tips from a real-world car salesman

Surviving 24 hrs in your car in ice cold conditions

2011-10-30T09:40:00.001Z

Early snow and freezing weather is predicted in the UK for the third year running. There will be lots of advice posted on the Internet about driving in the snow and preparing your car. But they don't tell you how to survive if you get stuck in the cold. How do you cope when you're stranded in your car overnight in freezing conditions?

Driving in heavy snow is not a good idea and normally there are broadcasts not to drive then followed by pressure to drive and get back to work. It's worth remembering heavy snow is an extreme weather conditions that can have extreme consequences. It's time to consider your own ability and willingness to drive in heavy snow. Also consider if you can realistically reach your destination. Your journey could be halted by closed roads. Even if you drive one of the best 4x4 vehicles you can be thwarted by less capable cars and breakdowns blocking the road.

There will be plenty of advice about checking your vehicle's wipers, lights and anti-freeze. You might also carry equipment like snow-chains, a shovel, torch, and old carpet to use for traction. Again is the driver both willing and able to get out of their car into freezing conditions to make their way? It can be dangerous working around a car that's slipping and sliding with wheels spinning. Even if you make some headway if conditions are that bad you will eventually find your route blocked.

The important point is heavy snow is an extreme weather condition and it can have extreme implications if you are stranded. It's time to forget the car as a means of transport and realise you need to look after your body which is what really transports you about in life.

Surviving freezing conditions can seem so simple it can be dismissed as a consideration. Here's a list you'll immediately recognise with hindsight. The vital point is to do it.

Wear or carry warm clothing. Which means every garment - underwear, socks, shoes, trousers, tops, gloves, hat, scarf. Ski, camping and rambling gear are normally protective.
Carry blankets and sleeping bags. You may have some foil sheets you kept from a charity run.
Pack food, snacks, and a flask of hot drink.
When stranded and stationary use your snow shovel to ventilate underneath your car. Snow can build up around your car to the door sill and bumper levels both blocking your exhaust pipe and trapping air underneath your car which can eventually leak into the passenger compartment. If you turn on your engine to use the heater and the exhaust emissions leak into the cabin it could be fatal.
Place warning triangles and lamps on your roof out of the snow on the ground.
Always take your mobile phone charger with you.
Carry a wind-up charging torch.
Pack any necessary medication.

Once you're warm, nourished and safe be aware of perspiration. Also MPV cars full of passengers can generate a lot of condensation. The idea is to keep dry and ventilated because you become even colder when the cold gets to any moisture.

This may all seem simple stuff but is can become serious if you get stranded. It pays to give a lot of thought to a survival kit and the extent you are both able and willing to venture into extreme snow conditions in a car.

Regards
Ralph
Car comparison websites.

NOW is a good time to get your car battery checked

2011-10-29T10:44:00.000+01:00

... for your peace of mind and safety.

You can find many car dealers offering free battery checks or complete winter checks for a token amount. These are real offers they provide to keep in touch with car owners.

It's a great idea to take up these offers before the dark, damp and cold cause your car problems.

If you make small car comparisons they're loaded with electronics for engine management, locking, security, in-car-entertainment and power steering.

Make a SUV comparison and you'll find many have advanced fuel saving technology and AWD controlled and or powered by the battery.

This all means it's essential your car battery is in tip-top condition for reliability and your safety.

Today cars have more electronic toys and battery driven motors all increasing battery use.

Now darker, damper, colder days are near we'll be using our car lights, heaters and wipers more which all increase the burden on your car battery increasing the chances of a breakdown and being dangerously stranded in the dark.

So it's a good idea to look up local car dealers offering special deals on battery or winter checks.

Regards
Ralph
Car Comparisons to help find the right car for you.

Citroen C1 v Peugeot 107 v Toyota Aygo

2011-10-12T21:58:00.003+01:00

If you've ever considered a C1, 107 or Aygo and know they're basically the same car you'll have wondered what's the difference?

The answer is not a lot. They share the same platform and body. The only difference is the badge on the bonnet and style detail like grill shape, headlight clusters, rear tailgate, rear light clusters, bumpers and interior trim. You can see over on carbuyersinfo there's no difference in the data for dimensions, fuel consumption, emissions or performance. You can make detailed comparisons from Citroen C1 review, Peugeot 107 review, and Toyota Aygo review.

The most important factor is how they differ from other small city cars. When announced the C1, 107 and Aygo were a major leap forward in their sector and they sold like hot-cakes. Obviously other manufacturers don't just sit there and watch so other cars in this sector have since significantly improved.

When you look at the town car sector you soon become aware the Fiat 500, Panda and Ford Ka are on the same platform. The i10 and Picanto are the same message in different envelopes. The Twingo is on the old Clio platform. This enables manufacturers to share R&D and keep costs down.

But why sell them with different badges. The big advantage is these cars don't become too ubiquitous. Think how many times you've heard someone say about a Fiesta, Corsa, Focus, Astra, 'everyone's got one.' People like to be different. Because the C1, 107 and Aygo appear different from each other they continue to sell in volume.

It's the sharing of platforms that keeps costs down while the buyer gets an up to the mark car that's a little different while the manufacturers get the volume of production they need. So everybody's happy as is evident by the number of these cars on the road.

Regards
Ralph

The Most Car You Can Buy For Your Money

2011-10-06T11:51:00.000+01:00

This is for car buyers who need a big car for the family and fun with 7-seats and AWD capability. In other words it's about the most motor you can buy. Here we're looking at what you can buy for the least money.

It's important to always be absolutely certain a car will fit your purposes and purse. If you get it wrong the consequences can be disastrous.

Here we look at the Chevrolet Captiva, Citroen Crosser and Kia Sorento as a guide to what's available. Normally I'd say the ideal family car is a large MPV like the Galaxy, Espace or Sharan but in this case I'm imagining AWD is needed to go off the tarmac onto poor road and fields. I'm not suggesting these cars are suitable for extreme off-road driving or extreme weather conditions. They're no mountain climbers and they're not for social climbers being value and popular brands.

A quick look over the three cars shows they all have 7-seat options, AWD options and have lower price ranges than similar cars. A Chevrolet Captiva has a significantly lower price range than the Citroen Crosser. The Sorento sits in the middle. Let's examine the detail to see what you get for your money.

Chevrolet Captiva Review
2.4 petrol FWD, 2.0 diesel FWD or AWD, auto option.

mpg 31.7 to 39.2 mpg, 191 to 225 CO2s
size 4.63m long, 465/930 load space as 5-seater,2-seater.
performance 117/124 mph, 9.9/6 secs to 62 mph

Citroen Crosser Review
2.2 diesel AWD, auto option.

mpg 39.2 to 40.4 mpg, 185 to 189 CO2s
size 4.68m long, 184/510/1686 load space as 7-seater, 5-seater,2-seater.
performance 123/4 mph, 9.9 to 11.1 secs to 62 mph

Kia Sorento Review
2.2 diesel 2WD or AWD, auto option.
mpg 38.2 to 43.5 mpg, 171 to 194 CO2s
size 4.68m long, 111/531/1546 load space as 7-seater, 5-seater, 2-seater.
performance 118 mph, 9.2 to 9.6 secs to 62 mph

Ignoring the Captiva petrol option you can see all three rank very closely for fuel consumption so bearing in mind these are lab' figues there may be no significant difference in real on the road driving. The same could be said for performance. There is a small difference in emissions.

The Crosser and Sorento have similar load capacities. However the Captiva has generous 6th and 7th seats which are simple and light to operate. It's important to test all three for youself for space and ease of operation to know you'll fully utilize the car's versatility. All three are vitually the same overall medium size.

The main differences will be in your personal taste regarding style and driver comfort. Devoting time to test drives is essential.

All three deliver space with 7-seat and AWD options. They're OK for fuel consumption on paper but not wonderful for emissions. If AWD is not essential there are many medium size 7-seat MPVs that provide more space and versatility, more efficient engines at a much lower price.

The data makes the Captiva, Crosser and Sorento very similar so demonstrations will provide the real proof of which is the best car for you subject to the best deals you can negotiate.

Personally I'd think twice about AWD. Even on skiing holidays and in my caravanning days I've never found the need for 4WD. I managed to get around the UK in the snow last year and the year before with FWD.

Regards
Ralph

Errors & Omissions in Car Buyers' Research

2011-09-30T16:20:00.000+01:00

In my previous post I looked at Google reporting that before visiting a car dealer:

83% of car buyers research online.
They visit on average over 18 information sources.
97% say they were influenced by their findings.

More generally,

70% of buyers read product reviews.
54% make product comparisons before visiting sales outlets.

What if they miss something or make a mistake?

The consequences of buying a car which turns out not to match the buyers' lifestyle or budget could be devastating. Surely a researcher needs some sense of purpose before reading a Ford Kuga review for example and will have considered what they already know and need to know so they know what they're looking for in a car.

What I've got for you here are some question to ask yourself and features to look for in a car. It's a guide to help you avoid missing an important point and making mistakes. Hopefully it will trigger more thoughts. Rather than think what's the best SUV car in the case of a Kuga, think what's the best car for you.

Ask yourself:

what you like about your present car,
what are the most important features,
what improvements would you like?

Then ask:

who drives the car,
what do they use it for,
what type of roads do they travel on,
what do they carry in the car?
How many miles a year does the car average?

This should give you a start in your research for your replacement car and needs. If you make a car comparison it will give you the differences and similarities in car features and may reveal things are not as you might think. Here are some car features and mistakes to avoid:

Car prices are usually similar for the same body type and size. Differences can be found between value, popular and premium brands.
Cars of the same body type, size and engine capacity normally rank closely for fuel consumption. These are lab' test figures and the DVLA advise you there may be no significant difference in real on the road conditions.
Similar cars can have different load capacities and versatility you need to see for yourself.
Difference in performance figures need to be significant to mean anything on the road. Other factors such as torque and gear ratios come into play. A test drive is vital.
Safety. Any car with less than a 5-star Euro NCAP rating without ESP/ESC is less than the safest car you can buy.
Diesel cars may be more economical but calculate at what total mileage you start to make savings over the added price you pay for the car compared with a petrol car with the same performance and trim. Some diesel cars are not viable from this point of view.
Small differences in emissions may not seem significant but they are when multiplied by the millions of cars manufactured and the impact on our ecology is considered.
Reliability is not a real issue with cars these days. Value brands rank very highly for customer satisfaction. Anything less than satisfactory with premium brands can be multiplied by expectations and price paid to dissatisfaction.
The best car isn't necessarily a best seller. It's the one that best suits your purpose and purse.
Comfort is often overlooked. If there is any disappointment with a car in may well be the car is not comfortable for you. It's not the car, it's your taste in comfort so be sure you feel at ease and happy on a test drive.
Style is sometimes the only difference you'll find between cars of the same body style and size.
Don't be persuaded by a deal. You'll forget the details within months. You have to live with the car for years. Find the right car for you and your budget then negotiate, price, finance and part-exchange deals.

97% of you may well be influenced by your research. We all believe the ideas in our own head. Write those ideas down on paper outside yourself and you'll then judge them as whether being true and useful as you judge a salespersons' talk and all things outside yourself.

Please accept all errors and omissions in this post - we all make them.

Regards
Ralph

Has Your Car Buying Decision Journey Changed?

2011-09-28T20:52:00.000+01:00

According to Google we no longer see an ad, pop down to the store, buy one, and enjoy the user experience.

Today when we see an ad we go online to do our research before visiting the shops. What's more is owners are posting their user experiences online adding to huge amount of articles, blogs, forums, reviews and comparison sites.

What's changed is the number of researchers, sources of information and the ease of transmitting and receiving information.

If a car buyer is interested in a crossover, SUV, 4x4 type car because they've seen an advert or maybe a gleaming example in a car park this may cause them to read a Land Rover Freelander review for example. Google say 70% of buyers read reviews before making a purchase. Car buyers use an amazing 18-plus sources of information before buying.

The car buyer may go on to make comparisons. 54% of buyers make comparisons before buying a product. They're more likely to search 'best in category'. So in our case it might be best SUV, best 4x4 or best crossover car and they'll probably end up on a car comparison website.

83% of car buyers now do online research before visiting a car dealer. 97% are influenced by their research.

Going armed with information to do battle with a car salesperson may not be a good approach. Car dealers have experienced researchers way before the Internet existed. They'll want to know your source of information. If you don't give it up they won't take you seriously. They'll then look it up online. Battle then commenses. No matter what you might think of car salespeople a salesperson has always been the best source of information.

I think it's advisable to work out what information you need in advance. You need to be asking the right questions online.

It still remains a test drive will always be your very best source of information regarding how you feel about a car. Were you comfortable, did you feel at ease, did you feel happy? Never mind about the car. What about you?

Always bear in mind what you most like about your present car. Try to rank what features you think are most important. The type of roads you use, who will drive the car and what you might carry are also important.

Regards
Ralph

Ford Galaxy v VW Sharan v Renault Espace

2011-09-28T10:51:00.000+01:00

The Renault Espace is credited with defining the first purpose built people carrier car. It was followed by Ford who teamed up with VW to make the Galaxy and Sharan. Peugeot/Citroen with Fiat also entered this market. Other manufacturers have entered this market, usually with what they sell in the US. I think it's safe to say after a couple of decades the Galaxy, Sharan and Espace are the winners. Today they're the only large 7-seaters with any presence in this market niche. Most buyers opt for the more medium size MPV 7-seaters

When you compare the three a quick look tells you they have very similar price ranges and are similar in size. Renault offer a more compact medium size version and have discontinued their top end engines and trims. Here's an interesting fact. Did you know the original Espace was only the length of today's 5-seat Scenic. These cars have grown near 2-foot in length over the decades.

There are differences when you examine the detail.

Renault Espace Review
Engines now limited to one diesel engine, 150 manual 175 auto with limited trim options.

Ford Galaxy Review
2.0 diesel engine 115, 140, 163 power outputs. 2.0 203 petrol engine. 2 trim levels.

VW Sharan Review
1.4 petrol engine. 2.0 diesel engine 140 and 170. 3 trims levels.

Like for like the VW diesel engine is only slightly more efficient than the Ford on paper but as they rank so closely in lab' tests there may be no significant difference on the road.
VW offer a small advanced technology petrol engine.
Both Ford and VW offer a high performance petrol engine but it depends on how closely you think they're matched in overall efficiency by both Ford and VW diesel engines.
Renault's old dCi diesel although state of the art a decade ago is not up to the mark today. You should watch out for huge steps forward from Renault, Peugeot/Citroen in the near future as they change technologies.

Although there may no significant differences in the engine efficiency of the Galaxy and Sharan, the Espace highlights the issue. Car manufacturers have made really significant improvements in fuel consumption and emissions. Although little differences may not amount to much for a buyer it's the improvements that matter when they're multiplied by the millions of cars made and the total impact on our environment.

Engine and trim options maybe limited by comparison to past offers. However Renault, Ford and VW have been in this market for a long time and know what sells and where to cut unwanted production saving them and hopefully the buyer - money.

You can see Ford, VW and Renault have been successful because they've remained committed to this sector and the ideas behind it. The Espace needs to catch up but we'll have to wait because the replacement model cycle in this market is longer than others.

I haven't mentioned space or versatility. Just to say these cars are as good as it gets and much better than SUVs. When it comes to comfort and stability the Galaxy, Sharan and Espace are often considered as alternatives to large luxury cars.

One of the pleasures of running a large people carrier is family and friends can do more together. Years after the old motor's gone you still get to keep some very happy memories.

Regards

Ralph

Are you sure which type of car fits your life and budget?

2011-09-23T14:19:00.000+01:00

In my last post I was talking about how today we do research online before shopping the car dealerships and how we no longer need to answer the salespersons' questions but ask these questions of ourselves as we do our research.

The salesperson was trying to figure out what car would suit you and lead you to it. Today most buyers will have made their own minds up before they go to the dealer. The question is has the buyer got it right?

To take it a step further what does the buyer believe car types promise and do they deliver?

I need to warn you todays' car body types are styled to suggest a lifestyle to spectators and don't necessarily deliver the features the owner might think a type of car promises. I suggested in my last post the bigger the car, the bigger the problem - you may not experience what you wanted. So make a car comparison or three.

Let's simplify this to promises of space, driving pleasure, economy, safety and comfort, and expectations along with my flippant comments.

Small City Car - typical Citroen C1- the class is very good overall though dating.

Space - Good up front, poor in the back and boot but no promises were made.
Driving - more for comfort than go-kart handling.
Economy - exceeded expectations back in the day but where's tomorrow's figures?
Safety - acceptable at 4-star but no excuse for new models not being 5-star like the Fiat 500.
Comfort - OK

Small Car - Mini, Micra, Swift, Yaris - you could say the same about this class as city cars. They've a little more space and power. They deliver for economy, safety and comfort. They're ideal if you think Corsas and Clios have grown too bulky and could be the best small car for you.

Small Super-Sized Car - typical Ford Fiesta

Space - long enough at 4m to claim this is all the car you need but is it? You judge.
Driving - my favourite class of car but some think it's too big for a small car.
Economy - good and getting very much better.
Safety - it's the makers excuse for making them so long so 5-star is a promise, accept nothing less.
Comfort - better than a small car once promised.

You get the format, so -

Medium Small - cars in this class deliver the promise they're car for everybody - family cars. If they're not for you their platforms support many estates, mpvs, crossovers, even coupe cabriolets.

Medium Size - once the benchmark for all other types of car they're now growing to a size many might find to big. They are excellent cars that deliver on all features.

Estate Cars come in all sizes. The space/versatility feature may not be there with some, so there's no advantage, no benefit, Why? Style for spectators. The higher the brand equity the more you pay, the more dimension comparisons are important.

MPV Cars perfect family cars which should have well thought out interiors and versatility. The originals, the innovators - Renault, Citroen, Ford, Vauxhall, VW all remain committed to the job.

Crossovers, SUVs, 4x4s a mishmash to figure out for yourself.

Luxury Car - driving a luxury car can be one of life's greatest pleasures. But an overlooked feature like tyre noise can trigger a medical condition. The slightest rattle can flip the owners' mind into thinking they can justifiably threaten to smash their car through the car dealers' showroom windows and demand their money back. If you consider this class of car then every tiny detail has to meet expectations.

The above are my personal guidelines. You're the judge of what these car types should promise and what they deliver.

Regards
Ralph

How To Evaluate Car Reviews

2011-09-22T22:35:00.000+01:00

A decade ago a car buyer might have seen an ad or a car they liked on the road and start visiting car dealer premises. Today they're more likely to do online research before they shop car dealerships. It's so easy. They mostly make car comparisons or read car reviews.

The difference is a car salesperson would ask you questions to lead you to the right car for you. Today you ask those questions of yourself or are guided by the topics in a car review. The salesman might ask:

about your present car and what you like about it - that's your start state.
They would ask you what your car was used for, who drives it and what you carry.
They'd also ask the types of roads you used and your annual mileage.

So it's not a bad idea to write the answers down as your starting point.

When the salesperson led you to a car they would explain the cars features. I used to talk about performance, versatility, comfort, economy and safety before we got down to talking about price. Surveys reveal the most important factors are the car fits your lifestyle - versatility, and it being affordable - economy and price. Safety was the next most important factor before performance and comfort was never mentioned.

To judge a car ask what the car holds itself out to be or promises. A city car promises little more than low costs and easy parking. Crossover cars promise more space but are not necessarily as good for economy, safety and performance as you might expect. A general rule is the larger the car the greater a buyers' expectations. The question is, do they deliver? You're the judge, not the pundit in print.

It's worth noting your findings for space, economy, safety and performance.

You should NEVER accept advice about comfort. The writer does not have your shoulders, back, hips, knees etc. I'm not talking old people. Young people can be very tall and vulnerable to discomfort. My experience is if an owner has any dissatisfaction from their old car the culprit is mostly comfort. The solution is to take a long test drive or better still ask for a loan or hire car.

I say all this but it doesn't mean you're going to like the look of the thing which again is your taste

Regards
Ralph

Suzuki Swift v Nissan Micra

2011-09-22T16:39:00.000+01:00

When buyers make a car comparison they're looking for the best cars. For small cars this most often means the lowest costs and best fuel efficiency. If it were so simple I could keep this simple and say the Swift and Micra have virtually the same fuel consumption and performance but the Micra has the lower entry price so it's the best small car of the two.

