Keeping the Cost of Car Warranties Low

January 13th, 2012 Admin LKF

Consumers who are looking for car warranties obviously want to get the best deal they possibly can. Not only is the UK struggling through austerity measures but there are growing worries that there will be a new recession and why it is also vital to protect the assets they currently have. Keeping the cost of car warranties low is one area where Warrantywise can be of great help whether a customer is looking for a Mitsubishi Warranty or a service and maintenance plan on a BMW.

Warrantywise is a VAT registered firm which is the foundation of how warranty costs can be kept low for consumers. The reason for this is because all VAT can be reclaimed on all service, maintenance and overhead, as well as on repair bills which are part of our customers’ plans. This is different than the traditional type of warranty which operates on an insurance model.

What this means to you is that 15% of the money you pay for a plan such as an Audi Warranty would necessarily need to go to a parent company. This is 15% Warrantywise does not need to charge their customers because they don’t operate on the traditional insurance model. Typical warranty insurance companies are owned or licensed under a parent insurance company but Warrantywise is independently owned. Of course, the 5% IPT (Insurance Premium Tax) wouldn’t need to be paid either. That totals 20% which doesn’t need to be passed on to the consumer, and that alone is a significant savings.

When all these things are added up, the savings which Warrantywise customers can take advantage of equals 40%! That would be 20% on VAT, 15% not given to parent companies and 5% on IPT. Whether you are in need of a Suzuki Warranty or a Mitsubishi service plan, the cost can be kept low because of the way in which Warrantywise operates. With over 30 years in the business, this is a savings you can count on.

 

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Ten Great Movie Cars

January 9th, 2012 Admin ISK

We all enjoy settling down for a great movie and most of us appreciate the finer qualities of a cracking good car; which means that it is no surprise the following cars remain so popular.

The Italian Job – Mini Cooper

This vehicle is so famous that I knew all about it before I even saw the movie. The brilliant driving sequences remain among the best ever shot and if I ever buy a Mini it will be almost entirely due to this film.

Back to the Future – DeLorean

Apparently they chose a DeLorean so that it could fit in with the joke about it being a flying saucer, and it was the perfect choice. Even in the 1985 scenes is looked futuristic and when they go back to 1955 is just looks so out of place. It seems that the original script had Marty McFly time travelling in a fridge but what a good thing it was that they changed their minds.

The Dukes of Hazzard – Dodge

I have to admit that my fondness for this car comes from the television series rather than the film, but I guess that plenty of people see things the other way round. I don’t think that I have ever seen anyone else climb in a car without opening the doors first and I am still waiting for the perfect opportunity in a darkened car park to give it a try one day.

James Bond – Aston Martin

Has there ever been a cooler car or a cooler guy? Admit it, when he drove that car you wanted to be James Bond, even if it meant being chased by fearsome henchmen all the time. It didn’t seem to do his popularity with the ladies any harm either, did it?

Herbie – Beetle

This cute little Beetle was a sensitive soul, wasn’t he? I haven’t seen him for a while but he is still one of my favourite cars of all time.

Ghostbusters- Cadillac

Do you remember this bizarre vehicle? It was certainly big enough to fit in all of their ghost busting gear. Not the sportiest model around and I wouldn’t really want one myself but it was certainly right for the part.

Wayne’s World – AMC Pacer

I only saw this movie once but I seem to remember that it was in this car that they sung their famous version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Blues Brothers- Dodge

This wasn’t quite as smart as a few of the others on the list but it made its way in movie car history by feeling like an integral part of the story.

Ferris Bueller- Ferrari

This car ended up in a bit of a bad way in this classic movie but it had played a big part in it before crashing through a glass window.

Grease – Ford Deluxe

I bet you can even remember at least half the words to the Greased Lightning song, can’t you? I would just love to own a car like this but then I don’t think I have the John Travolta cool to pull it off.

If you don’t fancy a drive-in why not try your local showcase cinemas, with cinemas in Leeds and throughout the rest of the UK.

 

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The right sized car for you

September 28th, 2011 admin

As we go through different phases in our lives, our needs for different kinds of car change.

When we first learn to drive, most people prefer small economical cars that are relatively cheap to insure. Small used cars are very popular amongst new and learner drivers and even with those, one of the major expenditures is insurance.

As we become more experienced drivers, insurance premiums begin to fall due to our age and experience and hopefully we will have built up a no-claims discount. At this stage we can raise our sights somewhat and look for a car with somewhat more attitude.  If we can afford it, then we might move on to small higher performance cars, maybe a two seater or a hot hatchback.

