How to Make Your Old Car Look Like New. New cars are our everlasting addiction. We never can seem to get enough of them. We work hard and save up money just so we can buy a new car, in the mistaken hope that it is a wise investment. Actually, new cars are never an investment; they lose value the moment you drive off away from the car dealer shop.

Cars can only be investments if 1. You use them for your business, for transporting products perhaps. Or 2. If you’re entering your custom car in a car show and win a price, then that’s an investment. Otherwise, if you’re just buying a new car to have something to drive to work or show around, then you’re just wasting your money. And you’re better off just sticking with your used automobile.

Re-evaluate your wants and wishes and consider repairing and upgrading what you already have. You can add and stamp your own personality to your basic car, by just investing in a few fresh innovative ideas.

How to Spruce Up Your Old Car

First, go on line. Cars classifieds on line sites let you know the latest in car customization and some wonderful examples of car ‘makeovers’. You might like to have a look at uniquecarsandparts.com.au where you can join the forum, ask questions, learn a lot about refurbishing your car and discover the secrets of increasing used car values.

How to Make Your Old Car Look Like New 

Checking out what is online will also help you keep updated in cars pricing, newest models, and car trends. OzFreeOnline for instance has a comprehensive used car section, where all you have to do is register, log in, and search by category. You will find thousands of used automobile for sale, car articles and information on European and Australian cars. You can even check out motorcycle classifieds.

Visit Your Favorite Car Repair Shop/Mechanic and Car Dealer

The vehicle enhancement options available are vast. Anything goes these days.

New products on the automotive accessory and customizing market at present are not only functional but also can be a cosmetic improvement. You might even consider overall vehicle design for total vehicle enhancement. This even will increase your cars pricing and value.

The cost of equipments and trappings ranges from a few dollars to a small fortune. However you can have them installed for much less than the price of a new car.

Cars for Sale
Classifieds Used Cars
services and Used Cars for
Sale services- Visit Oz Free Cars at http://cars.ozfreeonline.com

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The future of Indian cars is purely dependent on advancements and innovations.

Just go back to the olden days when the old Fiat Padmini and Hindustan Ambassador were shinning on Indian roads. At that period of time, did anyone of us thought that the car market will prosper to such a height? No one of us ever imagined such a speedy and accelerated growth of the Indian market.

Since that old Fiat and Amby were introduced, the Indian car industry has travelled a long and bumpy road. Fortunately, today the industry shines at the top with a good number of cars running on roads. It also plays a key role in the industrial and economic development of the country.

Today, the Indian industry is flying with the wings of technology, advancement and innovation. The first car manufactured as a result of technological advancement is Maruti Suzuki 800 in 1983, a car that revitalized the Indian automobile sector. This car was a productive result of a joint venture between Government of India and Suzuki Motors of Japan. Thereafter, many car manufacturers across the world entered the Indian car market.

Some of the biggest car manufacturers who have set up their manufacturing facilities in India are Tata, Toyota, BMW, Audi, Ford, Skoda, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Honda, Hyundai, Maruti, Mercedes, Chevrolet Fiat, Mahindra, and Volvo. These manufactures are currently producing the world’s best car models, progressively booming the India’s economic growth. Some of these companies are also importing cars and other car accessories to meet the increasing demand of car market in India.

The reason why many foreign manufactures entered the Indian markets is availability of highly skilled engineers, low cost labor, technical know how, less investment, cheap machinery and raw materials, established quality systems and rewarding returns. Even the cost of production is reduced to about 25-30% as compared to overseas production. This pace of advancement and improved production not only paved way for foreign manufacturers but also provided enhanced ability to Indian car manufacturers for producing better models.

With the increasing number of cars running on the Indian roads, the future of Indian car industry is also running with a very high velocity. One of the leading car manufacturing companies, Ford, is planning to make India a regional hub for exporting small cars and engines. At the other edge, Skoda is planning to source some of the European operations from its Indian facility. It is believed that this operation will increase indigenization level for all the Indian cars to almost 70%, providing Indian cars a competitive edge in the global market.

Many car manufacturers are rolling out new cars and many are in pipeline. Today, the car market is congested with world class cars like the Volkswagen Jetta, BMW 7 series, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Ford Fiesta, and Honda Civic. Tata Motors is all set to roll out the world’s cheapest car, Hyundai Motors waiting to announce the launch of Hyundai i20, and Maruti Suzuki awaiting the launch of the global car, Maruti Suzuki A-Star. Likewise, many other car manufacturers including Volvo, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda Seil, Rolls Royce Phantom, and even Skoda has a slew of launches in their pipeline for the Indian car industry.

Apart from new cars rolling every day on Indian roads, there are many new features added to the cars. Cars are also becoming automated with the use of automatic transmission system. Some of the high-end technological dazzlers are loaded with advanced and top-notch technical features. Along with, the entry of alternative fuel options is also expected to hit the Indian car industry. India will also have cars powered with air and water in future.

So, the future is definite and India is soon to hit the world’s car market and become the third largest car industry after US and China. All the domestic and foreign car manufacturers are making various advancements in the car models with respect to design, technology, fuel efficiency, colors, innovation, style, performance, luxuries and price. These advancements are constantly flourishing the Indian car market, a market that has transformed from a small ray to a competitive sunrise industry.

 



By: carazoo.com

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As the population in Australia gets older, the problem of renting a car both in Australia and overseas becomes more of an issue. Most car companies will have some kind of restriction if the older generation is looking to rent a vehicle. Whilst you may think that as someone that has been driving for 50 years or more, car rental companies can see you as a major risk to their asset

The Senior Driver Surcharge is payable by senior drivers over &/or between a specific age. This depends on country and/or car rental company. It is just the same as our car insurance companies here in Australia charge a higher premium if you have a driver aged 21 years on the insurance.

The reason why it is charged is because the car rental company sees senior drivers as high risk and they get charged a premium to have senior drivers covered by their insurance company. However, other car rental companies just restrict the driving age so they don’t have to get additional insurance.

To give you a few examples on how it differs between suppliers, let’s take a look at Car Rental in Ireland. One car rental company has a maximum age of 74 years with no surcharge payable. Another car rental company charges a EUR29 incl Tax /day fee for drivers aged between 70-74 years. And, a third car rental company doesn’t charge a surcharge but they require additional documentation from driver’s aged between 76-79 years, as follows -

1) Note from their Insurers stating that they have not been involved in any accidents within the past 5 years.

2) Note from their doctor stating that they are in full health.

When booking your car rental, it is advisable to always be truthful of the age/s of all drivers and ask the car rental company if there are any additional conditions for senior driver’s. Failure to do so may result in you using public transport to get around on your holiday.

Car Rental brokers, such as DriveAway Holidays will be able to advise quickly as to which company is going to be able to accomodate the older driver.



By: Car Guru

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Car auctions are houses that deal into selling of used cars purely based on bidding. These houses have a huge variety of cars from various sources comprising bank repos, private owners, car dealers, and car mechanics, offering great bargains for savvy car consumers.

Every month, nearly about 1000s of cars become government’s property through foreclosure law. These laws are implemented on foreclosed cars, cars that are confiscated by banks or finance institutes in case the car owner fails to pay the installment. Unfortunately, there are many who fail to pay the EMI (Easy Monthly Installments) of the car purchased due to some or the other reason including loss of employment and economic recession. So, these houses gather a variety of used car models in an assortment of colours and variants. This huge number of cars at the auctions compels the government to sell off the car at cheap prices and recover the debt.

Infact, during this era of inflation, it is one of the best ways to get cheap and affordable cars. Car consumers may have to sacrifice on the make, model, and colour options, but in a massive collection of cars, they definitely get the car of their choice. Even a good, well-conditioned and new car, a car that is one or two months old, can be purchased at comparatively cheap prices form the auction.

All the auctions are organized by government agencies, banks, and lending organizations that don’t sell off the car because of profit margins but to recover the debt and get rid of property as soon as possible. These organizations feel that auctioning a car is a better option than letting the car fall into a waste and unmovable piece. That’s the reason why cheap deals are attractive and impressive at car auctions.

The best part of these auctions is that the cars are sold at a price people want. The entire process undergoes a legal procedure where in the auctioneer states a price and after that the process of bidding starts. An individual, who states the highest bid, gets the car at the price quoted by him.

Car auctions are divided into categories and are mainly classified into three types:



Police Auctions or Government Auctions: These are the most common types of car auctions that have been around for years. Many of the cars and other automobiles have been seized by the police department or government agency when the vehicle owner is able to pay its monthly installment. The same vehicles are offered to prospective car buyers at sale prices.

Online Car Auctions: The advent of internet and advanced technology paved way for online car auctions. Today, there are many car auction website on the net where nearly about one car is sold off on the highest bid every one minute. Within the comfort of home or office, car consumers can win a car auction at their desired price.

Public Car Auctions: These are considered to be good and profitable bargains. The complete information about these auctions is often advertised on television and newspaper so that the common man can have a chance to get a cheap car at his desired price tag.





By: carazoo.com

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If you are in a position to get yourself a secured bad credit used car loan then you will more than likely be able to get yourself a used car that you desire within one working business days simply because the financial company that is issuing you the loan in the first place is assuming less risk because you are providing collateral on the face of being bad credit used car the first place.  A secured bad credit used car loan essentially means that you have to put down some sort of collateral that has equity built up into extras a home or another vehicle in order for you to assume the risk of the loan before you can be given.  This means you need to make sure that you have a steady source of income in order to pay down the debt of your Online Car Loans because if you start to miss payments or they have paid in full on time each and every month you also assume the risk of losing the collateral then the first place.  The other option is to get yourself a unsecured version of the back credit used car loan in which you as a consumer will assume less of a risk since you are no longer putting up collateral for the loan, however, the back or used car loan financing company assumes even more risk which means that you need to deal the proof your monthly income as well as more than likely having to pay an additional fee points of interest on the back or used car loan itself in order to make it work. 

 

Additionally, definitely in a position where you really having established credit or you have a bad credit history, getting yourself a Car Loans Online for bad credit is going to give you the opportunity to work on improving your credit lot the same time giving you the vehicle you need to get from place to place.  As long as you make your payments on time and full each and every month your credit score will steadily increase which means by the time your bad credit used car loan is paid off you’ll be in a position to get a much better rate of interest on your next used car loan that you decide to go about taking our any other type of financial purchase that you are looking to get for yourself as well.

 

A car loan is simply a way for you to go about paying for the car that you are looking to purchase.  You are going to take out a car loan from a financial lending company and bring it to the car dealership with you.  The reason for going about doing this is because the moment that you bring your own Used Car Loans to a car dealership you are then considered what is known as any cash buyer in that you can buy the car pretty much out right from them just as if you are paying for it in cash in the first place.  You can then you should car finance in order to either buy the car that you want from them or you can also use it to lease a car through them.