If you don't believe it can be so simple you can compare the data on my car comparison site carbuyersinfo.co.uk Nissan Micra vs Suzuki Swift. You can see:

The Micra has the lower entry price.
Fuel consumption, emissions and performance are near identical if you compare like for like engines.
The Swift has higher level engine options.
Both cars are nearly the same size - similar to the Mini,Yaris and Fox.

The only features left to consider are style, driver comfort and where you think they stand in the market. Both cars are well though of and both have clean lines which leaves anyone interested in need of a test drive to find out which car feels most comfortable to them - comfort being a matter of taste.

The difference could simply be the car you like the most - for some reason - either way if you went for one I doubt you'd regret it. I once tried to compare cars giving the features values but when I totted up the scores I never got what I liked.

Regards
Ralph

What Is The Best Crossover Car To Buy?

2011-09-19T13:22:00.001+01:00

We all want the best because we've all been burnt by a bad product or service at some time and we don't want to repeat our mistakes. Regret is hard to live with.

Then again you may have bought the best brand to be equally disappointed. I've certainly been in both places with white goods, many times. I can't seem to win.

Finding the best crossover car may seem difficult with over 30 crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s for sale in the UK. However you can dismiss many as premium brands and traditional 4x4s and not what you'd call a crossover which is a car that looks like a SUV but is built like a car. Crossovers are built more like an MPV car. The difference being a crossover has a horizontal bonnet and is generally not quite as versatile.

Whether old best sellers like the RAV4, CR-V and Freelander count as crossovers I'm not too sure but we can put them aside as too much money.

With things as they are most of us are looking for cutbacks. The word cheap spings to mind and although it doesn't sit well with the word best many of us have bought cheap brands for them to be relaible and durable whilst some of us have bought the best brands and suffered regret.

Let's start making a car comparison of cheap crossover cars. We can always change course if some car feature suggests we need to. The cheapest crossover car is the Skoda Yeti, followed by the Hyundai ix35, then the Mitsubishi ASX, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai.

At this stage you may not be influenced by cheap because you're worried about cost - depreciation, interest charges, running costs. It's not just the money, it's the cost of time if things go wrong. Historically these are valid concerns. But not nowadays.

Most car reviews you read are good. There are claims premium cars have a lower rate of depreciation. That's percentage which can be a large amount of money. I've known owners lose £13, 17, even £20,000 in one year of ownership. You can't lose that kind of money on a cheap car. It can be the case a low price is reclaimed by high interest charges. You can walk away from that marketing approach. When you check the data running costs they look like they're going to be low. If you make comparisons at this point the differences are not enough to declare a winner. They seem similar.

It won't escape you that by cheapest I'm referring to entry prices, two-wheel drive models but with acceptable trim and equipment levels. If you want a larger engine, AWD and a higher trim level you're fast approaching £20,000. Accepting cheap can be OK, there are no hidden costs, with an eye on the range of prices are there differences in the detail - the data.

Obviously mpg is a concern with the fuel cost of 12,000 miles motoring coming close to annual depreciation - historically the biggest motoring cost. Like engine for like there are small differences in the combined mpg but as the DVLA point out these are lab' figures and when cars rank closely for fuel consumption the differences may not be present on the road in real conditions.

You should also be careful when considering diesel and calculate at what mileage your saving in fuel costs pay back the extra you pay for a diesel car. I know in larger SUVs diesel is the only option suggesting it's the way to go. But I can't figure it's definitely the case in this class for a private motorist.

If I had to pick a winner for fuel economy it would be the Mitsubishi ASX 1.6 although it's not the most economical, it's not the most expensive to buy.

Where you will find differences is in the cargo capacity with all 5-seats up. The Yeti and Qashqai are similar. The ASX is a tiny bit better.The ix35 is significantly more spacious being a little larger than the Sportage. Note there are small differences in overall length but all five crossovers can be classified as compact.

When it comes to performance none of these crossovers has sluggish acceleration that would frustrate a driver. Maybe the Qashqai 1.5 dci is on the limit. If you want more performance you pay more. Once you go over the £20,000 the Ford Kuga and VW Tiguan become contenders.

It seems to me Ford and VW have positioned their products and prices as alternatives to expensive SUVs and 4x4s. Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Skoda seem to be positioned as interesting and viable alternatives to the ubiquitous hatchback - Focus, Astra, Golf.

You would also have to clarify safety ratings and features. ESP or ESC will shortly become standard on all new cars in the UK. The entry model Yeti did not have ESP. Some of the recent models have not been Euro NCAP rated. 5-stars is today's standard.

The old idea of SUVs impacting on the environment is vanishing. You should find with the exception of larger petrol engines the emissions on these cars acceptable and not making too much difference to the cost of annual vehicle excise duty

So you can see if you want the cheapest the Yeti is the car to go for although the rest may also be within reach. Overall the ASX maybe slightly more efficient but the ix35 and Sportage are more versatile.

I've not mentioned style or driver comfort because they are matters for your personal taste. Personally I like the look of the ASX and Qashqai plus I find them the most comfortable which would sway me. But there's one thing for sure of Skoda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi and Nissan are highly respected brands with high levels of owner satisfaction. More than that they are among the best in surveys. So best and cheap can go together and I can see no evidence you'd regret buying one of these five crossovers.

Regards
Ralph

Are you still looking for the best small car?

2011-09-12T10:46:00.000+01:00

Whilst we may all want the best the response we often get is, 'best for what?' This is valid with small cars because they come in three different sizes and have different purposes for different people. You have:

tiny city cars about 3.5m long
super-minis about 3.75m long and more recently
super-sized small cars around 4m long.

So the first decision may be to make a car comparison to find the size to fit your life.

The best small car for you will probably be the car that suits both your lifestyle and budget.

With things the way they are most people just think 'cheap car.' But we can see it may not be the best small car for you. I'm not saying cheap cars are less cars than others. Most reviews and comparisons reveal cheap cars are well thought of and are often the most efficient.

Another guide we use is the top ten new car sellers list. Just because a car is in the list doesn't make it the best small car for you. This list doesn't take into account manufacturers' marketing programmes and the used car market which is over three times larger than new.

You may also find even the latest small cars to be announced are not a significant improvement on older models.

If a small car fits both your budget and lifestyle then safety should be your next concern. With regards to engine efficiency you'll find most small cars of a similar size with similar engines have similar fuel consumption, emissions, and performance. It's fair to say most small cars are good cars.

If you consider diesel calculate at what total mileage your fuel savings pay-back the extra cost of a diesel car. Another cost to continually be aware of is the changes in insurance groups as you look at different models and variants. Shopping for the best car insurance is the biggest saving you can make in your car budget.

Otherwise, if a small car fits your purpose and purse subject to you personally liking the look of the car and its driver comfort, you may have the best small car for you.

Regards
Ralph

2011-09-10T11:11:00.000+01:00

Important changes to the UK MOT 2011

Have you heard the DVLA are making changes to the MOT test as of 16/10/11?

It mainly concerns the MOT certificate and cutting costs. Obviously this changes how you check an MOT certificate is genuine and replacing lost or damaged certificates.

I've published the detail of changes to the MOT test on carbuyersinfo.

They're obviously on the DVLA site. You might also want to look at their motoring page and what they have to say about owning a vehicle to keep up to date because most of us no longer visit the local DVLA to tax our cars - we do it online - so we don't get alerted by posters or informed by leaflets in their office.

Hope it helps
Ralph

2011-09-02T10:54:00.000+01:00

How To Find The Best Small Car For You

The best car of any size is the one that fits your purpose and purse. In other words it has to have the size, space and versatility to fit your lifestyle. Plus it needs to be affordable in terms of finance, depreciation and running costs especially with rising fuel and car insurance prices.

Most buyers next consider car safety. Nearly all new model cars are achieving 5-star Euro NCAP ratings and all cars manufactured will soon have ESP/ESC as standard. If you buy a car which is not 5-star and is without ESP then it's less than the safest car you can buy.

Other considerations are performance, comfort, style, and prestige. I don't think car durability or reliability are a concern these days.

My experience is car buyers look at a small car and say it's all they need. However small cars come in three sizes - tiny city cars around 3.5m in length, super minis about 3.75m and what I call super-sized small cars near 4m long. So the best small car will be first the one that fits your life.

If you make a car comparison or two you'll notice small cars of the same size are nearly all very similar for price range, space, fuel consumption, emissions, maximum speed and acceleration. Where there are differences in engine efficiency they may make little difference in real on the road conditions because the figures quoted are lab' tests.

That leaves us with style, comfort and prestige. All three are matters for your personal taste.

Small cars can have a clean simple style or be dynamic with sweeping lines and curves. It looks like the new Renault Clio and Peugeot 207 replacement will attempt new and different approaches. We already have the Nissan Juke and Citroen DS3 setting new anti retro styles.

I've found if an owner is dissatisfied with their car comfort is normally the cause. There are a whole host of small aspects to check in ease of access, seating position, visibility, driving comfort. The overall feeling you should personally get is one of being happy and at ease. As prices, space and engine efficiency can be so similar for the same size car and engine it does free your attention to focus on comfort.

While small car may not be prestigious most have either street cred' or a large loyal following of satisfied customers. Just because the Fiesta and Corsa are the best selling small new cars doesn't mean they're the best. New car sales are determined by all kinds of marketing and do not take into account the much larger used car market.

The Mini, Corsa, Clio and 207 seem to have the most street cred'. The Fiesta, Polo, Micra, Ka, and Yaris all have a large loyal following. Skoda, Suzuki, Hyundai, KIA, Honda have high levels of customer satisfaction. The Mazda2 and Ibiza are considered very stylish. City cars - C1, 500, 107 and Twingo - have become increasingly popular.

It seems every small car has something going for it so subject to it fitting your purpose and purse, it being safe, there a few differences to consider which means you can compare their style and comfort to decide which small car you personally like.

Regards
Ralph

2011-08-15T10:25:00.000+01:00

Skoda Fabia vs VW Polo

It's a common comparison because car buyers realise the Fabia and Polo are built on the same platform and want to see if there's an advantage in one over the other in a search for the best small cars.

It's interesting that although there are over 30 small cars for sale in the UK they're built on little more than a dozen different platforms.

The VW Polo has always been the baby brother to the Golf which has grown from a small to medium size hatchback. However the Polo never seemed to have caught car buyers imagination in the same way the Golf did. The new model Polo with its stronger clean lines - like a Golf - has changed that.

The Polo can now join the Corsa, Clio, Mini, and 207 who amongst others enjoy great street cred' especially now the Polo line-up includes a GTi.

The Skoda Fabia has been cleverly marketed by VW as a value brand with amazing sales results. Today the Skoda is highly respected with extremely high levels of customer satisfaction. Like the Polo the Fabia has clean simple lines and like the Polo of the past it's been nothing to get excited about. It's a nice car run by nice polite motorists.

But again this image is about to change with Skoda advertising the Fabia vRS as a bad-boy racer in their amusing new TV ads.

So the Polo and Fabia seem very similar. It's the same story when you compare their entry prices and price range - the Polo GTi is more expensive. So the idea Skodas are cheap and VWs expensive could be just a marketing myth.

The Fabia and Polo also share virtually the same dimensions and almost identical range of engine options. This means they have close rankings or near identical figures for performance, emissions and fuel consumption figures which also means there's unlikely to be any difference on the road.

When considering the wide range of engine and trim options be aware of the changing car insurance groups as the table has widened to 1-50. Also when considering diesel engine options calculate at what to total mileage savings in fuel costs cover the extra you pay for a diesel car.

It makes you wonder why VW manufacture the two cars when they are so similar. It is possible to over-sell a car to the point they become so ubiquitous they're dismissed by buyers because everyone's got one. Some people have said that about Fords and Vauxhalls. I can remember the trade thinking the old 206 was over-sold and I think the Clio came close. Imagine the C1, 107 and Aygo being sold with the one badge. It wouldn't be half so successful.

The good news is when cars are so similar you can focus on what you personally like in driver comfort and style subject to being able to get the best deal.

You should get the feel of driver comfort for yourself rather than take notice of pundits who seem to compare bread-and-butter cars with their favourite Ferrari which they don't promise to be. Comfort or lack of it can be the major source of disatisfaction for a car owner so it's worth trusting your own feeling of ease and happiness.

We all have different tastes. Some cars are wonderfully quiet and smooth which some regard as lacking driver experience. Some drivers are very aware of a cars handling and stability whilst others may not notice or be concerned.

In surveys motorists deny being concerned with style but I can recall that in over four decades selling cars one of the first thing visitors would say is, 'I like the look of that,' or 'I don't like the look of that.'

Probably the only real difference between a Polo and Fabia is the look of them.

Regards
Ralph

2011-07-20T08:53:00.000+01:00

Mitsubishi ASX vs Hyundai ix35

Since 2006 most new entrants to the SUV, 4x4 sector have been Crossovers. Crossovers are built like cars on car platforms where older SUVs were little more than an estate car styled body on a truck platform. Crossovers benefit from having car like features for performance, versatility, comfort, economy and safety.

The Ford Kuga based on a Focus platform and the VW Tiguan based on a Golf platform have positioned their products against the best selling Freelander, RAV4 and CR-V with £20,000 plus price ranges.

Only the Nissan Qashqai built on a Megane platform was positioned as an interesting alternative to a family hatch with a price range well under £20,000. It was joined by the Skoda Yeti and more recently the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi ASX.

All five of these Crossovers are a very similar size with slightly different load spaces. The Yeti is the most compact with the largest maximum load space. If you compare their entry level engines they rank closely for fuel consumption, emissions, speed and acceleration so there may not be too much difference on the road.

The main feature is all are priced as viable alternatives to hatchbacks like the Focus, Astra and Golf.

Car comparisons between the Mitsubishi ASX vs Hyundai ix35 is a guide to the differences and similarities in the value for money Crossover sector.

At £15999 the ASX enters the market at less than the ix35s £16605. The ASX at 4.3m long is shorter than the ix35 at 4.41m. The ix35 591/1436(l) minimum/maximum load space is more than the ASX 442/1193(l).

Both enter the market with a 2WD 1.6 petrol engine. The ix35 has a 1.7 diesel 2WD option or a 2.0 diesel 2WD or 4WD. The ASX has a 1.8 diesel 2WD or 4WD. As we'll see they have similar efficiency.

The ASX 1.6 2WD returns a combined 47.9 mpg, 135 CO2s, 113 max speed, 11.4 seconds 0 to 62 mph.
The ix351.6 2WD returns a combined 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2s, 111max speed, 11.1 seconds 0 to 62 mph.
These lab figures are so closely ranked it may mean little if anything in real driving conditions. The ASX has the edge on combined mpg and a slightly cheaper VED cost.

The ASX 1.8 diesel 2WD returns a combined 51.4mpg, 145 CO2s, 124 max speed, 9.7 seconds 0 to 62 mph.
The ix35 2.0 diesel 2WD returns a combined 51.4 mpg, 147 CO2s, 113 max speed, 10.8 seconds 0 to 62 mph.

Again they rank very closely with the ASX having slightly better performance. It's the same story for the 4WD drive options.

It's worth noting diesel options cost more to buy. The saving you make on fuel consumption will take tens of thousands of miles to recover the added cost new. So the petrol option is viable. Personally I'd only consider the diesel options for their performance characteristics.

The good thing about cars being similar in size and efficiency is you can simply buy the car and price you like without worrying about performance, versatility, and economy. If you like the look of a car in this class and you feel it's comfortable plus the price is right then you can buy with your heart, not your head. It may sound sensible to buy with your head but over four decades I've tested charts to find the best car. The problem is I never got a result I liked. So I think if you like a car in this class - go for it.

Certainly all the above brands have great reputations for customer satisfaction. If one fits your purpose, purse and personal tastes it's got your name written on it.

Regards
Ralph

2011-07-15T09:30:00.000+01:00

What are the Pros and Cons of a Vauxhall Corsa?

The Vauxhall Corsa was introduced back in 1993 to compete with the Fiesta, Clio, 206 and other small cars from Citroen, Fiat and VW.
Today the Corsa is in the top ten best selling new cars list. I've never regarded this as evidence its one of the best small cars because new car sales are heavily influenced by manufactuters marketing and it doesn't account for the used car market which is over three times the size of new. The Vauxhall Corsas popularity in this used car market and its huge strength being social proof it's regarded as a great little car.

The Corsas model range is probably the largest in the new small car market. It's available as a 3 or 5-door with a range of diesel or petrol engines, lots of trim levels and special editions. No matter what small car you might consider the Corsa has it covered from a 1.0 basic entry model to the VXR to take on the RenaultSport Clio and Mini Cooper.

The Ford Fiesta is the Corsas #1 competitor. If you compare the Corsa with a Fiesta, Clio, 207, Polo, they're all about the same size. There's small differences in engine efficiency on paper which may not be present or significant on the road, and they're all up to scratch for safety. The only difference is buyers tastes in style and comfort.

Style or image is probably what makes the Corsa so popular as a used car. Plus BSM learner drivers had their lessons in a Corsa. Young drivers love Corsas, Clios, 207s and there association with ultimate hot hatches which is also the attraction of the Mini.

There's a Corsa model for everyone. The sales pitch is the buyer has choice. The problem is it can confuse a buyer especially when new car marketing programmes are mixed in with discount and finance offers. It's too easy for the buyer to get switched from model to model.

Any objection from the buyer and the salesperson can just switch engines, trims, discounts and finance. It seems choice is arrived at by deduction. However too much switching and a buyer can forget their original desires. A buyer could be switched into a value limited edition special offer which looks good with its alloy wheels but may have the 60/40 split rear seat missing for example. Sports style trims can be attractive but sports seats may be a pinch for some. I know it's the buyers choice but it can be confused by too much choice.

Overall though the Corsa has strong performing engines, it's stable, sure-footed and sharp. It's got loads of street cred' plus fuel economy and 5-star Euro NCAP safety.

I've got three gripes:

The two door visibility through the rear sides windows is poor.
I can't calculate the diesel options to be viable given the premium price for the diesel Corsa.
At any price the 1.0 entry model doesn't seem to be a contender against a Micra, Fabia, Swift or Special Limited Edition Fiestas and Clios.

Having said that the Corsa is one of today's great small cars. Mind you the Clio and 207 will probably be replaced before the Corsa and historically they change the game in style and engine efficiency. Hopefully they'll bring more advanced fuel saving technology to the everyday car.

Today, the Corsa is one of the top two small car contenders which ever way you look at it.

Regards
Ralph

2011-07-10T19:19:00.000+01:00

What's the most important car feature?

I remember a survey by Mori for Euro NCAP back in 2005 which asked given a car suited their lifestyle and it was affordable to buy and run, if they would then rank the most important additional features. The top feature according to the survey was safety which must have pleased Euro NCAP.

At the time I thought the rest of the results aligned with car features I'd been selling since 1966.

A few things bothered me.

respondents denied style and prestige were important
comfort was not mentioned
it didn't explain why buyers bought 4x4 SUVs instead of MPVs
it didn't account for buyers buying less than safe cars - SUVs at the time

When a car buyer visits a showroom they normally say they're just looking. When the salesperson asks them what they're looking for they mostly say they don't know. In the next breath they might say, 'I like the look of that.' If the salesperson suggests a car they may say, 'I don't like the look of that.' It kinda indicates style is important.

When buyers are looking for a family car they'd normally consider a 4x4, SUV or MPV. 4x4 buyers wouldn't consider MPVs and visa versa. They never seemed to entertain the idea they might make a car comparison between the two. I never understood why a family would buy a 4x4, SUV in preference to an MPV.

Generally MPVs were more spacious and versatile, they drove and handled like cars, they were more economical and a lot safer. However the way some buyers talked about their 4x4s revealed they thought them more prestigious.

As it turned out 4x4 SUVs were no longer a viable proposition by 2007. Crossovers have since saved this sector. A Crossover is an SUV body style built on a car platform so they now drive more like cars, are more economical and safe.

One feature of Crossovers is they are two wheel drive with four wheel drive as an option. As a 2WD car a crossover offers no more than an MPV and will normally be less spacious and versatile but more expensive. So why not buy an MPV? Because there's still a difference in style and perceived prestige.

