Archive for 2013
How To Fit A Tow Bar To Your Car
This guest post is courtesy of Simon Brisk from Car-Towbars.com. Thanks Simon!
Most car owners will come across a situation at some point in their live where they need to tow something whether it is a caravan or a trailer of some sort. There is a common misconception that a truck or a SUV is needed, but in fact by fitting a tow bar most vehicles can do the job perfectly well. The good news is that fitting a tow bar is fairly straight forward.
Fitting The Tow Bar To Your Vehicle
The first, and possibly one of the most important, step is to find the mounting points. This will most likely require that you detach a section of the interior boot trim. Often this involves lifting the floor covering and in some cases the side panels. It may also be necessary to remove the bumper from the vehicle, but not always so check with your car’s owner manual. In a few rare cases you may find that the tail pipe of the exhaust need to be dropped and the heat resistant shield removed.
Once the mounting points have been located the tow bar can be fastened into the holes. There are usually two holes on each side of the chassis legs. With some models you may also need to secure the tow bar to supports further down the chassis. If the bumper had to be removed to fit your tow bar then it is possible that it will need to be cut to allow refitting over the newly installed tow bars.
Is It Safe For Anyone To Fit Their Own Tow Bar?
In theory, anyone should be able to fit a tow bar without too much fuss. However, as the old saying goes: in theory practice and theory are the same, but in practice they are not. Whether or not you are able to properly fit a tow bar will depend on your own technical ability. If you are at all unconfident in your abilities then you may wish to opt for having a professional do the installation for you. Many tow bar retailers also offer fitting.
Fitting Tow Bar Electrics
If you are fitting a tow bar with electrics then it is a different story. The majority of tow bars should be supplied complete with a wiring diagram, but unless you have experience this may prove to be a little too complex for you to attempt.
It is very important that you make sure the correct type of wiring is used to be compatible with your trailer or caravan. Again, full instructions should be included with the tow bar you have purchased showing where the wires should be fitted. Some people will find these easy to follow while others will struggle. In the majority of cases it is probably safer to have a professional fit tow bar electrics to ensure that they work properly.
Fitting a standard tow bar to your vehicle is probably not even half as complicated as you might assume. Armed with your car manual, the tow bar instructions and a good selection of tools the job can usually be carried out in just a few hours. It only becomes more complicated when wiring comes into play. It is well worth asking your retailer if they can provide a tow bar fitting service. If you are lucky you might even get the service free or at a discounted rate!
Entrepreneur Simon Brisk is crazy about cars. He is the owner of Car-Towbars.com,which specializes in witter towbars and other car towing accessories.
The best Australian cars
Over the years, both in print and on-line, many a discussion has been generated around Australia’s worst cars. But with the Aussie car industry on its knees, I thought it was time to introduce some positivity to our home-grown motoring story, and ask our readers: What are your favourite Australian cars?
From the advent of the first Holdens in the 1940s through to today, there have been some wonderful Aussie cars, designed locally for local conditions. There were hardships of course, particularly in those early years where the content was largely inspired by America; indeed, early Falcons were positively flimsy and could simply fall apart, until Ford got serious with the legendary XP’s Aussie development program.
Personally, my list of solid Aussies includes what is generally perceived as a lemon: the Leyland P76. With its light, all-alloy V8, big body and nice ride, I think the concept was right; it’s just a pity the execution (and subsequent reliability jibes) hampered its sales.
Of course, the massively successful HQ-series Holden (485.650 produced) personifies what Aussies (used) to want in a car; space, robustness, power and a semblance of style.
I also love the American-influenced ‘muscle car’ era, back when racing at Bathurst in production-based cars was actually beneficial to sales. Think Ford Falcon XY GT-HO, Chrysler Charger R/T E49 and Holden Torana A9X.
Of later machinery, the Falcon EcoBoost was an on-trend alternative for modern times, retaining the sense of size, power and reliability that the best Aussie cars have but combining it with ultra-modern mechanicals which provide that power with economy. It’s a great drive, too…it’s just a pity that Ford didn’t have the marketing capability to really sell the product.
We could argue forever about why we no longer buy Australian (fuel costs affecting fleet sales, extra competitive market, lack of investment/’feel’ for the market…the list goes on) but let’s instead try and gain inspiration from the past: What are some of your favourites?