By: Car Loans

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A car loan is simply a way for you to go about paying for the car that you are looking to purchase.  You are going to take out a car loan from a financial lending company and bring it to the car dealership with you.  The reason for going about doing this is because the moment that you bring your own New Car Finance to a car dealership you are then considered what is known as any cash buyer in that you can buy the car pretty much out right from them just as if you are paying for it in cash in the first place.  You can then you should car finance in order to either buy the car that you want from them or you can also use it to lease a car through them.

 

 

When you go about getting yourself a great deal on the type of used cars that is going to last you for a long period of time you might end up thinking that it’s something that is based upon a roll of the dice or something to that extent.  The reality is however that it really depends on each exact amount of time and research that you are willing to put in to in order to empower yourself with the knowledge that is required in order to get the best possible deal on a New Car Loan that you can get for yourself.  The bad credit used car loan that you will end up getting for yourself really is going to end up helping you get a very easy to manage and budget priced because the monthly payments are going to be fairly lower than at what you would normally expect from a car dealership as well as the interest rates on it should also be considerably lower than what you would get from used car dealerships.  The reason you and make sure that you do this actually correctly is because you not want to end up having to get locked in to why it is known as an upside down car loan.  This is aware you end up having your New Car Loan being worth more than what the price on a used car but you are trying to purchase or are purchasing it is.  You should not be afraid about this though because there are a few different things you can do that can guide you in finding yourself the best financial deal on a bad credit used car loan.

 

By: Car Loans

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Used Cars:

Used Cars have become the choice for many people today simply because used cars are cheaper and there is always a wide selection to choose from. Have you ever known a guy who suddenly becomes the owner of a fancy sports car even though you know that he couldn’t possibly afford such an expensive car? Well obviously, something fishy is going on here. How could he possibly have a better car than you and how can you get your hands on such an awesome ride?

In truth, that guy probably didn’t win the lottery nor did he sell his soul to the devil for a new car. Ask him where he got his car and he’ll probably say that he got it at a government auto auction. There are lots of tales going around about government auto auctions. You might have heard about people getting outrageous deals for Ferrari’s, or some other similar story, but how much of this is true?

Repossessed Used Cars:

Vehicles can end up in an auction from a variety of ways. They can be the vehicles that once belonged to criminals or were used on some sort of illegal act. This means that you can be the new owner of a genuine getaway truck! Imagine finding your dream car in this way.

Repossessed Used Cars For Sale:

Auto auctions are conducted regularly and in most areas. Check your local newspaper or the internet for information and lists of upcoming auctions. But there’s no need to go through all the trouble because here is an internet link that will lead you to one of the top best selling repossessed cars site online where every transaction is legal and also available is a massive selection of all sorts of repossessed used cars for you to choose from.



By: Used Cars

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I had just got back from my own holiday to Bali when I arrived at work and they announced I was off to New Zealand with three of my colleagues. What a way to come back from one holiday and find out your going on another!

The trip started with a slight hiccup. Our flight was delayed, which is the last thing you need when you’re at the airport after a busy morning at work, which also meant we would be late in picking up our rental car. We then had to call work and asked them to call New Zealand to make sure the depot knew we would be late. One of the benefits of working for a car rental wholesaler!

About an hour later, we finally left and we were up in the air. It was a smooth flight and we arrived in Christchurch about 11pm. After collecting our bags, we went straight to the Hertz desk to be met by a friendly employee who was more than helpful.

After the formalities of signing the rental agreement and getting the keys, we were then given a local map of the south island and a city map of Christchurch. The employee even highlighted how we were to get to our hotel in the centre of Christchurch.

The car was in the car park, so away we went to find the car. We thought she said it was behind the police station and we were looking for quite a while, until it dawned on me that she had actually said pay station; we had misunderstood her kiwi accent!

We eventually got to the hire car and it was a premium wagon with automatic transmission and it was nearly brand new, similar to a Ford Territory wagon. It came with heating, air-conditioning, radio, electric windows and heaps of room enough to relax while being one of the passengers in the car.

We decided to use our Seymor GPS which we nicknamed “Moaning Myrtle”. We waited for the satellites to load on the Seymor GPS and then we were off to our hotel in Christchurch. It was cold and dark but we trusted our Seymor GPS and arrived stress free to the Rydges Hotel.

For the next week the Seymor GPS and rental car were our life savers. It got us to all the destinations and sightseeing attractions and even got us from Christchurch to Queenstown in one piece.

I would recommend hiring a car and taking the trusty Seymor GPS with you next time you go on a driving holiday.

DriveAway Holidays offer GPS rental and car hire in New Zealand.



By: Car Guru

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Amazingly, no matter what car the customer wants, it is always ‘hot property’, ‘very sought after’ and/or ‘hard to find’. Moreover, it isn’t a secret; we have all known it for years. Nevertheless, some of us still continue to be tricked into buying a motor vehicle we really don’t want to buy, and at a higher price than we expected. So let’s find out what some of the most favourite and sneaky tactics they get up to and put them in our diary so that we can refer to them when next buying a new car.

Almost every new car dealership will drop the initial price they have listed on a car for sale. However, what you must be wary of are the scams, pressure tactics, twists, and turns that motorcar salespeople have up their sleeves. It is in the showroom, when you are ready to finalise the deal, where you shall be worn down by these machinations, if you don’t have your wits about you. This is when a great online site like OzFreeOnline.com comes in really handy. You can register, log in, search thousands of cars and refine your search by using the vehicle ‘keyword search’.

Car dealers will never give you a direct or exact quote because if they do, they know you will go to another dealer and have them better the price. And to check on prices and search for motor vehicles online is a great way to save a lot of footwork. I recently found two sites, which had thousands of Australian cars for sale. At carsguide.com.au, you will find new and used cars for sale as well as dealer specials.

If you do leave the dealership and tell the dealer you will ‘look around for other prices’, the dealer will most likely ask you to come back once the ‘best price’ has been obtained. Don’t be fooled by this because the dealer will then either match the price, or try to increase it slightly by taking advantage of the fact that you have had enough of shopping and are now really eager to buy the car. Smart and very familiar, this trick works very well for most dealers. It relies mainly on getting you, the customer to feel obliged to buy, because you have put the dealer to ‘so much trouble’.

A smart salesperson will urge you to commit to buying the car you really want, even before you get the final price. This is irksome and exasperating for customers, but reasonable from a dealer’s point of view. Now your car dealer has two choices: To give you a quote and watch you walk out the door, or entice you to negotiate. Perhaps you may be lucky when negotiating with the dealer; however, you may never know whether you have paid too much. If you feel uncomfortable about a car dealer, then go online at consumer.vic.gov.au where you can check that this trader of motor cars in Victoria is licensed and has Licensed Motor Car Traders (LMCT) number.

Most auto classifieds online give a price, which you can work with, but a regular trick, which is frustrating and time consuming for customers is this. A dealership will identify one or two cars of a particular model. These will be the ‘undesirable’ cars. The problems are common and may be simple. For instance, ‘the manufacture date is very old’, ‘the car has been in the showroom for a very long time’, perhaps they are ‘the least popular colour’ and of course ‘with no options’.

Next, the dealer will run a large advertising campaign based on these two cars, with the price ridiculously below cost. When the advertisement runs, the dealer waits for customers to flood through the doors. Of course, when they do arrive to get the best deal, they are usually told that the cars have been sold and are now waiting to be ‘delivered’ to the clients. Consequently, you will be invited to browse the showroom or customers are ‘switched’ to another car.

If you still insist on looking at the vehicle, if it is still on the floor, the salesperson just points out why this particular car is undesirable, and then persuades the customer to look at a better car, of course you will expect to pay more. To make sure you do not pay too much, log in to OzFreeOnline.com a site where you just register, log in, and search the thousands of vehicles available Australia wide. Not only can you search for a motor vehicle with a simple keyword search, but also when you are ready to sell a car you can use the free classifieds to do so.

The most widespread trick currently being used is to make the customer believe that the salesperson can get the lowest price for the car, so that you (the customer) will start negotiations with the dealer almost immediately. The specific methods vary, but here are some common ways of doing it:

The salesperson will tell you. ’You could probably get the car for less than $36,250…’, but will avoid giving a specific price. Instead, the salesperson will say, ‘When you are ready to buy, we can strike a deal, are you ready to buy now?’

The salesperson tells the customer: ‘If you’re going to spend more than $36,250 on the car, you should come back and see me’. When the customer returns and asks to buy the car for $36,250, the salesperson will point out that he/she never promised to sell you the car for $36,250, but is ready to give you the best price when you are ready to buy. ‘Do you want me to get a good price for you? …so are you ready to buy now?’. We all know that buying a new or used car can be a daunting process however; at discountnewcars.com.au, you will find the latest car specials from reliable dealers.

Your salesperson may give the price for an older model car. Either the ‘old’ car is a previous model, or perhaps it has been gathering dust because no one has wanted to buy it (usually for good reason) and the dealer wants to get rid of it quickly to make room for newer models. This is likely to happen if you don’t think carefully and specifically ask for the price for a current model car that is not older than 3 months. Be wise and search OzFreeOnline.com, where they have thousands of cars in their cars classifieds pages. By simply registering and submitting a keyword search, you will find the car you want in no time.

The other ploy is when the salesperson takes your credit card along with an insufficiently low offer to ‘the boss’ for approval, but then returns to say it was not accepted. This is intended to drag the customer into more negotiations. i.e. ‘…we only need to increase it slightly and she’s yours…”

Don’t get caught by being given the price for the car excluding the on-road costs. If you don’t specifically ask for on-road costs to be included, the sales person will most likely give you the excluding on-road costs price. Of course, you have to be guarded because your contract may be drawn up on this proviso. Trouble is that when you are ready to sign, the ‘quoted’ price of the car, will then be understated by many thousands of dollars.

If you are a bit slow and think your car is worth more than it really is, you just might get a clever salesperson that will give in, and agree to an excessive price for your trade in. Now you might be pleased by this, because you may be thinking that you are ‘putting one over’ the dealer. No so, generally the sales person will look up on the computer or in the Car Dealers Price Guide to find out the going price for your trade in and will start from there. In addition, believe me; you will pay for it in the end. How you ask? Well when the dealer charges TOO much for your new car. You can check on the internet for a price as well, so go to gumtree.com.au, so you are armed with the real price, when you go to trade your motor vehicle.

From time to time, a ruthless sales person will have a go at this. He/she will contact you before your new car is delivered. When the niceties are over you will be told that there is an issue with the trade in. You will be asked to bring the car into the workshop for further inspection. When your vehicle has been in the garage, for 60 minutes, (having nothing done to it), the salesperson will tell you that the mechanic claims to have found it is really only worth $500 less than what they have offered for it. Watch for this old ruse, because if you fall for it, the sales person gets another $500 in his pocket. To make sure this does not happen to you go to OzFreeOnline.com and check out the great car deals in their Car classifieds. You will find thousands of cars to choose from and be equipped with all the information you need when you arrive to look at the car you want to buy.

Now if you don’t want to be pursued by a dealer just don’t give a phone number. Say ‘it’s a silent number’, ‘…don’t have a mobile’, ‘can’t leave a work number’, or at the test drive ‘accidentally’ give the wrong phone number. If you don’t, dealers will sometimes pursue a potential customer until they wear them down to buy.

