Archive for August, 2011
August 18th, 2011 | 
Author: The trauma of the financial markets and rising oil costs have taken their toll on motorists, with research by MoneySupermarket.com suggesting that 5% of British motorists have been forced off the road by the rising cost required to keep their cars on the road.
With oil price increases linked to dwindling demand and no end in sight to the rising cost of car insurance, what options are available for these motorists who are struggling to keep their cars on the road?
Switch to diesel cars
One of the possible alternatives to petrol cars is to purchase a diesel fuelled motor. Diesel cars tend to cost more to buy initially and also cost slightly more per litre of fuel, but have improved massively in recent years. They are now not only on a par performance wise with petrol alternatives, but also tend to be far more economical when it comes to fuel consumption.
For a closer examination let’s take a look at the Ford Focus. The latest 1.6 litre petrol version of the Ford Focus has an average fuel consumption figure of 40.6 miles per gallon (MPG). It would therefore cost the average driver completing 12,000 miles per year, approximately £1,827 ($3,013) annually to fuel the car if petrol prices remain at the current rates.
The Diesel version however has an average fuel consumption figure of 58.8 mpg, and would therefore cost the average driver an estimated £1,297 ($2,138) per year to fill up. This is a fuel saving of over £500 ($824) each year, despite the increased cost per litre of diesel over petrol. This along with the £50 ($82) per year road tax saving on the diesel over the petrol version more than negates the additional £500 ($824) required to buy a diesel over a petrol model if you are planning on owning the vehicle for 12 months or more.
Verdict: The easiest way to overcome rising running costs
Switch to hybrid cars
Another alternative to petrol motors is to purchase a hybrid. This is basically a car which has an electric motor which propels the car at low speeds until the battery runs out. At this time the petrol motor takes over, but the time during which the electric motor is running obviously reduces fuel consumption.
The most famous hybrid currently available is the Toyota Prius which has an average fuel consumption figure of 65.7mpg; an impressive achievement considered that it has a petrol engine and is the size of a normal family hatchback. The average driver doing 12,000 miles per year would therefore spend approximately £1,129 ($1,862) per year to fuel the vehicle.
This is £700 ($1,153) cheaper per year than the petrol Focus, and it is also exempt from road tax thanks to its low C02 emissions, which equates to another £160 ($264) saving. However, it is still over £5,000 ($8,238) more expensive to buy from new than a petrol Focus model, and would therefore take over six years to recover the additional costs required to purchase the Prius over the Focus before you’re started to experience cost savings if fuel rates remained at the current rate.
Verdict: Substantial running cost savings possible; but converting to hybrids not viable in light of the initial cost of buying such models. The Prius is nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
Switch to electric cars
Nissan has become the first car manufacturer to release a mass produced fully electric vehicle with the introduction of the Nissan Leaf. It is capable of completing 100 miles between charges and has a top speed of 92 mph.
Like the Prius, the Leaf is exempt from road tax and it is estimated that it would only cost £300 ($494) per year to charge up the Leaf for a motorist who is completing 12,000 miles annually. This is a remarkable saving of £1,500 ($2,472) per year over the petrol Focus every single year on fuel alone.
However the Leaf costs £25,990 ($42,825) to buy from new, which is over £10,000 ($16,448) more than a brand new Ford Focus. It would therefore take over six years to recover this additional expenditure before cost savings began to be experienced, which is exactly the same figure as with the Prius. The only difference between these two models is that the Leaf is far more impractical, with a lack of recharging outlets and time required to fully charge the batteries making long journeys nigh impossible.
Verdict: Cheaper to run, but much more expensive to buy and very impractical. The world simply isn’t ready for electric cars yet.
Switch to mopeds
Many of the 5% of motorists who gave up their cars altogether seem to have converted to other forms of transport, with this coinciding with a surge in popularity of mopeds and scooters.
This is a result of them being far cheaper to buy and run than cars, with many high quality scooters available to purchase from new for just £500 ($824). On top of this, 50cc scooters such as the Honda Dio are capable of 144mpg which would cost the average motorists just £515 ($849) per year to fuel. This is on top of massive moped insurance savings possible, with moped insurance potentially being up to 75% cheaper than car insurance for young motorists.
