Author Archives: blogger

Color Trend In Small Cars

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Small, efficient, smart and bright colored cars are the trend for 2010 in the automotive market. Automakers are focusing on small cars and as new models surge into the market, bright colors will blossom. Since car manufacturers are focusing on the small car line up, therefore to given them a jazzy and fiery appeal, bright colors are the order of the day. The experts also feel that if bright colors are put in large cars, it will be a little too much for the consumers; hence these colors are best suited for the small cars. When it comes to cars, colors matter a lot because it represents the personality of the person driving that car.

When the buyer visits any showroom, the first thing that attracts him is the color of the car and this is one of the main selling points of the car. The car aficionado feel that colors can bring the customers out of their recession-dull mood, therefore colors carry a lot of weight when it comes to make a purchase decision. People are now tried of black and grey and look for more vibrant colors in small cars like Chevrolet, A-Star, Hyundai i10 and many such names. The automotive color spectrum has been monotonous for many decades with only few colors hitting the car market including black, white and grey. Now even the eyes need a breather and for that vibrancy in looks can play a crucial role.

Jazzy and peppy colors are in these days as small cars represent the same. The new entrant in the small car segment, Maruti Suzuki A- Star is available in vibrant and peppy colors like bright red, paradise blue, sunlight copper, healing green, silky silver, desert brown, azure great, midnight black and arctic white. Why get a grey or white car when you can cruise in sunlight copper or electric blue instead? Dull and monotonous colors will not suit the small and zippy cars which are targeted at the youth. Let black, grey and white enhance the elegance, sophistication and exclusivity of the large or big cars. Small and vibrant is what people look for in todays time because of prices touching sky everywhere.

Reds, lime greens, orange, electric blue are in vogue in small car segment and this has increased the demand of thee cars among the youth. The color one chooses foe his small car is dictated by career choice, personality and popularity. For most of the people, car is more than just a utility item; therefore a lot of stress is there on the colors like yellow, green, red, blue, beige and white.

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John Leigh Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

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Recognised for 40 years as key industry figure.

John Leigh, Managing Director of Europcar UK and National Car Rental, has received the highly coveted lifetime achievement accolade in the Holiday Autos Partner of the Year Awards, confirming his status as an industry legend. In acknowledging his enormous and positive influence which has helped to shape and evolve the sector, the Holiday Autos Partner of the Year Awards ceremony honoured John for his dedication and commitment to the vehicle rental industry.

The Award was presented by Brian Murphy, Group Managing Director of Lastminute.com at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

“The evening was very emotional for me and I feel proud to be honoured by the industry in this way,” said John Leigh. “The Award was a complete surprise and it means a great deal to me to be recognised by my colleagues and partners who have put this industry where it is today.

John Leigh began his working life promoting concerts of legendary acts like Roy Orbison and Pink Floyd. In 1967 he decided to get a proper job and joined Godfrey Davis eventually to become Europcar, where he held a number of management roles. In 1972 he joined Swan National where he enjoyed a successful career culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in 1990 shortly after it had rebranded itself as EuroDollar.

Following an MBO from TSB and the acquisition of EuroDollar by National Car Rental USA, John was given responsibility for launching National into the EMEA marketplace.

In February 2007, the European operation was acquired by Europcar and John was appointed Managing Director of Europcar UK Group the largest daily rental company in the country.

As Chairman of the BVRLA in 2006/7, John played a leading role in defining and implementing industry standards for quality and customer service. He is also a Vice President of Chelsea football club, as well as being a very active patron of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, a charity that grants wishes to often terminally ill young people. Two years ago he was also honoured with an “Unsung Hero Award” by the Celebrity Guild of Great Britain in recognition of his charitable work.

“I cant think of anyone more deserving of this award than John” confirmed Brian Murphy of Holiday Autos. “He has been the driving force behind the success of the industry, not just the growth of his own business. His vision and dedication has led to many of the innovations car rental customers now take for granted and he continues to challenge and lead the sector forward to new levels of service.”