Even after continual phoning, and when you end up buying from a different dealer, the sales person (who has missed out on the deal) will then give you the bad news. When you tell them you bought elsewhere (at a very good price of $34,550) they will say, ‘Oh no, you shouldn’t have paid any more than $32,000 for it!’ This is designed to make you feel as bad as the salesperson, who lost out too. It also highlights just how spiteful some people can be.

No matter when, where or which dealership you may stroll into, there is always a reason to feel ‘lucky’, according to the keen sales person. Early in the month, they might say they missed their target last month and are desperate to make it up. During the middle of the month, ‘the boss has told me to push out more cars or I’ll never reach my target this month either’. The most common, is probably the most used because most people fall for it. This is the end of the month trick.

The time of month may matter to some dealers sometimes, though; it never matters to a car broker. Beware of this because you may end up paying more than you expected. Go online to consumer.vic.gov.au and find out the information you need before rushing headlong into the ‘big end of financial year deal’. This trick deserves serious consideration. It is the most elaborate trick of this type. Manufacturers know that companies often buy around this time of year for accounting purposes. They therefore rarely offer any factory discounts, and they sometimes increase their retail prices to take advantage.

To find a great deal on a car why not log on to OzFreeOnline.com. It’s Australia’s largest free classifieds site. You will find auto classifieds, motorcycle classifieds, and Australian cars for sale all over the country.

You might think that the car dealer trusts you implicitly with the new car and by letting you take the car home overnight or to work for a day, the sales person is trying to get you to ‘fall in love with the car’. Not very underhanded, perhaps, but considering the dealer will initiate this in some cases by asking for a trade-in assessment, you need to recognise that it’s definitely a trick. A trade in assessment should take no more than about 10 minutes. A half hour at most.

A dealer may tell you they have reached the ‘limit’ as to what he can do with the price, but he can give you a ‘special deal’ on cheap finance. He will tell you ‘the normal rate is a%’ and then say, ‘…but you can have it for b%’ (slightly less). Unless you are aware of current interest rates, you can easily pay too high a rate. Therefore, if you go online and check any of the large finance companies like melbournecarfinance.com.au or banks they will be able to give you all the information, before you are conned by a crafty salesperson. Then compare with the dealers price and your bank. You will find a good rate of interest if you do some initial research.

A small increase in the repayments quotes will equal a large increase in the total amount you will pay for your new car. Dealers use this to great advantage in order to divert focus from the total price paid. The only way to find your new car is online, in the comfort of your own home. Classified ads are the best way to research, and at OzFreeOnline.com, you will find all the information you need to buy your new car. There are articles and car reviews and thousands of car ads to search through situated Australia-wide.

If you are not vigilant, your dealer may offer you less than market value for your trade in. The idea here is to conceal the profit from the customer by lowering the allowance for the trade in. If it succeeds, and it usually does, the dealer can offer you an unrealistically low price for the new car.

An extremely common trick is ‘limited time’. If the dealer does give a price, (a most unusual and dicey thing for the dealer to do) he will try to make you believe that it is only valid right now, while you are standing in the showroom. This is an obvious ploy to force you to make up your mind on the spot. The amazing thing about this con is the number of people that fall for it. What you need to think about when buying a new or used car is that going online to find the make, model and all the information about the vehicle first is the smart way to buy a car. If you go online to cartorque.com.au you can check out what is for sale and also do some research on the particular vehicle you want to buy.

There are various methods of stalling a client. You may ask why? The purpose of the stalling trick is to exhaust you. While you are sitting in the office with the ‘free cup of coffee in a styrene mug’ trying to decide whether or not the salesperson has offered you a good deal, it reduces the time available for to you to shop around for a better price. Remember these salespeople don’t have anything else to do but convince you to buy this car here and now. Moreover, they know exactly how to do this with the help of the other salespeople and mechanics.

Some common stalling tricks are: They might misplace the keys to the trade in or perhaps another client’s car has blocked yours (‘you’ll have to wait for the return of the client’). Perhaps they will take excessive time to assess the trade-in. There is always a valuer on site at a dealership, and a valuation takes no more than 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t put up with silly scams like this. OzFreeOnline.com is a site that will assist you in finding the motor car you want. This is a fascinating site, because they have interesting articles, car reviews and even a forum where you can join in to talk about cars with likeminded people.

Now let us look at a classic trick designed to make the customer think the car is really exceptional. I am sure you have heard this. ‘My wife/husband drives one’. Yes, the car salesperson has bought the same model for his own spouse. If it happens that he or she really does drive this particular model, then it is most probably because the salesperson gets it as part of his/her salary package because they work for the car dealership.

A good sales person will search hard to find common interests with the customer so he or she can ‘make friends’. The purpose of this is to make you identify with the sales person. This, in turn, should make you feel sympathetic to the salesperson and leads to the customer feeling bad if he/she lets down the dealer by not buying from them. What you have to remember is that you may never set eyes on this person again. All you are doing is buying a car. Just as you, buy a pair of shoes. You don’t need a ‘new’ friend.

Offering ‘extras’ such as carpet mats, window tinting, car seat covers and other items serves two purposes: It draws a line that makes the customer believe that the dollar amount is not further negotiable. If, for example, the bottom line on the car is $32,000, the dealer may stop at $36,000 and start adding ‘extras’. The extras may only add up to $500 by the time the dealer has managed to convince you that negotiations are finished. It slows down negotiations, and diverts focus from the dollar amount. Go online to autoline.com.au and search through their online listings. Find the price of car you want without the hassles.

Caution. If you have been referred by a friend, and you tell the sales person the ‘good news’, this instantly means that the customer is more likely to trust the sales person. Trust is money. The more trust given, the more the customer will pay for the car. Keep the information to yourself, or you will end up being scammed. OzFreeOnline.com is a site that will assist you in finding the motor car you want. I am fascinated by this site because they have interesting articles, car reviews and even a forum where you can join in to talk about cars with likeminded people.

You have probably heard the expression, ‘the Woody’, akas Wood Duck; you may have even used it. Don’t become one. This is a person who walks in to the showroom, puts total trust in the sales person, and sincerely believes the sales person is actually helping to get the best deal for them. It is a salespersons’ dream because he or she knows the full retail price will be paid.

We have all heard it at some time or another when we have been searching for a new car, ‘Subject to loan approval’. Many car loans will have this phrase in it, and believe me; some dealerships will try to exploit you out of more money by using this phrase as the reason why. This fraud is usually pulled on consumers that may have bad credit, so if your credit rating is good, you shouldn’t have to worry about being taken advantage of by the dealership.

The bad news is that for those people who are taken advantage of, it usually means upwards of $1,000 more in finance fees and an additional $50 a month added to your car payment. To avoid this scam, finance your new or used car through your own bank or credit union.

The most abused fraud is the ‘credit rating’ scam. The car dealership tells you that your credit score is lower than what it actually is. This is in order to charge you a higher finance rate on your car loan. It is pure greed and the best way to deal with this is to bring a copy of your credit rating from baycorp.com.au with you when you go looking to buy a new car. That way there is no confusion about your credit rating. Unfortunately, no one is protected from this scam, because the dealership doesn’t care if you have good or bad credit when they try to con you.

Another favourite trick is the forced ‘warranty’ scam where the auto dealership will insist that in order to qualify for the car loan you will need to purchase a two or three year warranty. Don’t fall for this; you do not need the warranty. While you are tearing your hair out looking for your dream car I suggest that you register with OzFreeOnline.com and browse through the thousands of ads they have online in their free car classifieds. You will find private listings, dealers’ listings and used their keyword or quick search to find exactly what you are looking for.

Can you remember that extra $fee that seems to appear on your contract to compensate the dealer for basically doing nothing? It is a good swindle that I am sure you have seen or heard of often. It’s called the ‘dealer prep’ scam. Yes, it is the extra $500 or more that is added to the contract when the car arrives in the dealership ready to be driven off the car lot to, or by a prospective buyer.

Try to avoid paying this unreasonable fee if you can. Try to find out whether the car dealership you are buying from has this fee. If they do, tell them you will not be buying the car if you are forced to pay it. If they will not knock off the fee off then find a dealer that will strike this ridiculous charge off the contract. While I write these articles, I am always searching the web to find the best sites to visit to do extra research. I found autoweb.com.au and found it interesting to browse. OzFreeOnline.com is a great site to search because of the news, reviews, thousands of new and used car listings, the ease by which you can browse the site and free registration.

The dealer ‘mark-up’ fee is another phoney fee that is made up just to pad the car dealership’s profit margin. Once again, the dealer charges this unnecessary fee for no reason other than greed. On your new motor vehicle, this fee can be seen on the sticker marked on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). These are just a few of the many scams and tricks that surface from time to time particularly when you are trying to buy a new car.

We know that these practices go on, just as we also know that there are many trustworthy car dealerships. What you must be aware of is that you must find the right dealer who can and will sell you a car, without trying to rip you off in the process. A good and trustworthy dealership can make the compensation they deserve for their efforts. All you have to do is find that dealership. When you do write in, we would all like to know.



By: jusen

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Have you ever thought about refinancing your current car loan? In the past few years, automotive refinancing has become more and more popular – especially as the interest rates that independent used car dealers and even new car dealerships charge continue to go up. There is something you can do about it. You can decide to stop these higher payments now and opt for car refinance to bring your payments down. After reading this article, you may be interested in automobile refinancing for a new car that you have just purchased recently, or auto refinance for a used car.

 

There a few reasons why someone may want to refinance their auto loan. First, depending on your financial situation when you first applied for a car loan, you may have taken a “no credit” or “bad credit” Car Financing at a very high interest rate. If you have made on-time payments since, and possibly have other good credit marks from other companies (credit cards, mortgage, utilities, and others that report to the three major credit agencies – Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian), then regardless of your previous bad credit history, an auto refinancing loan can probably get you a much lower rate than you are paying now. In this way, diligent payments and hard work to clean up or create a good credit history to start with will pay off by giving you a much more affordable payment now.

 

Another reason why some people may be in the market for car loan refinancing may be that they had made a mistake when purchasing their vehicle to start with. Maybe a high-pressure salesman put them in a new car that is far too expensive for their current income. (This can happen easily and it is why it is a good reason to have the car in mind that you want to buy before you go to the dealer’s lot.) Or, because of poor credit, an auto loan with a very high interest rate was given. Often dealerships will take advantage of people in these circumstances and try to give them the highest interest rate possible, sometimes more than 25%! As people are pressured to make a decision on the spot, many times they take the bad loan to be able to drive away immediately, only to be sorry after they see how much the high payments will really impact their lifestyle.

 

If someone has good credit and they are looking for the lowest rate, Car Financing is a simple matter. There are many companies to choose from and most can offer you a much lower rate than you are paying now. However, you absolutely can also refinance a car with poor credit. Auto refinance with bankruptcy or repossession, while it can be a challenge, is possible and there are many companies out there to work with. Online car refinance lenders are typically able to help most people out of their bad credit car loans and into an auto refinance loan that more adequately matches their needs.



