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Archive for September, 2010

Are Electric Cars Good for the Environment?

As a reasonable human being I do believe in the need to conserve our natural resources – especially Australia, as we actually still have some. I am sure the movie, “The Day the War Started” has a lot to be said for the world’s need to change its ways. Who wouldn’t want to invade our great land for its resources (something to think about when the new Military budget is handed out!)?

But the electric car is not the way. The cost of the infrastructure alone in a country this small in population and massive in size is overwhelming. Even if it was cost effective, the current range of an electric car is about 200 klms, if driven carefully, so it really does not stack up.

What many people forget is the electricity used to move these ‘green’ vehicles burns more fossil fuels at the power plant than a vehicle moving on petrol and diesel. This seems to be a knee jerk reaction to address complaints from the masses. Unfortunately it has worked to some degree and we are seeing a push from Manufacturers towards electric cars, like the Mitsubishi iMiev, due here soon. Did anyone mention the environmental impact of the disposal of the battery, or the massive distances by fossil fuelled transport to actually put all the components of an electric car together? It really is folly if you think the current electric cars have a positive environmental effect. Maybe they are quiet and have zero emissions when being driven, but the total lifespan impact is enormous.

We need to find an energy source that is renewable or replaceable that does not kill the Ozone layer.  Some say, not an easy task. The best answer right now would appear to be to use H2O or at least the Hydrogen component of water, something the German manufacturers are spending billions on. Or Google the’ Honda FCX Clarity’…surely a better option!

As a conspiracy theory lover, I am sure there has been many great advances over the decades to have this right now, but the power and money behind the oil industry have been able to buy it up and ‘shelve’ it every time, until now.

So the reality is right now, buy what you want considering the engine size and its registered emission levels and drive moderately. If you want some speed try for a small 4-cylunder turbo-charged car with a great exhaust system. The key here is really to do the best with what you have and don’t be swayed by the so called ‘environment friendly’ electric car. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/creditplus-online-zaimi.html

Sweet-sounding sub-30 contenders

What new car sounds the best for under 30k?  I know most people like the roominess of a car’s cabin, the funky stereo, the leather seats or maybe the way the car drives.  But which of the readers, like me, enjoy the sound of a rorty engine?  There are lots of neat things that make up a good drive, but one of the features that sits at the top of the list for some has to be the sound of a sweet engine responding to the right foot.  I can just imagine two boys in the playground at school arguing over whose car sounds the best!

Mulling this one over took a bit of time, but there were a few cars that came to mind. 

Mazda know how to make a drive fun, and with their latest Mazda 3 SP25 sedan, there are few cars that can match the car for pure driving pleasure – and still have price tag of under $30,000.  Effortless performance from the 122 kW, 2.5-litre engine makes this car move very quickly when required.  The rorty engine note is a pleasure.

Honda makes some of the finest and most reliable engines.  The Honda Civic VTi is very well priced, roomy and exceptionally reliable.  The other nice thing about the VTi engine is that it has a nice tone when pushed hard.

Make sure that you have a drive in the Fiat Ritmo 1.4T.  This is a fireball capable of 110 kW from a very sprightly 1.4-litre engine.  Great fun to drive, the little hatch looks hot, goes hard and has superb handling to match.  Not only is it well equipped, but also the car’s price is under the 30k mark – and when linked to a slick six-speed manual, the engine sounds like a baby Ferrari.

An in-line, four-cylinder, 2.0-litre engine sits under the hood of the Chunky Dodge Caliber SXT.  The engine note has a pleasant rasp, while the under 30k price tag buys you plenty of luxury features, space and some nice roadholding to match. 

This leaves me with two other contenders for the best sounding new car for under $30,000.  These two marques have been battling it out on the rally circuits for a long time now.  Perhaps it’s the racing prowess that has filtered down through these particular cars, but whatever it is, they both sound very good under a hard throttle.  The Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart has a super quick turbo-charged 1.5-litre engine under the hood.  What you have the power to do is embarrass bigger engines, on a regular basis, at the traffic lights.  Stylish and sporty, the Colt Ralliart also has a comfortable driving position.

