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Used Car Values on the Rise

SarahHarris — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:45:58 +0000

If you’re like most people in the market for a new (to you) vehicle, you’re probably allowing the state of the economy to factor heavily in your decision-making process. What this means is that you are likely leaning towards purchasing a used vehicle rather than spending more on a new one when you could face unemployment (and repossession) at any time. Most people these days simply don’t feel like they can afford to take a risk on a new car (even if their finances would allow it). But considering that the price of used cars has gone up significantly over the last couple of years, you may want to rethink your strategy. Here’s the why and how of it.

First of all, you should be aware of just how much prices have gone up. Kelly Blue Book has shown an estimated increase of 39-45% on vehicles that are three years old (the most popular amongst those seeking used cars). And used-car retailers are reporting price bumps of $1,000 to $2,000 across the board, which means you’ll get more on a trade-in, but you’ll also end up paying more when you purchase a used car.So how did we get here?

The recession has certainly played its role. While the housing market favors buyers, with astronomical price drops in property values over the last few years, just the opposite has occurred in the car market. Automakers facing fewer sales have had to cut back on manufacturing in order to reduce costs and stay afloat. In addition, they have stopped offering rebates and bumped up the price tags on their products, in essence striving to make the same amount of money even though they are selling fewer vehicles. This, in turn, has led to increased demand in the used-car market (where prices are always going to be lower than buying new).

But that’s not all. Remember the Cash for Clunkers program of a few years ago, whereby the government offered to buy up used cars from the public in order to turn them into valuable scrap metal? Well, the incentive program meant to stimulate the economy worked so well that we ended up with a shortage of used cars. And of course, the earthquake in Japan halted production in several major automobile manufacturing plants, making for a decided lack of new economy class vehicles in western markets. All of this has contributed to a rise in prices for used cars.

But how can consumers take advantage of this trend? If you’re looking to trade in your current vehicle, you’re in luck because you stand to get more money than you would have a couple years ago. On the other hand, you’ll also pay more if you plan to purchase a used automobile, virtually negating the extra influx of cash. And with the previous model yearof cars netting over 70% of their original value, you might come very close to the cost of a brand new car anyway. So your best bet is to get what you can out of your trade-in and put it towards a new vehicle (which comes with no mileage and a full warranty).

Sarah Danielson writes for Lubrication Specialists, a car website offering the best car parts and accessories at affordable prices. If you are looking for a Fumoto valve or an Espar heater, you’ve come to the right place.

5 of the Smallest Cars You Can Buy

AndrewSalmon — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:27:07 +0000

In today’s world of high gas prices and serious pollution problems, many people are looking into innovative ways to drive their cars. Some people like the idea of hybrid electric cars while others are looking into alternative fuel sources, and then there are the people who believe in microcars and minicars.

The technical definition of a microcar varies from country to country, but some things all microcars tend to share in common is the fact that they only seat up to two people and are much lighter than regular sized cars, and thus utilize less gas and have less wear on the tires. Many micro and minicars are electric cars, so no gas is required at all. Minicars, also known as city cars or subcompacts, can be commonly found on the road – they’re just cars that are smaller than the average full sized car.

If you’re still not sure what a microcar or a minicar is, check out the following five smallest cars you can buy for further information.

1. Pininfarina Bluecar – The Pininfarina Bluecar isn’t just a minicar – it’s an electric car as well. This car became available for purchase in 2009 and sadly for the rest of the world, is only available in France. The original prototype of this car was produced by Bolloré, another French company. This car has a top speed of 130 kilometers an hour and can go from 0-60 in 6.3 seconds. Not bad for a car that only weights 660 pounds.

2. Th!nk City – The Th!nk City electric car is manufactured by the Norwegian electric car company Think Global. The car comes in two models: a two seater and a four seater. It is only available in Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, French, Switzerland and Finland. The company hopes to bring the car to the United States by 2011. It has a top speed of 110 kilometers an hour and only requires around ten hours to reach full charge.