By: Car Loans

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When it comes down to it in today’s world not many people want to go out there not knowing exactly what the process encompasses when they are trying to buy themselves a car either for their own personal luxury or for them to get from place to place with.  You really need to make sure that you have all the knowledge that goes with buying a car already in your head or else you risk ending up having to spend a lot more money then you should be in the first place.  In order for you to make sure that you are going to get the best possible deal on a Guaranteed Car Finance you are going to want to make sure that you get car finance before you ever walk into a car dealerships car lot.

 

A Car Finance Loans is simply a way for you to go about paying for the car that you are looking to purchase.  You are going to take out a car loan from a financial lending company and bring it to the car dealership with you.  The reason for going about doing this is because the moment that you bring your own Used Car Finance to a car dealership you are then considered what is known as any cash buyer in that you can buy the car pretty much out right from them just as if you are paying for it in cash in the first place.  You can then you should car finance in order to either buy the car that you want from them or you can also use it to lease a car through them.

 

 If you happen to have gone through the process of buying a car in your past then you more than likely know how a car salesman is going to work with you.  The first thing that they would go about doing is checking your credit score through their third party financing company before they ever begin to negotiate on a fair price for the car that you are looking to purchase a car finance with you.  The moment they go about doing this they are going to then offer you a supposedly special finance deals in any attempt to make you buy the car and finance it through their own third party financing car finance solutions.  This is something that you are going to want to avoid like the plague and is going to end up making you pay a lot more money down the line in the future on the car that you desire simply because you did not take the time and energy to do all the research that is required before getting yourself a car finance that you need.



By: Car Loans

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When it comes to vehicles, classic cars are absolutely at the top of the pyramid, with their amazing features setting them far apart from the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately, as is typical for anything that attracts attention, classic cars tend to attract a decent share of thieves and vandals. Additionally, because classic cars are rare and tend to be expensive, many large “major player” insurance companies and agents will not even offer insurance for them.

But just because it can be mildly difficult to find the right kind of insurance for your classic car, that does not mean that you can simply drive around without any insurance. Many states require that your vehicle be insured, and you can face serious fines if you are caught driving without adequate insurance coverage.

Finding the right kind of insurance for your classic car is going to take a little bit of time, and a lot of research. Even more research will be involved if you are set out to find the cheapest available antique and classic car insurance available. There are car insurance companies out there which specialize in insurance options for antique and classic cars. Additionally, there are large automobile insurance companies which offer specialized insurance including antique and classic car insurance, but you will have to do a decent bit of searching in order to find them.

A good place to start is with insurance companies like Hagerty, Leland west and Norwich Union which all specialize in antique and classic car insurance. It is important that you weigh a lot of different options, because the costs associated with antique and classic car insurance can vary wildly depending on which automobile insurance provider you go with.

It is also important that you determine what each insurance company will value your classic car at, in order to make sure that you are going to be insured for the full value of your car. Traditional car insurance values the car at the cost to replace it, minus any depreciation that it has experienced. This is what sets antique and classic car insurance apart from traditional car insurance. With antique and classic car insurance, the value of your vehicle is typically an agreement made between you and the insurance provider. This way, you will not lose a serious investment in the event that your vehicle is ever totaled in an accident, or stolen and never recovered.

The absolute best option for you to pursue when it comes to automobile insurance for your classic car is called an agreed value policy. Before this type of policy is purchased, you are required to sit down with an agent with the insurance company in order to come to a concrete agreement for the value of your vehicle. If your vehicle is ever totaled or lost, this is the amount that will be paid by the insurance company. This is also the point where you will receive a quote for the monthly payment. Another thing that sets antique and classic car insurance apart from traditional car insurance is the fact that antique and classic car insurance premiums are typically significantly smaller than what you will pay for traditional car insurance.

However, not just anyone can acquire antique and classic car insurance, so before applying you should make sure you qualify for all of the following criteria:

- Many antique and classic car insurance policies require that you meet a specific age limit. This is to insure that the driver(s) on the policy have adequate driving experience and are not in jeopardy of causing an accident. This makes it difficult for young and new drivers to acquire automobile insurance, even if they are driving an antique or classic vehicle.

- Many antique and classic car insurance policies have also imposed a minimum age limit for your vehicle, in order to determine whether or not it can be considered an antique car. The typical limit is fifteen years old, so if your vehicle is less than fifteen years old you may have difficulty securing antique car insurance for it.

- In order to qualify for classic car insurance, there are certain limits on how your classic car can be used. For example, you must have a garage or some other form of protective storage to park the vehicle in. Additionally, you cannot use your classic car for any business purposes. Finally, there is a limit on the number of miles that you can put on your vehicle every month or year. If you go over the mileage limit you can but your vehicle in danger of losing its protective insurance. Because of the imposed mileage limit, you must also be able to prove that you have another vehicle which is used for normal driving.

Antique and classic car insurance is by far the best option if the vehicle that you are driving can be considered a collectible. This form of insurance is designed to protect cars that appreciate in value over time rather than depreciating. Most insurance companies will allow you to insure your classic car traditionally if you cannot find adequate antique car insurance, but you should expect to pay more in monthly premiums, and to receive significantly less in a pay out settlement if your vehicle is ever totaled.

What this means is that if you are driving an antique or classic car, and specialized insurance is available to you on a local level, you should absolutely take the offer in order to protect your vehicle inexpensively without losing out on the serious investment that went into your prized possession.



By: Stuart Brown

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When purchasing a new car it is always very easy to be swept away in the excitement of it all and want to take delivery as quickly as possible. To do this it is simply a matter of agreeing on the price of your new car and signing the necessary documents for a new car loan. All done and dusted. But just how much more have you paid for your new car and your new car loan because of your “want it now” approach?

Probably more than you think. Car dealers can be very persuasive and once they feel you are sold on a car then there is little hope of a reduced price or a very competitively priced new car loan. Here are a few tips when you are looking for a new car:

• Don’t go to the dealership with the expectation or desire to buy “today”. Check out the internet first to see just what the price range is for the vehicle you are looking for.

• Speak to a mortgage broker or a lease broker to see what connections they may have with new car dealerships. Surprisingly, a mortgage broker can not only access good new car finance but also has negotiating “clout” with a number of new car dealerships. Most new car dealerships have monthly volume targets which when reached result in large bonuses being paid by the new car manufacturer. As a direct purchaser you will not be privy to this information but where the mortgage broker has built a good relationship with a new car dealership he or she will undoubtedly be able to negotiate a better new car price for you – unless of course there is a waiting list for the particular car you are after. Even in this situation you may find that you will be able to achieve a better price – a Sydney based client recently ended up purchasing a new car through a mortgage broker where the car was sourced out of Wollongong (dealer wanted the sale to reach his monthly target). The new car was delivered straight to her Sydney home.

• If you are not absolutely set on a particular new car then find out what the re-sale value is of similar model cars when sold say 3 years later or at the expiration of your new car lease and new car loan. It is generally accepted that most new cars diminish in value by up to 15 % the moment you drive it out of the car yard. To ensure you retain value in your new car and that the residual value after 3 or 5 years under your new car loan will be met from the sale proceeds as a “used” car, it is imperative to check the sales history of the car / model/ manufacturer. It can be disheartening to find that when you eventually sell the car you do not realise a price that allows you to pay out the residual under the new car finance.

• If your cash flow allows it, try and keep the residual to as low a figure as possible. This negates the likelihood of there being a shortfall between the used car sale price and the residual value under your new car loan. If you maintain your car well and have it serviced on a regular basis then there remains the possibility that when you come to sell you actually realise more than the residual value under the new car loan – this should be a non-taxable profit in your hands.



By: anonymous

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India has an age old history in automobile industry. Since the first car was launched in the country, it has witnessed many advancements and innovations that have continuously changed the overall appearance of the industry in the global car market.

In the present scenario, Indian automobile landscape is showcasing a number of cars and other vehicles with a combination of technology and consumer-friendly price tags. It displays a variety of cars in different price segments ranging from a small car of Rs 1 lakh to a high-end luxury car worth Rs 5 crore. These cars with such a huge difference in price tags cater to different sections of the society.

The first and perhaps the most noteworthy example of the growing Indian car industry is the soon-to-be-launched Tata Nano. This homegrown frugal car is simply a small wonder. After the unique engine technology and price tag of Tata Nano, global car manufacturers have their eye on Indian engineers and technology. The car expected to hit in the festive season is a big threat to the small car segment in the global market.

Other than Nano, there are many other small wonders soon to be seen on Indian roads. First in line is the car manufacturing leader, Maruti Suzuki, who is all set to roll out its small car, Maruti-Suzuki A-Star. Then there is a car codenamed as ULC (ultra-low cost), proposed to be designed and produced by a joint venture between Bajaj Auto and the Renault-Nissan. Following the trend, Honda, Seil India, Hyundai Motors, Czech Skoda India, General Motors and even Toyota is planning to design an exclusive small car in the Indian car market. The trend of producing small cars with upmarket and innovative technology has itself paved a path for global car manufacturers to reach India.

The unique combination of innovations and technologies in Indian small cars has also redefined the concept of luxury cars in the country. As new technologies are banking on small cars, the differentiation line between small and luxury cars seems to fade away except the size and price. This compelled luxury car manufacturers to re-define the structure, body lines and interiors of all their car models so that a broad differentiation line always stay in between. The redefined luxury car segment is another aspect of the growing Indian car market.

Luxury car manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Rolls Royce have introduced a number of luxury cars in the Indian car market. They are still in process of rolling out more cars with better engine technology and futuristic features. With the increasing number of people showing their interest in luxury cars, these manufacturers are earning good revenues, compelling them to strengthen their footprints in India.

For those looking for sheer luxury on wheels a slew of launches will hit the Indian market. BMW will drive in its new 7 Series and its sportier M3, M5 and M6 followed by the sports utility range the BMW X6. Rolls Royce will roll out more number of Rolls Royce Phantom whereas Porsche is ready to hit India with its exciting Porsche Cayenne GTS and the Porsche 911 new GT2. Few new cars from Volkswagen, Skoda, Mitsubishi, and Toyota are also on their way to India.

Experts believe that a wide assortment of options is available in India to suit different sections of people. The market is even more promising with low-cost production, highly skilled engineers and easy availability of car loans. All these factors along with the increasing number of cars on Indian roads, has become a strong reason for global car manufacturers to savour India.

 



By: carazoo.com

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When you’re looking at buying a used car for the first time, you will want to know if its value is what is being displayed or asked of by the dealer, and you will need to keep in mind that you may end up paying slightly over the valuation of a car the first time that you buy a used car.  You will need to familiarize yourself with information and facts that will put you in a good position to be able to appreciate learning some used car buying tips and be able to negotiate with a dealer to get a better deal.



