All posts in Cars

Let’s face it. Fuel isn’t getting any cheaper. Fuel prices are rising every month. While we all need fuel to get around, we could drive smarter to save fuel. I’ve put together my top fuel saving tips.

1. Drive with your windows closed. Cars are more aerodynamic with their windows closed, and can consume up to 20% more fuel when driving with windows open.
2. Switch the airconditioning off. Aircon uses power from the engine to operate, which results in the engine working harder to run, which in turn uses more fuel. If needs be, run the aircon for a short while to get the right temperature, and switch it off for a while. Open the windows a little to circulate fresh air, or use the car’s fan.
3. Don’t carry any unnecessary weight. Make sure that you aren’t carrying anything heavy in your car that you don’t need, as the load puts strain on the engine.
4. Keep your RPM low. Try keep your RPM below 3000 for optimal fuel consumption. It may call for gear changes sooner, but it will use less fuel.
5. Choose your routes wisely. Take routes that have fewer traffic lights and stops and more open road. The constant stopping and starting uses fuel unnecessarily.
6. Start a carpool. Do you live near to your colleagues, or does your neighbour work close to you? Try carpooling. Choose to drive your car every other day. This will save on fuel and the general maintenance of your car, as you will be using it much less than usual.
7. Check your tyres. Under-inflated tyres create more rolling resistance on the road, causing you to use more fuel to keep the car moving.
8. Keep within the speed limits. This is a tough one. Keeping your car at a constant high speed will consume more fuel than driving within the speed limits. Take it easy on the roads and perhaps leave home a little earlier in the morning to avoid speeding.
9. Check your air filter. A filthy air filter restricts the flow of air to the engine, resulting in it working harder. Check your air filter regularly, as it could improve your fuel economy up to 10%.

Do you have any fuel saving tips that work for you? Share them in the comments below.

Many ‘experts’ claim that buying a car at the end of the month is a good idea. Salespeople and dealerships have targets to meet and they’ll bend over backwards to close the deal.

Not so. The end of the month is also usually the busiest time of the month for most dealerships. Many customers have a longer buying cycle and salespeople do their best to close deals before the month is over.

The best time to buy a car is the beginning to the middle of the month. Start looking at your options early in the month, and try to take delivery towards the middle of the month. Try and stay away from having your car delivered after the 25^th.

The reasons are quite simple. As I mentioned earlier, month end is very busy at dealerships, as it is at most businesses. Finance applications get submitted to the banks in an orderly fashion. While most finance applications get approved the same day, it also depends on how many applications are being submitted.

Something else to keep in mind is that if you have a car that you’re trading in, it depreciates from month to month. If your deal doesn’t get closed at the end of the month, it could get carried over to the next month, thereby causing your trade in to depreciate and you also end up paying another installment on your old car.

Perhaps it is a subconscious psychological cue, but people tend to spend more easily around month end. They know that their salaries have been deposited in their bank accounts.

Buying earlier in the month also allows you to weigh your options and discuss any objections you may have with the salesperson. You should have complete peace of mind when buying a new car. It is one of the bigger purchases you will make in your life, after your home.

On what do you base your decisions on big purchases?

Audi unveiled their e-tron electronic vehicles to the public back in 2009. While the idea of an electric car is most welcome with the ever increasing fuel prices, they have also attracted a bit of contoversy. The vehicles are very quiet and many claim that they pose a risk to pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, and the blind. Audi took the concerns to heart and developed a distinctive sound for it.

Audi has described this project as an effort to produce a sound audible enough for pedestrian safety, but also as an opportunity to brand Audi’s electronic cars with a distinct sound. This is pretty similar to Harley Davidson patenting the trademark tune of their motorbikes.

As with all things Audi, the sound was not randomly chosen. In fact, where could one begin to conceptualise the sound that an electronic car should make? Audi hired Rudolf Halbmeir, a music composer, to create the sound of the Audi R8 etron. The sounds of normal internal combustion engines are the result of the explosions that take place under the hood. In this manner, their sound can be fine tuned. However, with an electronic engine, this is not the case. The sound can be created from scratch.

Audi is looking to compose a sound that reflects emotional feelings that Audi thinks is a true representation of their cars. Each of the models in Audi’s etron range will have its own specific sound. The sounds comes from a speaker that is mounted on the car’s undercarriage and produces between 5 to 8 watts, which is loud enough for pedestrians, but not loud enough to be noisy. Listen to the etron sound in the clip below and let us know what you think.

Audi is releasing a fresh 5 door Sportback to its popular A1 range. The A1 Sportback adds enhanced comfort and functionality to the range. It still has the progressive design of the A1 3 door, with the added practicality of two more doors for further ease of use.

While the design elements of the A1 3 door are still followed, there are a couple of notable differences. Firstly, the whole roof – the roof arch, roof and roof spoiler – is available in a contrasting colour on request. The A1 3 door has the option of contrasting roof arches only. Next is the addition of two rear doors. The doors blend in seamlessly with the rest of the vehicle’s design. The A1 Sportback also provides 11mm more headroom, and is 6mm wider than the 3 door model.

There is three seater rear bench as a standard option, but should you order the panoramic glass sunroof, it will be a two seater with a centre console. The A1 Sportback will also be available in Samoa Orange.

The interior of the car has the high level of quality that Audi drivers have come to expect from their preferred brand.

While the engines range from a 1.2 TFSi to a 1.6 TDi, the cars are performers across the range, while remaining economical and efficient. The 7 speed automatic S tronic gearbox allows for much shorter shift times, as it employs a dual-clutch system, and there is no noticeable interruption in the flow of power.

The A1 Sportback will be a welcome addition to Audi showrooms across the globe, with the two rear doors making an already progressive design more practical.

Cars are probably the second biggest purchase you’ll make in your life, after your home. And while to some extent it is an asset, it makes sense not to keep your car longer than four or five years, or even until its maintenance plan has lapsed.

Buying a car is an emotional purchase. It’s about how the car looks, how it feels, and most importantly, it is all about how the car makes you feel. The car you buy will most likely appeal to you depending on your buying motives. Are you buying your car for the right reasons? Will you have buyer’s remorse after a month or two?

If you are looking to buy an economical car to prepare yourself for the fuel price hike, fuel efficiency and economy will be your motive. Performance will play a role, as will the design of the car, but ultimately economy will win. This leads us to further options. For example, will the car have a diesel or petrol engine? Sure, diesel is similarly priced to petrol and yields more kilometers per litre, but the maintenance costs for a diesel powered car are, on average, quite a bit more expensive than a petrol engined car. If the manufacturer you are buying from has a maintenance plan, it won’t really matter until the maintenance plan is up. However, people’s situations could change and they may not be able to trade their car in before the maintenance plan lapses, leaving them with high maintenance bills for their car.

Younger people tend to go for cars that look good and get their pulses racing. These tend to be sports cars, coupes and cabriolets. Economy is not always a priority here, but Audi and most other vehicle manufacturers have built more fuel efficient engines and incorporated fuel saving technologies across the range of their vehicles to increase their efficiency. Performance, style and technology are the driving factors in the buying decision for young people, but the trend shows that economy still remains a concern.

Families tend to go for more spacious, safe, and comfortable cars. The family tends to travel together and space and safety are their top priorities, with economy and design coming close behind.

What do you want in a car? What catches your attention and makes you want that car more than anything? Is it the looks, the technology on the inside, the fuel economy, the performance or the safety?

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