Taking this into account the average driver would save approximately £2,900 ($4,780) every single year compared to the how much they would be spending on the running costs of a petrol Ford Focus model. However, there is an inherent danger which comes hand in hand with motorcycle usage. It is likely that this will act as a deterrent to many road users.
Verdict: Much cheaper to buy and run, but also much more dangerous.
Are you thinking about which products to fit on to your car so that you can carry your bikes with you? You must know that in North America there is not a better brand than Yakima. Yakima makes the best custom modifiable bike racks. You can have racks fitted to anywhere you want according to the type of vehicle that you drive.
If you have a sedan then it is best that you get a pair of products that fits the top of your car. Like the Control Towers that they fit on the top your car. The control tower has two different models one that holds two bike the other holds 4. However, the Tower Control are permanent installations- you cannot remove them later. The Tower Control is a premium amongst yakima bike racks. Then, if you have a car that is a wagon then you can get a yakima bike rack that fits on the hitch. Like the Yakima Big Horn that comes for several bikes that you can fit on the hitch. The Big Horn has two receivers that keep the bikes in place. The big horn is a perfect product from Yakima for bike storage.
All of Yakima’s products are very popular throughout the North America and very trusted as well, you can find suppliers from all over the continent.
Budgeting money is a hard task. Being a mom of four kids with very different personalities, I had to buy each one of them different wants. Necessities were fine. However, regulating their caprice was another topic. Looking for the best deals was the safest way out of this problem. Same is with my problem for insurance companies. I maintain a lot of insurance companies; each with a definite function: education and health. Auto insurance is another problem for me. Of all the insurances I keep, I wanted to find a cheap deal. I could not take for granted the needs and wants of the kids so I opt for a cheap auto insurance California. Of course it definitely should be in my area since I live in Los Angeles. The best part was finding just exactly what I needed: free auto insurance quotes! I find it relieving to have it free. For the most part of it, I believe that there are no hidden charges. I trusted the site due to reviews from people who have experienced the service. It would be hard to just take on any package without knowing all the details and I am thankful for the site being very informative. This ought to be the best deal I could find so I grabbed it. I am satisfied with the outcome since I only pay for what I think I might need in the future. I have proven that being a mom makes you find the best deals you never thought you’d find.
Car accidents are common occurrences in and around Boston, Massachusetts. If you have recently been involved in an auto accident in the Boston area you should seek the assistance of a Boston car accident attorney as soon as possible so that he or she can start to collect information about your case.
Hiring a Boston car accident lawyer could be one of the smartest moves you will ever make. If you have been injured and have missed work or are in need of long-term medical care or therapy, a good lawyer will go far in helping you get the compensation you deserve. It is never a good idea to hire the first Boston injury attorney you run across as this would be gambling with your very future.
It is a very bad idea to even consider representing yourself. If you are not all that familiar with how fault is determined or even the basics of Boston car insurance, you will have a lot to learn in a short period of time. Plus, insurance companies hire aggressive lawyers who can easily intimidate the opposing side. What you need to do is to hire a reputable Boston car accident attorney who knows the laws and who is not intimidated by insurance company lawyers.
When looking for floor mats for your sports utility vehicle, you may want to take a look at some rugged ridge floor mats. The thing that is so special about rugged ridge mats is that they protect the interior of your vehicle. These rugged ridge mats keep dirt and debris off of your floor and you can just pull them up and hose them down to get them clean. There is no need to vacuum or wash the mats in a machine. One of the companies in the industry that makes quality accessories for sports utility vehicles is CSE Offroad. Their products are known for their quality and low prices. They have thousands of happily satisfied customers. CSE Offroad specializes in providing accessories and utilities for Jeep and other 4×4 sports utility vehicles. Their rugged ridge floor mats keep all moisture and dirt off of your upholstery and interior. It helps keep it off of your clothes as well. Investing in quality products for your vehicle will keep it in pristine condition for many years to come. There is no need to be ashamed of the way the inside of your vehicle looks because with these rugged ridge mats a dirty and unkempt appearance will be a thing of the past.