There's little difference between the style of a Crossover and MPV but it seems to matter.

A Crossover/SUV is a tall two box estate car body style. It has an engine in one box and the passenger and cargo areas are merged in a second box.

Exactly the same could be said for an MPV but they normally have a more sloping windscreen with the line continuing into a sloped bonnet. MPVs have the appearance of a one box vehicle without a bonnet.

Crossovers and SUVs have prominent bonnets. That's the difference.

It's difficult to understand why people pay more money for a SUV than an MPV because of style and prestige when an MPV is normally cheaper and has more space and versatility for the family.

It seems no matter what people say in surveys style and prestige is important. It's a bit like people saying one thing and doing another.

Regards
Ralph

2011-07-08T12:08:00.001+01:00

Which Small Car Is Best?

The quick answer is the one that fits your lifestyle and budget. But with over 30 small cars for sale in the UK and so many geat deals out there at the moment both new and used it gets more complicated.

Probably the first thing to consider is do you need a tiny city car about 3.5m long or a larger small car near 4m long? Obviously the difference is in size, rear passenger space and boot capacity. The larger small cars are also more likely to be 5-star Euro NCAP rated.

As the best small car is the one that fits your lifestyle be certain the size is all you need - it fits. To make an early unplanned change because a small car wasn't big enough could would cost a fortune in depreciation -the equivalent of several years petrol costs.

Other points to watch out for:

It's not necessarily the case the newest models are significantly better than ones that have been about for a few years. I'll compare the VW Polo and Mazda2 in a moment.
When cars rank closely for fuel consumption the DVLA make the point they are lab' figures and in real driving conditions there may be no significant difference in economy.
Only consider diesel if you are a high mileage driver because it can take near 50,000 miles - even more - before savings in fuel consumption pay back the added cost of buying a diesel car.
A car being in the top ten new car best sellers list is not social proof it's the best. New car sales volume is heavily influenced by marketing. It does not take into account popularity in the used car market which is more than 3 times the size of the new market. It seems most small cars have their own loyal fan base.
Pundits are paid to be critical of cars. It's fair to say the vast majority of small cars on the market deliver what they promise. A Kia Picanto isn't pretending to be a RenaultSport Clio.

If we compare the new model VW Polo with the Mazda2 which appears unchanged for a number of years we can see differences and similarities. There was only £310 difference in their entry prices in April. As you walk up the model options the Polo gets more expensive. They're very similar in length. Both are 5-star EuroNCAP rated with ESC as standard.

The Mazda2 1.3 petrol engines are more economical than the Polo 1.2 options. They're also cleaner and quicker. The Mazda2 1.5 is also quicker than the 1.4 Polo. The Polo 1.4 auto is more efficient than the Mazda2 option. The Polo also has high performance 1.2 and 1.4 models. The 1.6 diesel engines in both cars are very similar. The Polo has 1.2 diesel options which are more economical.

As I remember the Mazda2 was launched in 2006 for 2007 but you can see it can still hold its own against the latest competition. This is because legislation and industry targets for engine efficiency and safety means cars will be similar if their solutions meet these standards.

If a car is in the same class as another it will be a similar size and have similar space. The only real differences are in the way you personally feel about a cars styling and comfort. As they're matters for your personal taste you can see it's difficult to go wrong when trying to find the best small car for you. If the car size fits your life and it's affordable , you like the look and feel of it then it's one of the best small cars for you.

I say one of the best small cars because several will probably fit the bill. In that case go for the best deal. There are certainly plenty of great deals about this summer on both new and used cars.

Regards
Ralph

2011-07-08T11:05:00.000+01:00

Most SUVs were little more than high riding estate cars

Back in 1970 it may have been highly innovative to take an estate car body and put it up on a truck chassis and drive in with four wheel drive transmission. In the 80s Japanese imports made the SUV more affordable and by the 90s they were the #1 lifestyle vehicle.

Manufacturers stuck with this cheap manufacturing method whilst other styles of car improved. By 2007 a SUV became almost unsaleable because it was comparatively heavy, not as spacious as its bulk promised, juicy and less than safe in every aspect - perception, prevention, protection.

Since 2007 most new model SUVs have been built as crossover cars. In other words they are built with the SUV body style but in the same ways as cars. A VW Tiguan is built on a Golf platform and the Nissan Qashqai is on a Renault Megane platform.

There's also a differences in the way crossovers are positioned in the market. The Qashqai replaced the Almera hatchback and might be seen as a very interesting alternative to a Focus, Astra or Golf. The Tiguan is placed more in the 4x4 SUV sector although it avoids the tonka toy truck styling. Now we have the Peugeot 3008 Crossover which appears more an MPV.

The latest compact crossovers from Mitsubishi, Kia and Hyundai are priced at the entry level as viable alternatives to family hatchbacks which challenges the idea of charging a significant amount more for a vehicle because it has a SUV body style.

The crossover car looks an attractive consideration because it gives car buyers a body style they liked, that's far more economical and when with a 5-star EuroNCAP rating and ESC a much safer car, at popular car prices. The amazing success of the Nissan Qashqai in the UK supports this.

The latest development is the small SUV styled car - Nissan Juke, Audi Q3. It will be interesting to see how the Ford Fusion and Renault Modus are styled when replaced.

Regards
Ralph

2011-07-05T14:00:00.001+01:00

VW Touran vs Peugeot 3008

The MPV style of car seems to be still growing in popularity. It's a market Citroen/Peugeot, Ford, Renault, Volkswagen and Vauxhall seem most enthusiastic about. They've launched both updated models and new entrants into this sector recently which is a sign of their confidence in this market.

The Touran has recently been revised and if you were to do a VW Touran review like-for-like comparisons would be the Zafira, and Grand 7-seat versions of the Picasso, C-Max, Scenic.

If you did a Peugeot 3008 review comparing apples with apples you'd look at the shorter 5-seat Picasso, C-Max and Scenic.

However an MPV car need not be a 7-seater people carrier. The MPV concept promise is versatility, space and a well thought out interior.

The Peugeot 3008 enters the market at £16995, the VW Touran at £18175. You could say the Touran's 7 seats account for most of the price difference. You actually pay more for the 5-seat VW option.

The two MPVs are very similar in length. The 3008 is 4.37m, the Touran 4.4m. With five seats up the Touran has 695 litres of load space, the 3008 512(l). With rear seats folded the Touran again has more space 1913 vs 1604 for the 3008. So in terms of space and versatility the Touran is better.

At the top end of the engine range the 2.0 diesel automatics, the VW is more economical, cleaner, and quicker. The differences in the 1.6 diesel engines is insignificant. Overall the petrol options make the 3008 quicker with no real significant difference in economy, but the VW petrols are cleaner. So it's bit of a mixed bag.

Both MPVs are 5-star Euro NCAP rated with ESC as standard. Car insurance groups are also very similar.

You may find comfort differs according to your tastes. Certainly the two look different. The Touran clearly is more of what an MPV promises. The 3008 is a crossover so might be considered as a very interesting alternative to a family hatchback - very much like the Nissan Qashqai.

Style seems to be very important in suggesting a lifestyle. The Qashqai looks like a MPV or SUV depending on how you want to see it but doesn't really compete in those sectors. We also have estate car styles - normally called tourers - and some don't offer any space advantage over their saloon options with 5-seats up.

Something to watch out for - cars looking like something they're not.

Regards
Ralph

2011-06-27T14:37:00.000+01:00

How To Pick The Right Small Car For You

Surveys reveal when you're considering a car it's important to choose one that

Fits your lifestyle.
Is one you can afford.
Is Safe.

The small car comes in three different lengths in the UK, about 3.5, 3.75 and 4m.

City cars - Kia Picanto, Citroen C1, Fiat 500 etc - are tiny and only 3.5m'ish long. They're easy to park, tight in the back an have limited boot space. The choice of engines is usually restricted.

Super minis - Nissan Micra, Mini - are nearer 3.75m long. A handy size, better in the back and boot. More choice of engines.

The cars around 4m - Renault Clio, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta etc - may be bigger than you like but the space in the back and boot could mean they're all the car you really need. There's a wide choice of trims and engines.

When you move from model to model, trim to trim, engine to engine, always check the car insurance group for each because it's a major expense theses days.

To see if one fits your life it might be helpful to ask yourself:

What do you like about your present car?
What's your car's body type - saloon, hatch, estate, coupe, drop head, sports, MPV, SUV - and length?
What do you think is important in a car - price, size, style, prestige, space, comfort, performance, fuel consumption, emissions, safety?
What do you use your car for?
Who drives the car now and who is likely to in the future?
What do you carry in your car?
Do you motor in the town, country or motorway?
What's your average annual mileage?

When deciding if a car is affordable take a DIM view - Depreciation, Interest, Maintaining it on the road.

Safety is simple - if you buy a car with less than a Euro NCAP 5-star crash test rating and without electronic stability control then you are buying less than a safe car. Having read that if you now do so, you do so knowingly.

When you're happy a car will fit your life, budget and it's safe then it's time to consider other aspects:

Revisit the question above - what do you think is important in a car - price, size, style, prestige, space, comfort, performance, fuel consumption, emissions, safety?
Test your answers to these questions with, 'so what' and test that answer with, 'so what's in it for me.'
You know you must test drive a car.
Get the best deal for discount, finance, part-exchange and add-ons. Get the best deal on all four not just one or two.
Don't think because a car is in the top 10 new car sellers list it's the best car. Many things determine new car sales. It doesn't reflect used car popularity where the market is 3 times bigger. It's not a measure of customer satisfaction. All current small new cars in the UK are contenders once you pick a size.
Only consider small diesel cars if your savings exceed the added cost of a diesel car and fuel over a reasonable mileage and time.
If cars you're comparing rank closely for fuel consumption in what are lab' tests do not assume the same difference will be present on the road in real driving conditions. There may be no difference. Also work out the financial cost of any difference for your yearly mileage - it may be insignificant.

Hope that helps

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. Car Comparison Website to help find the right car for you.

2011-06-24T16:40:00.001+01:00

Is Cutting Back To A Small Car Prudent, A Sound Decision?

Gone are the good old-days of cruising in a luxury SUV like the rich. It's time to make cutbacks. If you want more you'll have to work very hard in these hard times. At the very least together we need to be seen as being sensible, careful, making sound decisions, thinking about security and the fundamentals in life. Gone is the good life. Back to the simple life.

It's not that bad. Cutting back to a small car will put the fun back into motoring. They go well, they're more spacious and comfortable these days. They've got style and street cred' and most are now very safe. But best of all they cost less to buy, less to run. You make huge savings but is it a good idea?

Common sense says a small car is a good idea because they're more affordable cars to buy and cheaper to run. They're also the most Eco friendly cars.

The question is, is a small car all you need? Every time car fuel prices goes up or there's an economic downturn surveys reveal peoples' intention to buy a small car next time. Most didn't then go and buy a Vauxhall Corsa. The medium size hatch - Focus, Astra, Golf - has remained the most popular car sector.

In the early 70s oil crisis people rushed to trade their Cortinas for a new mini car. They proved too small and most returned within the year to trade back up in size. They lost a fortune in depreciation on their new small car purchase which would have paid for many, many years of fuel for their previous car. By 1976 the market was flooded with second hand small cars. Mind you that was when a small car was 3.5m long, the size of a small city car today.

So if you're thinking about a small car think twice about a tiny town car. Most new small cars since 2005 are now near 4m long and could possibly be all the car you need.

A few points to watch out for:

Cars which rank closely for fuel consumption may not prove to be significantly different in real on the road driving conditions.
If you're considering diesel calculate your saving in fuel costs more than cover the extra cost of buying a diesel car within a reasonable amount of time and mileage.
Don't use top ten new car sellers as proof they're the best cars. The new car market depends on many factors not concerning the private motorist. Taking into account used car sales and the loyal following most small cars have - every small car for sale in the UK is a potential contender, so make comparisons.

When a small car is it not all the car you need consider larger cars like the Focus. There's a huge special offer battle going on this summer on new cars which are also competing with used car sales so there's a great deal out there somewhere. If you can save £2000 it could cover one years petrol or depreciation or maybe all the finance interest. By the looks of it you could save over £3000 on some deals with 0% finance.

Think more economical car, rather than smaller car. Some SUVs have a combined 50 mpg today. Remember a car that costs less generally can only depreciate less. Also check out the cost of maintenance and evaluate your way through every figure of a finance agreement. Finally get a proper car insurance quote before you buy because the new 1 to 50 groups have spread the difference between different variations of the same model car.

You could always keep your old car and keep the enormous cost to change a car to pay for fuel, parts and insurance for many years to come on your present one.

Regards
Ralph

2011-06-12T11:54:00.000+01:00

Ford Fiesta vs Honda Jazz

When buyers compare cars they're normally look at the differences and similarities to see if they can find some advantage, something better, an improvement in one over the other.

One popular type of comparison is to evaluate cars known to be built on the same platform. Fiesta vs Mazda2 is one. Comparing cars in the VW group is common - Audi A1 vs Seat Ibiza vs Skoda Fabia vs VW polo. Many buyers are concerned about value as much as they are about brand equity. They want the best small car for their purpose and purse. If the cars are on the same platform engines and all, and do the same job in the same way, they want to know what they're getting for their money in the price differences.

Another frequent type of comparison is with cars of the same standing. So if you're doing a Ford Fiesta Review you might compare - Fiesta vs Corsa vs Polo vs Clio vs 207 - all have great street cred'.

So it seems odd to compare Ford Fiesta vs Honda Jazz. Both manufacturers make super cars but somehow I just see the image of these two small cars as being different and imagine their buyers to be very different types of people. Anyway, how do the Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz compare? It's a very popular comparison on carbuyersinfo.co.uk.

The Fiesta has a lower sleeker style which is why I'd put it against a Corsa or Clio. The Jazz has a boxier rear end and could be compared with small MPVs like the Note, Modus, Splash or Agila. The Jazz has better rear visibility and is therefore easier to park.

There's only a couple of inches difference in their overall length. Although the Fiesta is slightly longer the Jazz has a larger boot with all five seats up - 281 vs 379 (l) - a whole suitcase difference. The Fiesta has more space with the rear seats folded.

The Fiesta has a lower entry price with a sluggish 60 PS 1.25 engine and a basic trim. Comparing other like engines with like there's little difference in fuel economy, emissions or performance. As the cars rank so closely in lab tests there's unlikely to be any significant difference when driven or real roads.

The 1.4 automatic Jazz is significantly more efficient than the Fiesta 1.4 automatic. However it's highly likely Ford will update this transmission sometime soon given the more efficient autos available with other makes.

The big difference is Ford offer a diesel engine option and Honda don't. Ford also offer a relatively higher performance Fiesta with single figure acceleration.

Ford may be seen to be offering choice with diesel engines with better fuel economy, lower emissions and therefore VED cost. The argument against diesel is that diesel cars and diesel fuel cost more than petrol and you'd have to clock up a considerable mileage before you break even on the cost let alone benefit financially from savings in mpg. Ford do have a huge share of the business market which may have higher mileage use.

For the private buyer who does say 10-12000 miles per year it will take some time before pay-back day arrives if they buy diesel.

A Fiesta 1.4 petrol engine with a combined 48.7 mpg costs £12800 in Zetec trim. A Zetec 1.6 diesel with similar performance returns 67.2 but costs £14150. A difference of £1360 to buy new. With petrol at £6.22 and diesel £6.45 per gallon you'd need to do about 45,000 miles before you recover that cost with mpg savings. Then you start saving money.

You might also consider diesel is noisier than petrol and it's more difficult to isolate their vibration in a small car. Also diesel may have low CO2s but diesel particle emissions are not town or child friendly. Diesel works much better in larger cars.

To sum up:

The Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz are a similar size.
More boot space in a Jazz and better rear visibility.
Ford have a less than their best entry model at a low price.
Otherwise similar engine efficiency.
Today's Jazz automatic is more efficient.
Ford offer a diesel engine option.
There's a fairly quick Fiesta option.
Style and comfort are matters for your personal taste.
Both the Fiesta and Jazz are highly regarded and successful in the UK.

Regards
Ralph

2011-06-06T22:45:00.000+01:00

Petrol vs Diesel Cars Update

Is it worth running a diesel car? It's a question we have to return to because car prices change, car efficiency changes and fuel prices change. So lets look at the differences for a small car, medium car and MPV.

Today at my local petrol station petrol costs £1.369p per litre and diesel is £1.419p per litre. 1 Imperial gallon = 4.54609188 litres. So petrol costs £6.22p a gallon, diesel £6.45p down the road from me.

How does a VW Touran TDI compare with their petrol option?

A VW Touran SE 1.4 petrol 140 PS is £21915 today and returns a combined 41.5 mpg. The 2.0 diesel in the same trim costs £23230 and does 53.3 mpg. There's no difference in their maximum speed or acceleration. There's only a small - 159 vs 140 - difference in emissions. There's a £1315 price difference in the cars to be recovered by savings in fuel costs.

12,000 miles per year / 41.5 mpg means 289 gallons at a total cost of £1797.58p for petrol. At 53.3 mpg you need 225 gallons of diesel which costs £1451.25p. So you save £346.33p for every 12,000 miles with a diesel. Which means you have to do 45463 miles before the difference in the cost new is recovered by fuel savings.

You might be told the diesel will have a stronger residual value which will return part of the cost new difference but I can say after 43 years experience nobody knows what the used car market will be like it say 4-years time. It will depend on the differences in the price of diesel and petrol, supply and demand plus the actions of millions of buyers and hundreds of thousands sellers. The used car market is a real market place. That's without considering wider environment issues like the law, taxes, politics, the economy, innovations etc.

Let's move on to a medium small car. A Ford Focus Zetec 1.6 petrol 125 costs £17500 today and returns a combined 47.9 mpg. The Ford Focus TDCI 1.6 diesel 115 in the same trim costs £18495 and does 67.3 mpg. There's no real difference in their maximum speed or acceleration. There's only a small - 136 vs 109 - difference in emissions. And there's only a £995 price difference in the cars to be recovered by savings in fuel costs.

12,000 miles per year / 47.9 mpg means 250 gallons of petrol at £6.22p total cost of £1555.00p. At 67.3 mpg you need 178 gallons of diesel at £6.45 which costs £1148.10p. So you save £406.90p for every 12,000 miles with a diesel. Which means you only need to clock up 29343 miles before the difference in the cost new is recovered by fuel savings.

Right now a Focus looks viable value either way. It seems savings with a Touran diesel are soaked up partly by VWs price difference.

Does it get even better with a small car?

A Vauxhall Corsa is for sale with a confusion of trims, engines and marketing programmes. Let's zoom in. A Vauxhall Corsa SXi 1.2 petrol costs £13520 today and returns a combined 53.3mpg. The 1.3 diesel 95 in the same trim costs £15450 and does 64.2mpg. There's only a small - 124 vs 115 - difference in emissions. There's a £1930 price difference in the cars to be recovered by savings in fuel costs

12,000 miles per year / 53.3 mpg amounts to 225 gallons of petrol at £6.22p total cost of £1399.50p. At 64.2 mpg you need 187 gallons of diesel at £6.45 which costs £1206.16p. So you save £193.34p for every 12,000 miles with a diesel. Which means you need to clock up a massive 99824 miles before the difference in the cost new is recovered by fuel savings. Lucky you get their lifelong guarantee. It doesn't matter if you compare the more expensive 1.4 petrol with less powerful cheaper diesels. Something's up. Either the diesel doesn't make a good enough difference or your savings are being sucked up by Vauxhall's diesel price.

My examples don't support this but a large car is normally a more viable proposition with a diesel engine. Many SUVs don't have a petrol alternative. You're better off with petrol in a small car. Diesel is not an option with some small cars. But to go back to the beginning, car prices change as does their efficiency so you need to work it out every time. You're going to see some amazing changes in car efficiency especially in energy recuperation and dual function components.

But it's not just about the figures. Diesel was a smelly, sluggish option that was noisy and vibrated. They're not so smelly these days. Turbo technology has improved performance. They're still noisy though less so with common rail injection and they still vibrate it's just manufacturers isolate or insulate you from the noise and vibration. Diesels have 3 to 4 times the compression of petrol with great torque and a 1.9 can feel like a 2.7 petrol. So there are tastes and qualities to consider. Whichever side of the fuel pump you normally pick the above will probably change nothing.

