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Archive for August, 2012

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So is ugliness. Some cars rated as being horribly hideous by one reviewer might have a certain quirkiness that endears the vehicle to other people. So it’s always a little bit iffy when people come up with the lists of the ugliest cars.

The following were ranked as being the ugliest cars of 2012 by Forbes magazine and website. In other words, if your favourite set of wheels is in this list, or if you actually quite like the looks of a particular vehicle, don’t blame me. A few of these had me scratching my head and wondering what on earth these guys were on about. Some I did agree with, of course. But the practical side of me says that there’s more to a car than the way it looks, and if it gets you from A to B comfortably and efficiently, then looks can be irrelevant. And is it really a big deal that you have a car so hideous that it stands out from all the rest of the computer-designed blandness?

So here’s the list of the ugliest cars of 2012, as Forbes magazine and website calls it.
• Acura ZDX: we don’t have this one over here, so don’t go looking for it in our car reviews page


Ford Transit Connect (actually, it looks better than some fridge-on-wheels vans I’ve seen)


• GMC Terrain: another one that we don’t have here, so you’ll be spared the variation on squareness the designers played with


• Honda Crosstour (are these reviewers nuts?)


• Lexus CT 200h hybrid (see above – who’s paying them?)


• Lincoln MKT (again, one we don’t have over in Australia)


• Mercedes Benz R-Class: OK, so it looks like a hearse… which is a good thing if you actually are an undertaker. But is it really that ugly?


• Mini Coupe: well, it certainly isn’t the classic Mini as we know it.


• Mitsubishi i MieV: yes, this one does look a bit weird. The overall silhouette isn’t bad, so maybe the designers will be able to improve on it as the years go by.


Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet: not that ugly in my books, as you can expect an interesting crossover vehicle to look different


Porsche Panamera: hey, I think this one looks quite nice!


• Smart Pure Coupe: Another oddball one, but that’s expected with Smart.


• Toyota Prius V: I now have a very low opinion of the reviewers of the Forbes magazine.


OK, that was one list. And it was rather limited in that it only considered cars that came out this year (and 2012 isn’t even over yet, so who knows what’s coming?). Other lists, such as the one put out by the Discovery channel, have older and uglier ones, many of which were unsafe into the bargain… now that’s ugly.
The list was:
10 Ford Edsel


9 Studebaker Avanti (yes, that’s the front of the car)


8 Chevrolet Corvair


7 Fiat Yugo


6 Ford Pinto (and an absolute deathtrap into the bargain)


5 Chevrolet Vega


4 AMC Gremlin


3 Fiat Multipla


2 Pontiac Aztek


1 AMC Pacer.


It would be fun to develop a list of the ugliest cars in Australia. Personally, that Fiat Multipla ought to be in there. Any other suggestions? http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/mgnovennye-zaimy-na-kartu-bez-otkazov-kredito24.html

The World's Priciest Car Wash!

The Death of the Car Dealer article last month evoked much comment, including that of ‘Jerry’ who bitterly complained about the ‘farcical dealer delivery charges’, in Australia. This is the item on the invoice usually labeled “Pre-Delivery Charges”.

Cynics call this just an ‘expensive car wash’, so let’s look at what it means and how much we are asked to pay.

Dealer delivery is a real cost and imposition on the new car dealer, as there is work to be done and money to pay out after the car arrives at the dealers, but before you collect your shiny new car.

Work and costs involved include:-

1. Freight charges from the manufacturer or importer to the dealer.

2. Time taken to register the vehicle

3. Affixing the number plates

4. Completing the paperwork.

5. Inspecting the vehicle for faults and imperfections,and doing a full mechanical check.

6. Downloading software and programming electronic equipment.

7. Car wash and detail.

8. Filling it with fuel..

So how much do you think this would cost the dealer?

Let’s see if we can make a fair estimate.

Delivery to the dealer is possibly as much as $500, an hour or two getting the car registered and doing the paperwork, a couple of hours in the workshop, then the body shop and car wash bay for another couple of hours, and that’s about it.

Dealers like to talk about holding costs, showroom expenses, fitting extras, costs of arranging finance and the like, but then we reckon these are covered by the profit margin and commission given to the dealer from the suppliers.

