February 10, 2012
Car Buying Guide
Less quality used cars and fewer sales will see dealers look to maximise profits. Further shortages of quality used car stock throughout the first part of 2011 will see more dealers make further moves to concentrate on maximising aftersales profitability, predicts RAC Warranty. The company says that it is already seeing signs that the … [Read more...]
We did it. Just like Bilbo Baggins we made it there and back again. The ferry arrived at 0630 this morning at Harwich and by 0800 the adventure was definitely over as I wandered through Tesco gathering the makings of a truly epic fry-up. With 930 miles on the clock we pulled into the driveway at home and the children hurried off to see if Santa had … [Read more...]
Following on from part one of the return trip...the day started at 0800; hot chocolate was all fixed and ready to go, Simon and Julia had already been arguing . . . here we go again! We had gassed up the night before so it was straight onto Malmö and the bridge to Kopenhagen. Traffic was reasonably light and the roads were good and clear so we … [Read more...]
Following on from our five part series following the progress of a 15 year old Toyota Corolla called “Jenny” travelling overland from the UK to Sweden; it’s now time for the return trip! Ay ay we are off again! The holiday in Sweden has flown by. I have gained about half a stone in meatballs, Christmas ham, sausages, cheese and bread. All … [Read more...]
Hej och välkommen till Sverige! Following on from part four of this “adventure”, we left the Malmö area of southern Sweden at about 0930 on Sunday 19th December after a very good night’s sleep. Jenny was doing fine, the children not so good. The verdict was, quelle suprise, that it was too far to go by car! Simon and I were arguing on a … [Read more...]
Following on from part three of this “adventure”, we made it into Sweden via the bridge from Copenhagen at 2105 local time. That's just short of 13 hours and roughly 500 miles in Europe. We decided to take the short cut rather than drive north out of Hamburg and all the way through Denmark. We went NNE and picked up the ferry at Putgarden. … [Read more...]
Latest update: Following on from part two of this “adventure”, much like the batting collapse suffered by the England cricketers over in Perth at the moment things have not got off to a good start and we are now communicating with Nick via SMS as the laptop, rather than anything mechanical, is the first thing to break down. We do know they … [Read more...]
Following on from part one of this "adventure" Jenny has now got her snow tyres on, Bridgestone Blizzack I think they’re called. She had her idle speed successfully slowed down at Abigail’s in Acle, who also discovered that the water in the radiator had dropped by about a litre so I’m obviously a little worried about that. The oil is low to … [Read more...]
Yes you read that headline correctly. Oh and I should have added “in time for Christmas!” It’s a long shot but we know a man who can... So what do you do when you have to visit the “outlaws” in Sweden for Christmas and you’ve missed the cheapo fares at your favourite budget airline? Simple, pick up 15 year old Toyota Corolla … [Read more...]
The competition for car servicing business is a battle that looks set to continue for quite some time yet. Repairers like Kwik-Fit and Halfords are striving to present car drivers with a real choice when considering their options at service time. However it looks as if franchised dealers are finally facing up to the battle. Having taken … [Read more...]
According to a new study compiled by Warranty Direct, Suspension arms - costing an average of £230 to repair each time – are top of the list of parts on your car most likely to wear out. The report shows that around one in three repairs to vehicles aged between three and seven years old will be due to wear. Second on the list of … [Read more...]
The cost of getting a mechanic to fix your car in Greater London fell in the last 12 months, research by Warranty Direct has revealed, with the average hourly labour rates at garages in Greater London falling by 2.5% in the last year. The survey found however that Middlesex is the second most expensive area in the country to get a car repaired - … [Read more...]
There is no doubting the scrappage scheme provided a welcome boost to the UK automotive industry at a time when it was most needed but, as we have recently highlighted, the long term effects for that short term shot in the arm may prove to be more far reaching than perhaps anyone in the industry anticipated. We have accepted the fact that the … [Read more...]
Car parts retailer and garage operator Halfords has reported a jump in revenue for the first half of 2010, after taking over Nationwide Autocentres in February this year in a £73m deal. Revenue for the first half of this year rose by 7.6%, with profits expected to between £67m and £69m, which is 12% up on a year earlier, the company … [Read more...]
Vehicle data experts HPI are warning used car buyers about the rising number of Category B insurance write-offs being dangerously repaired and returned to UK roads for sale. These are vehicles that have been recommended by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to be scrapped. "The Government's Scrappage scheme gave the UK new car market a … [Read more...]
Franchised car dealers are becoming increasingly concerned about how they make sure their aftersales business remains profitable. They are under pressure like never before from the likes of Nationwide and Kwik-Fit (although that may change after the recent report by the BBC’s Watchdog) and other independent service centres who appear to be … [Read more...]
I know you can't really refer to classic cars as 'bargains' but having spent several weeks looking at the classifieds; there really are lots of ways to get yourself a classic car even if you're on a strict budget. And the choice, as they say, is frightening. Who hasn't bought a copy of Classic Car or Octane magazine and flicked through the … [Read more...]
The number of drivers successfully prosecuted by courts in England and Wales for driving on defective tyres has risen by 14% to more than 4,300 convictions. The information, which relates to 2008, has been released by the Ministry of Justice in response to a parliamentary question by Stoke-on-Trent MP, Tristram Hunt. The figure is a seven year … [Read more...]
The OFT (Office of Fair Trading) has launched a campaign to help people in knowing their rights when it comes to buying a used car from a dealer, as new figures released today reveal another rise in complaints. In the first six months of 2010, the OFT-managed advice service Consumer Direct received just over 38,000 complaints about second hand … [Read more...]
UK legislators must not scrap the annual MOT test to fall in line with Europe warns campaign group RoadSafe who reveal the DfT is considering scrapping the UK’s annual test, which commences when a car is 3 years old. Transport Department whip Earl Atlee told the House of Lords in July "We intend to look at the issue of MoT frequencies later … [Read more...]
An undercover investigation into UK car garages suggests the vast majority miss simple mechanical faults, consumer watchdog Which? has said. Which? took cars with four deliberate faults to 62 firms including both franchises and independent sites. Some 87% missed at least one problem, such as a deflated spare tyre or low brake fluid. All the … [Read more...]
Someone once said 'if you always do what you have always done you will always get the same results' (it was American success coach Tony Robbins - ed) and this is probably more relevant in the motor trade than any other business. Despite numerous attempts to evolve and change, if you ask veterans in the trade many will still say “we have always … [Read more...]
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