Insight: the realities of car ownership
We recently did a survey into car ownership it threw up some fascinating results…
The dangers of buying a used car privately
With most things in life, the more you put in, the more you get out. That’s certainly the case when it comes to buying a used car, because the more effort you put into the purchasing process, the bigger the savings you can make – but unfortunately the stress levels can be that much greater too. According to a 2015 thisismoney.co.uk article, almost half of those who bought a used car privately reckon they were deceived in some way by the seller. And with 40% of used cars sold by private vendors, that’s a lot of unhappy car buyers. When you buy from a trader you’re paying top whack for your used car – which is fair enough because you’re pretty well protected as a consumer, as you can read in our recent blog on your rights when buying a used car from a trader. But when buying privately, while you can potentially save thousands of pounds compared with buying from a dealer, you’re not nearly as well protected. You do have some rights though.
Buying your first car?
If you’re thinking about buying your first car, you’re completely overwhelmed at all the choices you can make. You might be torn between new or used, petrol or diesel, manual or auto, what bodystyle to go for – along with exactly which make and model to go for. Your budget will probably dictate what you buy, as a new car may be out of reach financially. However, if you’ve got an income and it’s realistic to sign up to an ongoing deal, paying a monthly fee and running a new car (on some sort of finance scheme) is well worth considering. It will be in warranty, should be cheap to run and it will also have an efficient engine plus lots of tech to keep you safe. Buying basics Although there’s a huge array of makes and models to choose from, you can discount most of them as they’ll cost too much to buy or run. You don’t want to be bankrupted by insurance costs or fuel and servicing bills, so you’ll have to home in on a city car or supermini (a compact hatchback) with a small engine; a bigger car with more performance will have to come later.
Dealing with car documentation after a sale
The DVLA recently introduced an electronic system for car log book documentation when buying or selling a used car in the UK. The electronic changeover began with driving license paper counterparts, quickly followed by the elimination of road tax discs. Now the V5C log book has gone the same way. In particular, the electronic system pertains to selling a vehicle to trade or private car buyers. Simply put, you no longer need to post the V5 log book to the driver vehicle licencing agency after selling up. Visit the DVLA here to declare change of ownership Read on for the full details of the DVLA’s changes to the UK V5C document, and how they affect you when selling or buying a car.
Petrol or diesel?
It took a long time for diesel cars to become popular in the UK, sales increases coming about largely because of tax incentives for fleet drivers. Until recently the rise of diesel seemed unstoppable, then Volkswagen was caught being dishonest and suddenly petrol-engined cars are back in favour once more. If you’re confused as to which way to go, read on… The driving experience Diesel cars are now so refined that a clattery engine is no longer a valid reason for avoiding one. What makes them so appealing is the extra muscle they provide; a diesel engine is inherently more torquey than a petrol one and it’s torque that gives you that effortless acceleration. As a result diesel cars are ideal for towing and they’re also perfect motorway cruisers because the engines don’t have to work as hard at high speeds. Indeed, it’s hard to think of a reason to avoid buying a diesel from a driving point of view, apart from the fact that they don’t rev like a petrol engine does – or sound as great at the redline. However, diesels do take longer to warm up, so if you do mainly short journeys you might find that in the winter the engine never gets warm and as a result the heater never works. That might seem annoying but it’s worse than that because most fuel consumption and engine wear takes place when an engine is cold.
Supercars can make a super investment
The latest figures from cap reveal that the supercar market could offer a sound return on investment if buyers choose the right make and model. Overall, supercar and some sports car used values have remained level in a depreciating marketplace, but some vehicles are enjoying strong appreciation. Philip Nothard, cap consumer and retail editor, explains, “A savvy buyer would have earnt £18,500 buying a Mercedes Benz SLS in 2014 and selling it a year later with 10,000 miles on the clock. “For buyers looking for a comparable investment today, they should consider the 65 plate Ferrari 488 GTB Coupe, which cost £182,809 from new but in just six months amassing 5,000 miles it would retail at £215,500 – this is an increase of 17.8% or the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Coupe, which has increased by almost £5,000 in six months from £100,055 to £104,750. “The supercar market is very niche, with a limited number of models available to choose. However, with some proper research, buyers can benefit from the buoyant market. It’s all about finding the right car, and those that are most sought after, bring the greatest returns. Another excellent example is a six month old Porsche Cayman Coupe 3.8 GT4 with a mileage of 5,000, which has appreciated by 38.4% from £64,451 to £89,250 proving that investing in these cars can be a lucrative option.” Philip Nothard concludes, “The key elements of a good supercar buy are model, mileage and plates. For this reason, beware of clocked vehicles, as a lower mileage will get a better price, so dodgy sellers may be tempted to drop the mileage and duping buyers into paying over the odds.” Image credit: Magiccarpics.co.uk
10 great gadgets for your car
There was a time when the height of automotive sophistication was the fitment of a radio or heater. Then things moved on and if you didn’t have an in-car kettle or mechanical trip computer, you were a nobody. But nowadays, even the smallest cars are available with a bewildering array of high-tech gadgetry, from a heated steering wheel to touch-screen multi-media. Not everyone can afford the latest car though; more of us are driving five-year old Ford Fiestas than six-month old Mercedes S-Classes. So if you fancy a glimpse at how the other half live, here’s what you need to buy to make your car a bit more luxurious – with prices starting at less than a tenner.