3. Daihatsu Copen – The Copen is a snazzy little two seater roadster by the Japanese company Daihatsu. It was first unveiled to the public in 1999. The Copen weighs 1,830 pounds and can go up to 170 kilometers an hour depending on the type of engine used. The Copen is only available in Japan, Europe, South Africa, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

4. Smart Fortwo – As the name implies, this microcar is designed for two. It was originally known as the Smart City Coupé when it was introduced in 1998. By 2008, Smart, the manufacturer, delivered an all electric version of the car known as the Fortwo ed. The Fortwo is available in Australia, Canada, China, Japan and the United States.

5. Kandi Coco – In addition to running for the title of smallest car, the Kandi Coco is also striving for the title of cheapest car. In Oklahoma, you can get this electric car for $895 thanks for Federal stimulus money. Although not as good as other small commercial vehicles for sale – it can only reach 25 miles per hour and gets about 50 to 60 miles per full charge – for the price you pay it’s certainly worth it.

This post was provided Complete Insurance; a website offering information about auto insurance in Toronto and the rest of Ontario.

Did Toyota Encourage Daihatsu Europe Pull Out?

carlover — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:14:38 +0000

Daihatsu will withdraw from all European markets by January 2013 because of the continuing strength of the Yen the company has announced. There are currently no cars in stock at dealerships, and importer International Motors says it is unlikely that any more will be imported between now and the official withdrawal from the UK and other European markets. In the interim, parts, servicing and warranty work will still be carried out. The company website is now just a lonely single page with a list of dealers and the terse, if heartfelt message: “We thank Daihatsu customers for their past custom and loyalty, and share their disappointment at this news.”

What will thousands of pensioners do now? Is it just the Yen behind this move or is there something else? Suzuki recently had to recall 177,692 of its WagonR and six other mini models including those it produces for other automakers because of defective door parts, but that doesn’t seem to have put it off maintaining a European presence, despite the evident disadvantage of the Yen’s strength. Of course, Suzuki has enjoyed some pretty good results in India, which help to subsidise the UK and European market.

Daihatsu models like Copen had made inroads into a much younger market. Looking like a Corgi version of the Audi TT, the Copen was and is undeniably cute! Driving one meant that women would point and want one while men would look for the hole in the roof where the key went in! Some drivers seemed to be more willing to let the Copen pull out ahead of them at junctions while cyclists appeared to fancy their chances in a game of chicken!

Build quality did seem to vary across some of the range though. Models like the Terios, whilst being an attractive package in terms of cost and real off-road capability, had a notoriously bumpy ride. The Materia is a striking design that drives well and has a reasonable amount of space. The Sirion is nippy city car similar to Subaru’s Justy and although it was never going to challenge the Panda it did feature surprising frequently in the records of temporary car insurance providers, indicating that lot’s of people actually bought one and were willing to lend it out too. Daihatsu were undeniably a popular brand with a pretty loyal following. They were city car specialists, offering small cars and nothing but small cars, so you would think that they had a bright future?

Daihatsu is actually part of the Toyota group, so could the real problem lie partly in the currency but also with the fact that they are part of the wrong Japanese auto group? A flurry of product recalls, government fines, lawsuits and settlements have decimated the reputation of Toyota. Apart from tha, many commentators think they have an aging line up of boring cars. Style didn’t seem to count for much with Toyota as it has historically sold more on reputation, safety and reliability but all the recalls scuppered that proposition. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda acknowledges that Toyota need to improve exterior styling and come up with something more exciting. Removing one possible contender in the quirky design stakes (the Daihatsu Materia for example with its innovative, if polarising, look and style and the funky Copen) would leave the field open for smaller, hopefully trendier, Toyota models. Perhaps it’s on that altar that Daihatsu marque in Europe has been sacrificed?

Affordable Classic Cars!

carlover — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:38:16 +0000

Have you ever found yourself lusting after your dream classic car? That beautiful Jaguar E-Type? A Mercedes 300SL or a Porsche 356 perhaps? The chances are that owning and running one of these beauties will be pretty far out of your price bracket, but fear not, a solution exists for just £3,000.

