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By admin, on December 6th, 2011
It wasn’t that long ago that as far as the car industry was concerned, it was certainly a case of the bigger the better. Every car that seemed to roll off the production line was bigger than its predecessor, and our roads were full of gas guzzling beasts full of all the latest gizmo’s and your street cred went hand in hand with what model you were driving at the time.
Thankfully those days seem to be on their way out, and the era of the small car is definitely upon us. Rising petrol costs have no doubt played their part in the surge of popularity in small cars, or as they are often referred to, super minis. Not only are they a great deal more economical, but they are quick, nippy, easy to handle and perfect for urban driving and parking.
Small cars are nothing new, but it has to be said that for many years the motor industry was, for the want of a better word, sexist. The men drove around in their mighty beasts whilst the small cars were targeted at the woman in the house, a little run-around to get them from A to B, or to go shopping in. Now we see as many men as women in the small cars of today and wallets, as well as the environment, have benefited from this.
So now we have this massive influx of small cars on the roads, the inevitable question has raised its head; ‘what is the best small car?’. Not an easy question to answer, as everyone has their own ideas of what goes to make the best small cars. Some say economy, others say driveability, whilst others reckon the eco-friendliness or ease of driving in cities is most important.
It is invariably down to personal choice, and it is often difficult to understand why a small car that seems to tick all the boxes fails to sell and very quickly drops off the radar. At the other end of the scale, there are those small cars that not only tick the boxes but sell in their millions and create such a buzz that everyone is talking about them. There are a few small cars of this calibre, and two are manufactured by Chevrolet.
The Spark and the Aveo are two great small city cars that are trouncing the opposition in their class, and it’s very easy to see why. Smart, stylish, economical and packed full of great features, these cars have been designed to complement the cities they will be driven in and are fun and funky, exciting and emission friendly. With different door configurations and extreme comfort, these cars are made for driving in today’s cities.
With park assist, aux ports for MP3 players and instrument panels inspired by motorbikes, there are no other small cars on the road quite like these two. Chevrolet are a long respected manufacturer, and it’s great to see that they have brought all the years of expertise to the small car market.
Article courtesy of Chevrolet
By Alan, on December 1st, 2011
 Car racing game Forza Motorsport 4 A great new collaboration between highly popular TV show Top Gear and Turn 10 studios has resulted in a highly exciting car racing game Forza Motorsport 4 for the Xbox 360.
Taking many well known aspects from the show, such as the famous test track and integrating them into the game makes for a highly enjoyable gaming experience as you hurtle around the track that has seen so many famous faces attempt to conquer it.
A promotional video for the game featuring an introduction from Jeremy Clarkson can be found below and is well worth checking out. If you are a racing gamer and a Top Gear fan, this is the game for you.
Buy the game from Amazon using the following banner –
By Alan, on December 1st, 2011
 Many people who are not experts in buying cars, and just see them as a way to get around, often think that they all look alike. However, even to the unrefined eye, the Honda Civic definitely has a different appearance. The modern Civic launched its first model in 2006 in Switzerland and many people were overwhelmed with how different the car looked, it seems to be a mix between a jet fighter and a pyramid.
Inside the car was also different from what was else was on the market, and there was a huge number of displays and switches that all seem to do very complex things. Initially, the car was very impressive but those who test drove it were disappointed by how the car performed and they found the car delivered a noisy ride and the steering was insensitive.
Many people saw the car as focusing on style over substance, it was also something of a step back for Honda in terms of ride quality but a step forward in terms of style. The financial crisis has had a significant effect on the car manufacturer and its sales in Europe have dramatically declined.
In the UK, figures have been particularly bad and this year sales figures were around half of their 2006 amount. The supply for the company has also been greatly affected by the flooding in Thailand and the Fukushima disaster.
Honda are hoping that the new version of the Civic will be something of a turnaround for them in the European market. However, manufacturing has recently been affected by the above-mentioned disasters and the factory, which is located in Swindon, has had to be put on part-time production because of a lack of parts.
Compared with the previous Civic, this car has had some changes made to its dimensions. The car is slightly longer and slightly lower to the ground. It also has a much shorter wheelbase and this brings the most dramatic affect the appearance of the car. In general, the car is not as attractive as its predecessor but the mechanical changes have had a great impact on the performance of the car.
