Car crime is an ever-present threat in British cities.  A really determined thief can break into any car, but the vast majority of car crime is carried out by opportunists.  There are a few common sense strategies for making sure that your car does not end up in the “second hand cars” section of your local newspaper’s classified ads.

Keep Your Personal Belongings Secure

The most obvious personal belongings to keep secure are your car keys.  Newer cars often have such high levels of security that getting into them without the keys is extremely difficult.  Never leave your keys in the lock, and make sure that they are kept in a place that is not a target for criminals such as pickpockets. 

Also, be sure to keep any personal belongings that you leave inside your car well hidden, so that they do not tempt passing thieves to simply break the window and grab them.

Fit an Engine Immobiliser

Most new cars have engine immobilisers fitted as standard, at the very least.  If you own an older car, you may need to have one fitted.  Any garage that carries out car servicing should be able to fit one for you.

Watch How You Park

Always park in a well-lit place, preferably somewhere covered by CCTV cameras.  If your car has manual transmission, leave it in gear (if on a hill) or in neutral if on a flat area (or in ‘park’ if it is an automatic).

Many people now store everything in their garage except their car.  If you have a garage, parking your car inside will keep it hidden away from thieves.

read comments (0)

Cars sometimes break down, and their owners normally consider breakdown cover an essential purchase.  All breakdown cover policies include roadside assistance as standard, repairing your car by the side of the road if possible.  Additional options vary from company to company, but the most common ones are as follows:

•    Home recovery, repairing your car at your home address if it fails to start.
•    Vehicle recovery, towing your car to a garage if car repairs cannot be carried out at the roadside.
•    Onward travel, giving you the use of a hire car or other alternative method of transportation while car repairs are being carried out.

The two largest car breakdown organisations are the AA and the RAC, while more environmentally conscious drivers sometimes opt for the ETA, or Environmental Transport Association.

The RAC

The Royal Automobile Club is Britain’s oldest breakdown recovery service, founded in 1897.  It was originally a service provided by the private club of the same name based in Pall Mall, London, but it is no longer associated with that club.  It bought the British School of Motoring in 1998. 

The AA

The Automobile Association was founded in 1905 in order to help members avoid police speed traps following the imposition of a legal speed limit two years earlier.  The breakdown service was added soon after, followed by a host of other member services such as car insurance, financial services, a driving school and a publishing arm.

The ETA

The Environmental Transport Association was founded in 1990.  It provides the same breakdown services as the AA and RAC, but unlike them, does not lobby for more road building.

read comments (0)

When looking for second hand cars, a good place to start is by looking for German quality.  German cars are renowned for their unparalleled reliability and their relatively low depreciation.  Used Volkswagens are a case in point. According to their website, a 12-month-old Volkswagen retains “an average 10% more of [its] original value than competitors.”  Whilst this may not necessarily seem like good news for a prospective used car buyer, it does in fact mean that the new owner will have peace of mind, knowing that they have spent their money wisely.

Of similarly good value are used BMWs or used Audis.  Like Volkswagens, they have a lower depreciation value than some other competitors and both are noted for their dependability.  However, when buying a second hand car there are a few important points to consider.  Firstly, used cars are usually ‘sold as seen’, without a warranty, so you should check a few key areas carefully before purchasing.

Firstly, check the tyres.  Uneven tyre wear could be a key indicator of misaligned tyres and purchasing replacements can be costly.  Secondly, look for any signs of rust on the vehicle.  Like tyres, rust can be an expensive afterthought that can be easily avoided.  When driving, you should be able to change gears easily and without resistance.  Such resistance is often a sign of excessive component wear.