So let’s be generous and say that a reasonable cost recovery (with a bit of profit) could be up to $2000.

However, most new car dealers around the world will incur similar costs, but their charges to the purchaser amount to far less. In the USA the customer is imposed a pre delivery charge of about $750 to $950. It’s slightly less in the UK, and stays around this mark throughout Europe.  But it’s a very different matter in Australia…

 

We made a few phone calls asking the delivery charges from separate dealers in different states for exactly the same car, with exactly the same specifications.

You don’t need to second guess us, as you can expect a wide variation, but even we were surprised to get quotes varying from a very acceptable $1995 to a serious request to pay and extra $5000!  And this dealer was not alone in asking for more than 150 percent more than some of his counterparts, as one also quoted $4995.

Is this a disgraceful rip off from the unsuspecting purchaser, especially when some salesmen claim that this is ‘non negotiable’.   So is this just another case of buyer beware?

Well, yes and no.

Clearly the car dealer has to make a profit to stay in business, but an exorbitant profit is certainly not justified. Yet it’s a free market, so virtually anything goes, huh?  Yes, and that goes back to negotiating the final deal.   It really doesn’t matter where the dealer makes his profit. It’s the bottom line that really counts.

Let us explain:

Suppose you want to trade your trusty family car for a brand new four wheel drive.
The recommended retail price (excluding dealer delivery and statutory costs, as they say) of the new vehicle is $40,000, but, by the time you’ve paid the dealer delivery fee and on-road costs, dealer A quotes $47000, including pre-delivery charges of $3450.  But dealer B only charges $2250 for pre-delivery (so the total cost is only $45,800).
So you’d go to Dealer B, wouldn’t you?

Of course you would – unless…..suppose dealer A wants to pay you $10,000 for your trade in, but dealer B reckons the best he can give you is $6,000.
Now what?  Well, to hand in your old car for the new one from dealer B will cost you $39,800 (dealer quote of $45,800 less $6,000 trade in).

Dealer A, however, quoted you $47,000 for your new car, but will give you $10,000 for your trade in. That means you’ll pay less, $37,000 versus $39,800, so dealer A should get your business.

The moral of the story is that it is the changeover price that matters. Clearly Private Fleet is well aware of all these dealer tricks, so it’s second nature to us. But it’s a minefield for the private buyer that is unnecessary and unwarranted, and makes what should be a pleasurable and exciting task, frustrating confusing and, all too often, unrewarding.

In fact, it is clearly such an issue to the buyer that regulatory authorities have tried to impose drive-away pricing throughout Australia. But that has its own problems as there are substantial variations in state taxes throughout Australia that make a uniform ‘National Price’ impossible.

‘Drive away- no more to pay’ is another example which can erase the pre-delivery rort, and this is where the manufacturer imposes a final drive away price for a particular car in each state. But, sadly, this only applies to selected cars on the dealer lot.  As we said, at Private Fleet we are very aware of these cost impositions, but that really doesn’t matter to us, as it’s always the final cost that matters, no matter how it’s arrived at. But for the unwary it can be an extra under-the-table revenue maker that just shouldn’t happen.

Do you think that these charges should be controlled, contained and specified by the maker, or should it be a free market?
Have you paid the pre delivery as a ‘non-negotiable charge’? Have your say below. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/moneza-online-zaym.html

Keep Your Eyes Open

There are some new vehicles that have arrived or will be about to roll onto showroom floors in Australia.  Some of them are particularly stunning and will end up in the limelight, I’m sure.  Thought I’d let you know, especially if you’re looking to upgrade in the near future.

In another year or so, the brand new Mazda6 with SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and the SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine will set the roads alight with its award-winning design and efficiency.  Can’t wait!

How about the next-generation Subaru WRX?  A new motor, a nice set of headlights, big wheel arches, big spoiler at the back, a new tail lamp design and a carbon fibre hood set the new WRX apart.  If it’s performance you’re after, then this is the machine.

A new Jaguar F-Type with a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine, and possibly a 2.0-litre motor as well, is nearing completion.  Jaguar is making a statement with this one.  Eight-speed automatics with start–stop technology, an aluminium body, and great handling promise to set the new F-type up against the Porsche Boxster and Audi TT-RS.  The platform for this Roadster may also underpin an imminent XF sedan replacement.