Kazuo Sunaoshi was a development leader on the design of the new car and he has said that its new looks are designed for effectiveness and he has recently commented, “The reason for the changes to the car are to improve stability at high speeds and reduce the amount of drag that the car has.”
Inside the car there are also several changes but the facia still maintains a split level appearance. There is also more logic to the dials and switches as they have been bundled together dependent on their function. The quality of the interior also seems to have been greatly improved and everything seems to fit together rather more nicely.
There is also a screen on the centre console which has a great deal of information about the car including air conditioning, satellite navigation and radio and CD options. One notable thing is that the seats are definitely more comfortable and the people in the back seat also have a lot more space. Unfortunately, for people who have large feet, they will find that when driving the car some of the pedals might be a little tricky to operate due to a strengthening bar.
By Alan, on November 25th, 2011
 The Tata Nano is the cheapest car in the world and it is created inIndia. Unfortunately, the car has seen rather poor sales since its 2009 launch. Recently, the car has been given a makeover in the hope of boosting sales. It will soon be available with a more luxurious interior and will come in a wide range of colours. Under the bonnet it is expected that the car will be more fuel-efficient. The horse power of the car will also be increased from 35 to 38.
Tata motors, the company responsible for manufacturing the car is also manufacturing British cars such as Land Rover’s and Jaguars. The company has decided to make the modifications after seeking feedback from owners of the budget car. Despite the upgrades the price of the car will not change.
In December last year a report said the Nano sales dropped by nearly 90% compared with December of the previous year. The car was initially troubled by the fact that they had a tendency to catch fire, Tata offered to correct the problem but this is still damaged sales of the vehicle. The car retails for Rs.100,000 which is around £1400.
By Alan, on November 25th, 2011
 A recent survey has suggested that many young people have concerns about their safety when they are travelling in a car with someone around their own age. Over half of the people involved in the survey said that they feel at risk when the driver speeds and nearly a quarter said they had been in a car where the driver has been intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. The survey was conducted by Brake and QBE Insurance.
The survey involved over 8000 people all between ages 15 and 25, the results have been published just as the start of Road Safety Week begins. Mike Penning is the Minister for Road safety and his claims that most young drivers are responsible. While the survey suggests that many young people are sometimes afraid in the car, over 40% said that they have never felt any concerns for their safety.
Rather shockingly, around one in five of the people surveyed said that they sometimes don’t wear a seatbelt when travelling. When the survey asked whether there should be further restrictions on young drivers, such as banning a certain type of vehicle, over 80% agreed that this sort of measure should be implemented.
On theUKroads a young person suffers an injury every hour and a half and someone dies on theUKroads, on average, every 18 hours. Young drivers, who are aged between 17 and 24 are responsible for a quarter of all serious injuries and deaths that take place onUKroads.
Julie Townsend, a representative from the Brake charity has said that there are too many young people dying on the roads unnecessarily, “it is awful news for a family to hear that someone has suddenly died in a driving accident, often there is horrific injury and this often makes the situation worse.”
By admin, on November 21st, 2011
Currently it is great time to buy a cheap used car in Scotland. There are literally thousands of great used car bargains in every region and wherever you live you are certain to find one without having to travel very far or even look online at motors.co.uk.
Wherever you are trying to source your used car, especially if is from a private, seller then there are a number of precautions you should take to ensure that you don’t lose out. Although by far the majority of car sellers are totally legitimate and are selling you a car because that is their business or they are making a genuine private sale, unfortunately there are a number of rogue sellers around.
The first thing you need to do is to satisfy yourself that the seller is legitimate and that the car is really theirs to sell. If you purchase a used car that is stolen or one that is subject to a financial arrangement such as hire purchase, then you are likely to find the car being reposed and that you will receive no compensation. All that you paid for the car will be money down the drain.
There are a number of precautions you can take to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you. When you view the car make sure that you view it at the vendor’s home or business premises. Some sellers might with to meet you at an intermediate point, such as at a motorway services station. Always decline such offers.
Also you should check the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) that you will find under the car’s bonnet. Make sure that this corresponds to the VIN listed in the car’s registration document.
Secondly, if you have any suspicions at all, pay for a car data check. Many organisations offer to carry these out for a small amount of money and they will check the proper ownership of the car and whether or not it has been reported stolen. The check will also confirm whether the car has ever been written off by an insurance company.