The 10 strangest motoring stories of 2015
People are strange, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the wonderful world of motoring, where people do some truly bizarre things. To prove it, we’ve had a look at some of the weird and wonderful pursuits that people have got up to in 2015. Scrapheap challenge At the start of the year a man created his own Pagani Zonda – from an old Ford Granada and a load of scrap parts. Nick Truman started by buying a scrap Jaguar engine to turn into a coffee table, but somehow created a fake Italian supercar instead. By the time he’d finished Truman had spent £15,000 on the project – including four engines and two gearboxes. We don’t think Pagani has much to fear from the competition just yet… Full Story Slim gym Modern life is busy and sometimes fitting it all in just isn’t possible. So what if you could combine the time that you’re driving with your sessions at the gym? No problem, because Nissan came up with a solution – its Gym button. By pressing this all assistance systems were switched off so you’d have to put more effort into your driving – steering, braking, windows and even changing gear. By using this technology Nissan reckoned you could burn an extra 1,415 calories per week – except the whole thing was an April fool, which was rather a shame. Full Story No $%&! The land speed record for buses was raised to almost 77mph in May, by a bus powered by cow manure. Run by Reading buses and with its usual speed limiter removed, the bus was painted supposedly to look like a Friesan cow, although we’d say it’s not all that hard to spot the difference. Full Story Line ‘em up Bristol City Council started painting yellow lines all over its roads in May, supposedly to deter selfish parkers. But many of these lines were less than a metre long – not even the width (never mind the length) of a Smart car. Unsurprisingly, Bristol residents aren’t happy with the waste of their money; maybe city mayor George Ferguson should be given lines as a punishment. Full Story Wood you believe it? In August, gardener Kevin Nicks revealed that he’s been toiling away in his shed to create – the world’s fastest shed. By converting his Volkswagen Passat into a timber-clad garden building he claimed the record with a 70.8mph top speed, beating the previous figure of 58.4mph. Full Story Put that in your pipe… When an elderly man drove his car into a lake in August, he did what any self-respecting Brit would do – relaxed and enjoyed smoking his pipe. While the emergency services extricated the man from his Ford Focus in the lake in Warwickshire, he chatted calmly, wondering what all the fuss was about. Full Story Paper view Lexus revealed its ‘origami car’ in October – an IS made of precision-cut cardboard. Built by production line staff, the car featured working lights, doors and wheels, while it could even be driven thanks to the fitment of an electric motor. We suspect the car is likely to be impervious to rust but we’re not sure how well it would stand up to being left out in the rain. Full Story Brushing up A carwash manager ended up getting taken to the cleaner’s when he got caught up in one of the automatic brushes while sorting out his hose. Failing to look where he’s going, the poor fella backs into the spinning brush then gets spun around as he battles to free himself. Still, it all came out in the wash. Full Story Turning the tables Australian police were not amused when nine men navigated their way through Perth traffic on a pair of motorised picnic tables. Each of the tables was capable of carrying six people, but with no licences or insurance and with none of the men wearing protective clothing, the police didn’t see the funny side – although pretty much everybody else did. Full Story Keep on trucking With the average mobility scooter packing barely enough power to pull along its own weight, converting one into an articulated lorry may not seem like a good idea. But that’s exactly what Lincoln-based Barrie Hall did when he turned his mobility scooter into a scale replica of the Coca Cola lorry, to raise cash for charity. The stunt comes hot on the heels of a project in 2014 that saw him turn his scooter into a sleigh, complete with reindeer. Full Story Richard Dredge December 2015
How to buy a personal registration number for your car
Personal Registration Number Plate It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive, its appearance will be smartened up by a personal number plate. Whether it’s your initials as part of a dateless registration or the type of car you drive that’s on display, a carefully chosen plate will make your car that bit more personal to you. Unfortunately you’ll have to put your hand in your pocket if you want to acquire a personal plate, but the good news is that if you buy something with wider appeal, it could prove to be quite an investment. Take a look at the DVLA Personalised Registrations website and you’ll see that prices start at £250, including VAT and all fees. The problem is, the DVLA doesn’t put its best numbers up for general sale; they’re always reserved for one of its auctions where they’re likely to achieve a higher price.
HPI gives consumers a helping hand with the launch of a used car buyer’s guide
Expert advice on the latest scams, plus paperwork and checklists to give used car buyers confidence www.hpicarbuyersguide.co.uk HPI provider of the HPI Check® is helping used car buyers get it right, when it comes to parting with their hard earned money, with the launch of its digital HPI Used Car Buyer’s Guide. In all the excitement of buying a car, it’s easy to overlook the essentials or even fall prey to common scams. HPI’s comprehensive guide aims to encourage consumers to do their homework to minimise the risks, as well as highlighting the latest fraud sellers are carrying out. It also acts as an important reminder to buyers to conduct a vehicle history check via www.hpicheck.com.