Finally, haggle!  Many buyers are often put off haggling as they see it as uncomfortable and cheeky.  But remember, the seller wants to sell as much as you want to buy, so more often than not, they will allow some leeway.

read comments (0)

The UK Car Scrappage scheme was initiated by Gordon Brown’s government in May 2009 in order to encourage people to trade in older cars by providing car finance for newer, more energy efficient models.  It was originally slated to run until March 2010, but was later extended by another month due to its popularity.  The scheme provided a £2000 subsidy to anyone who traded in a car over ten years old, and was modelled on similar successful schemes in the USA, where it was named “Cash for Clunkers”, and Germany.  The scheme was a huge success, triggering the sale of almost 400,000 new cars and giving temporary respite to a motor industry that was struggling to survive prior to the introduction of the scheme.

The disadvantage, however, is that it required large amounts of taxpayers’ money in order to do so.  Opponents claim that it amounted to a state bailout of a lame duck industry.  In response to this, the government replied that it had saved 4,000 British jobs.  Both sides wondered whether the gains made in the UK motor industry would continue now that the scheme has ended, or whether it had merely provided a stay of execution.  However, in July 2010, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported that new car sales had continued to rise, in spite of expectations to the contrary.

read comments (0)

Perhaps rather ironically, considering the British weather and very gloomy economic climate, convertible car sales in Britain continue to rise, with figures here outstripping those of most other European countries. In fact, ownership figures have gone up six-fold since 1993, and are currently close to topping the million mark at 912,000.

A recent report published by an insurance company found that even though most UK convertible car owners are only able to put the tops of their vehicles down no more than about 48 times a year, it has not deterred them from taking a spin with the roof down. Around 50% of owners said they were happy to drive wrapped up with the heating on rather than put the roof up.
 
Most often associated with middle-aged people having mid-life crises, soft-top cars appear to attract buyers of all age and social groups, with many believing that convertible motors represent good design and high social status. The same survey revealed that the Mercedes sports cars are considered by most Britains to be their favourite make of drop-top.

From a practical point of view, convertibles often cost more to purchase and are also the category of car most likely to be vandalised, making them slightly more expensive to insure.

According to John O’Roarke, Managing Director of the company that carried out the survey: “The British love affair with convertibles is one of the unique ironies of our island nation and our research has shown just how dedicated convertible owners are to making the most of their motors – come rain or shine.”

read comments (0)

If you want to find cars for sale, you can visit a garage or car supermarket and see a wide selection of cars.  But if you have a specific idea of what you want, large automotive dealers can help you narrow down your choices by price, make, model or even colour.

Whilst there are several options to choose from, they generally follow the same format.  You enter your postcode, set a maximum distance from that postcode, and then enter any options you want to search on.  The usual options are make, model, price, fuel type, transmission (manual or automatic), body type and number of doors, though individual websites have different options to choose from.  Some of the major online retailers offering new and second hand cars include:

Auto Trader

Auto Trader magazine has been selling cars in the UK since 1975, when John Madejski imported the format from the USA.  The website was launched in 1996 and a mobile phone (WAP) site was launched in 2002.

Carshop

The Car Shop is a leading chain of car supermarkets with outlets in Swindon, Cardiff, Northampton and Doncaster. They claim to guarantee lower prices than their competitors and have a range of car finance options available.

The Car People

The Car People is another car supermarket chain, with three outlets in the North of England. They pride themselves on their no-hassle salespeople and their website offers a tool to value your existing car for part-exchange.

read comments (0)

You wish to sell your car, and you have in mind a price that you want to ask for it.  However, before you begin to advertise your car it is worth having your car valued.  Additionally, if you wish to buy a used car, car valuation sites can also be useful.  This article offers information regarding the benefits of car valuation sites for both buyers and sellers.

Benefits for Buyers

If you have seen a car advertised by a private seller, you can type the details of the car into a car valuation site, so that you can see whether the price they’re asking is too high or too low.  If they are asking too much, you will then be in a great position for re-negotiating the price of the car, if you have done your valuation homework.

Additionally, knowing the value of the car you wish to buy before you have bought it means you can research how much insurance will cost you.