Most cheap used car deals in Scotland proceed without any hitch, but it always pays to take a few precautions.
By Alan, on November 18th, 2011
 Being released next spring is the DS5 and its retail price will start at £23,000 and extend up to £33,000. It is the follow-up to the unlikely success of the DS3 and a DS4. The car has a very strange ability to change shape depending on which angle you choose to look at it from. From one direction the car almost appears cute but from the other it appears to be enormously long. There is no question that the car certainly draws attention and you will find yourself keeping your eyes on it longer than you realise..
The man responsible for the exterior design of the car is Frederic Soubirou and he said that he is very proud of what he has achieved. He has managed to make the car intriguing in a way that others have failed to do. Owners of the Audi Q5 or the BMW X3 seeing this car might wonder if they have actually made the right choice and consider whether maybe the Citroen was the right car to go for.
The car is something that the French nation should be proud of creating, it is not often that another European car manufacturer can match what the Germans have created in premium cars. However, with this DS5 it seems the French have succeeded.
Under the bonnet you will have the choice of a petrol engine or two different types of diesel, one of these offering 110 brake horsepower and the more powerful offering 160. If you choose to go for the petrol engine you will get an astonishing 197 brake horsepower and this is all from a 1.6 litre engine. There is also a diesel electric hybrid option if you want something very fuel-efficient.
The inside of the car is stunningly designed and you might wonder whether you are sitting in a car or an aircraft. It is clear that Aeronautics have played a big part in the design inspiration of this car and you might find yourself wondering where the joystick is for take off.
There are overhead switches and a wraparound dashboard which add to the effect. There is plenty of space in the car and tall people will fit comfortably, it’s certainly not a limousine but you will also find plenty of boot space.
For the cars’ size it handles remarkably well and the control of the car is excellent. It has a supple suspension and is responsive even when being thrown through a corner. The steering has an excellent weight although you won’t be getting much feedback from the road. Most of the grip the car gets is from its giant tires and unfortunately this means that the ride quality suffers.
By Alan, on November 11th, 2011
 The Suzuki Splash is a new car that is designed to be a mini MPV. The car has a very compact size of just less than 4 meters in length and 1.7 meters wide and clearly has been designed for the European market and looks a lot better than the Wagon R.
The car has been developed in partnership with Vauxhall and has been constructed in Hungary. The platform for the car is the Suzuki Swift which began sales in the UK three years ago. The car has undergone recent revisions which improve the engine meaning that it can go further on less fuel.
The car is upright and has five doors but unlike the Wagon R it has five seats rather than four. However, the car is very small and five adults would certainly be a cosy fit. With a car at such a small size people might be concerned about handling in poor conditions however, once you have driven the car you discover that it handles well and there is plenty of grip. The suspension has also been well tuned so that when the car corners there won’t be too much leaning.
All of this leads to the car being quite fun to drive and the small dimensions combined with a large windows of the car mean there is excellent visibility. Drivers will find it easy to squeeze through the smallest gaps in cities.
The engine in the car only comes in a petrol version, and there are two varieties available, a 1 litre or a 1.2 litre. The better of these develops just under 94 brake horsepower and both cars utilise a manual gearbox with five speeds. An automatic engine is available if you choose the bigger engine. The car is not fast but it is certainly economical, even if you are driving at higher speeds the car does not consume a lot of fuel.
The gearbox is unpleasant to use and it feels as if the changes are the opposite of slick. Even the gear stick itself is encased in an ugly rubber substance and gives the feeling that money has definitely been saved in the gear department.
Despite the cars small in size it feels rather large and the build quality is excellent, the plastic dashboard and other components as well as the stitching on the seats seems as if they are made to last. Comfort for occupants comes at a cost however as the size of the boot is limited and families will struggle to fit an entire weekly shop in it. However, the backseat can be dropped and this will greatly expand the boot space, you will even be up to fit a mountain bike in the back.
The Suzuki Splash is probably not the best car in its class and it does not excel in any particular area. People might be tempted to buy the car if it was retailing at a good price, however when you consider that it costs just shy of £9500 most people would probably rather go for something else.
A Ford Fiesta or a Volkswagen Polo will sell the same price so people would be hard pushed to buy the Suzuki over one of these. Try bargaining in the dealership and you may be able to get a better price as at £9500 it is simply too expensive.