However keep informed to save real motoring costs

Regards
Ralph

2011-05-20T13:47:00.001+01:00

Ford Focus Zetec vs Estate vs MPV vs SUV Cars

Understanding the different types of cars for sale can be difficult. Not only are you spoilt for choice with different types and sizes of cars, there are so many trim and engine options. It's difficult to compare like with like and you could end up comparing apples with oranges.

Fortunately car manufacturers make several types of cars on the same platform with the same trim and engine options so a fair comparison can be made to discover the differences and similarities.

But first, what do different car types promise? A hatchback - Ford Focus - was said to be the car for everybody in that it met most needs. An estate car is a versatile load carrier. An MPV is a people carrier. Most SUVs are more an expression of lifestyle than sports utility vehicles to transport you into the wilderness to fish, shoot and hunt. Traditional SUVs are in decline, premium SUVs are still in demand with Crossover SUVs surging in the fun and fashion market.

Ford make a hatchback, estate, MPV and SUV on the Ford Focus platform for sale with similar if not the same engine options and trim levels. The new Ford Focus Zetec hatchback seems the most interesting. Diesel engines are ever more popular especially as they make MPVs and SUVs more viable. So it's worth looking at the Ford C-Max diesel and the Ford Kuga mpg.

Lets look at overall size, space, mpg, VED bands and performance. They all have the same level of safety and the Focus has a good reputation for durability and reliability. Style and comfort are matters for your personal taste. It's also very important to get insurance quotes.

A Ford Focus hatchback is 4.36m long, 1.82 wide, 1.46 wide. A C-Max MPV is 4.38, 1.86, 1.63. A Kuga SUV is 4.4m long, 1.84m wide, 1.71m high. An Estate is 4.56m long, 1.82m wide, 1.48m high.

You can see there's no material difference in the length of the hatchback, SUV or MPV, they're almost identical. The estate is longer. They're all the same width. The MPV and SUV are higher giving easier access and promising more interior space and versatility.

With the 5-seats up the longer estate has a load space of 476L, the MPV 432, SUV 360 and hatch 316. When you fold the rear seats and the vehicles cease to be family vehicles the MPV has a maximum load space of 1732L, the estate 1502, the SUV 1355 and the hatch 316 litres. You can see the estate car and MPV are winners and may think the SUV less than you might expect.

The Focus, estate, C-Max and Kuga are all available with the same 2.0 TDCI 140 diesel engine. Is there any difference in mpg, emissions and performance?

The hatchback and estate both return a combined 56.5 mpg and the MPV 55.4. There will probably be no difference on the road. The 2WD Kuga only returns 47.9 by comparison which amounts to a money difference over 12,000 miles.

The hatch and estate have the same emissions, the MPV goes up a band and the 2WD SUV up another two on the MPV. The difference only amounts to pennies per week.

The hatch does 129mph and hits 62mph in 8.9 seconds. Estate 129/9.1. MPV 125/9.8. 2WD SUV 116/9.9. They're all quick and any differences means little on the road. You might feel you're pushing the SUV on high speed EU roads.

To sum up they're all a similar size. The MPV and estate have more load space both with seats up or down. There's no significant difference in the fuel consumption of the hatch, estate or MPV. You return significantly less with the SUV. There is a difference in emissions and VED costs but only pennies. They're all quick but the SUV less fast.

So how much do they cost today in Zetec trim?

New Ford Focus Zetec 5 door 2.0 TDCi 140 6 speed £19495
New Ford Focus Zetec 5 Estate 2.0 TDCi 140 6 speed £20595
Ford Kuga Zetec 5door 2.0 TDCi 140 2WD 6 speed £21505

The C-Max is only available as a Titanium with a 2.0 TDCi at £21200. A Titanium costs £1500 more than Zetec so a Zetec would be £19700.

Obviously the Ford Focus hatch is the most cost efficient if the interior space is all you need. If you need the extra space with hatchback engine efficiency then the estate or MPV seem value to me. The MPV has easier access and a feeling of spaciousness. The estate has a lower centre of gravity. As for a SUV I don't get it. Mind you I never did so don't take any notice of me.

By the way if you're considering a diesel engine work out if the added cost of the car and diesel fuel is paid back by saving in fuel consumption and VED costs.

Regards
Ralph

2011-03-07T11:21:00.000Z

Is The Medium Size Car Still The Car For Everyone?

I spend much of my time reviewing small cars, MPVs and Crossover SUVs, forgetting the most important sector - the medium small car - Citroen C4, Mazda 3, VW Golf. While the small car is said to be all you need, the Megane type car is said to be the car for everyone. It's certainly been the best selling sector.

Now we have the new Ford Focus for sale it's time to update my data for comparison. Cars in this class appear to have stopped growing and settled around 4.3/4m in length. The Vauxhall Astra dimensions at 4.42m seem to be the maximum size. Over the past two years the fuel consumption, emissions, performance and safety in this class have significantly improved. Although the prices of cars has significantly increased over the past two years you can still buy a Hyundai i30 or other makes' special limited editions for about £12,000.

Interior space in this class remains static with some boot capacities shrinking which is probably due to improving rear end protection. Another thing to watch out for is all round visibility which is poor on some models. This is due to styling and safety improvements. Back and rear windows on many models have shrunk due to the window sills and shoulder lines sweeping up at the rear. The view can then be obstructed by huge door posts, wide rear quarter panels and thickly framed tailgates. High-backed seats and chunky headrests don't help.

You'll find all the cars in this class are very similar as they would be given they're all the same size. They all seem to have the same type of trim and engine options. The only differences are branding and your taste in style and comfort. You could divide this sector into value, popular and value brands.

Is something like a Ford Focus the car for everyone?

This type of car is a handy size and it's fairly easy to find an end-on parking space. Personally I think all the cars in this class are stylish. Inside they comfortably seat four. Boots sizes are good with most SUVs and some MPVs offering little improvement unless their rear seats are folded. The joy of owning this type of car is most perform strongly and have amazing handling, road-holding and stability. With improved fuel consumption and emissions the medium small car remains highly competitive and always worth a look and definitely a drive.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-28T17:01:00.000Z

Can you really cut your car fuel costs?

The short answer is no you can't. If you buy a small car that returns a combined 40 mpg there's not a lot you can do to change that other than change your car for a more economical one.

Some car buyers consider diesel but you have to calculate the saving in fuel costs exceeds the extra you pay for a diesel car and diesel fuel.

Another important point is DVLA fuel consumption figures are the result of lab' tests not what you'll necessarily get on the road. If you make a car comparison and cars rank closely for mpg - and performance - there may be no difference in real driving.

You might also be surprised some of the latest MPVs and new Crossover SUVs are reasonably economical -compare Kia Sportage vs Hyundai iX35 and check out the new Mitsubishi ASX.

Once you buy a car - check the new car insurance groups 1-50 - the only saving you can make is on car insurance renewal. You can do this by directly phoning a huge list of car insurance companies for the cheapest quote whilst detailing the features in your car insurance comparisons so you get value and don't get upsold with add-ons.

Let's look a some fuel saving tips

Try to avoid using your car on short trips, take the bus, ride a bike or walk. Have you seen the price of a bus ticket? By cyclists own complaints and video evidence - it's dangerous. Walking is only an option if you live in town and don't intend to carry anything.
Choose unconjested routes - no such thing these days.
Keep your tyre pressures correct and your car regularly serviced. This only works for hundreds of miles and then the car returns to normal for the next 19,000 miles when a service is due.
Driving tips include a light touch on the accelerator, use the highest gear possible which both can work but require continuos concentration, one lapse and you're back to square one.
The two main tips are lose weight and keep your speed down. I've found even this doesn't make much difference. My MPV returns 39 mpg on the B roads of Sussex. I recently loaded it with 50 stone of family and cruised across France at 90 mph and returned 36 mpg - not the difference you'd think. Also travelling at 60 mph would add half a day to my 1,200 mile journey.

Once you buy a car you've no real option other than to accept its fuel consumption. Todays cars are so high-tech they perform consistently or they don't run at all.

Fortunately cars announced or updated over the past year seem very economical and green plus most perform well.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-24T14:02:00.002Z

The most common car comparison is
comparing two cars built on the same platform. For example VW build about twelve different models on the VW Golf platform. There are ten different cars built on the Ford Focus platform. I imagine searchers are looking to see if there's an advantage in one or the other.

However if cars are the same size and rank closely for performance, emissions and fuel consumption there's little difference. You have to remember figures for fuel consumption are produced in a laboratory. If they rank closely there may be no difference in real on the road driving.
Typical comparisons are:

Ford Fiesta vs Mazda2
Skoda Fabia vs VW Polo
Skoda Yeti vs VW Tiguan

The above are cars in the same class. It can be different types of car are built on the same platform. For example the Nissan Qashqai Crossover SUV and Renault Scenic MPV are built on a Megane platform as is if I remember correctly the Clio - four types of car on one platform.

There can only be three differences if cars are the same class and size with the same efficiency figures. Two are style and comfort which are both subject to your personal taste.

The third difference is price. If a seller can make a service or product appear different and sell it through a different outlet and promote it in a different way then they can charge a different price. So it's up to you if you wish to pay the difference.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-22T15:35:00.000Z

Can you cut your motoring costs?

In my last post I was saying how you can really cut your car insurance costs simply by directly phoning a long list of car insurance companies for quotes and persisting to the end. It's probably the only motoring cost you can cut every year.

The hard facts are when you decide on a car you lock yourself into fixed costs for depreciation, interest, vehicle excise duty, replacement parts and fuel. If you make the calculation you'll probably find your total motoring cost is near 25% of the money you clear at work. 40% of that cost will most likely be spent on fuel. If you can make savings they could be significant.

When you buy a car compare all the above costs. The more you pay for a car, the more you'll suffer in depreciation and interest. You'll be pleased to know most car manufacturers are reducing emissions which lowers your annual VED. They've made similar improvements in fuel consumption especially in the MPV and crossover sectors. You need to be absolutely certain the car fits BOTH your lifestyle and budget. You'll find most of the data on car comparison sites.

In the same way as you have to get plenty of car insurance quotes, when you buy a car you need to analyse car quotes. There are four deals to look at - discount, finance, part-exchange price, and add-ons. You should not give up any one deal to get the other. You want the best of all four deals.

Let's imagine reading Vauxhall Zafira reviews and comparisons suggests it might be the perfect family car. Subject to you liking the look of the Zafira, driver comfort and are absolutely sure it fits your purpose, it's time to make more detailed comparison of the costs and the deal to be done. You'll most likely find similar cars in this class have similar data costs - so immaterial cuts there.

The only option is to look at another class of car, for example make an estate cars comparison to see if there's any advantage.

However you could negotiate a £2,000 discount, lower interest which might save you £1,500 over 5-years, £500 more for your part-exchange and a hundred pounds or so on extras. That's a huge £4,000 to negotiate. You could save even more if you considered near new self registered cars with delivery mileage.

I once sold a £22,000 family hatchback with delivery mileage for £12,995. When the owner wrote it off 3-years later the insurance company gave them £7,000. Imagine if they'd paid £22,000.

You will find if you replace your car you should be able to improve VED and fuel costs. You can negotiate thousands of pounds in value on a new car. If you buy near new you will make added savings on depreciation and interest. Just remember in time to shop around every year for car insurance quotes.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-21T15:36:00.001Z

Can you really cut your car insurance costs?

Over the past year car insurance premiums have rocketed. It's said to be a 30% rise. I've heard many complaining their costs have risen 50%. Car insurance companies give several reasons for this. This all seems to have happened since they replaced the car insurance groups 1 to 20 with 1 to 50. It's difficult to know where you are with the new car insurance bands table.

The car insurance companies said part of the reason they needed the change was because of the growing number of car variations, especially in the SUV sector. If you compare 4x4 groups you can see the variation. Some start at group 40 and are very expensive. It's totally different if you look at a small MPV.

However you can cut insurance costs on all types of car simply by shopping around directly. First, you need big list of insurance companies and phone them all directly. You need to keep going through the whole list even when you think you've made a significant saving. I've seen a best quote of £800 against a worst quote of £2,800 and another best quote of £400 against many at £1,600.

A saving of £2,000 will pay for fuel over 12,000 miles at 40 mpg. A saving of £1,200 easily pays for a years VED, plus replacement parts or might cover one years depreciation.

They are significant savings.

You need to be careful when companies say they specialise in older, younger or female drivers. It doesn't mean they are necessarily cheaper than other companies.

You should also avoid using car insurance comparison companies before you shop around directly. If you use comparison companies first they will have bagged you as their customer so you can't then get a quote directly with 100s of companies they deal with.

The shopping around is worthwhile. It only takes about 2 hours. Divide your saving by two and you have an impressive hourly rate.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-16T15:15:00.000Z

Focus on Style, Comfort and Car Dealer Offers

I've updated the data on carbuyersinfo's Citroen C4 Picasso Review and the car comparsion with the Renault Scenic Review 2010.

I can't see any significant differences between the two. They have very similar performance, versatility, fuel consumption, emissions, performance and safety.

You'd have to make another comparison car insurance for the specific model of interest. Rates have rocketed.

The only two differences are how you judge the cars on comfort and style not forgetting what special offer you can get at your local car dealer.

I suppose it's a good thing we can focus on pleasing features like style and comfort rather than a set of figures. Even dealing with a salesperson can be fun when you've one car as a negotiable alternative to the other.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-15T13:00:00.001Z

Car Comparisons Updated and Reformatted

I've just started to update some car comparisons on carbuyersinfo.

The first few are:

What I'm trying to do is make the pages more mobile friendly. My stats show the amount of people now accessing the Internet with hand-held devices has rocketed. They're using iPod, iPad and Android. So I've made the pages slimmer and regrouped the data so hopefully it will be easier to view on a small screen.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-14T16:50:00.001Z

Before we buy car insurance we ...

get in the quotes and compare them. Normally when we compare car insurance quotes we look at the prices.

However, the FSA has some different advice before you buy car insurance.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-14T15:31:00.000Z

Will You Buy A Car This March?

In the UK March and September are normally big months for car sales. A significant percentage of the years new car sales happen in these months with lots of nice part-exchanges coming in to fuel used car sales. If you're going to buy a car here are a few hints on doing car deals.

Car prices having been rising steeply over the past two years and now VAT has increased, so they're not cheap. The thing to remember is there are four deals to be done. Don't get distracted by car dealer marketing programmes. You need the best deal on:

Car prices
Part-exchange
Finance
Add-ons

Also consider the rocketing price of car fuel and insurance premiums. Both costs are a major percentage of what it costs to run a car. So it's not just a case of comparing cars and prices. You need to make car comparison insurance and fuel. If you think small cars are the answer be sure it fits your lifestyle because if it proves to small and you're forced to change it the depreciation will be devastating.

Car Prices
To get maximum discount always have a next best negotiable alternative. Cars of the same class are so similar. If a car fits your lifestyle and budget then look for the cheapest car in that class. So you need to get in those car quotes and use them to tell the Ford guy you can get a Vauxhall cheaper. Or tell the VW salesperson you can buy a Skoda cheaper. Bully them with Chevrolet, Hyundai and Kia prices. Let them know you've got alternatives.

Part-exchange
Apart from the scrappage scheme there's been little business done since late 2008. Used cars are in short supply so don't listen to sob stories about business being bad. Car dealers rely heavily on used car sales. Used car prices are strong and will only get stronger.

Finance
Get a fully detailed written quotation every time, again make detailed comparisons and have a next best negotiable alternative. Don't give up car discount for low rate finance - get both. There are four deals here.

Add-ons
Car dealers want to sell you insurance policies, warranties and polish at the back-end of the sale. Ask for a 50% discount. That's right - 50%.

Used car prices
Dealers had a bad time last year. At the end of the year shed loads of new cars were registered to boost sales so dealers qualified for volume bonuses. Those cars came onto the market over the last few weeks as delivery mileage second-hand cars. You could save a fortune if you found one you wanted.

Happy Hunting
Regards
Ralph

2011-02-11T16:23:00.000Z

BMW X3 Review Reviewed

The new BMW X3 was launched with one engine option the xDrive20d. I see they've quickly added an xDrive30d. It has some amazing figures with 159 CO2 emissions, 47.1 mpg combined fuel consumption and 0-62 mph in 6.2 seconds. Very impressive mind you so's the £37k price tag. I'll have to update my BMW X3 review and comparisons over on carbuyersinfo.co.uk. It looks like rear wheel drive models are coming soon.

What's interesting about the X3 is how competitive the 20d is. An Audi Q5 vs X3 comparison puts the X3 at the low end of the Q5 price range where the Q5 2.0 diesels can't quite match the X3 for fuel economy, low CO2 emissions, maximum speed and acceleration. The Audi 3.0 is not a match for the new BMW 3.0.

If you compare BMW X1 and X3 there's no significant difference in fuel economy, emissions and performance for the 20d and just a few thousand pounds more will buy more interior space in the X3.

Certainly the BMW X3 mpg is very impressive and important with pump prices as they are. It must be a worry for Land Rover when you make a Freelander vs X3 comparison. Even X3 vs Tiguan only shows a 10% saving in price but the VW can't match the BMW efficiency. Volvo XC60 vs BMW X3 and the 3 looks the winner.

Anyway, I must update my review of X3 engines or should I wait for the BMW X3 2wd and change the BMW X3 price list at the same time.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-09T21:27:00.000Z

Has it become more difficult to find a car that's right for you?

What's the best car for you? Answer, the car that fits your purpose and purse. Then you can look at safety, performance etc. The problem is car prices are rising, car insurance is rocketing as are fuel prices.

Let's imagine a small car is all you need. You decide on a Suzuki Splash for a little added versatility plus they have ESP as standard. So it fits your purpose.

Now how much have you got in your purse. Here's a very rough guide to what it might cost per year.

Depreciation £1,500
Interest £400 to £600, call it £500
Car insurance £500 - depends on the drivers.
VED £100
Servicing and replacement parts £500
Fuel 12,000 miles per annum £2,000

Total about £5,000 per annum, £100 per week.

The only real way you can save money is to make a car insurance comparison every year. It could save you hundreds.

There's not a lot you can do about car depreciation apart from hold onto the car. That way you could save on interest costs. Cars are reliable and durable today so you may not be at risk with maintenance costs.

It's the cost of fuel that kills it. £2,000 is 20% of the total cost.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-08T11:03:00.000Z

Volvo XC60 vs Skoda Yeti

Here's another crazy car comparison because the Volvo XC60 is twice the price of the Skoda Yeti at the entry level. The medium size XC60 is also larger than the more compact Yeti. A fairer comparison might be found in my VW Tiguan review.

However, on paper the Yeti can near match the XC60 for load space. If you compare the 2.4 Volvo engine with Skoda 2.0 170 diesel engine there's no significant difference in power output, combined fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, maximum speed or 0-62 mph. The Skoda 2.0 140 even compares well.

So the two are similar in performance, versatility and economy.

The only differences there can be are in comfort, style and prestige which can't be quantified. Although results from customer surveys show the Skoda is highly thought of and a match for the laurels Volvo rest on.

Style and comfort are matters of taste. Here's a question, is the Volvo XC60 twice as good looking and twice as comfortable as the Skoda Yeti? Because it's twice the price.

I suppose I'm reducing car qualities to mere commodities.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-03T14:15:00.000Z

Car Quality vs Commodity Car

One of the problems trying to sell anything these days is the growing tendency of consumers to reduce all products to commodity status. A small car's a small car. A flip camera is a flip camera. A laptop's a laptop. They just look for the best offer.

And it's true to a large extent. Most 4m sized small cars are very similar, there are few differences in performance, space, durability, reliability, economy or safety. It's the same with medium/small hatches about 4.3m in length or large hatches and saloons.If you make a car comparison in a car sector - SUVs, estates, MPVs - size is the main difference.

They may look slightly different. You might find a difference in their comfort. There's nothing a salesperson can claim as unique so they refer to brand quality. So for example a salesperson presenting a VW Tiguan may claim his product to be a quality car and dismiss the Yeti as cheap despite them both being built on a Golf platform. They might suggest their quality being in the Audi, BMW, Merc class but not as expensive. If you check my BMW X1 review they don't look comparatively expensive. What is quality?