How To Service Your Car (diy)

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It is widely understood that despite a cars age, it should be serviced once every 15,000 klms/ 10,000 miles to keep them up to scratch. If there is any major problem with your car take it to a mechanic straight away as i do not recommend attempting to fix anything yourself.
Ideally to start a service, you will need a pair of car ramps and a drainage bucket, and then the first port of call would be to check the water level in the radiator. You can do this by looking at the header tank and checking that the water is in between the low and high level. If it is low, make sure that the car engines temperature is cold and then look in the top of the radiator. If it is full replace the radiator cap, then top up the radiator header tank so its on the full mark. When changing coolant, use radiator coolant only.
Also check the hoses connected to the motor are not soft and leaking, this should be shown by a powdery substance at the end of the hoses where the clip is situated. If it is not leaking, but is soft, you should replace it on your next service.
Follow this by checking on the fan belts for cuts and nicks that will develop into bigger ones resulting in fan belt breaks that could thus result in breaking down and calling the RAC.
The oil filter is one thing that should be changed every service. The main cause of wear and tear in a motor is dirt and sludge that comes with the running of the motor over a period of time. If the filter is not changed you could end up with a motor that blows smoke and is hard to start. Some car oil filters are in extremely difficult hard-to-reach areas and can be nightmares for beginners, but you can obtain a filter remover from any car parts store.
The oil itself should be of the highest quality and should be the same type as listed in your car service manual. If you do not have a manual, most auto part stores can tell you the amount of oil you need. Make sure you dont over fill capacity because too much oil is worse than not enough. Before you screw the oil filer on, smear the rubber lip with lubricant such as oil or a little grease for easy assembly and next time removal.
After changing the oil, all the air filers need to be changed every time the car is serviced if it is to run smoothly and more economically. Your petrol consumption relies on this very important point, despite the age or transmission of your vehicle.
The battery should be checked for loose ends and terminals and the battery post wipes and cleaning with a rag. Do not use any harsh cleaners, except when they are covered with green particles, then you can remove them with hot boiling water which will clean up the area and a small amount of Vaseline put around the bottom of the post, as this is where acid particles leak from.
The battery cells found under the battery caps have distilled water in them and this should just cover the top of the cells only, not be completely full. The terminals should be tightened firmly so they make good contact.
All the tyres should be checked for wear and tear, especially on the inside of the tire, and the spare checked for pressure and doors and bonnet hood should be coated in dry lube
Automatic transmission should be carried out by a transmission specialist because of the cleanliness involved, if any small particle gets inside the gearbox, it will play havoc with the gearbox. I made that mistake with a friends Kia in Poole, never again. However this should ideally be done every 30,000 klms/20,000 miles and doesnt need to be done every service.
Manual gearbox fluid should be just under the filler hole. If you take out the filler nut and you have oil pouring out all over the ground, it was obviously too full.
When checking the brakes and power steering fluid, ensure it is at the full mark and not over, and to complete the DIY service, check all lights and indicators and replace them if faulty.
After attempting this DIY service, be sure to take it next time round to an actual mechanic to make sure everything is looked over properly, but every second service, if known how, can be done quite easily yourself.
How to change a tyre
One of the most annoying things that can happen to you whilst driving is experiencing a puncture. Slow down to 5mph and pull over to a safe place away from other traffic, and if its dark, preferably near a light. Do not attempt to change a tyre yourself on the hard shoulder or any busy road, call your breakdown company like the AA or RAC to do this for you.
Ensure you have parked on level ground and remove all passengers from the car to a safe place away from any traffic.
If the tyre can be changed easily just follow these simple instructions to help.
1.Obviously make sure you car is parked on level ground with the handbrake on, with the hazard lights flashing.
2.Check that your spare tyre is suitably inflated and make sure you have a car jack, the locking wheel nut (for some cars) and a wheel brace. (All of which should be in the boot)
3.With the car still on the ground remove the hubcap or cover concealing the wheel nuts then use the wheel brace to loosen the nut holding the wheel in place by turning it in an anti-clockwise direction, for half a turn. This can be quite tricky as some nuts need all your body weight to loosen them, be careful of your back.
4.Continue to loosen the nuts by half a turn each, work on opposite ones so the left over support is even.
5.Using the car jack raise the car slowly till the weight of the wheel is high enough off the ground to get it off.
6.Finish removing all the nuts and put them somewhere safe. The wheel should be hanging and can freely be removed.
7.Lift the spare wheel onto the wheel studs, the air valve should be facing outwards
8.Replace the nuts, tightening them in the same pattern as you loosened them.
9.Slowly lower the jack and remove it, then tighten the nuts again, as much as you can. Stand on the wheel brace to make it as tight as possible, but this time in a clockwise direction.
10.Replace the wheel cover or hubcaps and youre free to go.
Changing a tyre on your Kia in Bournemouth doesnt always require calling your breakdown cover. I wouldnt recommend doing this alone for the first time, but if you are with someone else, it could be a learning opportunity, and it is always a handy skill to know should ever you get a puncture and you dont have breakdown cover.

