Archive for September, 2010
Today's Women and Shopping For Cars
To all women out there looking to buy a new car – don’t despair there is help available in many places and you have certainly landed on a site which can be one of your best allies. Here are a few tips to survive without looking ridiculous or taking that token male with you for protection.
If you are purchasing a new car, firstly look around on the road for vehicles that grab your attention. Spend a week or more doing this. It is very important. The best way to save time and money is to narrow your field of vision. Unlike our ‘male counterparts’ this also covers more than just’ brand’. Our female brain will automatically mutil-task and include your lifestyle, personal needs, family size and, within reason –your budget.
Next, research on-line the comparative vehicles and check that they include all the internal features you want. Yes, safety is really the most important thing, but comfort and ease of use are the best features for you to love your new car; particularly if you like to name your cars. Make sure the kids have the DVD; you have cruise control etc, etc, etc. For me it is the new proximity keys. If they are in my hand bag (anywhere) I can get in and start the car; YES!!! When it is raining and the kids are screaming, and the groceries have to still be thrown in, the one thing I can count on is my ‘Tardis’ handbag never has to open.
Don’t be too nerdy about it though. You don’t need a spread sheet, just a list.
The next thing is to call your local dealers (ask for the female sales person, if there is one) and set an appointment. They will be there JUST FOR YOU. Ask to drive the car for a while, and respectfully ask them to shut up and just answer your questions. Because the feel, vision and seat positions are what you need to work out for yourself. The best question for the sales person is to show them your list of cars and ask them, “What are the positive aspects of these other models and in their opinion why is their car better for you ?” They will focus on that rather than you. Trying to find positive points of another brand will take some effort on their part. They may give you an insight you never thought of or, if they are clueless and self opinionated, they dont deserve your business anyway.
Next, be honest- to a point. If you do not like the car don’t dance through the pricing, Sales Managers etc. Just let them know your concerns which absolutely remove that vehicle from your list (e.g. the seat length is too short and you were uncomfortable) and thank them for their time.
But, if you do like the car give them your list of wants and needs and ask them, “to price it for you quickly, as you will shop another dealer to keep them honest”. If it is way over you budget – either remove something from the wish list, or walk away graciously to a cheaper car. There is NO shame in intelligent buying!
Remember the cost of ownership does not always equal the cost of purchase!!! Ask for the service pricing schedule and the servicing intervals. You may be able to afford the car, but not its maintenance as well.
Lastly walk away – even for a coffee (preferably a day). Take your time. It is not a pair of jeans. If your ‘bum looks big in this car’ – you probably have to live with that for 3-10 years. And no-one wants that!!! And never ask your friends; they have opinions that are so random that it will confuse you even more (unless she works in the Motor trade). Use a car buying service and Private Fleet, where you are right now, just happens to be Australia’s leading company to assist you with this process. They will help you with your choices and then do all of the price negotiation for you.
Buy the car YOU want, in the price range YOU can afford, that suits YOU and YOUR lifestyle. You will find the choice narrows down to only one or two vehicles; and that is a much easier choice!
Best Ever TV Commercials
We put up a blog on our website the other day commenting on a car ad that ‘grabbed’ us.
OK, let’s confess right now, not many car ads have that effect on us. But this ad got us thinking – what are the really memorable car ads?
So we thought we’d enlist your help, we’ll start off with our three all time favourites then you can tell us what tickled your fancy.
Ad No. 1
We’ll start off with the Kia ad on the blog with track by Grandmaster Flash – a really catchy tune that we think grabs the younger set- just what Kia want. We wrote about the Kia Ad a week or so ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzIy2yGTk4U
Ad No. 2
Talking about a catchy tune, very little can beat the Mitsubishi ad that made a chart topper!
This track “You get what you give” by the New Radicals was used as the backing track for this Mitsu commercial in 2008, and we defy you to sit still whilst you listen to it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0l7zq3Xzsk
Ad No 3
We admit that this is our all-time favourite, reputed to have cost well over 1.6 million dollars to produce. The Honda ‘Cog’ commercial started life on the UK Cinema and TV screens in April 2003 to advertise the Honda Accord. It immediately received a rapturous reception and was adopted world-wide by Honda. In fact it received more industry awards that any other commercial in history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG8Ij6F6nlw
So here are our three favourites, let’s hear about your best car TV ads.
World Class Concours Comes To Australia
Australia is about to host two prestigious World-Class concours events, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, and Private Fleet has ten family passes to give away to each event.
The first event will be held in Sydney on 10th October 2010.
CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE, AUSTRALIA, Sydney 10th October
Sydney is set to host one of the World’s great motoring events on 10/10/10 in the elegantly landscaped grounds of the St. Patrick’s Estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Manly.
Well over $75m worth of exotic cars and motorcycles will be on display for public viewing and nearly fifty cars are already entered in the Concours D’Elegance competition.
These are not ordinary cars, and this is not an ordinary motor display. Some of the rarest makes and most historically significant machinery will be on display, vying for the ‘Best Of Show’ award.
