December 30, 2009
Filed under: Car Dealers — admin @ 10:41 pm
Car buyers can beat the VAT increase with a used car from Autoquake.com, as January’s new tax rate pushes up the price of new cars.
Autoquake.com, the UK’s largest online used car retailer, has pledged to absorb the cost of the VAT increase. However, the move from 15% to a 17.5% VAT rate will put £250 on the price of a new car with a £10,000 pre-tax price, so Autoquake.com’s stock will be even better value compared with a new model.
“The VAT increase will increase the price gap between new and used cars,” said Autoquake.com’s Founder, Fredrik Skantze. “With the scrappage scheme likely to run out of money in February, many buyers will once again find a new car is just too expensive. A quality used model is much better value.”
The 17.5% VAT rate and the end of the scrappage scheme won’t be the end of the bad news for new car buyers in 2010, Skantze predicts: “We’ve already seen a number of car manufacturers raise prices in 2009. Ford’s prices have gone up no less than four times in the past 12 months. While the pound remains weak against the euro, increases by other manufacturers can’t be ruled out.”
“Experts are also predicting the cost of steel will increase in 2010, which will add to the cost of manufacture. Don’t be surprised if the new car buyer has to foot the bill,” Skantze concluded.
While VAT applies to the invoice price of every new car, the tax position is more complicated in the used car market. On many used cars, the selling dealer only pays VAT on their profit margin. Even VAT Qualifying cars, which do attract VAT, are valued no differently by trade price guides to any other used car. In effect, this minimises the theoretical impact the VAT increase has on used car prices.
Autoquake.com’s VAT price pledge goes further, however, and means the 17.5% VAT rate won’t add a penny to the price its customers pay.
For more information on the VAT increase visit www.hmrc.gov.uk and for more information on Autoquake.com go to www.autoquake.com.
ends
Filed under: Motoring Laws — Alan @ 6:04 am
As the New Year arrives motorists are being warned not to jump in their vehicles too quickly after waking up from a night of drinking.
The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is issuing reminders to drivers that during the festive season they need to take caution on the roads as snow storms are once again expected in many areas across the UK.
The Institute said that it is likely that the weather conditions will be a bad mix with the amount of drivers who will be driving into shopping centres and towns for New Year’s Day sales.
The IAM added that the fact that many of these drivers may not realize they are still under the influence from celebrations the night before only makes matters worse.
Although most people are aware of the dangers of drink-driving while engaging in nighttime activities, most people do not realize the danger in driving to soon the next morning.
In fact, according to the IAM it can take as long as 12 hours for three glasses of wine or four pints to get out of a person’s system, which means that if their last drink was at 1am they should not be behind the wheel until lunch the next day.
Chief examiner for the charity Peter Rodger stated that the current weather forecast combined with morning after drink driving can possibly cause many problems.
The IAM advised using extreme caution while driving and taking the time to plan out your trip and listen to all travel bulletins before heading out.
December 29, 2009
Filed under: Motoring Laws — Alan @ 9:24 am
Driving and using mobile phones is increasing despite the fact that penalties have been increased over the last few years.
A new survey that was released yesterday showed that out of 14,000 vehicles, 2.8% of the drivers were illegally found to be using a handheld mobile, compared to the slightly lower figure of 2.6% in 2006.
The London study found that even though driving with a handheld mobile decreased the amount of drivers down to 1.4% initially, it rose over the course of last year and 2009 past its initial rankings.
Scotland’s police have also reported that the number of drivers using a mobile has risen as well, with offences souring to about 13,000 in March and the total for 2008 had also almost been reached before summer had even arrived.
The Lothian and Borders Police also reported an increase in incidents marking a huge increase in the amount of cases they have had since last year.
A spokesman for the police agency stated that the Lothian and Borders Police are committed to keeping the roads safe and thus treat all offences seriously including mobile phone distractions which can increase the chances of a motorist having an accident.
The spokesman also noted that the violation for driving with a handset is three points on a licence and a £60 fine.
An additional survey by the Association of British Insurers listed mobile handset use while driving as one of the largest menaces that is currently on the road.