Knowledge of what Cars are Really Worth

When you are looking to find out the value of a car, it isn’t going to be easy to get an exact amount for the car, but you should be able to come up with an estimate of the car’s value, which should be quite close to the actual value of the used car.  If you want to get a good deal when buying a used car and want to do this economically, then you should go into a dealer showroom having the knowledge and information about the value and worth of your car.  Also, you should know how much you or anyone else should be paying for the car; this is known to many as the market price. You can ascertain the market price of a car through comparison of prices from different sources, there are many different price comparison sites out there to choose from and there will be reviews by people who have bought the model and cars which you are interested in.  Here, you will also be able to look at their reviews and conclude whether it is a good deal at a certain dealership. If you are looking to secure a great bargain with the dealer, then you will need to have the relevant information when you go to meet any such salesperson, you will also need to have in mind the market price of the car and if the salesperson can offer you a competitive price.

Budgeting Helps

You will need a budget in mind when looking into buying a car economically, and you shouldn’t stretch beyond the price that you can afford to pay out for the car, you do not want to land yourself in a huge amount of debt, or not have extra money to spend on other things.  Having a set budget will allow you to focus  and overcome the urge to purchase a car because it is at a great price; you should be focusing on getting a bargain for your purchase, but not to end up in a huge amount of debt completing the process.  So, when you do enter the dealership, you won’t succumb easily to their high pressure sales tactics and thus you will end up parting with less cash than they would have wanted.

A Cheap Price Doesn’t Equal Low Quality

I’m sure you will be looking for a great deal when you go out to look to buying a used car.  But, buying a cheap car doesn’t mean you are going to end up buying a piece of junk that is worthless and unimportant.  Also, it won’t mean that your motor will be of poor quality either. What I mean by cheap here is that you are buying a car at a lower value than it is actually valued on the market – it could be that the dealer is wanting to sell the car and will sell at such a low price because he knows you will buy the car, and he will sell it quickly, albeit at a lower price and commission. Even though you are getting a car at a great price, this doesn’t mean to say that you should compromise on the quality of the vehicle and because the car is of lower quality, you will probably end up paying out much more money in the long run with repair bills.

Do Your Research

Before you go to buy a car, if you complete your research and homework – conducting research and analysis of your chosen car and others market prices – then you will be in a great position to negotiate with the dealer to get the best price available for your car.  The salesperson will find it very difficult to take you for a ride and ‘pull the wool over your eyes’ and you will know the value and average current market price that your car should be selling at.

Before going to the Showroom Make your Mind up

You will need to be sure that you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve by going to the showroom, and have restrictions on your budget and time that you will spend there. Do not end up buying something which you do not need because of an impulse decision.



Don’t Appear Desperate

If you appear to be in desperation, then this will ultimately lead to you purchasing a car in desperation, which will lead to the salesperson playing on this desperation, which could leave you heavily out of pocket. You should never appear desperate to buy your first car, or when you are looking for tips on websites and forums, as this will affect your power to buy the right used car for you.

Also, you should remember that going to a showroom and talking to a salesperson about buying a car is a negotiation, to ensure you get the best deal for yourself – you will be testing your negotiation skills. You should be able to purchase a cheap car, but, you will need to remember small details to check, such as the log book and mileage record.  This will help you review the car’s age and need for previous repair, indicating whether the decision to purchase the car is a good one. When purchasing your first car economically, this doesn’t mean that you should spend very little money; what it means is that you should purchase a quality vehicle at the lowest price possible.



By: Stuart Ledger

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Buying a car, new or used, is a big expenditure. Unfortunately, most people go to the car dealership thinking they have to pay the full sticker price of the car, not realizing there are many ways to save money. It’s also important to know how the dealers make their money on each car sale. Such knowledge will help you get the very best price on your next vehicle.

1) Know how much the car is worth.

Do your homework and research your car choices before attending a new car sale or purchasing a used car. You’ll want to know the true value of the car you wish to buy as well as the value of your current car if you wish to trade it in.

Visit the factory website of the model of car you want to see what the factory list price is for each vehicle. For example, Ford’s website (http://www.ford.com/) offers an online vehicle showroom where you can choose your next new car and pick the price range.

Go to several different dealers and research different deals on the same car before purchasing it. A lot of dealers’ prices will differ on the same make and model. Check out the wealth of information on http://www.carsguide.news.com.au which offers price comparisons on your new or used car as well as tips to help you when you purchase.

The Red Book (http://www.redbookasiapacific.com/au/) is an excellent resource to see how much a used or new car is worth. Car dealers make money by marking up the price, as do private sales. Knowing that a car is unfairly priced will help you to save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

2) Get the proper financing.

Car dealers can make a bundle of money selling you more car than you can afford by offering you financing for a longer period of time. You can also expect to pay more for lease options if you’re not careful. Banks and finance companies typically offer a lower interest rate than car dealerships. You can also look into financing from the manufacturer of the car for sale—you’ll pay much less in interest than on a loan from the dealer.

Banks take longer to grant approval than finance companies, which can often approve your loan online in minutes.

Never pay for a new or used car on a credit card, as you’ll be paying lots more in interest rates. One of the very best tactics is to get pre-approved for the purchase of a used or new car at a financing institution before you go car shopping. When you’re shopping, don’t tell the car sales associate. A lot of times the car dealer will cut the price of your car, thinking they’ll make money on the financing later. It will be too late to change the price on the car once they realize you already having financing.

3) Buy at the right time of the month.

Most car salesmen work on commission and get incentives for selling the most cars. By the end of the month they know if they need to up their sales and they’ll be more persuasive and aggressive to get that one last sale. However, you can use this need to sell to your advantage.

Visit a car dealership at the beginning or first of the month for an initial visit, but not to buy. This takes some of the pressure off because the salesmen aren’t going to be as persuasive to have you purchase something you can’t afford or don’t want.

Visit several car dealerships to inspect the assorted car sales and take plenty of notes. Then return to the car dealership of your choice at the end of the month when dealers are eager to make a quick car sale. Chances are you’ll get a great deal on a fantastic new or used car.

4) Forgo the extended warranty and extras.

You don’t need an extended warranty, though the salesman will make you worry and fret until you shell out the extra money to pay for the warranty. Most of the time, if you care for your car properly and maintain it according to the factory specifications you won’t need an extended warranty.

If you really think you should purchase one, wait as long as possible. Most companies allow you to wait until you’re close to the end of your regular warranty to purchase one. By then you’ll know how much maintenance your vehicle needs. If it’s a lemon by nature then an extended warranty might be a good idea in the long run.

You don’t need most of the extras offered, like rust-proofing, paint protection, tinted windows and life insurance. Educate yourself about what you need and what you don’t to keep from paying unnecessary charges.

Verify how much you’re paying for hidden charges such as shipping and preparation charges. Most of the time you can negotiate these charges down in your car sale.

5) Consider Used vs. New

New cars depreciate quickly the first two years of ownership. In fact, expect your $20,000 new car to cost you almost $7,000 in depreciation and interest rates alone (with a 6.9% loan) during that time. When you buy a used car the original owner has already absorbed the depreciation costs, leaving you with a good car that’s worth every penny.

However, the car sale market may be so slow that good deals can be had when buying a new car over a used car. It’s essential to be aware of how much car you can afford to buy and to guard against getting suckered into buying more car than you can afford.

Used Car Purchase Tips:

The uncertainty about a cars history–whether it’s been well taken care of or possibly damaged by an accident–can make some people leery about buying a used car. When buying used, it’s important to look for a car that has been properly maintained and an owner who has the records to prove it.

When buying used consider forgoing the financing and instead buy outright. Financing is a way car dealers to make money off of used car sales. Opting to pay for it in full puts money in your pocket.

Don’t be afraid of high mileage. A car driven by Grandma on weekends could actually have more problems because an idle car usually has problems associated with sitting around, such as plugged lines or rusty breaks. If you’re unsure about buying a used car because you don’t know enough about how cars work, consider spending the money to get a vehicle inspection from a reputable garage.



By: Julie Davidson

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The capital of Cyprus used to be in Paphos until the enlargement of other cities on the Island. Paphos has continued to have its share of the developments in Cyprus, and thus an International Airport was erected to turn the small region into a tourism hub.

Paphos has a population of less than 100,000; but its collection of Antiquities as well as historical places has caused it to become a bustling region in Cyprus.

Paphos is divided into two main regions, the residential district of Ktima and the Kato region which consist of the seaside and the medieval ports. The Kato Paphos region is where the hotels and most of the other tourist destinations are situated.

The best time to travel to Paphos is the summer time; as this ensures that you take the advantage of the weather and the beaches. The hottest month in Paphos is August when the temperature can be more than 35 degrees, and the humidity is very low along with the water relatively warm all throughout the day.

The winter months are usually rainy. December and January are the coldest winter months in Paphos. The summer time is the busiest season in Paphos, because of the relatively high inflow of tourists from all over the world. The spring and early fall seasons are also some of the best times to visit Paphos.

The Paphos international airport is the main route if you wish to get to the region. Cyprus airways and Air Holland are some of the few airlines that fly the route. Travelers coming from major European countries will have to have a stop over before boarding a flight to Paphos international Airport.

Travelling to Paphos by boat is not allowed, as there are no legal ports in the region to transport international travelers. Travelling by bus can only start after reaching the airport, while renting a car is the most viable option from the Airport. There are several hotels and accommodation options available in Paphos.

Booking a car rental Paphos service is very easy. You can make reservations with a trusted rental company, which would be on a stand-by at the airport for your arrival. Cars should be rented at no extra costs, and the rental company should contain fleet of cars that you can choose from to satisfy your needs.

Most of these are visible right from departure from the Paphos international airport. While driving through the seaside, one can also see a collection of different hotels of low/medium class as well as more classy ones.

One should know that car rental Paphos services are not standardized; hence prices may vary from a company to another. You will need to find out the average costs of the entire car rentals company available and with this you will know the actual amount of money that you will pay. Car rental Paphos services include your direct transportation from the airport to some tourist attraction sites.

The rental company can supply you with information on where exactly you are going to and how you can enjoy the best of your stay within such sites. You can feel free to ask questions about the city of Paphos from owners of the car rental company. They should be willing to give you rules and guidelines that tourists



By: Car Hire

About the Author:

We want to know what you think!

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Thinking about a used car?  Nervous about what’s under the hood?  Used car dealers are feeling your pain all the way to the bank.  In an ironic twist, “pre-owned vehicle” dealers have found a way to profit from their bad reputation. 

 

No, they’re not just selling overpriced used car extended warranties anymore.  They’re charging a 10%-25% markup on used cars “certified” (by them) not to be pieces of junk.  The accompanying “certified” used car warranties in fact usually carry much less protection than the best used car warranties, which you can buy yourself online.  Who needs a used car warranty if your jalopy is a “certified” machine?

 

But even paying 10%-25% more won’t eliminate risk.  Thorough extended warranties for used cars are necessary, “certified” or not.  In some cases, a half-hearted inspection means the certification may not be worth the paper it’s written on.  Used car problems often only appear months or years after purchase.  That’s why even for mint used cars, used car extended warranties are essential.