Car Leasing Uk Is It Profitable

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Car leasing UK is the best and most successful businesses running in the country. The reason behind car leasing UK success is due to the floating population due to business requirements and of course the tourists. If you are tourists, I am sure you would like to stay in the country for about a month or at least 15 days time to spend the vacation. Even if you are on a business trip or official trip, you need at least a minimum of 2 weeks time on an average.

During a foreign persons stay or even if you are a person who is on the move to check out all the places of the UK, then hiring a cab on daily basis would work out really expensive for you. Moreover, it is definitely not a good idea as it would never be economical. So, in this case, the best possible way is car leasing UK. So, go for car leasing UK.

There are many companies that offer car leasing UK. You can check with one of them for the best deals and pick a car of your choice. This would work out really economical and really helpful. Even if you are a person who has been aspiring to own one of the most expensive vehicles like the Limo or the Audi, you could still go for car leasing UK for these vehicles. Car leasing UK for these expensive vehicles would work out cheaper, affordable and economical in stead of you going for the vehicle itself. By doing this, you are satisfying yourself with the feeling of having used this vehicle and you are not spending lots on buying this vehicle too.

For travelers, car leasing UK is definitely a boon and very economical too. However, ensure that you check with many dealers in order to get the best and cheapest deal. Planning plays an important role to make the car leasing UK more economical. Following are some of the services that car leasing UK can offer you.

Free Delivery across the country

Free Collection or Swap always during the closure of the Contract

Road Tax Included during every car leasing UK

Fleet Terms or Discounts as per rules

Fixed Monthly Costs. You also get good planning with apt budgets

New Vehicle No MOT, No Repair Costs. You get to pay only for the
services rendered

Personal Leasing too Available with most of the car leasing UK companies

You also get manufacturers warranty. You need not worry about replacements of parts which are one common problem with majority of the car leasing UK. However, you need to check for the right dealer in order to get the best deal. There are lots of dealers and you can get the contact details by checking on the internet for the information. You can call the customer care and check for the details with regards to the cost and pricing. There are various types of budges available and you can get your own planning.

Third Party Insurance Is A Vital Coverage Offered By Car Insurance Policy

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When driving car on the roads, you can never be sure about the hassles that might come upon you in the form of car damage, accidents, injury and so on. It is possible to get into traffic congested roads and bump against another car. Even a small accident can result in huge expenses because repair costs are on the rise. A car insurance policy will help reduce the loss by providing compensation. This is one of the many situations in which it comes to your aid and there are many more.

What Protection Do You Get From A Car Insurance Policy?
A basic car insurance policy will pay out if there is any damage to the vehicle in the event of an accident. If the car is damaged due to man-made or natural disasters, the policy will pay for losses. One of the critical areas where it comes to your aid is third party liability. If your car accidently happens to hit another vehicle or someones property, they can sue for damages. You can cope with liability expenses through compensation offered by the third party insurance coverage. It will help pay for damage caused to third party which can put a severe strain on your finances. In the event that you car collides with another vehicle which results in damage to that vehicle or injury to the driver, it can be used to meet expenses arising from the situation. In the event of a personal accident which causes loss of life or permanent disability to the driver it will pay out a lump sum.

Car insurance offers many add-ons that can be used to reduce expenses even further. These include on-road repair in event of minor breakdown, towing expenses, assistance for lock out or lost key, emergency fuel expenses and flat tyre change. You can also opt for benefits such as depreciation cover, invoice price cover, medical expenses, daily hospital cash and coverage for personal accident to fellow passengers. These additional benefits help bring down so many different types of losses, making them easier to bear.

Important points to note about car insurance
In the event that you sell your vehicle, existing insurance policy can be transferred to the new owner. You can also transfer it to the new car that you have purchased to replace the old one. Policy coverage is applicable only for a period of 12 months after which it has to be renewed. Policy renewal can be easily done online, which saves time and efforts. When you renew the policy without fail every year, your car will not be inspected. You can also avail the no claim bonus which gives a reduction on the premium cost. Premium costs will also be reduced if you have an ARAI approved anti-theft device installed in the car. Car insurance claim process is easy and can be completed online by filling the claims form and submitting it along with required supporting documents.