Once we find a partner, settle down and start a family there are many different considerations to take account of; for instance we need a car that will carry a child seat and all the other paraphernalia (such as a buggy) that is associated with children. As it is human nature to care more about the safety of our children than the safety of ourselves, the safety of the car becomes more important too.

As our family grows, so too does our need for a larger car in order to transport them all around and for family holidays. Perhaps at this stage we might be looking for a considerably larger vehicle: a large family car, a 4×4 or even a people carrier.

Eventually, as our children grow older and leave to go to university, get married and start their own families, we might begin to think of downsizing our car. Now that we have more independence from our children we can probably afford a more luxurious vehicle. Perhaps we can afford that car of our dreams, perhaps a high performance sports car or a luxury saloon.

Once we retire our needs change again. Rather than performance; comfort, luxury and reliability might be our most pressing needs. We are likely to worry a little more about economy too, especially if we are dependent on a pension.

Naturally these are all generalisations and not everybody is the same, however needs do change over time as does the amount of disposable income we have, and this is reflected in the cars that we drive.

If you are looking for a quality used BMW visit motors.co.uk, they have all the models and cover the whole of the UK so there will be a car for you on their.

 

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Quality Insurance for Your BMW

September 14th, 2011 Admin UHB

If you own a BMW, you probably love your car. Whether it is a 135 coupe or a X6, you care about it a lot. You have also spent a lot of money to buy it. These are not cars that come cheap. As a result, you also need to make sure that you have a quality insurance plan for your BMW. When you decide to get a car insurance comparison, you do not just want to look at the price. You also want to look at what the different plans have to offer. This is the only way to know if the plan is going to be a good one for you to buy.

The first thing to look at is the deductible. You want to see how much they are going to make you pay when something happens. You do not want to have a high deductible unless you are getting an incredible amount of savings each month. Many drivers forget to look at this, and they are shocked when they still have to pay five hundred dollars after an accident. They thought that they had full coverage, and they were right. They just did not know exactly what that meant.

Next, you must look at what types of things are covered. With a BMW, you want to get comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. The benefits of collision coverage are fairly obvious. It will pay for you to have the car fixed or replaced after you are in an accident. The comprehensive coverage will also pay for anything that happens when you are not in an accident. For example, someone might vandalize your car. It might catch on fire if there is an engine problem that you do not know about. It might just get hit while it is sitting on the side of the road. When any of these things happen, you want to know that your insurance company is going to help.

If you take your time and compare car insurance plans, you will find a good one. You will find one that protects the car that you love.

 

Posted in BMW Cars, Bimmer Guide
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Review of Used BMWs under $8000

September 12th, 2011 admin

The reliability of any BMW means that you can easily acquire a used version of any of the individual models for $8,000 or less and if you look hard enough, there are some real bargains to be had. Here are some of the best BMWs available for less than $8,000.

5 Series Touring

The Touring versions of the popular BMW makes always get mixed reviews but the general consensus is, that while they aren’t terribly practical as a station wagon, they are some of the best pure driving cars in the world. The 5 Series Tourer is a regular award winner and you can pick up a quality version for around the $6,400 mark.

3 Series

You only have to keep your eyes on the road to see just how many used BMW 3 Series are around and this gives you a perfect illustration of their reliability and longevity. Many of the old 3 Series vehicles still in use range in age from around 15 to 20 years old and you can easily pick up a top quality used car for as little as $2,400.

Z3

Finding a Z3 at under $8,000 may be a little more difficult but they certainly do exist. This popular sports car was introduced to the market back in 1996 and sales were given a huge boost when it was used in the James Bond movie, “Goldeneye”. Buying one without the spy gadgets is easy and sales have remained constant after that Bond inspired spike. You can pay a huge range of prices for a used Z3 but it is possible to pick up some of the earlier versions for around $6,400.

1 Series

In 2004, BMW introduced the 1 Series and its arrival was met with approval and cynicism in equal measure. Critics derided the car as a ‘token gesture’ to the move to smaller vehicles but sales have been good since its launch. This is a great entry level BMW that gives you all the reliability that you would expect from this manufacturer but at a much more affordable price. Overall running costs are low at the same time and this is another reason for the car’s popularity. Because they haven’t been around for that long, it can be difficult to find a Used BMW to suit your budget here but it is possible to pick up a 1 Series for a shade under the $8,000 mark.