 

Worse, “certified” used cars don’t always come with any extended used car warranty coverage.  When a “certified” used car warranty is included, it usually has much less coverage than a new car warranty.  Even most standard pre-owned vehicle extended warranties offer much more protection than most “certified” used car warranties.

 

You can almost always do better on your own.  An independent inspection and a used car extended warranty provide better peace of mind, often at a lower price.

 

“Certified” Used Car Inspections Inspected

 

The cornerstone of a “certified” used car program is the supposedly super-thorough inspection.  There are good reasons to think that the inspection does not replace an independent inspection or used car extended warranty coverage.

Are inspections really added value?  Don’t you wonder why dealers aren’t inspecting all their cars before taking delivery themselves?  Car dealers aren’t idiots, at least not with cars.  Anyone who’s had to haggle over a trade-in knows that.  The big question is whether the dealership will disclose everything it knows.  Trust is still an issue with “certified” cars.

 

Certified by whom?  Think about it: the same people who are trying to sell you the car are also “certifying” it.  Yes, you read right: the “certification” is usually done by the dealership selling the car.  If there’s any manufacturer oversight, it’s often just an occasional inspection of the dealer’s inspection.

 

Duplicate inspection.  You should have any used car, “certified” or not, thoroughly inspected by an independent mechanic.  You’re up against an industry that demonstrates about as much trustworthiness as, well, used car dealers.  Do not give up your first line of defense.

 

Limits of inspections.  No inspection in the world can foresee every possible problem.  Oftentimes, something that breaks a few months after purchase really was fine when the car was sold–or was virtually undetectable.  When–not if–something gives out, you’d better have a used car extended warranty.

“Certified” Used Car Warranty Coverage under the Hood

 

The implied selling point of “certified” used cars is they won’t break.  That kind of makes used car extended warranties seem unnecessary.  Naturally, some buyers may wonder what will be happen if something does break anyway.  In order to ease those inquiring minds, “certified” used car warranties often come included, or are at least implied.   Sadly, too few people will inquire further about what the “certified” used car warranty covers.

Does certified mean “under warranty”?  Not necessarily.  The major manufacturers’ “certified” programs usually include some extended warranty protection.  But oftentimes, “certified” cars sold outside of manufacturers’ programs do not come with any extended warranty coverage.  If it does break, tough luck.

 

How good’s the warranty?  The GM Certified Used Vehicle Warranty is only for 3 months or 3,000 miles!  Ford offers longer “certified” warranties.   But they generally aren’t bumper-to-bumper, covering only the “power train.”  Forget about the little extras like the roof or the doors.  Right off the internet, you can buy extended warranty used car coverage that is generally bumper-to-bumper and lasts several years.

“Certified” Used Cars: Extended Warranties Still Needed

 

“Certified” used cars offer two things: an inspection and a used car extended warranty.  Arguably, neither is worth the price.

Inspection.  Let’s face reality.  The junky used car problem doesn’t exist for want of dealer inspections.  Lemons get sold for one of three reasons. a) The defect did not show up in the dealer’s own inspection. b) The dealer is trying to sell a car whose defects were already known. Or sometimes c) the buyer knows about the defects but is guilty of wishful thinking.  In none of these cases will a “certified” inspection provide the protection of an independent inspection and extended used car warranty.

 

Warranty. A “certified” used car will often cost 10%-25% more.  For a $10,000 used car, that’s $1,000-$2,500.  An extended used car warranty from an independent auto warranty company will often cost about the same.  But the best used car warranties will provide a lot more protection than “certified” used car warranties.  Given that fact, you may end up getting an independent extended car warranty anyway.

Worst of all, certified used cars come with an expensive risk.  They tempt you to let your guard down.  Ford even issued a press release headlined “Pre-Owned Vehicle Program Reduces Customer Buyer Beware.”  As if that were a good thing.

 

Of course, in the end, you may buy a “certified” used car anyway.  These days it seems there are fewer and fewer used cars that aren’t “certified.”  Just make sure to get an independent inspection and an independent used car extended warranty.  “Certified” or not, it’s still a used car.

Thinking about a used car?  Nervous about what’s under the hood?  Used car dealers are feeling your pain all the way to the bank.  In an ironic twist, “pre-owned vehicle” dealers have found a way to profit from their bad reputation. 

 

No, they’re not just selling overpriced used car extended warranties anymore.  They’re charging a 10%-25% markup on used cars “certified” (by them) not to be pieces of junk.  The accompanying “certified” used car warranties in fact usually carry much less protection than the best used car warranties, which you can buy yourself online.  Who needs a used car warranty if your jalopy is a “certified” machine?

 

But even paying 10%-25% more won’t eliminate risk.  Thorough extended warranties for used cars are necessary, “certified” or not.  In some cases, a half-hearted inspection means the certification may not be worth the paper it’s written on.  Used car problems often only appear months or years after purchase.  That’s why even for mint used cars, used car extended warranties are essential.

 

Worse, “certified” used cars don’t always come with any extended used car warranty coverage.  When a “certified” used car warranty is included, it usually has much less coverage than a new car warranty.  Even most standard pre-owned vehicle extended warranties offer much more protection than most “certified” used car warranties.

 

You can almost always do better on your own.  An independent inspection and a used car extended warranty provide better peace of mind, often at a lower price.

 

“Certified” Used Car Inspections Inspected

 

The cornerstone of a “certified” used car program is the supposedly super-thorough inspection.  There are good reasons to think that the inspection does not replace an independent inspection or used car extended warranty coverage.

Are inspections really added value?  Don’t you wonder why dealers aren’t inspecting all their cars before taking delivery themselves?  Car dealers aren’t idiots, at least not with cars.  Anyone who’s had to haggle over a trade-in knows that.  The big question is whether the dealership will disclose everything it knows.  Trust is still an issue with “certified” cars.

 

Certified by whom?  Think about it: the same people who are trying to sell you the car are also “certifying” it.  Yes, you read right: the “certification” is usually done by the dealership selling the car.  If there’s any manufacturer oversight, it’s often just an occasional inspection of the dealer’s inspection.

 

Duplicate inspection.  You should have any used car, “certified” or not, thoroughly inspected by an independent mechanic.  You’re up against an industry that demonstrates about as much trustworthiness as, well, used car dealers.  Do not give up your first line of defense.

 

Limits of inspections.  No inspection in the world can foresee every possible problem.  Oftentimes, something that breaks a few months after purchase really was fine when the car was sold–or was virtually undetectable.  When–not if–something gives out, you’d better have a used car extended warranty.

“Certified” Used Car Warranty Coverage under the Hood

 

The implied selling point of “certified” used cars is they won’t break.  That kind of makes used car extended warranties seem unnecessary.  Naturally, some buyers may wonder what will be happen if something does break anyway.  In order to ease those inquiring minds, “certified” used car warranties often come included, or are at least implied.   Sadly, too few people will inquire further about what the “certified” used car warranty covers.

Does certified mean “under warranty”?  Not necessarily.  The major manufacturers’ “certified” programs usually include some extended warranty protection.  But oftentimes, “certified” cars sold outside of manufacturers’ programs do not come with any extended warranty coverage.  If it does break, tough luck.

 

How good’s the warranty?  The GM Certified Used Vehicle Warranty is only for 3 months or 3,000 miles!  Ford offers longer “certified” warranties.   But they generally aren’t bumper-to-bumper, covering only the “power train.”  Forget about the little extras like the roof or the doors.  Right off the internet, you can buy extended warranty used car coverage that is generally bumper-to-bumper and lasts several years.

“Certified” Used Cars: Extended Warranties Still Needed

 

“Certified” used cars offer two things: an inspection and a used car extended warranty.  Arguably, neither is worth the price.

Inspection.  Let’s face reality.  The junky used car problem doesn’t exist for want of dealer inspections.  Lemons get sold for one of three reasons. a) The defect did not show up in the dealer’s own inspection. b) The dealer is trying to sell a car whose defects were already known. Or sometimes c) the buyer knows about the defects but is guilty of wishful thinking.  In none of these cases will a “certified” inspection provide the protection of an independent inspection and extended used car warranty.

 

Warranty. A “certified” used car will often cost 10%-25% more.  For a $10,000 used car, that’s $1,000-$2,500.  An extended used car warranty from an independent auto warranty company will often cost about the same.  But the best used car warranties will provide a lot more protection than “certified” used car warranties.  Given that fact, you may end up getting an independent extended car warranty anyway.

Worst of all, certified used cars come with an expensive risk.  They tempt you to let your guard down.  Ford even issued a press release headlined “Pre-Owned Vehicle Program Reduces Customer Buyer Beware.”  As if that were a good thing.

 

Of course, in the end, you may buy a “certified” used car anyway.  These days it seems there are fewer and fewer used cars that aren’t “certified.”  Just make sure to get an independent inspection and an independent used car extended warranty.  “Certified” or not, it’s still a used car.

Thinking about a used car?  Nervous about what’s under the hood?  Used car dealers are feeling your pain all the way to the bank.  In an ironic twist, “pre-owned vehicle” dealers have found a way to profit from their bad reputation. 

 

No, they’re not just selling overpriced used car extended warranties anymore.  They’re charging a 10%-25% markup on used cars “certified” (by them) not to be pieces of junk.  The accompanying “certified” used car warranties in fact usually carry much less protection than the best used car warranties, which you can buy yourself online.  Who needs a used car warranty if your jalopy is a “certified” machine?

 

But even paying 10%-25% more won’t eliminate risk.  Thorough extended warranties for used cars are necessary, “certified” or not.  In some cases, a half-hearted inspection means the certification may not be worth the paper it’s written on.  Used car problems often only appear months or years after purchase.  That’s why even for mint used cars, used car extended warranties are essential.

 

Worse, “certified” used cars don’t always come with any extended used car warranty coverage.  When a “certified” used car warranty is included, it usually has much less coverage than a new car warranty.  Even most standard pre-owned vehicle extended warranties offer much more protection than most “certified” used car warranties.

 

You can almost always do better on your own.  An independent inspection and a used car extended warranty provide better peace of mind, often at a lower price.

 

“Certified” Used Car Inspections Inspected

 

The cornerstone of a “certified” used car program is the supposedly super-thorough inspection.  There are good reasons to think that the inspection does not replace an independent inspection or used car extended warranty coverage.

Are inspections really added value?  Don’t you wonder why dealers aren’t inspecting all their cars before taking delivery themselves?  Car dealers aren’t idiots, at least not with cars.  Anyone who’s had to haggle over a trade-in knows that.  The big question is whether the dealership will disclose everything it knows.  Trust is still an issue with “certified” cars.

 

Certified by whom?  Think about it: the same people who are trying to sell you the car are also “certifying” it.  Yes, you read right: the “certification” is usually done by the dealership selling the car.  If there’s any manufacturer oversight, it’s often just an occasional inspection of the dealer’s inspection.

 

Duplicate inspection.  You should have any used car, “certified” or not, thoroughly inspected by an independent mechanic.  You’re up against an industry that demonstrates about as much trustworthiness as, well, used car dealers.  Do not give up your first line of defense.

