Archive for the ‘Economical Car Reviews’ Category

In the past one of the things that most people considered before they purchased a vehicle was how it looked as well as how fast it moved. Today these are some of the least requirements when it comes to what to look for in a car. Due to the difficult economic times we are going through priorities have changed. When considering what you want in the car you are going to buy one of the things that is most likely to top the list is fuel efficiency. You want a car that will not consume a lot of fuel but give you the same service as other cars.

Thanks to improved technology in the car manufacturing industry there are such vehicles today. Cars that consume less fuel and emit less carbon dioxide are the in thing. One thing that is certain is that the fuel prices are not likely to come down in future. Therefore the best thing is to invest in a fuel efficient as well as environment friendly vehicle. Most of the major auto manufacturers have an environmentally friendly car that will cost you less fuel. Most of these vehicles are not very expensive and most people can afford them. Considering the amount of money you will be able to save later on in terms of fuel you don’t have to worry about the purchase price of the vehicle. Check out websites of all leading car manufacturers and you will get a good bargain. There are also numerous auto dealers selling used economical cars for you to choose from.

Vauxhall, bless ‘em, have really made a major thing about trying to corner the market price for the sub compact car in the last 20 to 30 years.

Now that the Vauxhall Corsa has outgrown its micro status and moved into the heavyweight supermini class there has now appeared a gap within their product range and this is one thing that the new car is set to plug.

The idea says the company is to come in and provide a relatively cheap cheerful city car. Basically what has happened with most car manufacturers is that ever since the petrol crisis of the 70s effectively signed the death warrant for the gas guzzlers every man and his dog have been hell bent on trying to provide the smallest and most economic car possible.

The trouble is none of these companies have really got it right from the start and none of them got their analysis of the basic human psychology right.

Yes we all want something for nothing. Yes we all want a car that is as cheap as possible. Yes we’ll want a car that is going to run as cheaply as possible and yes we’ll want a car that would provide all of the previous things (at once as well) but we all want our creature comforts as well.

Therein lines the problem. You see everything is a matter of compromise and nowhere has this become more self-evident than in the sub compact sector of the Automobile Industry. What has happened here is that ever since the manufacturers all launched their micro cars with such missionary zeal in the early eighties is that slowly but surely they have added one extra feature after another so that their original concept has been slowly compromised.

As babies grow into little children and little children grow into big children so have the micro cars grown into the super Mini category. So much so that their involvement has led to manufacturers now announcing that they need a car to take over where the old ones left off.

Such as the new Vauxhall Nova. Proudly following on from the tradition set down in 1983 when the initial Nova was launched, the new Agila as it is now known is aimed at taking off where the original Nova left off. The car is a true hybrid of all of General Motors (Vauxhalls Parent Company) international car divisions. Based around a basic Suzuki platform built at the Japanese companies Hungarian Manufacturing plant the car will share most of its parts with the new Suzuki Splash.

The new Agila is longer than its predecessor but not as tall. The car will come with two classes of petrol driven engine, the 1 litre version and the 1.2 litre version. A 5 speed manual gearbox will be standard in most of the cars but buyers of the 1.2 version will be offered the opportunity of an automatic gearbox.

The company also plans to release a diesel powered version of the car with possibly a 1.3 litre diesel engine in the not too distant future.

The company plan to release the Agila officially to the marketplace at this years Frankfurt motor show in September with the car going on sale to the general public in the spring of 2008.

Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of both Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, said that a new and cheap car that the partners hope to build for India’s booming small car market will not compete directly with Renault’s Logan.

Ghosn added that Nissan and Renault were looking closely at the feasibility of building a $3,000 car in India in a venture with tractor and utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra that would go head-to-head with Tata Motors Ltd.’s sub-$3,000 “People’s Car” due for launch next year.

“Frankly, that’s something that challenges us,” Ghosn said last Wednesday. “These people are serious, we take them seriously.” Such an ultra-cheap car “could have a big potential – bigger than India,” he said.

Earlier this year, Renault began selling its popular Logan in India through a joint venture with local automaker Mahindra & Mahindra, but it is priced in a range of 428,000 rupees to 547,000 rupees. Ghosn said that Nissan and Renault are contacting suppliers in India and analyzing all aspects of producing the less expensive car. “If it makes sense, we’ll be ready to start it,” he said, but did not give a timeframe.”

He added if the companies decide to make the car, they will make two cars from the same platform – one for Nissan and one for Renault. Nissan created an alliance with Renault in 1999. The upcoming cars will likely sport trusted parts like the Nissan strut mount, engines and stylish accessories but will be much cheaper.

By 2010, annual car sales in India are set to nearly double to two million, with small cars making up over two-thirds of the market. It can be noted that huge budding economies like India, China and Russia are the new combat zone for global automakers amid declining sales in aggressive mature markets.