Benefits for Sellers

If you have a car to sell, you will want to know what it is worth before you put in on the market.  Online valuation sites can enable you to do this.  Additionally, though, as a large number of people buy their cars via online car auctions, valuing your car will enable you to come up with a competitive price which will spark the interest of potential buyers.  In turn this will increase your chances of selling your car at the best price possible. 

read comments (0)

When it comes to buying a new car, one thing worth considering is which fuel type the engine uses since this can have a bearing on the economics of your vehicle. Much depends on what sort of lifestyle you lead and the main purpose of the car.

Motors with small petrol engines are generally best for city driving and short trips, not only because the purchase price is a bit lower than diesel motors but fuel prices are too. Manufacturers are also doing a lot to make modifications that enable greater fuel efficiency.

The Fiat 500C TwinAir range, for example, features a small 0.9 litre two-cylinder engine designed to maximise performance and fuel economy whilst minimising emissions, resulting in excellent statistics – average petrol consumption is 68mpg and CO2 readings are so low that this car is exempt from car tax or the London Congestion Charge.

Additional fuel saving features that are starting to be seen across all new cars include ‘Stop Start’ technology, which allows engines that are idling or in neutral, such as in traffic jams or at lights, to shut off temporarily, thus cutting down on fuel wastage and lowering emissions.

If, on the other hand, you tend to use your car to commute over fairly long distances, then it may be worth investing in a car with a diesel engine. Although diesel cars are more expensive, and diesel itself costs more per litre to buy, they are generally more fuel efficient when it comes to driving at higher speeds for longer periods, unlike smaller cars with less powerful engines which have to run at higher revs to achieve similar speeds. Car services and car repairs are also often cheaper with diesels and they often make more reliable second-hand cars.

read comments (0)

Because of the new system of UK vehicle tax, it pays to understand aspects such as fuel type and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the vehicle when buying a new car. Fortunately, the principles are quite simple and guidelines have been laid down on government websites.

The first thing to do is to find out CO2 ratings by checking either the car’s registration certificate (V5C), or look at the fuel economy label that should be displayed at the car showroom. 

Fuel economy labels make comparisons between cars easier and show estimated fuel costs for 12,000 miles as well as fuel efficiency ratings in bands progressing from A (green) – the best – to G (red). The more fuel-efficient the engine, the less vehicle tax that is payable.

When it comes to fuel economy, size matters and generally the smaller the engine, the more fuel-efficient it will be. It pays to be aware that similar sized cars and even different models of the same car may have different fuel efficiencies. Consult the fuel economy label.

The second aspect of an intelligent purchase is to know the pros and cons of using petrol or diesel as fuel. Petrol engines produce more CO2 and are less fuel-efficient. However, diesel emits air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and soot. Filters to cut down on these pollutants are available and some new cars already have them fitted.

Whether to use petrol or diesel depends on the type of travel. While petrol is a better choice for city use because of air quality issues, diesel is more fuel efficient and better for long distance driving.

read comments (0)

Using the internet is often the easiest way to sell your used car. Numerous websites will allow you to place an advert, which will be seen by as many people as possible and provide a quick and easy forum for questions and making contact. Though it can seem like a complicated process, here are a few helpful hints to get you started to sell a used car online.

There are so many websites out there offering to help sell your car it can be difficult to choose the right one for you. By doing your research and looking at how many advertisements are posted or how many users regularly visit the site you can save time and increase your chances by finding the most popular and trusted sites on the web.

Once you have found the site you intend to use you need to write a clear and straightforward advertisement to generate interest in your vehicle. Be honest and highlight the basic information, such as year, engine model, MOT certificate and mileage, being sure to avoid making any false claims. You do not need to try to impress the reader with overly creative sentences or claims, as this will most likely arouse more suspicion than interest. A viewing can be secured with good photographs, so be sure to take as many as possible to back up the written description in your ad.

Finally, a written description online will rarely be enough to sell your car, so prepare it for sale with a thorough clean, inside and out, and with luck you will soon be saying goodbye to your old motor.

read comments (0)