 

Limits of inspections.  No inspection in the world can foresee every possible problem.  Oftentimes, something that breaks a few months after purchase really was fine when the car was sold–or was virtually undetectable.  When–not if–something gives out, you’d better have a used car extended warranty.

“Certified” Used Car Warranty Coverage under the Hood

 

The implied selling point of “certified” used cars is they won’t break.  That kind of makes used car extended warranties seem unnecessary.  Naturally, some buyers may wonder what will be happen if something does break anyway.  In order to ease those inquiring minds, “certified” used car warranties often come included, or are at least implied.   Sadly, too few people will inquire further about what the “certified” used car warranty covers.

Does certified mean “under warranty”?  Not necessarily.  The major manufacturers’ “certified” programs usually include some extended warranty protection.  But oftentimes, “certified” cars sold outside of manufacturers’ programs do not come with any extended warranty coverage.  If it does break, tough luck.

 

How good’s the warranty?  The GM Certified Used Vehicle Warranty is only for 3 months or 3,000 miles!  Ford offers longer “certified” warranties.   But they generally aren’t bumper-to-bumper, covering only the “power train.”  Forget about the little extras like the roof or the doors.  Right off the internet, you can buy extended warranty used car coverage that is generally bumper-to-bumper and lasts several years.

“Certified” Used Cars: Extended Warranties Still Needed

 

“Certified” used cars offer two things: an inspection and a used car extended warranty.  Arguably, neither is worth the price.

Inspection.  Let’s face reality.  The junky used car problem doesn’t exist for want of dealer inspections.  Lemons get sold for one of three reasons. a) The defect did not show up in the dealer’s own inspection. b) The dealer is trying to sell a car whose defects were already known. Or sometimes c) the buyer knows about the defects but is guilty of wishful thinking.  In none of these cases will a “certified” inspection provide the protection of an independent inspection and extended used car warranty.

 

Warranty. A “certified” used car will often cost 10%-25% more.  For a $10,000 used car, that’s $1,000-$2,500.  An extended used car warranty from an independent auto warranty company will often cost about the same.  But the best used car warranties will provide a lot more protection than “certified” used car warranties.  Given that fact, you may end up getting an independent extended car warranty anyway.

Worst of all, certified used cars come with an expensive risk.  They tempt you to let your guard down.  Ford even issued a press release headlined “Pre-Owned Vehicle Program Reduces Customer Buyer Beware.”  As if that were a good thing.

 

Of course, in the end, you may buy a “certified” used car anyway.  These days it seems there are fewer and fewer used cars that aren’t “certified.”  Just make sure to get an independent inspection and an independent used car extended warranty.  “Certified” or not, it’s still a used car.

Thinking about a used car?  Nervous about what’s under the hood?  Used car dealers are feeling your pain all the way to the bank.  In an ironic twist, “pre-owned vehicle” dealers have found a way to profit from their bad reputation. 

 

No, they’re not just selling overpriced used car extended warranties anymore.  They’re charging a 10%-25% markup on used cars “certified” (by them) not to be pieces of junk.  The accompanying “certified” used car warranties in fact usually carry much less protection than the best used car warranties, which you can buy yourself online.  Who needs a used car warranty if your jalopy is a “certified” machine?

 

But even paying 10%-25% more won’t eliminate risk.  Thorough extended warranties for used cars are necessary, “certified” or not.  In some cases, a half-hearted inspection means the certification may not be worth the paper it’s written on.  Used car problems often only appear months or years after purchase.  That’s why even for mint used cars, used car extended warranties are essential.

 

Worse, “certified” used cars don’t always come with any extended used car warranty coverage.  When a “certified” used car warranty is included, it usually has much less coverage than a new car warranty.  Even most standard pre-owned vehicle extended warranties offer much more protection than most “certified” used car warranties.

 

You can almost always do better on your own.  An independent inspection and a used car extended warranty provide better peace of mind, often at a lower price.

 

“Certified” Used Car Inspections Inspected

 

The cornerstone of a “certified” used car program is the supposedly super-thorough inspection.  There are good reasons to think that the inspection does not replace an independent inspection or used car extended warranty coverage.

Are inspections really added value?  Don’t you wonder why dealers aren’t inspecting all their cars before taking delivery themselves?  Car dealers aren’t idiots, at least not with cars.  Anyone who’s had to haggle over a trade-in knows that.  The big question is whether the dealership will disclose everything it knows.  Trust is still an issue with “certified” cars.

 

Certified by whom?  Think about it: the same people who are trying to sell you the car are also “certifying” it.  Yes, you read right: the “certification” is usually done by the dealership selling the car.  If there’s any manufacturer oversight, it’s often just an occasional inspection of the dealer’s inspection.

 

Duplicate inspection.  You should have any used car, “certified” or not, thoroughly inspected by an independent mechanic.  You’re up against an industry that demonstrates about as much trustworthiness as, well, used car dealers.  Do not give up your first line of defense.

 

Limits of inspections.  No inspection in the world can foresee every possible problem.  Oftentimes, something that breaks a few months after purchase really was fine when the car was sold–or was virtually undetectable.  When–not if–something gives out, you’d better have a used car extended warranty.

“Certified” Used Car Warranty Coverage under the Hood

 

The implied selling point of “certified” used cars is they won’t break.  That kind of makes used car extended warranties seem unnecessary.  Naturally, some buyers may wonder what will be happen if something does break anyway.  In order to ease those inquiring minds, “certified” used car warranties often come included, or are at least implied.   Sadly, too few people will inquire further about what the “certified” used car warranty covers.

Does certified mean “under warranty”?  Not necessarily.  The major manufacturers’ “certified” programs usually include some extended warranty protection.  But oftentimes, “certified” cars sold outside of manufacturers’ programs do not come with any extended warranty coverage.  If it does break, tough luck.

 

How good’s the warranty?  The GM Certified Used Vehicle Warranty is only for 3 months or 3,000 miles!  Ford offers longer “certified” warranties.   But they generally aren’t bumper-to-bumper, covering only the “power train.”  Forget about the little extras like the roof or the doors.  Right off the internet, you can buy extended warranty used car coverage that is generally bumper-to-bumper and lasts several years.

“Certified” Used Cars: Extended Warranties Still Needed

 

“Certified” used cars offer two things: an inspection and a used car extended warranty.  Arguably, neither is worth the price.

Inspection.  Let’s face reality.  The junky used car problem doesn’t exist for want of dealer inspections.  Lemons get sold for one of three reasons. a) The defect did not show up in the dealer’s own inspection. b) The dealer is trying to sell a car whose defects were already known. Or sometimes c) the buyer knows about the defects but is guilty of wishful thinking.  In none of these cases will a “certified” inspection provide the protection of an independent inspection and extended used car warranty.

 

Warranty. A “certified” used car will often cost 10%-25% more.  For a $10,000 used car, that’s $1,000-$2,500.  An extended used car warranty from an independent auto warranty company will often cost about the same.  But the best used car warranties will provide a lot more protection than “certified” used car warranties.  Given that fact, you may end up getting an independent extended car warranty anyway.

Worst of all, certified used cars come with an expensive risk.  They tempt you to let your guard down.  Ford even issued a press release headlined “Pre-Owned Vehicle Program Reduces Customer Buyer Beware.”  As if that were a good thing.

 

Of course, in the end, you may buy a “certified” used car anyway.  These days it seems there are fewer and fewer used cars that aren’t “certified.”  Just make sure to get an independent inspection and an independent used car extended warranty.  “Certified” or not, it’s still a used car.



By: Joel Walsh

About the Author:

Please comment!

Choosing the Correct Car Seat

Choosing the correct car seat can often be very confusing as not only have you to ensure the correct size car seat for your child but that the car seat that you choose is also a correct fit for your car. Selecting a car seat that scores highly in the many test reports available is all very well but selecting a car seat that fits your car properly is probably the more important feature for your childs safety.

If you are in any doubt about which car seat is the correct fit for your car either visit our Just4Baby car seat fitting centre or consult the car seat manufacturers web site as many of the leading manufacturers such as Britax, Maxicosi and Renolux will have a Fit Finder guide detailing which of their car seats are most suitable for your model of car.

All child restraints sold in the UK must conform to the United Nations ECE Regulation R44.03 or later version of the standard and must be clearly marked.

Choosing a car seat that is suitable for your childs weight and height.

Group 0+ Infant Carriers

Group 0: for babies upto 10 kgs (22 lbs) approximately from birth to 6-9 months.

Group 0+: for babies upto 13 kg (29lbs) approximately from birth to 12-15 months.

This group of car seat can be used in the front or rear of the car but CANNOT be used in the front passenger seat if there is a passenger airbag. It is safer to put them in the rear. Rearward-facing seats provide greater protection for the baby’s head, neck and spine than forward-facing seats.

Babies should be in a rearward facing car seat and should not be placed in a forward-facing seat until they weigh at least 9 kgs and can sit up unaided. Babies should be kept in a rearward-facing seat for as long as possible. Once your child is above the maximum weight for a rearward-facing seat or the top of their head is above the top of the seat they should be moved into a forward-facing seat. It is not important if their knees are bent in the seat, provided they are still within the seat’s weight range.

Convenience factor with this stage of car seat is that most models will have a carry handle enabling you to easily remove and carry the baby without removing them from the car seat especially handy if the baby is asleep and may also fit onto corresponding pushchair converting it to a travel system.

Group 0+ and 1 Car Seats

Suitable for Babies upto 18kg, Birth to 4 years approximately.

Ideal car seats if you do not have to constantly remove them from car to car or car to home. They are a much larger seat designed to protect your baby from newborn to 4 years approximately. The car seat is used rearward facing when using for a baby up to 9kgs. The car seat can be used forward facing once the baby has reached 9 to 13kg weight. Baby does not have to be forward facing until they are 13 kgs. It is important to check that this style of child car seat is compatible with your vehicle when fitted forward AND rearward facing. You must never leave baby asleep unattended in any car.

Forward-facing child seat

Group 1: for children weighing 9-18 kgs (20-40 lbs) approximately from 9 months – 4 years. Once a child has outgrown a rearwards facing seat, the best option is to use a Group 1 seat with an integral harness, the large area of the harness helps to reduce the risk of injury if there is a crash. The bottom attachment between the legs will also prevent the child from sliding under, and out of the harness. They can be used in the front or rear of the car but it is safer to put them in the rear especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front. Once again it is safest to keep children in this type of car seat until they have outgrown it. Only move your child to a booster seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the child seat or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat. If you intend to use this car seat between two cars please ensure that the model of car seat purchased is suitable for both cars. It maybe simpler to purchase two seats each one fitting the car perfectly rather than buying one seat which may not fit either car perfectly as great care is needed to follow the seat belt routings and tighten well. They can also be car specific for correct fitting and not every child seat fits every car.