“We cannot accept to be completely taken by surprise by somebody coming with a $3,000 car that could have a potential bigger than India. Nissan and Renault are working on it,” Ghosn said. “One car manufacturer says it is to bring a $3,000 car to India next year and it is a challenge we take seriously. We will be ready when the car comes to the market, we will have enough information, research, discussion. Our obvious partner is Mahindra and we are working with them, but we have not finalized any agreement yet.”

Ghosn said that the super low-cost car under study would not directly compete with the Logan that made its debut in India last month. Indian-assembled Logan cars cost about $9,840, while those made in Romania go for about $8,510. Logans are also built in Brazil, Colombia, Iran, Morocco and Russia. Nissan, Renault and Mahindra are building a plant in Chennai in southern India. The facility will be used to build 400,000 vehicles annually from mid-2009.

Ghosn said that Renault had no specific growth plans in Southeast Asia, as it was busy meeting global demand for the Logan. “Renault’s commitment through 2009, which is based on very clear objectives, is not based on Southeast Asia. It is based on expansion in Russia, India, Eastern Europe and South America,” he said. “But obviously we are not going to leave Southeast Asia for others, particularly where Nissan already has a strong presence.”

The Japanese automaker’s CEO has intimated his skepticism on Thailand’s goal to develop itself into an export hub for small, economical cars in the same way it built a successful small pick-up truck industry. “When you come to smaller cars, you have competitors and the biggest are China and India. Thailand is not so obvious if it is to become a dominant exporter of small cars,” Ghosn said.

The rental car can be a big vacation expense, and getting the best deal you can on the transportation you need is important to keeping your vacation fun while staying within budget.

One way to keep costs as low as possible, of course, is to choose the smallest, most economical car you and your family are comfortable with.

Choosing a compact, subcompact or economy car makes sense on a number of levels. For one thing, such cars are generally less expensive to rent in the first place.

The other important consideration, however, is gas mileage. You as the renter of the car will be responsible for keeping it gassed up, including topping off the tank before returning it.

Buying a car that gets great mileage will definitely help your travel budget stretch farther.

If you need a larger car or minivan, it is important to shop around for the best deal you can find. While it is important to shop around no matter what type of car you are considering, it is even more important when trying to rent vehicles for which there is a lot of demand, like convertibles, minivans or SUV’s.

Shopping around at a number of travel related web sites, as well as at the web sites of the rental companies themselves, is usually the best way to land the best deal.

The length of the rental can have a large impact on the cost as well. Weekly rentals are often far less costly than a comparable daily rate spread over a week. So if your vacation plans are for a week or more, be sure to inquire about special rates.

Joining a frequent renter club, or using the same rental car company each time, is a great way to get some special coupons and some very good deals.

In addition, most car rental companies partner with at least one airline to provide frequent flyer miles or other types of rewards when you rent a car.

In addition, many airlines run bonus programs where you get extra miles or extra credit, so be sure to inquire about these bonuses when making your reservation.

Another great way to save money and keep your rental car budget low is not to buy things you do not need. In most cases, this means waiving the optional collision insurance coverage offered by the rental car company.

Many rental car companies really push this insurance, but in most cases you are already covered and can safely decline it.

For instance, most automobile insurance policies already provide collision coverage for rental cars, so be sure to check with your car insurance company before starting to plan your vacation.

Even if your insurance company does not cover your rental car, chances are one of your credit card companies does. Many credit cards provide coverage for rental cars paid for with the card, so be sure to check with your credit card company to see if they provide this coverage.

Another method to keep rental car costs to a minimum, and one that many people are unaware of, is renting a used car. There are a number of large national companies, and a number of smaller local companies as well, that rent used cars at a much lower price than comparable new cars.

In most cases, these cars are only a few years old, and they provide the same protection, and the same transportation as more costly new cars.

Are you tired of paying too much on your car insurance for the past couple years and you are looking for a new insurance company that will finally cut you some slack? Have you had quite a few speeding tickets and claims on your policy? I am pretty sure that your insurance rates went up quite a bit because of that.

A lot of people feel that the sudden jacked up rates on their policy because of a traffic violation is absurd. Most people can expect to see their insurance almost double because of a bad accident claim on their policy. If you want to look for the cheapest place to get free car insurance you need to go online. However here are some tips to help shopping online for car insurance more profitable for you.

You can find quotes by going directly to the company’s website if you have the time. This can be very time-consuming process if you manually have to go to each and every single website online. There is a faster way to go about it today. This is achieved by going to a sponsored site.

Sponsored sites have all the top companies listed altogether and you only have to enter your information once. If you are serious about lowering your car insurance you should consider what type of vehicle that you drive and find out about any discount programs that might be available. If you drive an economical car that is a gas ever you can expect an auto insurance company to give you a reasonable quote.

Another thing you should consider is where you live at. If you live in a bad neighborhood you can expect your insurance rate to be jacked up. You should do yourself and your wallet a favor by moving to a safer neighborhood. By doing this you will get a lower insurance rate and you will enjoy the comfort of living in a safe neighborhood.