730 D SE Auto

You may want to argue that BMW can’t make a small car but for many consumers they lead the way in executive luxury vehicles. The 7 Series has been around for over 30 years and for most of that time has been seen by many as the pinnacle of the range. Comfort and luxury lead the way with this car and while the price of a new 7 Series may be prohibitive, used cars are reasonably priced. For a fraction under $8,000, it is possible to pick up a second hand 730 D SE Auto if you look hard enough.

These are just the pick of the range but across the full selection of models, used BMWs can be bought for under $8,000. Remember that they are built to last so you could be picking up a bargain.

 

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Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Hybrid Car

July 31st, 2011 admin

1. – Gas Savings – Hybrid cars can get up to 60 mpg (miles per gallon), due to their advanced aerodynamics, engine efficiency, tire technology (which is so different to the standard cars) just to mention some of its characteristics.

2. – Environmental Issues – Reduced gas emissions equals less air pollution because a hybrid car has an electric motor and batteries to rely on when the gasoline engine is not in use. They can reduce smog up to 90%.

3. – Better engine efficiency – Reducing the overall weight of the hybrid car is a way to increase its efficiency, smaller engines equals better efficiency. Another way is how the hybrid cars recharge they batteries, the hybrids battery pack never needs to be charged from an external source, every time you hit the brake, the brake system stores some of the energy to the batteries (this is known as regenerative braking). Also the batteries get recharged by the gasoline engine when necessary.

4. – Low Maintenance costs – The electrical motor and the batteries dont require any maintenance; they have the same life span as the car itself. The gas engine doesnt require any more maintenance than any other normal car.

5. – Government Incentives – Theres a federal tax deduction for hybrid cars; the new hybrid car tax credit is divided into two parts with tax credits ranging from $400 to $3400. The great news is that a credit is much better than a deduction since the credit does reduce the taxes that are owed. The deduction simply reduces the amount of taxable income.

 

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To Purchase A Full Size Sedan

July 24th, 2011 admin

In the United States, this vehicle is known as the sedan. However, if you travel to those areas where British English is spoken, you would come to know that it is not known as the sedan there but as a saloon. The sedan is known as one of the most common body styles of an automobile. The most basic parts of a sedan comprise of a hood that covers the engine in the front, the passenger car itself, and a separate trunk for luggage which is typically found at the rear of the vehicle.

If you are opting to purchase a sedan for yourself, the first thing to do would be to find out just how much are you willing to spend on this type of car. The price for full size sedans range from around $16,000 to $30,000. Also, it is very much recommended that you also try to think just what features do you want your vehicle to hold. You can decide which one is the most important among safety, performance, value, handling, comfort, reliability, dealer service, appearance, interior room and space, amount of cargo, and gas mileage.

Take out a pen and a piece of paper and start listing down the makes and models of vehicles that you would want to consider. You can do some research on these sedans you have listed. To assist you, there are automobile magazines that provide reviews and vehicle specifications. Also, you can just log in to the Internet and there are plenty of pieces of information on vehicles. If you are concerned about safety, you can check out crash test data from various organizations who do them like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) which holds and publishes vehicle ratings at their website at www.hwysafety.org.

You may also want to consider the resale value of your vehicle. You see, the value of full size sedans dwindle down for each year. So you may want to put that into perspective. Also try talking to insurance companies about your choices for your full size vehicle. Remember that any piece of information regarding costs and other vehicle specification would help you out a lot in deciding which full size sedan could fit your lifestyle, your needs, your wants, as well as your budget.

In addition, Car Parts Rush makes sure it has a superior stock of Jeep parts and other vehicle parts to assist vehicle owners in preserving the quality, agility, and performance of their vehicles. The parts are made from high quality materials and are offered at low discount prices.

 

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To buy or to lease?

July 16th, 2011 admin

Buy or Lease?

Its the classic dilemma that faces every auto-consumer out there: Pay
cash upfront or forego the ownership and pay monthly settlements instead?
Buy or lease for a new set of wheels?

As is the case with every other common dilemma, there is no slam-dunk
answer. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks, and it all depends on a set of financial and personal considerations.

First, your finances. Affordability is clearly key, and you need to ask the question of how stable is your job and how healthy is your general
financial situation. The short-term monthly-cost of leasing is significantly lower than the monthly payments when buying: you only pay for the portion of the vehicles cost that you use up during the time you drive it.