With this in mind it maybe worth checking out ISOFIX fitting car seats. This is a system that is intended to make fitting child seats quick and simple. All new cars are manufactured with ISOFIX points built into them allowing ISOFIX child seats to be simply plugged into the ISOFIX points in the car. This is a very useful development as many people find it difficult to fit child seats correctly and many surveys have found that a high proportion of the child seats are not fitted securely enough. Most child seats are currently designed to be fitted by using a car’s adult lap and diagonal seat belt (or sometimes, just a lap belt). However car seats, seat belts and their anchorages vary dramatically between different models of cars. Car seats have different shapes, some seat belts are much shorter than others, the position of the anchor points differs so some are further forward or have shorter stalks than others. All these factors make it virtually impossible to make a child car seat that fits all cars and sometimes tricky to fit a child car seat correctly.

ISOFIX car seats are designed to solve all these problems. The ultimate aim is that any ISOFIX child car seat you buy will fit your car simply by plugging it into the ISOFIX points. The other benefit of ISOFIX is that it will create a rigid link between the child seat and the car to provide extra solidity. It is important to make sure that any ISOFIX seats that you use in the vehicle are approved for it. It is not yet the case that any ISOFIX seat will fit in every car with ISOFIX points. To fit an ISOFIX seat into some cars you may either to use a top tether kit or an ISOFIX car seat that has a drop down leg to stabilise the car seat to the car floor. Please ensure your car is suitable for whichever seat you choose by consulting the relevant manufacturers web site.

Group 2 Child Car Seats: for children weighing 15-25kgs (33-55lbs) from 4 to 10 years approximately.

If your child is over the 25kgs weight but is below 135cm in height it is recommended that the child remain in the seat. The majority of Stage 2 seats have a height adjustable back to allow you to gradually change the height of the back as your child grows; this also changes the height and angle of the seat belt, keeping it constantly in the optimum safest position. These seats do not have to be fitted to each car and will generally fit all vehicles without too many problems – sports car owners with bucket seats will need to choose a seat with a small base.

Group 1 & 2 Child Car Seats:

Suitable for children weighing 9-36kgs (20-80lbs) from 9 months to 12 years approximately or up to 135cms.

There is now a greater choice of car seats in this range than ever before. The car seat will include a child harness to be used up to 15-18kgs then the harness can be removed and the child seat can then use the adult car seat belt with most of these seats having an adjuster or seat belt guide so that the belt does not rub on the childs neck. The back rest of these seats will be height adjustable with some even having width adjustment as well.

Group 3 Child Car Seats:

Usually Suitable for children of 22kgs (48lbs) or 6 years upwards.

This child seat raises the height of the child so they can use the adult seat belt in the correct position.

WARNING:

No child seat is escape proof as harness systems are not designed to be completely child proof in order to comply with the legal requirements of ECE R44. The harness must be fastened and adjusted correctly with children encouraged to sit within the car seats harness.

If child seat has been involved in an accident or sustained any damage whatsoever it must be replaced immediately. Any damage to the car seat is not always visible such as the harness which is designed to stretch helping to prevent damage to the childs internal organs. This can only happen once with any further impact leaving the harness with no more stretch thus risking injury to the child.

This is why you should never use a second hand car seat.

If you allow your child to eat and drink in the car seat please ensure that you keep the buckle of the childs car seat clean as any food or drink that finds its way in may prevent the buckle and harness from working properly.



By: Nishik

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It has been a huge month for us all here at DriveAway Holidays. We kicked July off in style at the annual AFTA National Travel Industry Awards. Always a good night, this year was even more exciting than last as we were hoping to walk off (or drive away with) an award for the third year in a row which is exactly what we did! It was a tense wait, with DriveAway being nominated in one of the last categories to be announced – which may explain the amount of wine being drunk by staff members at the table… But our wait finally came to an end when hosts Larry and Kylie from the Morning Show announced us as winners of the Best Car Rental Wholesaler category. Dan, our MD, gave an Oscar worthy speech and the award was promptly passed around the table for photo ops. A great night all round and another award to add to the DriveAway collection

General consensus among the ladies….it wasn’t as good as last year…but only because last year’s host was the gorgeous Tom Williams! Maybe next year! After celebrating being NTIA’s Best Car Rental Wholesaler 2008, DriveAway Holidays had more cause for celebration this month with our 20th Birthday on 25 July 2008. There was much excitement amongst staff with lots of birthday cake (from www.sweetdreamscakes.com.au), iPod giveaways to our Reservations team and of course, for older staff members, the joy in saying “It’s our 20th birthday” (it’s been a long time since some of us could claim that!). Since the doors opened for DriveAway Holidays 20 years ago in Manly, NSW (now North Sydney, NSW)

-We have become the leader in car rental, car leasing and self-drive holidays.

-We have grown from 2 to over 90 staff.

-We now work with over 20 rental suppliers with access to rates at over 4000 locations worldwide. Of course, we couldn’t have done any of it without the support of our customers, staff past and present, suppliers, partners…so a big thank you to everyone that has helped over the years to make DriveAway the success it is!



By: Car Guru

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I’ve bought and sold over 500 vehicles at various car auctions since 2002. Police auctions, Bank-repo auctions and State & Local Government auctions are all fantastic places to buy cars at wholesale prices. Like anything, however, not every car at these auctions is a winner waiting to be purchased for pennies on the dollar. Finding the best deals at the best auctions takes a little research. But, the fact remains, you’ll never find a better deal on a used car anywhere else.

Why are Auctions such a great place to purchase a car?

The biggest reason, of course, is the price. It is very common to get vehicles for 50% below retail. Especially, given the state of the economy, people want to buy reliable, fuel-efficient cars at great prices. If you can do the leg-work to acquire these cars at auctions…you can quickly start making a very good income for a few hours of work a month.

The other big draw to car auctions is that there are no dealers to argue with. Used car dealers are notorious for doing anything to sell a car. They have this reputation for a reason. By buying at auctions, you don’t have to worry about haggling over prices or having a salesman follow you all over the car lot.

Despite the obvious advantage of buying at auctions, I’m amazed how many people stay away because they think that the vehicles are in poor condition or that there’s some big ’secret’ to finding these car auctions.

These are the two biggest and most expensive myths about Car Auctions….

Firstly, are there junky cars at these auctions? Yes. But are there great cars in great condition? Absolutely.

Over the years, I’ve bought many low-mileage seized autos that were in excellent condition. They were seized from a drug-dealer (or whatever type of criminal) by the police and auctioned off to help the local government raise money. I’ve also found a lot of great deals at Bank-repo auctions. Great cars in great condition that were simply repossessed by the bank because the person didn’t make their payments….and I was there to take advantage of a great deal. I’ve bought a lot of higher-end cars from these two types of auctions (especially BMW’s) because criminals tend to drive nice cars and banks repo cars that someone thought they could afford but really couldn’t.

Another great source of what I like to call more ‘functional’ vehicles are government agency auctions. A lot of state & local agencies are constantly buying new vehicles for their fleet and selling off the old ones. Not just police but, environmental agencies, department of transportation, city inspectors, etc. all drive government owned cars. These are traditionally very well taken care of (they’re required to by law) and have relatively low mileage. These make great resales because they’re cheap, reliable cars and people (especially in this economy with these gas prices) are always looking for such cars.

How do you find the good deals at these auctions?

A lot of people are still scared away from auctions because they think they have to be a mechanic to be able to separate the good cars from the “lemons”. I admit, I fell into this group when I started. At almost every auction you can inspect the cars before submitting a bid. While you won’t be able to take them for a test drive, many will still come with a manufacturer’s warranty. I’ve bought a lot of ‘government’ cars without even seeing them because they are always in such good condition. But here’s a quick checklist which I recommend for anyone just starting out – this will help you avoid getting a ‘lemon’:

1. If possible, start the engine and listen for anything unusual (or to see if it starts at all). Note most auction sites will sell these cars “as-is”. If you’re able to get a look at the car while the engine is running, you’ll be able to tell a great deal about in what condition it’s in. Check the exhaust to make sure it’s clean, check the air conditioning, heat and all the power options (windows, seats, sunroof, etc.).

2. Check for water damage under the seats, floor mats or in the trunk.

3. Lift the hood and check the oil. Check for white bubbles on the dipstick (this means there’s likely water in the oil tank) and check for any grains (i.e. sand or sediment). If the oil looks think and pasty it’s likely the car wasn’t regularly maintained. These aren’t necessarily deal breakers but I’d adjust my bid accordingly.

4. Check the transmission fluid too – you’ll want to see that’s it’s clean and not dark or sticky. Look at the tailpipe for excessive soot.

5. Check the exterior as well. This is easy and you’re really just looking for what condition it’s in. Is there rusting? If so how much? Look for paint bubbles or welding marks. Also, keep an eye out for slightly different shades of paint, rough surfaces or body panels out of alignment. Also, make sure and check the engine compartment for new bolts or bolts which don’t match in color.

As you get more comfortable with buying at car auctions you’ll learn what’s a ‘dealbreaker’ and what’s not. As I mentioned, unless a government car looks really bad in the picture, I’ll submit a bid without even looking at it. Even if a car I’ve just bought needs a tuneup, new brake pads or an alignment, I keep that in mind when I’m bidding. If I can make $2,000 on a resale, I’m happy to spend another $300-$400 to get it into shape. You’re still getting a great deal because of the purchase price.

I would also recommend (especially as you start out) getting a CarFax or AutoCheck vehicle history report. These are cheap ways to get a lot of information on the car you’re interested in.

When I started out, I got an AutoCheck report for every vehicle I was interested in and it gave me more than enough information to make an informed decision.

Even if you DO end up getting a ‘lemon’…i.e. you didn’t get an AutoCheck report and bought it sight unseen and it needs a new transmission that you don’t want to spend the money on? Then you can always sell it at the next auction. Someone will always want to buy it and fix it up…

How do you know what to bid?

Before bidding on any car you should know the “comps” or resale values. Look at Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds.com, the NADguides, the MMR prices (check out our website for more on this) and, of course, ebay motors and autotrader.com. Look for comparable cars with similar mileage and establish a range of prices. The low end of this range is you target bid price.

If the bidding gets too high just walk away…I remember something an experienced auto trader told me at my second auction when I was getting worked up about a BMW I was bidding on. “don’t get to excited kid…In this game, you always have another ‘at bat’ “. What he was saying is: don’t spend too much on a car because there is always another deal out there. I ended up letting that BMW go to someone else but I got another one a week later for several thousand less. I always try to remember that bit of advice.

How do you find these auctions?

A lot of these auctions can be tough to find. Only very recently have they started advertising online but most have had websites up for years. The result is…a simple “Google search” isn’t going to turn up anything.

You can always find some local auctions in the paper which is a good place to start. I’ve spent years compiling a list of these auctions by state which is another good resource to save you a lot of time and money. Check out my site for more.

The bottom line. You can’t afford NOT to look at Car Auctions.

I’ve been amazed at some of the deals I’ve found over the years at these auctions. It’s been enough to surpass my day job and for much less work. Even if you’re interested in just buying one car for yourself, you can’t afford NOT to look at a Car Auction. So what are you waiting for?!



By: Chris Chamberlain

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