Such exotic makes as Bugatti, Hispano Suiza, Facel Vega and less well known (Mitchell, Henderson, Stutz,to name a few) will be displayed alongside a fabulous display of Ferraris, Maseratis, Jaguars, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins and many more.
For the motor cycle enthusiast there will be over 50 very rare examples spanning nearly a hundred years, some of which have not been on display-ever!
This is not just a show for ‘petrol heads’. Anyone who can appreciate fine art, beauty and exotica will be enthralled. The ladies will be entertained with ‘Fashions in the Field’ and a ladies beauty tent, there will be a new car unveiling, a restorers feature and a food and beverage tent.
If you’d like to go, the tickets are $55 per head at the gate, or the first ten Private Fleet Newsletter readers to identify this car :-
will be given family passes (2 adults and 2 children) free.
Simply click on ‘Comments’ at the end of this article, fill in the details as requested, type in “Sydney” then the make of the car above, and if you are one of the first ten we’ll be in contact and the tickets will be winging their way to you.
If you’d like to learn more about this show https://www.concoursdeleganceaustralia.com/member/
MOTORCLASSICA MELBOURNE 22nd – 24th October.
Hot on the heels of the Sydney event Melbourne will be hosting its own exotic and classic car extravaganza at the fabled Royal Exhibition Building just two weeks later.It will be a multiple event, including a classic car tour through the Victorian countryside, a classic car show and a Concours D’Elegance, plus an exotica auction.
Private Fleet also has ten family passes to give away to this event with the compliments of the organizers, so if you would like to visit this innovative exhibition then read on.
Your tickets will enable you to visit the Car Show and Concours D’Elegance and you’ll also be entitled to attend the Shannons MotorClassica Auction at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.
Here’s a foretaste of some of the remarkable and notable cars that will be displayed at MotorClassica:-
Steve McQueen was not only an iconic actor but he was also a very successful racing driver.
MotorClassica will be displaying his very own Ferrari 250 GTO NART Spyder.
Peter Sellers was well known as a car enthusiast, and one of his most exotic cars, a Maserati Mistral Spyder, which he acquired for his wife, Britt Eckland will be on display.
Also featured will be a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, a massive Daimler Double Six Limousine, Sir Stirling Moss’ own Porsche and much much more. Sir Stirling will be there in person and will be an honorary Concours judge at this fabulous show.
Entry to the Display and Concours costs $20 for Adults and $15 for children under 15. But we’ve got ten family passes (2 adults, 2 children) to give away to Private Fleet Newsletter readers.
All you have to do is to identify the make of car that will be on show below –
Once you’ve worked out what make of car this is click on the ‘comments’ button below fill in your contact details, type in ‘Melbourne” then the make of car. We’ll contact you if you are one of the first ten correct entries.
If you would like to make a comment on the motoring extravaganza the please let us know what you think in the comments section…
If you do go to either show, why not come back to this blog and tell us what you thought?
Keep Left…Unless Overtaking
On a recent trip to the UK, I couldn’t help but notice how major roads (including motorways) fared better with increased traffic volumes than here in Australia. It wasn’t perfect by any means but it definitely seemed that in moderate to high traffic volumes, the traffic moved more smoothly and quicker than over here.
I’m pretty sure the reason is at least partly to do with the following:
In the UK, all drivers keep to the left lane where possible.
In Australia, this road rule is just ignored.
What this effectively does is turn a 3-lane freeway into a two-lane freeway. It also encourages driver’s to undertake which is not ideal for a free-flowing traffic. In an ideal world, the left hand lane should be the busiest with the middle lane less freqented and the outside lane rarely used (yes even in high traffic situations!). However in Australia, the left hand lane seems to be reserved for trucks, caravans and old bangers. The average driver seems to use the middle lane as the default, leaving the ‘slow lane’ for the speed-challenged drivers.
It’s not clear why this is done when there are signs on every freeway stating ‘Keep Left Unless Overtaking”.
Perhaps it’s a perceived safety issue. A clear lane on either side gives the driver a little more distance between the car and potential threats such as trees or the median strip. I’d argue however that being aware of cars on both the left and right sides is much more dangerous than just worrying about the one side if you were indeed keeping left.
I think the most likely reason is because so many people do it, you might be disadvantaged if you do tow the line and do keep left unless overtaking. For example, if you come up to a slow truck, the busy middle lane might trap you in the left hand lane behind the truck unable to overtake. So best to keep in the middle, that way you keep options open on either side? this means you’re forced to break a law which negatively affects traffic simply because so many other people do it. It’s s problem that’s created by the problem itself.
The solution lies in education and regulation. We need:
1) Fines for people who hog the middle lane (have you ever met anybody who’s copped one of these fines? It’s a hard one to enforce admittedly but surely we can do better)
2) Education that the middle lane is not the default and the left hand lane is not the ‘slow lane’
Think about how much money we’d save if, rather than spending billions on new roads and widening of freeways, we just learnt to make the most of our existing network by encouraging more ‘efficient’ driving. Not to mention the increased safety.
What do you think? Is this a real issue? Would it make a difference or am I just a typical driver getting my own personal ‘pet hate’ off my chest?
Level 2, 9 Help Street