If you have a lot of cash upfront, then you can opt to pay the down
payment, sales taxes – in cash or rolled into a loan – and the interest
rate determined by your loan company. Buying effectively gives you
ownership of the car and that feeling of free driving that goes on
providing transportation.

If, say, you want to get into luxury models but cant afford the upfront
cash of purchasing the vehicle than youre a good candidate for leasing.
Unlike buying, it gives you the option of not having to fork out the down
payment upfront, leaving you to pay a lower money factor that is generally similar to the interest rate on a financing loan. However, these benefits
have a price: terminating a lease early or defaulting on your monthly lease payments will result in stiff financial penalties and can ruin your credit.
You need to make sure you carve out the monthly lease payment in your
budget for the foreseeable future, at least for the duration of the lease.

Besides the financial aspect, making a buy or lease decision depends on
your own particular lifestyle choices and preferences. Think about what the car means to you: are you the sort of person to bond with the car or would you rather have the excitement of something new? If you want to drive a car for more than fives years, negotiate carefully and buy the car you like. If, on the other hand, you dont like the idea of ownership and prefer to drive a new car every two to three years then you should lease. Next, factor your transportation needs: How many miles do you drive a year?

How properly do you maintain your cars? If you answer is: I drive 40,000
miles a year and I dont really care much about my cars as I dont mind
dealing with repair bills, then youre probably better off buying. Leasing is based on the assumption of limited-mileage, usually no more than 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, and wear-and-tear considerations. Unless you can keep within the prescribed mileage limits and keep the car in a good condition at the end of your lease, you might incur hefty end-of-lease costs.

 

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Tires, Living Longer Lives

July 8th, 2011 admin

Your cars tires are those rubber things that serve as the in-between between your car and you and the wide open road. In fact, these tires actually give you much comfort than you expect them to give you. You do not feel much of the bumps and potholes on the road because of these tires.

With this in mind, it is important that you do take good care of your tires. In fact, you would not want to be driving a car that has worn out tires in it. You see, having a car with worn out tires could lead to having a car suffering from major problems. Aside from this, your chances of meeting a flat tire or having one of your tires blow up would be much greater. That is why it is important for you to maintain them. In fact, the more you take good care of them, the more and the longer they will live.

At least once a month, you should check their pressure. All tires should be checked. To be sure that you have put in the right amount of pressure, check your car owners manual. You may also find the information regarding this stamped on the side of the tire. Make sure that you do not under inflate them or over inflate them.

While driving, if you notice that your car is going to one direction even if you are driving on a straight road, then would be the time to have the wheels aligned. By doing such, you are driving much safely and you also are lessening the pressure on the tires thus making them last longer. You should also have the wheels checked and balanced if you do feel consistent vibrations while driving at certain speeds.

 

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Tired Of Tinted Windows?

June 27th, 2011 admin

You may have liked having tinted car windows ages ago. But now, it seems like tinted windows are a thing of the past for you and you would like to see your cars windows clear and clean.

Window tints are also known as window films. They are plastic films or even metallic laminates which are transparent. They are, as their name implies, applied to glass windows. They are much used in cars, automobiles, and vehicles for these window tints actually reduce any visible light that goes through the cars windows and into the interior of the vehicle itself. They are very helpful especially when you live in areas where the sun seems to shine brightest.

On the other hand, window tints could also be quite a problem especially during night time. Because they darken the light that goes into the vehicle, the driver sometimes cannot see any road hazards that might be lurking on the streets and highways. This is why there are rules and regulations that the government has done so as to make sure that the window tints and films that would be used for automobile windows are not so dark that they could actually endanger the wellbeing of the driver, his passengers, and other motorists.

You can bring your car to a shop that offers services like removing the tint from your windows. Of course, you do have to pay a fee for such a service. But you can do the removing yourself and you would save yourself more money which you could use to purchase Merkur auto parts for your car.

A single-edged razor, a clean rag, as well as a spray cleaner would be used to remove the tint from your windows. You start by grab a corner of the film using the razor. Then you can pull the film off once you have a corner of the film already peeled off.

When you get the film off, you should put on the spray cleaner to the glass. This would clean up any remains of the film. Let the cleaner stay on the glass for around twenty minutes. Spray on more cleaner if you think your window needs more of that. Then, with the help of the razor, you can scrape off any of the residue. After that, just wipe the glass and your window is now tint-free.

 

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