You might have already guessed, but the other car that has an engine that sounds very good is the safe and practical Subaru Impreza.  Few cars can hold the key of Gee-wow like a flat-four engine, and what the Subaru Impreza R, RX and RV do have is a burbling flat-four at the right price. 

Have I missed any sweet sounding sub-30k contenders out?  Inform me if I have. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/denga-zaimy-nalichnimi.html

The Road to Nowhere, Somewhere or Anywhere.

A road trip in and around Australia is an excellent way to go about meeting new people, making new friends and tasting some of the best food (and beer) the country has to offer.  Australia has many wonderful sights to see and experience.  Wildlife is abundant in many places, and it is quite a rush to experience a croc, koala, wombat or wallaby – not to mention all the seabirds – first hand.  Did you know that Australia has its own camel?  Where do you reckon are some of the best places to take a road trip in Australia?  You may have lived in Australia for quite some time and know where the special drives are.  How about hearing about your favourite tour – and adding a few tips for those who might like to retrace your steps. Some of the best road trips need an overnight stay or a couple of nights away, so these are ideal for a short holiday.  Longer trips are the special ones that require you to fill up the car with all the luggage in preparation for taking a week or two off work.

I reckon Canberra is a nice area to take some time out.  From Sydney, you can travel southwest on the Hume Highway to Goulburn – the largest city on the Southern Tablelands.  Also known as the ‘City of Roses’, Goulburn has a number of interesting attractions, which include a number of special cafes.  From Goulburn, you can take the Federal Highway (Route 23), which passes Lake George before bringing you to the heart of Canberra, the national capital.  There’s heaps to do, with over thirty national institutions, parks, bushland, some great restaurants and a thriving arts scene.  Canberra offers fantastic activities and sights to see and experience for all the family.  This would make a nice run in a Peugeot 407 or maybe a Mercedes Benz CLS-Class, where you can sit back in some premium comfort and allow the engine to purr along while you take in the sights and experience the people. 

If you like to rough it a bit, then maybe a Northern Territory Outback adventure trip in a Mercedes GL-Class or Nissan Safari 3.0 TDi would tickle your fancy.  The 2700 km trip from Augusta to Darwin is a sensational journey through the heartbeat of Australia.  Be sure to go as part of a team, as it’s always wise to put safety first. 

And don’t forget what would have to be one of the classic Aussie road trips: the Nullabor.  This isn’t the prettiest drive or the most challenging from a motoring perspective, but it is still a classic, even though it’s a dead straight road with few features.  That’s the whole point – getting through the trip is an achievement in itself.  Some people give themselves an added challenge: trying to do the Nullabor on as few gallons of petrol as possible by using “hypermiling” techniques. Not a bad thing to try in a smaller economy vehicle.

So, handing over to you lot then.  Suggest a fair dinkum Aussie journey, tell us what the good bits are, propose what safety awareness might need to be taken note of and recommend the vehicle for the trip you have in mind. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/ekapusta-besplatniy-zaim.html

Wordsmiths in the 'poo' again

In our ‘Motoring Myths’ quiz last month we alluded to funny translations for car names. The example we gave  ( ‘Holden’ means underpants in Swahili) was a myth. But truth is often stranger than fiction, witness Audi and their latest creation, an electric car that has been named the “e-tron”. Sounds harmless enough, unless you’re French, where it is similar in meaning to ‘merde’ – or ‘crap’. No doubt that will put the Audi wordsmiths in the vernacular!

Audi e-tron

But this is not the first time it’s happened. General Motors launched its ‘Nova” car in Latin American markets, but hastened to a name change when they found that a rough translation into Spanish means ‘Don’t Go”.

In Australia we are familiar with the Mitsubishi Pajero, and again that needed a hasty name change in Spanish markets as it’s a Spanish slang word for masturbation.

Perhaps the most embarrassing name failure was undertaken by Ford in the US when they marketed their very successful Ford ‘Pinto’  car. But it was a dismal failure in Brazil, because in Brazilian it means ‘small penis’. No wonder it flopped! http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/glavfinance-online-zaymi.html