Back in the 80s quality was the buzz word. I learnt quality was meeting peoples expectation. The standard was to get it right first time. The measure was if it had to be done a second time it failed. And there had to be quality systems in place.

When you compare cars they all seem to deliver performance, space, durability, reliability, economy, safety beyond what we might have expected. Car manufacturers do get it right first time. Most models don't fail and are in full production for their model life.

It seems most cars have quality. It makes you wonder about prestige. What have Audi, BMW and VW achieved that's so special? Then compare your findings with the long and rich history of achievements and innovations of Mercedes, Peugeot, Renault and Ford.

It could be cars are becoming commodities and we just want the best offer.

Regards
Ralph

2011-02-02T14:16:00.001Z

Skoda Fabia Estate vs Mazda6 Estate

I thought it would be amusing to compare one of the cheapest small estate cars for sale in the UK with what many pundits consider to be the best estate car. Fabia vs Mazda6. The first and obvious differences are the Mazda6 estate is near twice the price of the Skoda Fabia estate and the Mazda is much longer.

Let's assume versatility is the most important feature in an estate car and load space is the indicator of capacity. Check out my Skoda Fabia estate review and the 4.25m long Fabia has a maximum load space of 1,460L with all seats down and 480 with them up.The 4.79m Mazda6 has a maximum load space of 1,751L with all seats down and 519 with them up. There's a difference but not that much with the seats up. So the added length and cost of the Mazda looks less attractive.

What is surprising is the Fabia petrol engines can return a combined mpg of over 50 mpg. Their diesels near 70. However a diesel Mazda6 has a respectable combined mpg of over 50 mpg. But the Fabia diesels are very green with low VED costs.

The real difference is in the cars' performance. The Fabia 105 petrol and diesel engines are both fast and quick. The rest could be frustratingly sluggish. All the Mazda6 models are very fast and quick.

By the way, it's also important to check the car insurance groups list for each model as you will find significant differences. Car insurance premiums are rocketing. This will be subject to shopping around directly with the car insurance companies. It's best to get as many car insurance quotes as possible - it could save you hundreds of pounds.

Which brings me to another point. Once you decide to buy a car you subscribe to fixed costs. The used car market determines used car prices. The government set the cost of VED and fuel tax. Car insurance is the only cost you can negotiate.

Back to the plot. The Mazda5 estate has the greater load space, it's longer but costs a lot more to buy new. The Fabia is not just cheaper to buy, it's cheaper to run. There are lively performing Fabias but they cost more and will half the difference in entry prices.

Then there are differences we can't quantify. Style and prestige. Both cars look good in their own way. The Fabia looks practical. The Mazda6 appears dynamic. You could say these cars are what they appear to be. The Fabia is practical and the Mazda6 a motorway cruiser.

Which brings me to comfort. Driver comfort is a combination of many factors. But I think it's safe to say you'd be more than comfortable in a Fabia but even more comfortable in a Mazda6 on the motorway.

Having said all that style, prestige and comfort are matters for your personal taste. Otherwise, it all depends which car fits your lifestyle and finances.

Regards
Ralph

2011-01-31T14:20:00.002Z

Skoda Yeti vs VW Tiguan

Comparing the Yeti and Tiguan is quite popular over on carbuyersinfo car comparison site's pages. There's still a lot of interest in 4x4s, SUV, Crossovers. It's not just the recent snow. Car buyers see this type of car as a big family car they can go to fun places in.

One serious concern is fuel consumption. The new crossovers which are built like cars, not trucks, have greatly improved this sector. A crossover cars comparison of the latest models seems to be more popular than comparing older 4x4s. The Yeti and Tiguan are both built on the VW Golf car platform which is probably why visitors compare them.

If you check the Skoda Yeti mpg you can see the combined mpg ranges from 35 mpg to over 50 mpg. You should also look at the urban mpg as a more realistic indicator. Check out the Tiguan review and the fuel consumption figures are almost identical, as are the maximum speed and 0-62 mph figures.

So what are the differences? The big difference is price. The Yeti has an entry price about £6,000 less than the Tiguan which shrinks to a £4,000 difference as you climb the model range - so watch that. The other difference is the Yeti has a larger maximum load space.

So if there's no significant difference in mpg or performance and the Yeti is cheaper and more versatile, why not go for the Yeti? They should be equally durable and reliable.

Because there are differences I can't quantify which are a matter for your personal taste. It depends on what you think about differences in comfort, style and prestige vs £4 to 6,000.

Here's a thought, why not use the Yeti as your next best negotiable alternative to drive down the price of a Tiguan?

Regards
Ralph

2010-12-06T14:48:00.000Z

Is the New VW Touran a step forward?

How does the Touran compare with old faithfuls like the Renault Scenic and Vauxhall Zafira?

Renault Scenic vs VW Touran Lengthwise the Touran sits between the 5-seat and Grand Scenic with a maximum load space similar to the Scenic Grand. The Scenic entry prices are lower. The Touran has better emissions and fuel economy.

Vauxhall Zafira vs VW Touran again little difference in size or load capacity. The Zafira has a lower entry price. The VW BlueMotion looks impressive.

You can compare other MPV cars with the Touran from VW Touran Review.

You can see the Touran has no advantage in load space or versatility and there are cheaper MPV cars.

However, although small improvements in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions may not mean too much to the individual buyer when actually on the road, if you multiply the improvements by the number of cars they sell it will amount to a huge difference in the amount of fuel consumed and the ecology. So, yes it's a step forward.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-26T10:35:00.000Z

The Mitsubishi ASX seems popular

Over on carbuyersinfo car comparisons the ASX is a popular car comparison. Visitors are comparing the ASX with the Kia Sportage, Hyundai ix35, Toyota RAV4 and VW Tiguan.

To give you an overview;

Mitsubishi ASX vs Kia Sportage The ASX has a lower entry price. The slightly longer Sportage has more maximum load space. Overall there's little difference in the engine efficiency of both cars. Their petrol 1.6 2WD and larger diesel AWD models are very similar for mpg, CO2s and performance. The ASX 1.8 diesel 2WD has a higher performance then the Kai's 1.7.
Mitsubishi ASX vs Hyundai ix35 Shows exactly the same differences and similarities.
ASX vs RAV4 and Tiguan, again all three are about the same size. The ASX has the smaller load space. The ASX has better mpg, CO2s than the RAV4 and Tiguan. The big difference is the ASX has a much lower entry price.

It's worth making your own crossover cars comparison, it get interesting when you compare an ASX with a BMW X1 or Skoda Yeti.

Regards

Ralph

2010-11-21T12:15:00.000Z

How does a Peugeot 3008 compare with recent MPV cars?

In the past 12-months the Peugeot 5008, new Vauxhall Meriva and new VW Sharan have entered the MPV car market.

The Peugeot 3008 seems to be a mix of hatchback, MPV and SUV. It's hard to pigeon-hole.

The MPV car comparison Peugeot 3008 vs Peugeot 5008 shows for less than a £1,000 more, the 5008 has more maximum load space and versatility with 7-seats. The 3008 and 5008 seem to have the same engine range and engine efficiency.

Compare Peugeot 3008 vs Vauxhall Meriva and the Meriva has less maximum load space but a lower entry price. They are similar for fuel economy and emissions. The 3008 has higher performance.

You may think Peugeot 3008 vs VW Sharan is not a comparison. The Sharan is bigger, more spacious and flexible with 7-seats. It's in a totally different price range. However, there's not the difference in mpg and CO2s I'd expect.

The interesting point is, if an MPV car buyer wanted a large spacious 7-seater like a Sharan or Galaxy, looking for a near new used MPV car could bring the price down considerably in line with a brand new 3008. And it looks like they'd have similar running costs - bar car insurance. It's worth making the calculations.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-20T16:32:00.001Z

Renault Scenic, Espace and Ford Galaxy Comparisons Updated

I've added comparisons to these old faithfuls. They include the new VW Sharan, Vauxhall Meriva, Peugeot 5008 and 3008 which have all been announced during the past 12-months.

If you check the Renault Espace comparisons you'll see it still has the largest maximum load space and a well thought out interior.

The Renault Scenic comparisons show how it's still very competitive and becoming a benchmark in this class. It's hard to beat for space and versatility. It's car like to drive with efficient engines.

Making Ford Galaxy comparisons reveal how a large, expensive MPV car can still compete when it comes to engine efficiency.

The new VW Sharan is certainly more spacious and engine efficient than the old Sharan. However, I can't see how the Sharan offers anymore than the evolved Galaxy. Both are more engine efficient than the Espace.

A spacious alternative to all three can be seen when you compare them with the 7-seat Peugeot 5008. The 5008 about matches the Galaxy and non-Grand Espace for interior capacity. VW don't publish interior capacities, they give dimensions. The 5008 has a much lower entry price. And it appears to be as efficient as the Sharan and Galaxy.

The 5008 also has the edge on the Scenic Grand for internal space. Otherwise they seem similar. The Scenic has a lower entry price.

The Vauxhall Meriva and 3008 are smaller cars. The Meriva has a low entry price but as you walk up the model range you can spend over £20,000. Scenics and the 5008 start well under £20,000.

As for the 3008, is it a hatch, a SUV an MPV? I've put it in the MPV category.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-17T15:30:00.000Z

How's the Honda CR-V doing against the new competition?

Not bad, it's recently been revamped. The CR-V is a best selling compact SUV along with the Toyota RAV4 which also had a make-over. But the competition's been coming thick and fast.

First the VW Tiguan was launched in 2007, then the Ford Kuga in 2008. The Skoda Yeti was announced in 2009. This year we've had the BMW X1, Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi ASX.

The CR-V, RAV4, Tiguan, Kuga and X1 are all in the £20-30,000 price range. The Yeti, ix35, Sportage and ASX have much lower entry prices with small petrol engines and 2WD entry models, although their top models range over £20,000.

A comparison Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4 would be fair but the only difference you'll find is the RAV4 2.2 is slightly more efficient though not that much as to make a big difference.

If you compare Honda CR-V vs Ford Kuga you get the same result.

However Honda CR-V vs BMW X1 reveals a difference with the BMW X1 having better fuel consumption, emissions and performance. However, 40% of the X1 range is only 2WD.

If you compare the CR-V with the diesel AWD value brands, they all - including the Skoda - touch the CR-V price range.

So it seems the Honda CR-V is still positioned nicely despite new entrants into this sector.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-17T12:50:00.000Z

How Does The VW Tiguan Compare With Its Competitors?

The Tiguan was launched in 2007 to compete with the best selling compact SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. The Tiguan was a true crossover car based on a Golf platform.

If you make the car comparison Toyota RAV4 vs VW Tiguan you'll find they're of a similar size with similar maximum load spaces, in a similar price range. The RAV4 has recently been revised and like for like has better fuel economy and emissions. The Tiguan is faster and quicker. Both have ESP fitted standard across their ranges. However the RAV4 remains EuroNCAP 4-star rated, the Tiguan has 5-stars.

The VW group has since launched two more SUVs, the compact Skoda Yeti and medium size Audi Q5.

Compare VW Tiguan vs Skoda Yeti and although similar in size, the Yeti has a much larger maximum load space and lower entry price. There's not a significant difference in engine efficiency. Whilst both car are EuroNCAP 5-stars, the Yeti does not have ESP as standard across the whole range.

If you compare VW Tiguan vs Audi Q5 the medium size Q5 is longer but with no more load space. Again there's not a significant difference in engine efficiency. The Audi has a higher price range.

Other compact SUVs £20,000 to £30,000 are the BMW X1 and Ford Kuga. Recent announcements, the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi ASX enter the market with much lower entry prices.

Gradually SUVs are becoming safer, greener and less thirsty, when back in 2007 I would have written them off.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-15T10:41:00.001Z

Heads up on car price comparisons and car price increases

To give you an idea, small car loss leader prices in the mid 90s were £6,995. A decade later they were still £6,995. In recent years it's crept up to £7,995. The real price inflation has been in the models people want to buy - the ones with sports trim.

SUVs are similar. But as they're more expensive and mostly with less engine and trim options, the price rises are easier to see. It's the huge range of different engine and trim options that makes comparisons difficult. I always think a long list of different model variations means manufacturers can charge a longer list of different prices.

Here are some car price comparisons:
VW Polo price range 2009 £7,700-£15,800 NOW £9,790-£18,875
Mazda2 price 2009 £8,900-£12,000 NOW £9,820- £14,445
Toyota RAV4 price 2008 £18,700-£25,200 NOW £23,093-£27,740
Honda CRV price 2008 £18,600-£26,600 NOW £21,005-£31,850
Nissan X-Trail price 2008 £22,300-£26,800 NOW £23,995-£28,820 - NOT BAD

You could say the models have changed or been improved. To me it's price inflation way above the 1.5/2.0% politicians talk about and a sign of more inflation to come.

Car insurance premiums have also rocketed. It's the reason I don't like the change from car insurance bands1-20 to car insurance groups 1-50. It reminds me of when pounds shillings and pence became decimal - we ended up paying more. Make anything different and they charge different - more - money.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-14T16:03:00.000Z

Is the best SUV an matter of load or lifestyle?

Car buyers seem interested in 4x4 cars for the their load capabilities and or the lifestyle they portray.

Load capability can be interior space or load towing. SUVs and especially Crossovers are getting lighter. However, the maximum towing weight for a medium size SUV can be around 2,000 kg where it might only be 1,500 in the equivalent hatchback or MPV.

Typical maximum load space for the same types of vehicle might be 1,000 litres for a hatchback, 1,500 litres for a SUV and 1,750 litres for an MPV.

The idea is SUVs and MPV cars are designed to be big family vehicles in a sensible overall size. A medium size vehicle being about 4.6m. A Q7 is 5m long.

The SUV style seems to be preferred for its truck like looks and the mistaken impression they're somehow safer.

Having said that some SUVs now have softer or sweeping lines, probably to avoid the attention of the anti Chelsea Tractor brigade, whilst MPVs are taking on stronger lines. Soon it will be impossible to tell the difference. The Qashqai and 3008 seem to be mix of hatchback, MPV and SUV. The Citroen C-Crosser can look like a SUV or MPV. The Infiniti EX load space would only qualify it as a hatchback but it appears to be an estate or SUV. Bearing them in mind, how would you classify the ASX, Sportage and ix35 when you make a car comparison?

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-13T13:00:00.000Z

Comfort and SUV cars

A comfortable car is important because:

In my experience it's the biggest cause of dissatisfaction - if any - when asking car buyers about their part exchange.
Driving in a comfortable position reduces tiredness helping drivers react faster to avoid accidents.
Comfort calms and relaxes the driver making them at ease.

People who buy SUV cars assume they're comfortable. This is not necessarily the case. Some SUVs are quite agricultural. Sitting on a soft seat in a car showroom is not an indicator of comfort. At this stage look for:

ease of entry and exit from the vehicle, normally excellent with 4x4s but check the step up height,
seat size, adjustment, shape and support,
a near vertical steering wheel angle, preferably adjustable, not horizontal like a truck,
a good all-round view, good with most SUVs, check rear vision in more stylish models,
level of vision through the windscreen, not too high or low,
controls, switches and levers within reach and easy to understand,
the foot pedal units should be in line with the driving position - not offset,
check foot space around the pedals,
check driver leg and knee space,
check space all-round for feet, knees, legs, hips, shoulders and heads.
a feeling of space and airiness.

Then it's time for a demonstration and to check:

weight of the steering,
weight of the pedals,
the ride is stable.

There's a lot to consider but get it wrong and you can look forward to years of being unhappy.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo Car Comparison Site

2010-11-12T20:57:00.000Z

Skoda Yeti vs BMW x3

In my previous post I mentioned the Skoda Yeti has a model to equal the New BMW X3 acceleration. They have two models. The Yeti 1.8 TSI 160bhp 4x4 and 2.0 TDI CR 170bhp 4x4 DPF.

If you think this is one of my crazy new car comparisons consider these points. The Yeti may be shorter than a BMW X3 but it has a larger maximum load space suggesting greater versatility. There's no significant difference between the 2.0 TDI CR 170bhp 4x4 DPF fuel consumption and BMW's amazing figures. BMW emissions do take it down to a cheaper VED band.

The new BMW 4x4 X3 is a major step forward. Nothing like the old X3.

You'll find the real difference in a car insurance comparison.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-12T20:36:00.001Z

Are Crossover SUVs pleasant to drive?

Pleasure is a matter of personal taste. But driving pleasure can be determined by three aspects:

Composure, being a car that's stable, handles well and holds the road.
Driver comfort,
Performance.

We spoke about SUV stability, handling and road holding in the previous post. There's been considerable improvements now many SUVs are built like cars, not trucks. ESP is standard on all SUVs for sale in the UK bar the Yeti. Why? The Yeti is unbelievable value. So please VW, add ESP and put up the price. It's going to have to happen in Europe by the end of 2011 anyway.

What's driver comfort? Again comfort is a matter of personal taste. It's also - in my experience - the biggest disappointing feature in motoring. If a car buyer has any complaint about their old car, it's comfort. So comfort is very important. So important I'm going to address is separately and make it the topic of my next post.

Next, performance. One thing most Crossover SUVs have is bags of grunt. New entrants like the Sportage, ix35, ASX and Yeti do have sub 2.0 engines but at the same time have engines that can deliver performance. There are Skoda Yetis that can equal BMW X3 acceleration.

Most Audi 4x4 Q5 and Q7 have tyre blistering performance. There are quick Kugas. An Infiniti EX is all about ultimate high performance and hi-spec. VW Tiguans are all quick and Touaregs are crazy.

Accepting Audi and BMW, as you can see in my VW Touareg review it sums up driving pleasure - secure, comfortable and high performance. OK, at a price.

Having said that, have you seen some of the new car insurance groups for high performing SUVs? With the new car insurance groups 1-50 some 4x4 cars have got their own 40-50 ranking in the new car insurance bands table.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-11T17:34:00.000Z

How a Crossover Car Keeps Its Composure

Back in the 1980s when 4x4s started to become popular they were built like trucks on a frame chassis with a body unit sat on it. They had high ground clearance with a high centre of gravity, fat balloon like tyres with long travel suspension and sloppy steering. This meant they were unstable, had poor road holding, handling, comfort and safety.

They would have seemed secure if the drivers previous car was a 1970s rear wheel drive car.

Today Crossover SUV cars are built like cars. They have lower ground clearance and centre of gravity, lower profile tyres, shorter travel suspension and sharp steering. The Ford SUV, the Kuga is on a Ford Focus platform. The Tiguan and Yeti on a Golf platform. The Qashqai on a Megane platform.

This means Crossovers are more composed on the road. They're more stable, with better road holding, more predictable handling, even in emergency situations.

Crossovers are also more comfortable. The old soft tyres and suspension may have appeared comfortable. However a stable composed car is actually more comfortable.

Crossovers are also more enjoyable to drive if driving pleasure is a combination of driver comfort, secure handling and engine performance. Just look a the performance of the new BMW X3.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-05T10:16:00.001Z

How much does it cost to run a modern day crossover 4x4 SUV?

For example the all new BMW X3 announced this month. It looks good, doesn't it? The new BMW X3 is larger and more spacious than its predecessor. It's better to drive and more fuel efficient. Importantly, it achieved 5-stars in the Euro NCAP crash test. But what will it cost?

Let's take a DIM view, Depreciation, Interest and Maintenance.

Surprisingly the BMW X3 won't cost too much to tax and fuel. Car insurance, tyres, brakes and servicing will cost you but are subject to shopping around. Let's get some detail.

First things first, we're all concerned about the fuel consumption. The BMW X3 combined fuel consumption is 50.4 mpg. That's the same as a Ford Fiesta 1.25 82PS petrol engine. A 50.4 mpg diesel engine is going to cost you about £1,200 per 12,000 miles. Yeah I know, amazing given the X3's top speed and single figure acceleration to 62 mph. Prepare to be further amazed.

The X3 emits 149g/km COs which means you only pay £125 VED per annum for the right to drive this beast on public roads.

OK, that's all the good news.

The outgoing X3 was 30-40 in the new car insurance groups 1-50. Part of the justification for replacing the old car insurance groups 1-20 was the growing variations of car models, especially crossover cars, 4x4s and SUVs. Some will move up or down the ranking. Hopefully the new X3 should be viewed favourably. The new X1 is 22 - 26. A driver with the right no claims discount and postcode should find premiums the right side of £1,000 despite premiums rising sharply this year.