By Alan, on November 1st, 2011
 Honda is a company that is known for caring about its customers by creating reliable cars of the highest quality. Many people who buy Honda will often buy again in the future. It was recently announced the ninth generation of Honda Civic is to be released.
The car has a lot to live up to in the looks department as the 2006 Civic is probably one of the best looking cars in its class on the road. This new model has been changed slightly and has a ride that is 20 mm lower and the car itself is 10 mm wider, rather than add to the attractiveness of the car however, this makes it seem rather more cluttered than its predecessor.
Furthermore there seems to be more plastic on the car which is never a good look. The airdam might be important to the aerodynamics of the car but to look at it is much too chunky and takes away a great deal of the cars attractiveness.
Looking at the car from the side and this feeling of the car being over cluttered continues, in the 2006 model the wheel arches looked smooth but here they are not and this can be rather irritating on the eyes. At the back of the car it seems that visibility has been compromised in terms of looks and the midscreen bar is rather annoying when you are actually driving the vehicle. One major problem with the 2006 model was the lack of windscreen wiper on the upper screen, they’ve listened to customers and added one for this model.
Inside the car, it seems that rather than actually redesigning it they have simply made some tweaks to how it looks. Other than minor cosmetic changes the only real change seems to be the inclusion of a multilevel information display, while this can be useful, it does not have the ability to tell you how many miles you can do on the fuel you have left.
The boot of the car is spacious and the driving position is good. A nice addition to this latest model is the inclusion of a leather steering wheel which is very enjoyable to grip onto.
One of the few problems with the 2006 Civic was the amount of noise in the car. Feedback from the road and poor sound insulation meant that there was more noise in the car then you would want. This new model has made some effort to address this but there is still more noise than is pleasant.
The ride of the car is quite unusual, at some moments it seems far too soft and at others too hard. The car will float over a crest but then will seem to lack control at other moments. It is a shame that this is the case because the other mechanical aspects of the car are exceptional. The engine as well as the gearbox are excellent and if you go for a top of the range model you all have a powerful car.
Unfortunately the steering is also rather disappointing and you will find it is a bit light for your liking. There also seems to be a complete lack of feedback and feel from the road and you will probably feel you are getting more information from the sound produced from the tyres.
By Alan, on October 28th, 2011
 The arrival of the 2012 Soul, with its six-speed automatic transmission and 2.0 petrol engine (new to this line), gives KIA’s cubemobile line an added lift. All the vehicles in this line have received an upgrade from the four-speed automatic transmission to the six-speed transmission, in both automatic and manual.
The Soul is very popular in many countries, especially the US. The elderly like it for its easy exit and entry while the youth like it for its looks. The new Soul comes with a subtly nuanced and improved look, from a new grille in the front to new taillights in the back, with improved side mirrors and wheels in between.
It also comes with a new and improved engine, a 122kW/260Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine. The line still has the 1.6-litre Gamma engine available, but it has been improved to get an additional five kW and one Nm. The 1.6-litre diesel comes in three models. All have six-speed transmissions and two optional equipment levels.
New features inside the car include additional noise reduction and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. It also comes with a leather cover on the steering wheel and a storage tray under the floor. However, gone is the light over the speakers that kept time with the music.
The entire line comes with standard safety features such as ABS, traction control, BA, EDP, ESP, and curtain, side and front airbags, but the safety has been beefed up with the addition of hill-start control and vehicle stability management (VSM).
We test drove the new Soul and its new engine through the countryside of Korea and in heavy city traffic. The power of the engine wanted to be unleashed, but the cameras restrained us.
At 110 km/hr, the engine turned at only 2000 rpm, suggesting good petrol efficiency. Officially, the usage is 7.5 litres/100 km. The 1.6-liter petrol engine gets 6.5 with the manual transmission and 7.3 with the automatic transmission, while the diesel gets 5.2 and 5.9 respectively.
The Soul retained its wonderful suspension and steering, making for a comfortable ride and great handling. It rides on 225/46 silicon tyres fitted to 18-inch alloy wheels which helps to improve its road handling and petrol usage. Overall, the car was a wonderful driving sensation.
The car is widely popular for good reason. It is beautiful, handles well and has a full array of features. It is safe and has great economy. No other car comes even close to it. KIA should be proud of its new, improved Soul.
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