December 28, 2009
Filed under: Motoring statistics — Alan @ 7:35 am
New figures from the police show that the M11 Woordford, Essex speed camera is the busiest out of all of Britain’s CCTVs due to the fact that it has caught a little over 38,000 speeders which have resulted in £2.3m in fines.
The busiest speed camera in the London area in 2006 and 2007 was the East London Limehouse Link Tunnel camera which caught about seven thousand and five thousand drivers speeding respectively.
Last year however, the Limehouse camera lost its title as the busiest London camera to the A316 camera on Country Way towards the Kemptom Park Racecourse when it caught almost 8500 speeders.
In the Surrey area the A3 Esher bypass camera is also notable given that it has been responsible for catching almost 13,000 speeders over the past three years.
Additionally, a camera in Nottinghamshire on the southbound Elkesley A1 is also one of the busiest cameras at one point catching around a thousand speeders a month. Over the last three years the camera has a caught a total of 23,000 speeders.
Finally, a Sussex camera also gets kudos as the best CCTV camera in its region as the Preston Road, Brighton CCTV caught about 6500 speeders in 2005 although its offenders dropped off in following years.
December 23, 2009
Filed under: Car Maintenance, Gadgets — admin @ 11:35 am
A new ATA (Automotive Technician Accreditation) iPhone app which helps drivers locate a skilled and fully-qualified technician has now been launched.
The free, easy-to-use app can be downloaded immediately to help drivers make sure their car is safe before driving off to visit relatives.
The Institute of the Motor Industry developed the programme, which helps locate a garage with ATA-registered technicians you know you can rely on.
Just search for “ATA Find A Mechanic” at the Apps Store on your iPhone. Or visit OKwithATA.com.
Don’t forget your car needs regular servicing – don’t just rely on a MOT – especially with the recent cold weather. The IMI also recomends getting your tyres and oil checked before embarking on a long journey this Christmas. And while you’re preparing for your Christmas road trip – a few other top tips from the ATA to help you on your way (other than to perfect your fake ‘It’s just what I’ve always wanted!’ smile):
1. Check if the garage employs ATA technicians and/or IMI members, who all possess a membership card to show they are suitably qualified. Alternatively ask if the business is registered with a Trading Standards scheme.
2. Ensure that the garage is familiar with your car’s make and model.
3. Prior to booking your car in, consider how it’s been running. Be honest – inform the service staff of any problems and/or any recent work carried out.
4. Check what is included within the service – ask to see a copy of the service schedule for your vehicle type.
5. Check the breakdown of costs, including all parts, consumables, labour and VAT – you should know exactly what you are paying for.
6. Insist that no additional work is undertaken without your express permission. If recommended, this should be quoted against, not estimated.
7 Ask for any replaced parts to be retained for your inspection upon collection.
8. Ensure that you receive a detailed itemised report with a verbal explanation of the work undertaken and/or recommended. Ask about the garage’s quality control checks and make sure your service book is stamped.
9. Ensure that the name of the technician that works on your car is detailed on your invoice. Ask to speak to him or her specifically, if you have any concerns or require necessary explanations.
10. Ensure that you receive a guarantee. Make sure you know what it covers, check the period of validity and identify the complaints procedure, should a query arise.
Filed under: Motor Insurance — Alan @ 9:05 am
The AA found that the snow and ice storms that brushed across Britain last week also brought with it an additional rise in car insurance claims.
On Friday AA car insurance had about 100 claims for accidents by lunch time due to the icy and snowy conditions.
The most common claim for the day was a rear end accident, in which one car ran into the other due to ice on the roads. Second most common for the day was sliding into moving vehicles at junctions, roundabouts, and bends.
However, even staying off the roads did not assure that Brits made it through the day undamaged as some claims were caused by drivers losing control and hitting stationary parked cars on the side of the road.
In fact, one AA customer filed a claim for an accident that occurred in his driveway when his vehicle was struck and pushed through the garage door.
The AA warned also that failing to clean off the snow and ice from a car before taking off also places others at risk due to the fact that it can fall off while the car is moving hitting others on the road and pedestrians.
In one accident snow and ice flew off of a lorry causing a seven car pileup.