Tyres, brakes and servicing are not cheap but there are always deals to be had. You might be able to keep the annual cost down to around £600 but it could easily be higher.

The sub-total so far for running costs is about £2,925 per year which is about £800 more than it costs to run a small 1.4 petrol hatchback. But what about interest charges and depreciation?

At the moment, money cost about 6% APR which is roughly 3% flat per year. 3% of £30,000 is £900 per year. If you pay cash you will have a slightly lower opportunity cost.

The real expense in motoring is always the hidden horror of depreciation. The used car market is a real market place with many buyers and sellers and values rise and fall. As a guide, if you bought a £30,000 X3 three years ago you'd be lucky to get half your money back today. A loss of about £5kpa. However, you could get a third of the price back if the car was kept 6 years. A loss of £3kpa.

The new X3 should have better depreciation than the old one. Another point is, why change it? The new X3 is prestigious, spacious, comfortable, quick, fast, economical and safe. Would you really downsize it when you're getting 50 mpg already, for a bread and butter cramped sluggish smaller car?

If you ignore depreciation an X3 might cost as little as £70 per week to run at 12,000 miles per annum. That can't be right can it? You best check.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-02T15:57:00.000Z

What is ESP in cars?

I often mention ESP in my posts but never describe or explain what it is.

ESP supports drivers in almost all critical driving situations. It detects skidding in an instant and counteracts it. ESP works both in the event of over steer and under steer, and when avoiding obstacles.

ESP's life saving potential has been confirmed by many studies in America, Germany, by Daimler-Benz, Toyota, VW and Renault.

ESP will be fitted as standard in cars as of the end 2011. Meanwhile, it's best not to buy a vehicle without it. Road holding and braking are vital for active safety and accident avoidance.

You'll find ESP is fitted as standard to most new models. For example the new Mitsubishi ASX and Kia Sportage have ESP fitted as standard. Thinking about it nearly all SUVs have it fitted. I think the Yeti is the only odd-one-out.

Regards
Ralph

2010-11-02T15:25:00.000Z

SUV buyers once had very mistaken ideas about their truck-like vehicles

They thought they were safe in what they thought were big strong vehicles. It's worth looking at some of the aspects involved to understand how far the modern crossover SUV has been developed.

SUV drivers liked their elevated view of the road. However, it took so much concentration to keep the things on track it distracted from any potential awareness and anticipation of hazards ahead.
SUVs also had a high centre of gravity, high profile tyres, long travel suspension and sloppy steering making it difficult to brake and steer to avoid an accident.
When involved in an accident SUVs didn't have the protection promised by their big strong appearance. Old SUVs were built on a ladder chassis inside the wheel plan. They had no side protection and no whole front or rear protection.

If you make a SUV comparison between the old traditional 4x4 and the new crossover cars you'll find all these issues have been addressed. If you take an Audi Q5 as an example, it's built like a car. The driver still has an elevated view of the road, plus good handling. The steering is accurate and there is little body roll. The Q5 has low profile tyres and car like suspension with ESP fitted standard across the range. This means if the driver anticipates an accident they a have far greater chance of braking and steering to avoid an accident. In the event of a crash the occupants have 5-star EuroNCAP crash test protection.

The Q5 is one of many new SUVs making the 4x4 an attractive proposition once again.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo car comparison site

2010-11-01T23:23:00.000Z

Taking a second look at SUVs and 4x4s

Putting it bluntly, back in 2007 the bottom fell out of the SUV, 4x4 car market. Now, I'm detecting renewed interest.

This interest could be due to the new entrants in the SUV, 4x4 market place. It could be people have had enough of recession and are looking forward to a bigger and better future.

In 2007 crossover SUVs started to appear - the Chevrolet Captiva and VW Tiguan. They were built like cars, not trucks.

These crossover cars were more compact in size whilst still giving an elevated view of the road, room for the family and versatile load space.

The new crossovers had a lower centre of gravity, with car tyres and suspension and were stable and responsive on the road than traditional truck like SUVs. Plus they were more economical and safer.

Car safety was a major issue with old 4x4s that were built like trucks. In following posts I'll recall some of the old issues and review how recent entrants into this market have addressed them.

Did you know some of these new SUVs have a combined mpg of over 50 mpg, travel at high speed with single figure acceleration?

Next, we'll look at the biggest mistake car buyers made in the old days, pre-recession/2007.

Regards
Ralph

2010-10-29T23:17:00.000+01:00

Should The Driving Test Be Made More Difficult?

Young car drivers came in for criticism this week from the car insurance companies. So should they make the driving test more difficult?

I've three kids under 25, two passed their driving test about a year ago and one sevens years ago. They can all drive a car properly and know their theory. However they know nothing about their cars and aspects of car safety. These need to be areas for improvement even testing.

My kids have no idea how a car works. The couldn't hear if the car was working properly because they have their music too loud. They don't know what the problem is when their steering shudders at speed or their brake pedal vibrates or their brakes become noisy. They have no idea that a significant number of accidents are caused by problems with the car. From memory, 6% of car accidents are due to tyre failure.

According to Renault there are four aspects to car safety - education, perception, prevention and protection. All motorists could improve their knowledge in these areas.

Motorists should educate themselves about tailgating, night driving, lane changes, skidding, emergency braking and human errors. Maybe car insurance companies have stats about the causes of accidents they could share with driving schools.

Car manufacturers have made significant improvements to driver ergonomics, wipers, mirrors and lighting to aid perception so accidents can be anticipated and prevented. However awareness and attention is seriously compromised by loud music and mobile phones.

Surveys have revealed poor knowledge about ABS and practically no awareness of ESP. Both are active safety systems to help prevent car accidents.

Motorist seem to rely on car safety protection but know little about Euro NCAP ratings except the more stars the better. They seem to believe an NCAP rating, seat belts and air bags will protect them in all accidents which is not true.

So yes, the driving test could do with considerably more test questions. I've a question for car insurance companies, do they provide education about cars and car safety to driving schools and colleges?

Regards
Ralph.

2010-10-28T21:02:00.000+01:00

Find Your Sunglasses. The Future's Looking Bright.

The automotive industry is huge. At one time I heard it took 25% of your pay - depreciation, interest, insurance, vehicle excise duty, fuel, tyres, brakes, replacement parts, servicing.

When the going gets tough the motor trade is the first to know. Often it's a false alarm. But in October 2007 car sales - noticeable used cars sales, the real indicator - began to drop and kept dropping. The banks didn't collapse until mid September 2008.

Since then I've found the only interest in cars is in small cars. However, recently I noticed a sharp drop in interest in small cars and an increase in visitors looking at MPV cars.

Having said that by interest I mean visitors to carbuyersinfo car comparisons. Here's the interesting fact - interest is just interest, we can all dream of brighter days ahead. However I can measure commercial intent by the click through rates on advertising. In the past couple of years most visitors opened ads for small cars. Guess what they're going on to look at now?

Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s. The sales of SUVs and their used car values have been down since early 2007. I'd written them off. I thought the more elegant estate car would make a big comeback. I think it has to some extent. But I thought I'd seen the last of these truck like SUV beasts.

Visitors to carbuyersinfo aren't simply kicking tyres when it comes to Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s they're actually looking at ads which means commercial intent. Maybe not today but it's a good indication of what's on their mind. They're obviously looking forward to the future with confidence. They think it looks bright.

Car sales are a good indicator of what might happen in a years time. By the way, car prices are going up like crazy, so keep an eye on inflation.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo Car Comparisons

PS. I could be wrong, people might see a Mad Max future and are looking for the best SUV, 4x4, to arm and armour.

2010-10-22T12:47:00.000+01:00

Skoda Fabia vs Ford Fiesta

When you make a car comparison between a Ford Fiesta and Skoda Fabia you'll find they're both the same size but the Fabia entry price is £665 lower and that's with 5-doors. If you then look at engine efficiency the Fabia has better overall fuel consumption and emissions.

However what happens when you walk-up the model range? What do you get for £13,000?

Ford offer a Fiesta Zetec 5-door 1.4 96 for £13,095
Skoda have a Fabia Elegance 1.2 TSi 105 for £13,150

So it looks like you can get a Fiesta with a 1.4 engine for the same sort of money as a Fabia 1.2. Let's look a little deeper.

The Fiesta 1.4 has a combined mpg of 48.7, 133 emissions, does 109 mph and hits 62 mph in 12.2 seconds.
The Skoda 1.2 has a combined mpg of 54.3, 124 emissions, does 119 mph and hits 62 mph in 10.1 secs. The Fabia 1.2 105 is actually a match for the Fiesta 1.6 120.

So in terms of engine efficiency the Skoda has the better figures.

What about the trim levels?

The Fiesta Zetec is defined by 15" alloys, front fogs, heated screen, chrome body trims, leather steering wheel and gear knob. The Skoda Elegance has the same apart from the heated screen but it does have climate control air conditioning plus 16" alloys, parking sensors and cruise control.

For £13,000 the Fabia has more - useful - equipment.

The other difference is the approach to styling which is a matter of personal taste. One point to note is the Fiesta's rising window sill line means the Fabia has better all-round visibility and in car safety, perception comes before prevention and protection.

Regards
Ralph

2010-10-13T21:20:00.015+01:00

How To Make A Car Comparison

You just know I'm going to say it depends. It depends on the promise a class of car makes. The promise determines the type of car comparison you make, for example:

A small car promises to be more affordable, cheaper to run and easier to use. Just one problem, small cars come in three different sizes - tiny city cars like the Citroen C1 and Fiat 500, super minis like the Mini and Micra and super-sized small cars, Fiesta, Corsa, Clio. To make a car comparison you first need to pick a size. Generally you'll find small cars of the same size are about the same price, have similar engine efficiency and costs. Check out safety.

Medium/small cars like the Asta, Focus, Golf and medium size cars, Insignia, Mondeo suffer from being so similar. They fall into the same size categories with similar interior space. Engines are very similar in performance, emissions and economy. Maybe personal tastes in style and comfort may make a difference. Subject to safety feature buy the best deal.

Estate cars, MPVs and SUVs promise to be versatile family cars. Estates, MPVs SUVs come in all sizes. However, overall size is not an indication of interior space and versatility. If you rank these cars by maximum load capacity as an initial indicator of space and versatility you'll come up with surprising results. Prices are almost inverted to maximum interior load space. There are so many engine options with different fuel consumption, emissions and performance.

Large luxury and sports cars are purely decisions based on personal tastes.

Engine options are interesting. 40-years ago the 1.6 engine was the answer. In the 70s and 80s the torquey 1.4 became popular. Since the 90s the 1.2 has doubled in power. Today a 1.4T does the job of a 1.6/1.8 and 2 litres tend to diesels. Many of these engines come from the same source. So why don't manufacturers simplify their options. Is a large engine range a tool to walk car buyers up a price range?

Regards
Ralph

2010-10-13T20:29:00.005+01:00

Car Comparison Sites Changes

Usually a car comparison needs updating every 3-years. A car model has a life of about 6-years. Normally halfway through that model will get a minor face lift and engine tweaks. Absolutely new engines come by every generation or two.

A year old or two car comparison is useful because many car buyers buy near new in preference to new. The larger the car, the more buyers tend to buy near new.

However things have changed rapidly this year. Car prices have increased significantly. Manufacturers have programmed their engines to achieve significant improvements in fuel consumption, emissions and performance.

Car comparisons on carbuyersinfo car comparison pages are produced manually. There are many good reasons for this.

In the process of updating pages, car reviews have replaced data to give more emphasis to car prices ranges and the detail of mpg, CO2s, and performance for all engine options. Car dimensions and capacities are also made more obvious.

A car's dimensions and capacities determine a car fitting a lifestyle. Car prices, economy and VED are part of running costs.

While carbuyersinfo car comparisons is being edited bear in mind car prices are increasing and mpg, CO2s and performance are changing.

Regards
Ralph

2010-10-11T14:05:00.005+01:00

SUVs vs MPVs vs Estate Cars

Over on carbuyersinfo estate car comparisons you'll find a little exercise on finding the best estate car.

It assumes people buy estate cars for their interior space and first ranks them by their maximum load capacity. Note exterior size is not an indication of interior space. Having settled on a capacity that fits your lifestyle you can see if it fits your finances. I've detailed price range, fuel consumption, emissions, plus performance.

It occurred to me as SUVs and MPVs are classed as estate cars and also bought for their versatility, you could rank them in the same way. This begs the question how do SUVs, MPVs and estate cars compare when ranked this way?

So let's compare the VW Tiguan, Renault Scenic and Mazda6 Estate.

The VW Tiguan has a maximum load capacity of 1,510 litres. The Renault Scenic has 1,800 litres, the Grand has over 2,000. The Mazda6 Estate has a maximum capacity of 1,751 litres. So if maximum interior capacity is an indicator of versatility, the 5-seat Scenic looks the better bet, with option of the more spacious Grand.

Oddly, price is inverse to space. The VW Tiguan price range starts at £19,765. Mazda6 prices start at £19,295. The Scenic starts at £15,520, Scenic Grands from £16,970. So the Scenic appears both the more versatile and cheaper to buy.

You'd have to go over to my car comparisons to get the full details but you'll also find in terms of most economical is goes - Scenic, Mazda6, Tiguan. Although I don't find the differences hugely significant.

In terms of a car fitting a lifestyle and budget they rank 1) Scenic, 2) Mazda6, 2) Tiguan.

All three are 5-star EuroNCAP rated and importantly fitted with ESP as standard.

All three have models which will touch near 130mph with single figure acceleration. The whole of the Tiguan range is both fast and quick.

All three are very stylish in their own way, they're all comfortable and good to drive, although they're matters of taste.

If there's no real difference in performance, comfort, looks, economy or safety, then it's down to versatility and price which means 1) Scenic, 2) Mazda5, 3) Tiguan or you could just by the one you like and can afford with no regrets.

Regards
Ralph

2010-09-23T11:27:00.003+01:00

What You Need To Know About Car Air Conditioning

Now the weather's cooler and we didn't get the promised Indian summer this week, you may have turned off your car's air conditioning and not think about using it until next June.

Several important points have come to light now air conditioning is an everyday piece of equipment in most cars. It's even standard in the tiny Hyundai i10.

If you don’t use your AC you could lose it. If you don't use your air conditioning the contents could settle and separate . This can cause the system to fail. This can also cause leaks. If this happens the system has to be re-charged at your expense. It is not covered by the warranty.

You should use your car air conditioning all year round.

TIP – use your air conditioning at least once every week for a minimum of 10 minutes. You can use it on HOT to accelerate heating and demisting of your cabin on cold mornings.

Do you know the other 5 facts about car air con?

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo - Car Comparisons To help find the best car for you we measure up each car make, model, body, trim, engine & transmission. We compare car measurements, performance, fuel economy, and CO2 emissions figures. Also side by side are safety and car insurance groups. It could help Save You Time & £££s in running costs.

2010-09-21T09:03:00.003+01:00

About Finding Car Comparison Sites

Finding a car comparison site can be difficult. On the Internet car comparisons are dominated by car insurance comparison websites who have massive advertising budgets. As you can see on your TV.

When someone buys a car their interest in making a car comparison may last for about 12 weeks and then it's forgotten after they buy a car. It's not revisited for many years until it's time to change. Car insurance has to be renewed annually and shopping for the best price is a must. There are significant savings to be made.

Car comparisons made by manufacturers are limited to comparing their own trim and engine options for a particular model. For example a comfort or sport trim, petrol or diesel, manual or automatic.

Most independent car comparison sites compare equipment levels. This distracts from the fundamental features of cars which determine satisfaction.

Over on carbuyersinfo we compare cars of similar size and style. By that I mean, small to large MPV cars small to large hatchbacks and saloon, or small to large 4x4s.

We think a cars dimensions and capacities are important because they determine versatility and how well a car will fit your lifestyle. Size matters. So does style - hatchback, estate, MPV, 4x4 etc. Interior capacities give you an indication the size will fit. You have to see for yourself, how well the interior is thought out.

What's interesting, is you'll find overall exterior dimensions are not always an indicator of interior capacities. Space can be sacrificed for a sleek appearance.

Having compared size and style we move onto performance and economy. This deserves some time in making comparisons. Say you were looking for the best estate car to buy. Today overall size is not necessarily an indication of economy. You can find very large estate cars returning similar mpg to small cars. Plus high performance.

Safety is still an issue. Be careful when it comes to all round visibility because it's important for perception and anticipation of hazards around you. ESP will become standard on cars at the end of 2011. We provide many links on carbuyersinfo to explain exactly what ESP is and what it does.

If you buy a car less than 5-star EuroNCAP rated without ESP then you're buying less than the safest cars available. Not a nice way of putting it, I know.

So if you can find carbuyersinfo amongst all the car insurance companies on the web you'll find we focus on car features, not equipment, when we make a car comparison.

Regards
Ralph

2010-09-08T12:00:00.002+01:00

Mazda6 Estate Review

I've just reviewed carbuyersinfo's comparison page for the Mazda6 Estate.

The Mazda6 performs well, has a good load space and is economical, especially the diesels.

I've replaced the comparison chart with a Mazda6 Estate Review. It lists the model range and prices. You'll also find dimensions and load capacity figures. There's a table detailing mpg, CO2s, maximum speed and acceleration. You can see the Mazda6 Estate is a highly efficient car.

What's striking is its style. It looks both sporty and strong.

What I like is the straight forward model range with engine and trim options that are easy to understand.

If you're looking for a used Mazda6 Estate for sale, it looks like you'll have a hard job. It's a sign the Mazda6 Estate is a good car.

Regards
Ralph

2010-09-07T12:38:00.007+01:00

Crossover SUV, MPV or Estate Car?

When you're considering buying a car it's worth looking at other types of vehicle just for the sake of comparison.

For example, if you're thinking about a SUV you may compare it with other SUVs. It would be interesting to compare it with other versatile vehicles, like an estate car or MPV.

I've recently added a Peugeot 308 SW Review to it's comparison page on carbuyersinfo as well as the VW Tiguan and Renault Scenic.

Although the Tiguan is a crossover SUV, the VW Tiguan dimensions are similar to the Renault Scenic and Peugeot 308 SW - estate. The Tiguan is 4.43m in length, the 308 is 4.5m, the Scenic is 4.34m or 4.56m for the Grand Scenic.

However despite the Tiguans perceived bulk it only offers a maximum load space of 1,500 litres. The 308 and Scenic are both over 2,000 litres.

It's not the same when you look a price. The Renault Scenic price has the lowest entry at £16,970. The 308 is close at £17,045, the Tiguan is £19,765.

It gets more interesting when you compare fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and performance.

All three have the option of a 1.9/2.0 diesel:

The VW Tiguan 2.0 TDi 140PS FWD does a combined 53.3 mpg, 139 for CO2s, has a maximum speed of 118 mph and does 0-62 mph in 10.2 seconds.
The Renault Scenic 1.9 dci 130 bhp does a combined 51.4 mpg, 145 for CO2s, has a maximum speed of 121mph and does 0-62 mph in 9.4 seconds. There's also a 2.0 litre option.
The Peugeot 308 SW HDi 136 FAP does a combined 47.8 mpg, 122 for CO2s, has a maximum speed of 125 mph and does 0-62 mph in 11.1 seconds.

The Peugeot's lower emissions for this type of engine are significant. But the small differences in fuel consumption, speed and acceleration may not be present in real on the road motoring and wouldn't make any real difference if they were. All three cars have a wide range of engine options. Both Renault and VW offer high-tec 1.4 petrol options.

You can see there's not necessarily an advantage in one type of vehicle over another given a similar length. Generally SUVs are not as spacious or versatile as MPVs or estates. Low line estates will have better emissions. You won't find much difference in mpg or mph for similar engines.

It all comes down to style and comfort which are matters of personal taste.

Regards
Ralph

2010-09-06T15:31:00.002+01:00

Heads up on new car price increases

I'm beginning an annual update of carbuyersinfo's car comparisons. It's noticeable how car prices have increased.

For example the Hyundai i30 price list now starts at £12,900. It was £11,100 in the summer of 2008. The VW Tiguan price list starts at £19,765. It was £18,600 in the autumn of 2008. It's the same with other makes.