If you can get your hands on one… mate, I reckon this has to be the hottest supercar for some time.  2013 will see the new Corvette.  A grunty 5.5-liter V-8 with direct injection and higher compression provide the car’s awesome looks with performance and handling to compete with the latest Ferraris.  Check out the sizzling rear lights and quad exhausts!

From supercar to supersuv, Porsche are on a mission to bring out their new Macan.  Quite apart from the fact that the Macan, quite possibly, will be the best looking SUV in the medium-sized bracket, the performance will be remarkable.  Porsche and Volkswagen continue to push the performance envelope here, and if the current Cayenne models are anything to go by the new Macan will be every bit as quick – as Porsches should be.

Enter the Mercedes Benz CLA.  It will be well worth the wait and will be throwing its weight around as a big BMW competitor.  The car should be rolling around in Australia by 2014.

Another car I’m really hanging out for is the new Peugeot 208.  Very stylish lines, and Pulsion paintwork that changes its colour effects, will brighten up anyone’s day.  Inside the new Peugeot 208 will be a crimson stitched leather interior, stripes and a panoramic glass roof.  Powered by the efficient and responsive 1.6 HDi engine, the Peugeot 208 will be seen about next year.

Because we’re looking into the future, how about I finish with a car that runs on electricity?  Holden’s new Volt is pretty much arrived, and will be an exciting car to drive.  Plenty of zip and clean burning transport are what the Holden Volt is all about.  Inspiring fresh looks, too.

http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/online-zaym-na-kartu-payps.html

Danger Lurks In Chinese Imports

The automotive press have got stuck into the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for not taking decisive action against Chinese auto makers Great Wall and Chery.


Great Wall is the most successful Chinese brand in Australia, ranking in the top half of all imports, and is continuing to make significant inroads into the Australian market. So, are the press, and the motor repair trade justified in getting het up, or is it just a media beat up?

Let’s look at the facts-and it’s all about the asbestos content in the engine bays of these cars:-
• Asbestos was frequently and almost universally employed in motor vehicles for brake pads, engine gaskets and other parts for many years.
• Use of asbestos was banned for all motor vehicles sold in Australia in 2004
• Ateco imports Great Wall and Chery cars into Australia. They were given ‘written assurances’ that these vehicles complied with Australian design rules (and therefore did not use asbestos) before they signed the import licence agreements in 2007.
• But that was not the case, as it appears that these vehicle did have asbestos in them, thereby contravening various regulations.
• The ACCC was therefore brought into play to determine what action should be taken.
• Repairers called upon the ACCC to issue a full recall and replace all offending parts immediately. That would have cost many millions of dollars.
• The ACCC demurred, instead directing that warning stickers be attached to the offending parts at the next scheduled service- a much more watered down solution that some demanded. The ACCC said that the gaskets were sealed within the engine and presented no risk whatsoever to drivers.

But asbestos is deadly so is the ACCC acting irresponsibly?

The “YES” lobby says they are because the dangers are exemplified in later years when mechanics and possibly handymen owners start to mess around in the engine bay. Stickers may have come off, and owners/mechanics will have a false sense of security as they would be thinking that asbestos is banned, and therefore not a problem.

The “NO”  lobby says that the ACCC has done all that’s necessary, that there is no immediate danger, and that mechanics have become well aware of the handling requirements of gaskets, and current imports of these cars now comply absolutely.

But a wider point of view asks how a car maker can be so unaware of the dangers of its own products and is casting doubts on the manufacturers themselves.
Of course the competitors to these two makers are happy to join in the fray, as there’s no doubt that Great Wall, particularly, is causing them a headache. Breaches with Customs and Border Protection have even been mentioned, and here the fines could be many, many millions of dollars.
We think the bigger picture is at play, that competitors are using every trick in the book to decry Chinese imports, which prompts us to ask how good they really are? Certainly they have a very big price advantage, but are they value for money, do they perform well and reliably?
If you have a Great Wall or a Chery, or you know of someone who has, we’d love to hear from you.
We also want to know what you think of the ACCC’s initiative, so have your say below. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/platiza-mgnovenniy-zaim-online.html