Other roadside items such as bollards, phone boxes, and lamp posts can also become obstacles since drivers can lose control on icy roads and slide into them resulting in damage to their vehicles.
Additionally, AA often sees claims from drivers that have slide into skips, ridden up on a kerb, or fell into a ditch.
Filed under: Car Models — admin @ 8:39 am
Honda just may have produced something of a masterpiece with their Honda Civic Type R Mugen , even the name sounds impressive! Maybe it’s about time you traded in your Panda for one of these mean, lean sports machines. If it’s something more of a saloon you are after read on for the guide to Honda’s best.
The Honda stable of sports models makes a powerful statement. The sculptured lines of the emotion-packed, high-performance sports cars are a fascinating and unique interpretation of power, dynamism, intelligence and style. As a family/ Sports saloon, the favourite has to be the Honda Accord Type S. Equipped with Hondas most powerful diesel engine ever (2.2 i-DTEC), the Honda Accord saloon Type S delivers 180PS for a truly exhilarating drive. The all-aluminium lightweight engine also offers impressive fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures.
Bold 18″ alloy wheels and GT aero kit add to the Honda Accord Type S’s muscular styling to give a real road presence and sporty look. And among the choice of colours are two exclusive new ones: Premium White Pearl or Basque Red Pearl which make the Honda accord Type S a real stunner in both style as well as the incredible performance from the Dtec engine.
For a driver wanting a saloon without the sporty show then the Honda Accord Saloon is such a good drive with safety features second to none, that there is nothing that today’s manic traffic can throw at the Honda Accord saloon that the car couldn’t handle. Drivers will love the touch screen facilities the hands free options and voice control, things you would only see in far more expensive so called executive cars. Extremely good value for money for a very high specification car – that the Honda Accord Saloon
If you are a lover of estates or tourers then you really should experience the new Accord Tourer/estate. You will definitely be impressed. The car’s, ’sharp look, with a lower and wider stance than the previous car’, the ‘impressive legroom’ and new springs and dampers, mean that, the Accord Tourer is the best yet in terms of driving enjoyment and the really good news? Despite all the improvements and extra features, prices are incredibly competitive for the Honda Tourer. As the new Accord joins the premium sector, perhaps BMW and Mercedes will finally sit up and take note!
The civic Type R is amazing and inside it is gorgeous; just sink into its seats. It could even be said that the Civic Type R is better than the golf GT or GTI. It is a tough one but maybe the Honda Type R has beat it. It feels good, it’s sporty and smooth, its techno, its interior is great, the looks are ok, yet much nicer on the Civic Type R with the grill and the little bits. The reliability is fantastic too! Your only problem with the Civic Type R is just deciding which of the cool accessories to get!!
1.And then there is even more!! MUGEN is bringing its unlimited engineering expertise to the Civic Type R with just 20 exclusive, Championship White cars being hand built to exact customer specifications in the UK.
2.The Civic Type R MUGEN features the first MUGEN-tuned engine ever available on UK roads. And this exclusive, pure bred performance car can be yours for £38,599.
3.The Civic Type R MUGEN turned heads at the concept stage. And now MUGEN can offer up to 20 production versions of these exclusive cars. Each one will be precision engineered in the UK by MUGEN and built by hand to exact customer specifications.
4.Few people have ever had the chance to sit behind the wheel of such a pure-bred performance car. And fewer still have had the chance to own one. Now that chance can be yours, for £38,599 on the road.
At last, the Honda range of cars from the Civic and the Civic Type R to the Mugen and the Honda Accord to the Honda Accord Type S can stand a lot more proudly alongside its European competitors….watch out Audi and BMW!
December 22, 2009
Filed under: Motor industry — Alan @ 9:48 am
Auto Trader magazine named the Ford Focus the most popular vehicle of the decade in a new poll, beating out the Ford Fiesta which took second place, the BMW 3 Series in third, and the Ford Mondeo which came in fourth. Rounding out the poll was the Vauxhall Astra in last place at number five.
Other awards bestowed on car models over the last decade by the magazine included the dream car won by the Bugatti Veryron and the most environmentally friendly car, or ‘greenest,’ the Toyota Prius. While it is possible that your neighbour may own the Prius, the Bugatti is truly a dream car owned by the likes of Jenson Button and Simon Cowell which is also possibly why it also won the award for most overpriced car of the last decade.