Recent car price rises are significant. Granted VAT has increased. I've experienced many car trends over the past four decades. As I remember, in times when the UK economy went into recession, car prices increased and indicated inflation that followed.

Inflation reduces the spending power of savings. On the bright side if you take out a car loan, in later years you're repaying with devalued money.

However, with SUVs now starting near 20k and family hatches costing 5-figures they're less affordable unless we get wage inflation - hardly.

Regards
Ralph

2010-09-01T20:43:00.002+01:00

VW Tiguan vs Vauxhall Astra

I've added a VW Tiguan Review to my car comparison page. Basically the Tiguan's a SUV style car on a Golf platform so the question is how does it compare with the Vauxhall Astra - the latest family hatch on the block.

Size wise there's not much in it. Obviously the Astra is styled as a family hatchback and the Tiguan is a soft SUV.

There's no difference in their standing in the market. Surveys prove VWs are overrated. The Astra has been a #1 seller for decades - 3.

The surprise is despite the Tiguan being tall it doesn't give more load space - less even - with the seats up. You need all the seats down and load the VW to the roof to gain an advantage. But is it enough of an advantage. When you need that kind of load space, why not hire a van for the day? You can afford it many times over given the price and running cost differences.

A SUV or MPV will feel more comfortable than a hatch because sensations are isolated but a hatch is far more stable and therefore more comfortable.

One attraction of a SUV is the tough-guy looks but VW have avoided this and the public enemy #1 image that goes with it.

The Tiguan is a good attempt at making the SUV appear to an environmentally friendly car. But you've only got to compare the mpg, CO2 and performance figures with the Astra.

Safety equipment is excellent in both cars with 5-star Euro NCAP protection and ESP prevention. Perception - visibility is questionable in the Astra and slightly better in the Tiguan.

I suppose it boils down to style and image. Both are family cars. The Astra is a medium small hatchback - supposedly the car for everyone - if that's true, the Astra does the job. The Tiguan gives you ground clearance and an off-road capability but who does that in the UK? And can the Tiguan really go where a good FWD hatch can't and go all the way to the destination - ?

I think both the Tiguan and Astra are capable of navigating school fields come sports day or a fete. Both could make it to Merivel this ski season. Both have road tyres so need chains or a change of tyres for anything more challenging.

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-20T10:34:00.004+01:00

4x4 Safety is Improving

4x4 s and SUVs have received heavy criticism in the past for their safety. Thankfully things are improving with the Crossover and ESP.

One issue has been motorists mistakenly thinking they were protecting their families with a big strong vehicle.

Which lead us to the second problem, vehicles built on ladder chassis do not have front crumple zones, side impact protection and whole rear protection. SUVs and 4x4s were built like trucks, not cars. They simply didn't have adequate protection.

There was also the problem that a high centre of gravity, long travel suspension and fat tyres made it difficult to handle SUVs and 4x4s to prevent an anticipated accident.

Nowadays most new entrants to the SUV and 4x4 market are built like cars and called crossovers. Examples are the VW Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008. Though they seem to lack the rugged style of a SUV. Crossovers benefit from car like handling so you have a better chance of avoiding a hazard and accident. ESP is a guardian angel when fitted. In the event of an accident most new entrants have 5-star Euro NCAP protection.

One of the best sellers has been the Toyota RAV4 which remains 4-star rated like many of the older SUVs but importantly has been improved with ESP fitted as standard across the range. A more recent entrant is the Volvo XC60 which is 5-star Euro NCAP with ESP fitted as standard across the range.

Another criticism of the SUV and 4x4 has been fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Crossovers with their car chassis come with car running gear and a wider choice of engines. If you haven't looked recently you'll find some amazing mpg claims.

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-19T08:05:00.006+01:00

How To Make a 4x4 Comparison

A 4x4 is a car salesperson's dream because they can claim their vehicle is different from their competitors, even unique, and therefore worth a different price. However when you make a 4x4 comparison, focus on features and cut the jargon it doesn't look that way on paper.

You can simplify a 4x4 comparison down to 5 features. If you then avoid being distracted by equipment and understand the jargon, you get a clearer picture.

First, I won't be looking at style or prestige because they're a matter of personal taste. I won't be talking about durability or reliability because I don't think they're significant issues these days. You simply need to compare 4x4s by comparing all SIDES:

Size
Interior
Driving
Economy
Safety

Size matters. It in part determines the car fitting your life. The average 4x4 isn't as big as you'd imagine. In fact it's surprising when you make a car size comparison for 4x4s with today's super size small cars at 4m. SUVs look bulky but there can sometimes only be a .5m difference in a car length comparison with a small car.

Interior space in a 4x4 can differ even when you compare car dimensions and they look the same. This is because there are two types of body. One an estate car body sat high on a chassis. The high roof line promises interior space but the floor pan is also high so there's no more space than you'd find in a conventional estate car. The second type of body is basically an MPV uni-body chassis with van like interior space, referred to as crossovers.

Driving & Economy. You'll find a wide range of petrol and diesel options available so you can find your own balance between fuel consumption, emissions and performance. When you drive a 4x4 be very aware of comfort for all occupants. 4x4s, SUVs and to a lesser extent crossovers have a high centre of gravity. Recent improvements with car like suspension control and handling means most are more stable but the roll energy is still there. Be sure the seats are shaped so you sit in them, not on them.

Safety has been an issue with 4x4 type vehicles which I look at in my next post. Things are improving but this brings me to the subject of jargon and what's called product differentiation.

ESP is certainly the motorists guardian angel. However I'm less than happy with the way it's described. The last I knew there were only two manufacturers of ESP in the world and the systems do the same thing. Bosch say the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) supports the driver in nearly all critical driving situations. It detects skidding instantaneously and actively counteracts it. Don’t be confused with manufacturers trying to differentiate themselves with different names for the what is the same system. They may call it DSC, PSM, VSA or VSC, ESC, but it’s ESP - Electronic Stability Program.

4x4, AWD etc. You can also be confused with manufacturers trying to differentiate themselves with different names for 4x4. There are different systems. You need to be clear if you need real all-terrain 4x4 capabilities or the limited AWD. AWD detects when the drive wheels are rotating faster than the others and switches to 4x4 drive for about 20 seconds only. It's of limited use especially if you're running on road tyres.

Equipment levels can also be confusing and distract from the 5 main features above. For example do you really need descent control? Steep descents in a car are dangerous. When I attended the Land Rover driving course it was the #1 exercise where drivers were injured. I've never made a steep descent since. I certainly wouldn't recommend steep descents for family outings.

There are experienced all-terrain drivers who will know exactly what they need in a 4x4 and equipment. This is extreme motoring, not family motoring. Most 4x4s, SUVs and crossovers are bought because they're seen as big safe family cars making size, interior space and safety most important.

You can keep it simple by looking at a 4x4 comparison from all SIDES and not be distracted by terms and equipment claiming product differentiation.

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-18T09:53:00.008+01:00

What's the best crossover 4x4 SUV?

It's a question often asked. It depends what they mean by crossover, 4x4 and SUV. It's then complicated by features like performance, comfort, versatility, durability, reliability, style, prestige, economy, emissions, safety, car insurance costs.

You've then got a wide range of engine and trim options to consider.

And of course, it depends what the vehicle will be used for - all-terrain, off-road, on-road, load carrying, towing or work-horse. In the US some salespeople sell SUVs as all-weather vehicles.

So there's a lot to consider and a mountain of myths to dispel before you decide which is the best crossover 4x4 SUV for you. But I'll give it a go in a series of posts. Let's define crossover, 4x4 and SUV today with more to follow and look at features from performance to safety in later posts.

If we go back to the beginning and the 1969 Land Rover Range Rover to get some idea of a pure concept and take the story from there. I was actually selling these cars at the time in Devon and went on their driving course - I've still got the certificate.

The original Range Rover was a two-door estate car body with tall windows giving it a high roof and large load capacity. This was sat on a ladder frame chassis with an old US V8 and 4x4. At the time it was quick, fast and stable. It had rubber floor covering and rubber/plastic seats which were very comfortable. It looked basic with external door, bonnet and tailgate hinges.

It had amazing capabilities above the climbing and descending of hills. What I witnessed farmers, water men and instructors do with the Range Rover, I can't tell you in case you try to do it a home.

Then things took a turn. The Royal Family were often spotted in Range Rovers. By the mid-seventies Sloan Street Rangers and later Yuppies caught on to the fact that if they spoke in a posh voice, wore wax jackets or horse patterned headscarves and put a pair of green wellies on the backseat, they could pretend they were connected and had a seat in the Shires.

By the mid-eighties Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota introduced cheaper substitutes and everyone wanted to pretend they were a toff. 4x4s were for social climbing rather than hill climbing.

Come the 90s and the criticisms start to creep in and grow to the extent the SUV was public enemy #1 by the mid-noughties.

We'll deal with each criticism when we look at each feature. Basically buyers like SUVs as big family cars but they don't need what goes with 4x4s. A crossover is a combination of SUV, 4x4 ideas and car concepts to address concerns about handling, economy, CO2s and safety. And then there's the question do they really need all-terrain 4x4 capability when most never go off-road.

A crossover is a SUV built like a car - not a truck - with limited, if any 4x4 capability. A wider range of more efficient, economical, planet friendly engines and transmissions are available. They handle better and safety is improving. You still get the versatility and tonka-toy looks. You won't look quite the tough-guy or toff anymore.

That's the story behind crossovers. We'll go into 4x4 capabilities and SUV myths later, along with all the criticisms and solutions.

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-16T22:44:00.006+01:00

What makes for the best car comparison sites?

Any information has to be useful. This means it has to be memorable so you can hold it in your mind to understand it and take action on your ideas. That's what makes for the best car comparison sites.

The problem with cars is there's too much to remember. According to psychologists the power of the short-term memory is 7 + or - 2. In other words whatever we perceive, are aware of, or attracts attention, we can only recall 7+ or - 2 aspects of it.

If I gave you 9 numbers - 8,3,2,9,6,1,5,4,7 - close your eyes, write them down and see how you do. Did you get all nine, an average 7 or just 5.

There's more to a car:

Performance, engine options - 0-60 mph, maximum speed, handling, road holding.

Versatility - size, space, configurations.

Comfort - seating, ergonomics, ride, stability.

Durability - it's not an issue, forget it.

Reliability - it's not an issue, forget it.

Appearance, trim options - just saying you're not interested when you are can set the mind in a spin.

Prestige - again, an aspect denied by buyers. So why aren't we all running Kias.

Economy - urban cycle mpg, extra-urban cycle mpg, combined mpg, plus CO2 emissions.

Safety - education, perception, prevention, protection.

You've 9 features to consider. 2 you can forget. But the remaining 7 involve 3 or 4 issues, so there's 20 to 30 things to think about.

That's why you chunk them into the 9 features above - to make it easier. Take the 9 numbers - you don't have to remember all 9, just remember 3 - 832, 961, 547.

You can see the best car comparison sites are those made easy. They stick to the 9 most important features and don't distract with equipment levels which can be dealt with as trim options.

They only compare 2 cars side by side. They don't try to appear to be clever by comparing 3 or 5 cars side by side because the short-term memory can't cope.

The long-term memory is a different thing. It's absolutely enormous. Psychologists often describe the human mind as like an iceberg - a tiny visible/conscious short-term memory with a huge hidden/unconscious long-term memory. The only problem is that like an iceberg, there's no telling which way the mind will drift. I hope you've kept on course with this post.

You could always Google 'car comparisons sites.'

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-11T10:03:00.007+01:00

What's the best estate car for sale in the UK?

A lot of visitors arrive at carbuyersinfo having Googled 'best estate car.' I could say, 'best for what' but here's a sensible approach.

Size is important because it's what accommodates your lifestyle. Estate cars come in the following sizes:

Small estate cars about 4m long - Renault Clio Estate, Skoda Fabia Estate, etc.
Medium Small over 4.25m - Focus, Astra, Golf.
Medium over 4.5m - Merc C-Class, 3-Series.
Large over 4.8m - E-Class Merc, note cars we think of as medium have grown, for example the Mondeo and Insignia.

Standing in the market place. You have the choice of value brands, popular brands and premium brands. However price is not an indicator of performance, comfort, versatility, durability, reliability, economy and sometimes safety. Some value brands are highly efficient, even class leading.

Interior space is mostly determined by size. Focus your attention on comfort, it can be the biggest source of dissatisfaction. Comfort is a matter of personal taste. Most estate cars have a large choice of trim options.

Driving. Estate cars are available with a wide range of engines and transmissions. If you compare cars of a similar size with similar engines, you'll find little difference.

Economy. A wide range of engine options means you can take your pick. Diesel is a consideration in larger cars although you have to calculate the added cost of the car and fuel against savings in economy. Remember diesels emit particles and are not town friendly.

Safety is an important consideration. The safest estate car is one with a 5-star EuroNCAP rating and ESP. Visibility is a also a safety factor to look out for as it's sometimes compromised by style.

Personally my favourite would be the Citroen C5 Touring. I also like the Mazda6 Estate and Honda Accord Tourer. They're big cars so I might compare them with more compact MPV cars which could give me the same interior space and versatility. However estates are more elegant to drive. Given the wide range of engine options available you can pick your performance and economy. There are also an increasing number of cars meeting my safety criteria - 5-star EuroNCAP with ESP.

Bearing this in mind it leaves me free to pick the car I like the look of. In surveys car buyers never admit to buying cars for their style. However, once you choose a size to fit your lifestyle and engine to fit your pocket, providing the car's comfortable, I don't see too many differences in comparable estate cars. So for me it would be a C5, Mazda6, or Accord simply on style.

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-10T11:01:00.002+01:00

Petrol Pump Prices - 112.9 to 129.9p per litre!

I live in Sussex UK where you can expect to pay about 120p per litre for petrol. You can get discount vouchers when making purchases in supermarkets.

I'm posting this from Northumberland where they only pay 112.9 per litre at Asda Boldon, no other purchase required.

However we paid 129.9p at a station out in the sticks.

I'm not posting this to find out why or how. It is what it is, where it is as I write. I would like to say why this is so disappointing.

Last month I created A Guide on Small Car Fuel Consumption, CO2 Emissions and Performance. Basically it's all you need to know on one page and includes all small cars for sale in the UK.

Producing this page put me through the pain a punter must suffer when comparing cars. It becomes obvious it's not simply about fuel economy. Dimensions, space, comfort and safety all have to be considered.

My point is a car buyer must spend a lot of time carefully considering their options whilst looking to save on fuel costs only to have it taken away at the pump. In other words, say you buy a car costing £1,100 per 12,000 miles for fuel as opposed to one costing £1,300. You could lose part of that saving if you don't shop around or live near Boldon in Northumberland.

I think there's a bigger picture. We know cars are important to our economy. However the interest in cars has steadily decreased over the past 7-years according to some sources. It seems to me if car buyers' care is punished by pump prices, interest in cars will continue to wane and have a knock-on cost.

All we can do for now is shop around for best prices. It may be in vain because business drivers don't carry the cost or care and will pay any price. Same old story - the man in the street pays.

Regards
Ralph

2010-08-09T08:31:00.002+01:00

MPV Cars on the UP

I've noticed on my car comparison sites stats', the number of visitors arriving via searches for MPV cars has been steadily increasing this year. They're second to searches for small cars.

Although most interest has always been in small cars it's never backed up by sales figures. Another point to bear in mind is medium/small cars such as the Astra, Focus and Golf are strongly supported by sales to business. The interest in MPVs is more valid.

There are many reasons why the MPV continues to grow in popularity. MPVs perform better than SUVs with similar drive trains. MPVs are the most versatile type of car on the market with interiors being especially well thought out by the manufacturers. They also have more space and comfort for their size.

I'll be producing a one-page fuel consumption comparison table for MPVs fairly soon. However on first look almost all popular cars seem to be returning good mpg these days. It's a shame the oil companies are taking this advantage from us with high pump prices.

The feature that seems to have promoted the MPV is improved styling. Some manufacturers have gone for the dynamic lines whilst other have taken the Tonka-Toy style. Although car buyers never admit it in surveys, style is important. I can remember suggesting MPVs to buyer for them to dismiss the idea on the basis of looks. I imagine responses are changing now.

So it seems MPVs are worth a look. Check out my MPV comparisons.

Regards
Ralph.

2010-07-28T08:44:00.006+01:00

What's The Real Cost Of Car Fuel Consumption?

With fuel prices so high it pays to look more closely at fuel costs per mile.

For example the latest Minis are highly efficient for fuel economy, CO2 emissions and performance. The Mini 1.6 98bhp returns an urban mpg of 43.5, extra-urban 65.7, 55.4 combined and has emissions below 120 whilst being able to hit 116 mph and accelerate 0-62 mph in 10.5 seconds. A very impressive set of figures.

However, when we talk about fuel consumption we all refer to the combined mpg. In the Mini's case 55.4 mpg which the VCA calculate a fuel cost of £1,103 per 12,000 miles. All these VCA figures come with a whole set of justifiable disclaimers. So what is the real cost.?

My experience is motorists are lucky if they achieve the urban mpg figure. Many cars have on-board computers these days and as a car salesperson I checked these figures when appraising cars for part-exchange. In every case I found figures way below the combined mpg figure and near the urban figure.

This makes a big difference. Referring back to the Mini simply as an example, the combined 55.4 mpg costs £1,103 per 12,000 miles. However if you only achieve 43.5 mpg in reality costs rocket percentage wise. I make it £1,271 and that's at 112p per litre. £168 is lot of difference compared to the price of VED.

Also bear in mind these figures are for a highly efficient Mini. The figures get worse for less efficient cars.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-27T08:33:00.002+01:00

Toyota Yaris Comparisons for mpg, CO2s and performance updated

I've updated carbuyersinfo Toyota Yaris Comparisons with a table detailing the Yaris fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and performance.

This enables you to measure the Yaris's overall efficiency. Fuel economy figures for town, country and combined are all included along with fuel costs, top speed, acceleration and emissions.

There's a link to compare the Yaris with all small cars for sale in the UK. I've grouped them by dimensions - city cars, super-minis and super-sized. You won't find much difference in these figures for cars of the same dimensions and engine capacity.

This not a bad thing because it leaves you free to compare other features such as versatility, safety and comfort.

The main differences are to be found in safety and style. To me, they all look stylish in their own way. The thing to watch out for is rear visibility which is an important safety feature.

Car safety isn't just about crash protection. Being able to prevent an accident with the help of ABS and ESP is important. But first you need perception - the ability to see a hazard which is not always ahead of you. Tailgating still causes a significant number of accidents. There's also the issue of being able to see pedestrians behind you in car parks.

I'll leave you on that happy note.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-26T11:21:00.004+01:00

Seat Ibiza Comparisons updated

I've recently updated carbuyersinfo Seat Ibiza Comparisons page with tables for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and performance. It includes all engine options with figures for urban, extra-urban and combined mpg. You car compare these with emissions, top speed and acceleration to judge overall efficiency.

There are also details of Seat Ibiza price range, trim options and dimensions. With so many cars sharing platforms these days it's worth making as many comparisons as you can. This will give you a good number of next best negotiable alternatives when you go shopping for a car.

You'll also find a link to a page where you can compare all small cars for sale in the UK on the one page.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-16T22:01:00.007+01:00

3 Most Interesting Small Car Comparisons

Today, I added charts to carbuyersinfo Car Comparison Sites pages for Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza, and Skoda Fabia, the guides on:

Renault Clio Fuel Consumption, CO2 Emissions & Performance

Seat Ibiza Fuel Consumption, CO2 Emissions & Performance

Skoda Fabia Fuel Consumption, CO2 Emissions & Performance

When you separate super-sized small cars from smaller cars these three appear in A-Z order.

The comparisons are quite interesting. All three have their own unique style. Where you might think a Corsa looks like a Punto and a Mazda2 is similar to a Fiesta. Not only do the these three look different they are similar in they all have reasonable rear visibility which other small cars don't necessarily have. Visibility is an aspect of safety.

All three also deliver the space their size promise.

All three have very large ranges of petrol and diesel engine options. Only the Fiesta, Corsa, Polo and smaller Mini also offer such choice.

All the cars mentioned above have similar economy and safety. They are the power models that shape this market.

