. This will give you the upper hand when they call you later to meet somewhere in the middle.
2. Purchase the used car at the end of the day – at the end of the week. If you are purchasing a vehicle from a used car dealer, likeNettleton Auto Sales, you want to be sure to visit at the end of the week; right before closing time. This is usually that strange time during the week when dealers are eager to unload vehicles and make room for new ones. So, you can often get a much better deal, because dealers will be much more willing to give them.
3. Research the true value of a car. A car won’t have just one resale value – there will be a value for the vehicle in poor condition, moderate condition and mint condition. If the vehicle is not in excellent condition – maybe the exterior has a few chips and dents – you have a tremendous amount of leeway when it comes to lowering the price. However, you want to know what some of the values are before you start negotiating, which is where doing your homework and research will come in handy.
4. Have dealers compete against each other. If you are purchasing a vehicle that a few other dealers may have on their lots, you will have a lot of negotiating power. All you have to do is find the lowest sticker price and use that price to have other dealers try to beat it. All dealers are looking to offer the best price and to hopefully sell the vehicle to a buyer, so having a few sticker prices can be incredibly helpful.
5. Get the vehicle inspected. When you are working with different dealers – or even if you are purchasing a used vehicle from someone’s garage – you want to have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic. Ideally, you want this mechanic not to be associated with the seller of the vehicle. In the end, if you find that something is wrong with the vehicle, you can either decide not to buy it or negotiate the price down to a more appropriate resale value.

There are numerous people throughout the world who are extremely curious about cars. Getting the basic knowledge of all kind of car parts is important for every car lover. It is pretty simple to get the overall idea of a car. But there are various kinds of car brands available in the world. Knowing each and every car would be a much difficult task for everyone. That is why getting a minimum idea on every individual auto part will help you to choose the best car. Here are some of the most essential car parts discussed to make you get started. (more…)