These fantastic looking roadsters come from the Harrington Group and are accurate half scale models of some of the finest cars ever built. They feature composite bodywork, disc brakes, reverse gears, electric start, working lights and horns, and are powered by 110cc two stroke quad bike engines with a top speed of 43mph. They also produce electric versions, but these top out at a paltry 14mph. The best feature though, as you can see from the pictures is that they are large enough to fit adults as well as children!

Amongst the other models they produce there is a Bugatti T35, a Willis Jeep (or Willys jeep as they like to call it) and micro Vespa’s. They are also looking to revivie the Isetta Bubble Car soon, now rebranded as the ‘Harrington BB’, with a completely rebuilt electric version lovingly crafted to look exactly like the original.

Unfortuantely, there are two slight problems with this wonderful little company:
1. They’re currently overwhelmed with orders, and the waiting list now stands at 3 months.
2. They are based in Vietnam (however you can have your mark of choice imported from as little as £200).
But if you’re willing to wait a few months, and stick and extra few hundred pounds on, one of them could be yours!

Guest post written by Rob, who works for a company specialising in IT Strategy and Data Management and is seriously considering putting his name down on the waiting list.

Ultra Cheap Cars

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:55:39 +0000

Do you need a new car?

You do not need to sign up for a loan and let the banks suck your blood and earn on your new car. We will give you the all necessary information so you can decide which car to buy if you save your lunch money in the next one or two years. The magical words are Ultra cheap Cars. Most of the car makers have some plans for building these ultra cheap cars and the others who do not have plans or ideas for this low segment are desperate and are looking a way how to join this new trend.
These cars are coming new from the factories with a price tag from $2.500 to $10.000.

First on the list is European hit. Dacia Logan is developed with a joint forces of France based Renault and Romanian car producer Dacia. Renault and Dacia launched Logan in 2004. Other car producers on the old continent were caught with their panties down. First the Logan was not taken very seriously because the consumers had an idea that for a good car they need to pay much more. With a base price of $6.600 and an engine with 75 hp it was unbelievable cheaper from the competition. The Romanians stripped all less important systems from the car and even power steering was an optional feature. In 2007 Dacia launched another popular model based on Logan -The Logan-minivan. This seven seat minivan has a price tag of $11.000. Now with a near half a million sold cars in 50 countries Logan is a competitor on which anybody in the car business must count.

Chery QQ is the ultra cheap car and is coming from China. A base model is coming with a price tag of $3.900 and with some extras the price tag is not bigger than $5.200. Chery QQ is coming with a 0.8 or 1.3 liter gasoline engine and it is very similar with Daewoo Matiz and in 2005 GM Daewoo filled a suit against Chery Corporation for copying their car. Chery QQ is very popular in China but also can be bought in Middle East and Latin America. Chery QQ will step on European market later this year and the first destination is Turkey. The USA premiere will be together with bigger brothers in the next few years.
The other Ultra Cheap Car is Merrie Star. The base model is with a price tag of $4.200. It is produced in China and the market is Southeast Asia and Africa. The producer of Merrie Star is Gelly Ningbo Zhejiang factory. Their plans are to show up on the USA market by 2010.

Fiat Palio was launched in Brazil in 1996 with a price tag of around $5.000. The new generation of Palio is really an eye catcher. The European name for Palio is Punto and on the EU market is more expensive. In the last few years the production of Fiat Punto is in the former Yugo factory which will cause further low price tags for this car. The name of the Serbian version of this car is Zastava 10.
In 2002 the Korean car producer Daewoo Motor was bought by GM. The very popular Daewoo Matiz with a base price tag of $5.000 for the Asian market was a good start in the Ultra Cheap Cars Segment, so GM did nothing else but change of the brand and some face lifting. The old-new model was called Spark and the price tag is around $6.000.