So what do you do if small cars are what you're interested in buying? Buy on price and equipment levels. Claim there is no difference between them. All claim to be value. Tell them what your next best negotiable alternative is. By he way, be straight because dealers all know one another and the others' deals.

Note - I think you'll find Skoda Fabia figures are being updated as we speak on Skoda's site.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-16T11:35:00.002+01:00

About Mazda2 Fuel Economy, CO2 Emissions & Performance

You can now find comparison charts for Mazda2 Fuel Consumption & Performance below carbuyersinfo Mazda2 comparisons charts. Both diesel and petrol engines are included. The mpg figures for urban, extra-urban and combined are all there with emissions, top speed and 0-62 mph data.

There's also a link where you can compare all Mazda2 engine options with the options for all other small cars for sale in the UK on one page. Here you'll see there's not too much difference in the mpg of cars in this class. The VCA warns against ranking cars for fuel economy when there is no significant difference as there may be little or no difference on the road.

This is a good thing because you can consider important features such as versatility, comfort and safety, as well as fun things like performance and style.

The Mazda2 has very striking lines and I can imagine bought for that reason. Plus motorists who've owned a Mazda in the past seem to have a high level of satisfaction.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-14T20:24:00.012+01:00

My Take On Online Car Insurance Quotes

I feel qualified to talk about online car insurance quotes. I was partly involved in one of the first online car dealer sites back in the 90s, before manufacturers had got their act together. I published probably the first online e-mail newsletter in the Auto industry. And I was one of the first 100,000 bloggers to sign up to WordPress.

Online is fun, convenient, and private. You can window shop 'til your heart's delight. It's all there on your laptop - or should I say hand held device. And nobody knows what your doing.

It's the idea you'll find bargains that worries me. You think online costs are low and they'll be passed on to you as customer savings. This, in my opinion is not true.

When you search for some 'car insurance' phrases you can get over 60 million results. They're supposedly free listing based on relevancy. There's a lot more to it. For example if your near a TV in the UK within the next 20 minutes you'll see a car insurance 'quote' promotion directing you online. What does that cost?

As you know my site is carbuyersinfo and we're one of millions of car comparison sites. Look up car comparison sites and see where we are. So I know what it takes.

Your only consolation is the Internet is a real market place with many sellers and buyers. The idea being nobody can control a market.

Well, if you produce different variations of the same product, distribute it various ways, and promote it differently, you can get different prices. Which is why you find such and enormous difference in car insurance quotes. So, you've got to shop around.

Over on carbuyersinfo I've produced and published a series of articles on the subject. Yeah, you've got to shop around. Give all the articles a read because there are many aspects to car insurance, especially online car insurance quotes.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-13T22:07:00.002+01:00

About Car Insurance Comparison Sites

I've recently written a whole series of articles about car insurance. Mainly because when you buy a car you subscribe to a fair number of costs. These costs are pretty much determined by others, the government and market for example.

Car insurance seems to be the only area you can save money. Car insurance is packaged, distributed, and promoted in many different ways with many different prices. The tip is to shop around.

However shopping for car insurance quotes needs a big car insurance companies list to contact, time and patience. Get frustrated and jump in on a quote can be very costly.

That's where car insurance comparison sites come in. But I do think you should do your own shopping first. If you use a comparison site first that's 50 to 100 you can't phone afterwards. Given the heavy promotion of these sites, in hindsight after writing this series, it's what you first need to know about car insurance.

I try to explain this more fully on my page 'How To Block Yourself From Getting Car Insurance quotes.' At the top and bottom of this page are links to other car insurance topics - online car insurance quotes, young drivers, comparing quotes, quote features. I think I've only got to do insurance groups and car insurance for women and I'm done.

I hope you find these articles clear, fair and useful.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-12T11:56:00.003+01:00

About the Citroen C1's Fuel Consumption, CO2 Emissions and Performance

On carbuyersinfo Citroen C1 Comparison Chart there is now a table comparing the engine options for the CI on fuel economy, CO2 emissions and performance.

It compares the urban and extra-urban mpg as well as the combined figure. You can also compare the C1s fuel efficiency in terms of CO2s, maximum speed and acceleration.

There's also a link where you can compare the C1 with all its small car competitors for these figures - on one page. There are 3 tables. One for tiny city cars like the C1, another for super minis about 3.75m in length, plus a table for what I call super-sized minis, near 4m in length.

The Citroen C1 along with the Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo are easily the most petrol economical cars in their class, with the lowest emissions.

The C1 is also one of the few tiny city cars with a diesel option. Only the Fiat 500, Panda and Ford Ka also offer diesels, which is the Fiat 1.3.

The 500, Panda and Ka all share the same running platform. In the same way the C1, 107 and Aygo do.

That's six different messages in two different envelopes.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-09T16:34:00.002+01:00

Here's a motoring cost with a real potential for savings

If you want to save money shop around when you renew your car insurance. It's the only motoring cost where you can make a real saving. A significant one at that.

It frustrates me when people just get 3 or 4 car insurance quotes and then give up because they were more or less the same price. It needn't cost any money to get car insurance quotes. You can get free car insurance quotes online. You don't even have to pay for a telephone call.

Having said that, I do think you should phone some car insurance companies to get an understanding of the features in each policy. You need to know what's included and what's not included. Then you can properly compare car insurance prices.

Another tips is build a car insurance companies list not on comparison sites. The bigger your list, the more car insurance quotes you can get, the greater the potential for saving some real big money.

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-03T15:02:00.002+01:00

Would you buy a Fiat 500 for its mpg and CO2s or its safety, style and performance?

There are many elements to a car. Motorists worry about fuel consumption. Manufacturers and governments are concerned about safety and the cars impact on the environment.

However motorist can now choose a car on less practical issues. Safety and CO2s are now or will be covered by legislation and makers agreements.

It also seems fuel costs shouldn't be a worry. Ive just updated figures for fuel consumption on my Fiat 500 comparison page. When you compare it with other cars in its class there's no huge difference in fuel costs.

Incidentally, durability and reliability are no longer a concern with new cars.

So, if a car buyer decides a small city car has all the versatility they need; what's there to decide on? If a car is safe, environmentally friendly, durable, reliable, and economical; what else is there?

Well, there's performance, comfort, and style. Kinda puts the fun back into buying a car, doesn't it?

Regards
Ralph

2010-07-03T13:59:00.002+01:00

A Guide on Ford Fiesta mpg, CO2s & Performance

Last month I produced and published a guide on small car fuel consumption, emissions and performance - all on one page.

I've now copied the relevant cells on my Ford Fiesta Car Comparisons page for all the Fiesta petrol and diesel engine options. I hope it proves useful.

Fuel consumption seems to be the most important consideration to a lot of car buyers. I can understand why, given the price we pay for petrol in the UK.

However, when you compare cars in the same class there's not a huge difference in fuel consumption and the cost per 12,000 miles.

Personally I'd give equal thought to versatility, safety, comfort and performance.

I also struggle to understand the advantage of diesel engines in small cars. Opting for diesel over petrol means you could pay £1,000.00 more for the car brand-new. The difference in fuel costs per 12,000 miles is generally £100. It would take a lot of years and miles to pay-back the price premium with fuel cost savings.

I know diesels have lower CO2 emissions but this is balanced by them emitting particles which are not town friendly.

Food for thought.

Regards
Ralph

2010-06-25T10:19:00.008+01:00

What are the most fuel efficient small cars?

I've been doing some small car fuel efficiency comparisons. In other words which small cars give you the most in return for the fuel you put in them.

It's not just a matter of fuel economy. We put fuel in a car to make it go, so performance is a factor. We also have to consider CO2 emissions.

To calculate some measure of efficiency that's fair we need a clear standard.

Fuel economy has not improved much in the past. An average 1.2 small car had a combined 47 mpg 15 years ago and fuel consumption hadn't changed much 5 years ago. So let's say we want to see a combined figure of 57 mpg, today.

It's the same story with small car performance. The average small 1.2 car has had a maximum speed of about 90 mph for decades. So let's say we want to see 99 mph. We can't do over 70 anyway.

Car manufacturers have been focused on CO2 emissions. If you go back 5-years there were only about 10 small petrol engine cars with CO2 emission under 120 g/km. There were 24 diesel engine cars with emissions under 120 g/km which included the larger Fiat Punto and Renault Megane.

So, shall we set the standard for small car fuel efficiency at 57 mpg combined, 99 mph and emissions under 120? Which cars give us the most for the petrol we put in? Here are my results.

Small city cars with petrol engines nearly all have low emissions, do over 50 mpg and 90 mph. However, only the Hyundai i10 1.2 and Peugeot 107 qualify and meet my standard. Larger small cars just don't crack it. A lot come close. The Mini, Yaris and 1.0 Corsa almost qualify.

You have to look at diesel to have any choice. Almost every small car - tiny city car, super-mini or super-sized mini - has low fuel consumption, low CO2 emissions and some performance. Some diesels are quite quick.

Now let me put the dampers on this. A new diesel engine small car will likely cost more than a small car with a diesel engine. Let's say £1,000.00 more. The fuel cost advantage to diesel may only be £100 per 12,000 miles - a years motoring. So you could be waiting 10 years for your pay-back.

Which all means in my opinion, only the petrol engine Hyundai i10 1.2 and Peugeot 107, possibly the Mini, Yaris and 1.0 Corsa are contenders for the title most fuel efficient. However that's on my criteria and calculations. As I've said a lot come very close to the standards I set so it's worth looking at all of my charts over at A Guide on Small Car Economy, Emissions and Performance.

Note at the bottom of this page the VCA say you should not rank cars with similar figures. I guess you'll find more similarities than differences. So be careful about making decisions only on mpg because there may be no difference on the road. Versatility and safety are just two important features to consider and there you will find differences.

Regards
Ralph

2010-06-17T13:15:00.003+01:00

Small car fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and performance.

A lot of visitors arrive at my car comparison sites pages via searches, not only for comparisons, but also for phrases relevant to fuel economy/consumption and size/dimensions.

This is a good thing because I believe a car must first fit your purpose and purse before you make other considerations. When people search for information about size I figure they're looking for a car to fit their purpose. When they search for fuel economy they must be thinking about their budget.

The car comparisons on carbuyersinfo are simply two cars side by side. I think three or five cars side by side is too much information. Switching from one data cell to another is comfortable. But switching from many cells to many others is too much.

To keep it simple I only compare one engine option per model just to give people an idea they can follow up on car manufacturers' or dealers' sites. But making comparisons between manufacturers is difficult. I didn't even find the Governments site http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/ that easy.

So, I've decided to create a huge comparison chart for small car economy, CO2s and performance which will include all models and all engine options. It's a lot of work and I won't be publishing tomorrow.

Meantime, if you have any comments or contributions please contact me at ralph@carbuyersinfo.co.uk.

Regards
Ralph

2010-05-01T14:37:00.002+01:00

What every motorist should know about ESP

I explained ESP back in 2006 when only 1% of car owners were aware of it.

Today ESP is highly relevant with it becoming standard on many new cars.

Discover everything you need to know - must know by 2011, at http://www.carbuyersinfo.co.uk/esp_science_explained.htm

2010-05-01T13:39:00.005+01:00

Cars, They Are Changing - keep an open mind when considering engine options

I've recently posted car comparisons for the New Vauxhall Astra over on carbuyersinfo. The New Astra is typical of the way cars in this medium/small category are changing.

They're dimensions are growing bigger.
Interior space is not expanding with growth.
The Astra feels more spacious.
Turbos are becoming one of many engine options.
They are more dynamic to drive.
Safety is improving with ESP becoming standard in addition to 5-star EuroNCAP ratings.
Safety features and styling are obstructing visibility.

Each of these features is worth discussing but today I want to look at engine options.

Why? Because car buyers have preconceived ideas about engine sizes. They believe size matters and is an indicator of performance. As they say in the US, 'there's no substitute for litres.'

For example, a person who has owned a 1.2 cc 60 bhp engined small car may say they find it underpowered and want to change it for a 1.4. The may not appreciate that car power outputs could have improved by as much as 50% during their years of ownership and there's no need to buy a bigger engine.

There are still many types of engines in production including the push rod engine - the Corvette for example. Although manufacturers have made improvements over the decades with overhead camshafts, multi-valves and variable valve technology the biggest change comes from turbo chargers.

Today Fiat, Renault and VW, now joined by the New Vauxhall Astra have turbos as an everyday engine option.

All I want to say today is keep an open mind when considering engine options. To give you an idea the New Vauxhall Astra 1.4T has a power output equivalent to a 1960s/70s rally car, a 1980s hot hatch, a 1990s 2.0L and today's 1.8L engine. So it's not to be dismissed as a poky small engine.

Check out the performance figures. Give it a go. Have a test drive. Fiat, Renault, VW, Vauxhall - they've all got them.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo Car Comparisons Differences and Similarities RevealedTo help find the best car for you we measure up each car make, model, body, trim, engine & transmission. We compare car measurements, performance, fuel economy, and CO2 emissions figures. Also side by side are safety and car insurance groups. It could help Save You Time & £££s in running costs.

2009-11-13T10:09:00.002Z

How much has the tiny city car improved over the past decade?

I was looking at my car comparison, Chevrolet Matiz vs Ford Ka, which triggered this question.

Many small cars have grown in size over the past twenty years. First we had the super-mini at about 3.75m. Today some small cars have grown to around 4m. Only the Matiz, Ka, Fiat 500/Panda, Aygo/107/C1, Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto remain around the 3.5m.

But even some of these tiny cars have grown in width to match a Chevrolet Captiva SUV at 1.85m.

Another point to notice is some small cars have been styled in a way that shrinks their rear windows.

A car that's wide with limited visibility is more difficult to park. Ease of parking being one of the reasons to buy a tiny car.

Another point to watch out for is the price you pay for brand equity and style.

There is a difference in the acceleration figures for these cars but otherwise the mpg, VED and car insurance groups are very similar. Fuel economy and emissions have improved over the years.

Car safety could be better in this class as the Fiat 500 has achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP rating.

So overall the tiny city car is progressing but if they become more difficult to park what's the point?

If you are thinking of buying a car be aware of some nasty finance quotes that are about with high APRs ranging from 10 to 14% while other offer 4 to 5% if not 0%.

Have a look at my Chevrolet Matiz vs Ford Ka car comparison for yourself.

Regards
Ralph

2009-10-22T10:28:00.002+01:00

How Does The Peugeot 107 Compare?

When Peugeot launched the 107 back in 2005 it, along with the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo, became a top seller.

At the time there wasn't much serious competition. Many of the super-minis were super-sizing from about 3.75m to near 4m. The only contender was the Chevrolet Matiz which is now due for replacement.

However today there's more choice in the city size market. The value Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10 have risen in popularity. Plus the Fiat 500 and Ford Ka have been launched.

This is all good news for car buyers in this sector. Chevrolet have been deeply discounting the ageing Matiz while Kia and Hyundai provide you with your next best negotiable alternative.

If you are considering this type of car don't mention any interest - if you have any - in a Fiat 500 because competing dealers know there's a waiting list and buyers are paying full money, so the 500 isn't a negotiating tool.

You can make comparisons for yourself at Peugeot 107 Car Comparison Charts. The 107 is a great city car with more street cred' than the value brands but I have to say the buzz is about the 500 which is 5-star Euro NCAP rated.

Regards
Ralph

2009-10-19T13:43:00.002+01:00

How Does A Suzuki SX4 Measure Up To Small MPVs?

It might seem odd to compare a Suzuki SX4 with small MPVs like the Jazz, Modus, Splash, Agila and Note. However the SX4 is available as FWD at a low entry price and it's only 4.1m long.

The Suzuki SX4 1.6 FWD has nippy performance, good economy, fairish emissions but looks expensive to insure. Overall it seems to compare well with small MPVs.

The SX4 is also badged as a Fiat Sedici. And while we're on the subject a Note is based on the Modus and the Splash is an Agila with minor style differences and importantly ESP.

You can compare them at Suzuki SX4 Car Comparison Charts

Regards
Ralph

2009-10-08T15:02:00.003+01:00

How does the Renault Laguna Sport Tourer compare with other estate cars?

I've just added more comparisons for the Laguna in my estate car comparison charts. I've also inserted real-time live listings so you can compare market prices.

There are now over 30 estate cars for sale in the UK before you multiply them by engine and trim options.

You could categorise them as value, popular and premium brands. Or you could separate them into sizes. There are small, medium/small, medium and large size estate cars.

Estate cars seem to have returned to popularity. They generally have several advantages over SUVs and MPVs with sleeker styling, higher performance, better economy and lower emissions. Most have a 5-star NCAP rating and ESP as standard or at least an option.

Some of the medium size estate cars have grown to near the size of an E-Class Merc. Cars like the Mondeo, Accord, Mazda6, Laguna and Passat are all now large cars with loads of space.

You might also like to look at value brands such Skoda, Kia and Hyundai. Small estates like the Clio and 207 are also interesting.

You can make your own comparisons at Family Estate Car Comparisons.

Regards
Ralph

2009-10-02T13:50:00.008+01:00

What do you like about your present car?

This is an important question if you're considering changing your car. The reason being we tend to forget about what we have in life - that we wanted - and direct our focus to things we want to have, do or be that we don't have.

I once read happiness is having the things you want in your life and not having the things you don't want. Freud said the only things worth thinking about are problems.

A problem is something you want to have, be or do which is not immediately available. It's a thwarted goal. If what you want is immediately available then it's not worth thinking about.

Right now I can hear my long gone old Gran going on about being grateful.

The problem with buying a car these days is most of the research and shopping is done online before you walk into a dealer and ask for their best deal. It's a solitary activity and our thoughts are not challenged by others. Then we act on our ideas. If you make a car buying mistake based on mistaken ideas then you make a huge financial mistake.

Last year my sister-in-law wrote off her much loved 3-year old top model Renault Laguna. She decided she needed an MPV as she was to be a grandmother. She thought what she liked about her car was the cruise control, blue tooth and sat nav. She didn't particularly like the fuel consumption of her Laguna's 2.0L petrol engine.

She bought a diesel Vauxhall Zafira - which is a great car - and had cruise control, blue tooth and sat nav fitted. She isn't very happy with the car but all she'll say is it isn't a Laguna. If she were to change the Zafira early she would lose a fortune in depreciation.

Talking of depreciation, the price of the Laguna brand-new was over £21,000.00. It was a very old stock car which was registered and discounted to £12,999.00. Two years later the insurance company gave her £6,000.00. Her plan - before she wrote it off - was to keep the car to dilute the depreciation.

Anyway, here are her mistakes and why it's important to write down what you like about your present car before you replace it.

She loved the performance of the 2.0L petrol engine and the way the Laguna handled and held the hold.
The family felt the Laguna was extremely comfortable and spacious.
The Laguna was a top model with added options which she liked.
She was grateful for the way the Laguna protected her in a high speed crash.

However my sister-in-law forgot about these points as her mind was on the life changing event of her first grandchild. She imagined excursions with her family in an MPV - perfect for the job.

The problem is performance and comfort are two of a number of fundamental features in a car which can't be changed and MPVs can't match a luxury conventional car which has the advantage of a lower centre of gravity.

So it's important to think about what you have in your present car that you like in terms of size, style, space, comfort, performance, economy and safety. It might be worth going over to carbuyersinfo, finding your present car and copying the data and putting a big tick next to what you like about your present car.

Equipment like sat nav and cruise control can be retro-fitted often at less than the manufacturers list price - so equipment doesn't matter.

If my sister-in-law had been more aware of her liking for performance and handling she might have considered an estate car which would have given her the added versatility she thought she wanted and now be happily driving a Laguna Sport Tourer.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo Car Comparisons Differences and Similarities Revealed
To help find the best car for you we measure up each car make, model, body, trim, engine & transmission. We compare car measurements, performance, fuel economy, and CO2 emissions figures. Also side by side are safety and car insurance groups. It could help Save You Time & £££s in running costs.

2009-09-30T20:03:00.002+01:00

Here's a seasonal tip about car air conditioning

Do you know these facts about car air conditioning?

It's worth reading - might save you £70 next spring.

Regards
Ralph
Car Comparisons

2009-09-13T18:40:00.001+01:00

fixed

The real time live listings of Nissan Micras in my Nissan Micra Comparison Charts mistakenly included an additional vehicle which have now been removed.