The top motoring personality award went to Jeremy Clarkson, the top accessory was the clever Baby on Board sign with the car freshener following in a close second, and the best celebrity motor went to the Range Rover.
Also polled were the best value for the money cars which saw the Fiat Panda take first place followed closely by the Skoda Superb and Toyota Aygo in second and third place respectively. Rounding out the list in fourth and fifth place were the Kia Ceed and the Citroen Xsara Picasso.
December 21, 2009
Filed under: Motor industry — Alan @ 9:06 am
Last month new car registrations increased by over 57% as buyers took advantage of the cash for bangers scheme and the now lowered VAT rate.
The scrappage scheme will end when funding runs out of at the close of February. So far it has been used on 21.6% of about 160,000 vehicles that were registered in November. This is over 50% more than in November of 2008.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) chief executive Paul Everitt stated that the car registration increase shows that the incentive scheme has been successful with customers.
The terms of the scheme allow buyers to receive a £2000 discount if they also trade in a vehicle that is ten or more years old.
Everritt estimated that the scheme has about £125m of funding left. On Wednesday, he asked the Government to think about extending the deadline for the scheme.
However, the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said that the industry will have to deal with normal market conditions once again, which quashed hopes among many that the scheme would be extended.
The 57% increase was a large jump over previous months such as September which had an 11% increase and August which saw only a 6% increase.
For the most part, the large increase was a result of private buyers taking advantage of the scheme.
Yet, even with the huge increase the total sales figures for November are still down by about nine percent when compared to the total sales of last year.
December 18, 2009
Filed under: Drivers, Motor industry — admin @ 3:32 pm
2009 has been a turbulent year for the vehicle tracking market which has seen many tracking companies fall by the wayside as the recession and more specifically the credit crunch hit. But what will be the legacy of 2009 and what does 2010 hold for the industry.
Lease Financing Availability
One of the biggest problems to affect the vehicle tracking sector in 2009 was the difficulty in obtaining lease finance for customers wanting to buy tracking systems. Lease finance spreads the cost of a tracking system over the duration of the contract period and is often the preferred way to buy vehicle tracking, in most cases leasing requires no capital outlay and offers return on investment from the word go.
The availability of business leasing is improving, especially in the SME sector but not for tracking suppliers. www.TrackCompare.co.uk surveyed the major lease underwriters and found that although the lending criteria for potential customers has relaxed, the criteria for vehicle tracking providers has not and many underwriters are limiting their activities to ‘the big 5’ tracking companies.
The underwriters have reported significant losses in the vehicle tracking sector and now see it as a high risk market as should the tracking company go under, the tracking system becomes unusable and there are is little tangible value that can be recovered.
Customer Confidence Damaged
One of the biggest casualties of 2009 are without doubt the customers that bought vehicle tracking systems that were subsequently switched off when their parent companies closed. Many customers have been left with debts of thousands with no tracking system to use.
Tracking horror stories have spread like wildfire and customer confidence in tracking systems and their providers has been seriously affected. Efforts by tracking companies to offer ‘no risk’ financing systems have gone some way to restoring confidence but often means higher costs for the customer and their long term feasibility is in some cases questionable.
What Does 2010 Hold For Tracking
The vehicle tracking market is expected to double by 2012 which is great news. The tracking sector does however have a big job to do in restoring the confidence in potential buyers and suppliers should expect them to be more cautious and meticulous in their choice of partner.
The job of the smaller players and new companies in the tracking market will be more difficult in 2010, being unable to offer lease finance will make selling to companies who need a monthly payment option harder, unless they have enough financial backing to underwrite the upfront costs themselves.
This will inevitably affect choice and competition for customers, tracking pricing has fallen significantly in recent years due in part to cost reductions in technology and data but the key driver has without doubt been competition.
Despite this, from the perspective of potential tracking customers there has never been a better time to consider tracking. There are more products, more finance options and more competition in the market than ever before. By choosing the right tracking partner a business can revolutionise its operation overnight and the massive benefits that vehicle tracking systems can bring should not be overshadowed by the problems of 2009.
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