What’s In A Name?
In a few of my posts, I’ve burbled on about the various names that get given to the models of cars – the good, the bad and the potential. However, what about the names of the actual marques themselves? Sometimes, the reasons behind these are more interesting than you think.
Some marques, of course, are simply based on the name of the founder – Ford and Porsche, for example. Others are a bit more creative than that. Persian deities, cartoon characters, samurai insignia and Latin phrases have all done their bit. Some of my favourite “stories behind the name” are the following:
Mercedes-Benz: The “Benz” bit comes from Karl Benz (the man who also gave his name to benzine and who first patented the automobile) and is rather straightforward but the Mercedes bit is more interesting. Apparently, there was a very early race car driver and board member of the Daimler-Benz company by the name of Emil Jellinek who ordered a line of vehicles from the Daimler-Benz company and gave the cars his daughter’s nickname: Mercedes, rather in the tradition of naming ships after women. The Mercedes Benz cars did very well in the racing circuit and did much to popularize the brand, so the name was kept on for luck, especially after Daimler had given his name to another luxury line.
Toyota: Originally “Toyoda” but the D was changed to a T, as T was a luckier letter in the Japanese system of letters and numerology – it takes eight brush strokes to make and eight is a lucky number.
Mitsubishi: This literally means “three water chestnuts” or “three diamonds”, which was part of the family crest of the founder, Iwasaki Yatarō, a man of samurai descent.
Jeep: Popular legend has it that this name came about pretty much the same way as Humvee did – the initials GP (standing for General Purpose) got clipped down for everyday military use to “Jeep”. Other explanations have been given, including a character from early Popeye cartoons named Eugene the Jeep. In these cartoons (which came out well before World War 2 when the Jeep was developed for military purposes), a Jeep is a dog-like creature that is able to go anywhere, including into other dimensions. The vehicle seemed to have similar powers and hence the nickname.
Audi: This is based on the name of the founder, August Horch. Horch had founded one company and had then been kicked out of it. When developing his new car manufacturing company, he was scratching around for a good name for it, as he couldn’t use his own name. His son was studying Latin at the time and suggested that seeing as Horch was the German for “Listen”, why not translate the surname into Latin, which would be “Audi”? Problem solved.
Volvo: Another name taken from Latin, this time meaning “I roll.” It was chosen because the company originally made ball bearings.
Fiat: A nice little double meaning here. It’s the initials of the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) but also means “let it be”. “Fiat” was/is also a technical term used to indicate a decree that has been handed out by a higher power that must be carried out – that higher power being God, the Pope or the Government. “Fiat” was also supposed to be used by magicians to complete spells.
Mazda: This name was chosen because it sort of sounded like the name of the founder, Jujiro Matsuda and it was also the name of an ancient Persian god worshipped by the Zoroastrians (full name: Ahura Mazda). The symbol of Ahura-Mazda is the faravahar, which is a combination of the sun and eagle’s wings. Take a careful look at the logo of Mazda car, and you’ll see the circle and the wings still there. Other cars with divine names included the Jowett Jupiter, the Citroën Dyane (after Diana, the moon goddess) and the small Greek SUV marque Hercules.
Subaru: Fuji Heavy Industries wanted a name that reflected the companies that merged to form the one big company that had a touch of poetry to it. So they picked the Japanese name for the constellation of the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters – a linked group of bright stars. You’ll see the constellation on the Subaru logo – except it’s the way up that Japan in the Northern Hemisphere sees it, rather than the way you can see it on a nice clear summer night with a pair of good binoculars down here.
Duelling Diesels: RAV4 Cruiser versus Outlander Aspire
It’s been a dual diesel duel over the last week, between the revamped Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire 7 seater diesel up against Toyota’s new diesel entrant to the SUV competition, the venerable RAV4, with Cruiser AWD nomenclature. Both have undergone a substantial exterior reskin whilst the Outlander has received a moderate tickle to the interior. The RAV4 has gone a little further but it’s the under bonnet makeover that’s of most interest.
Mitsubishi has supplied its soft roader with an oil burner for some time now; Toyota has kept their diesels more for their Landcruiser and Prado range in a non-commercial sense. With diesel’s economic benefit being more widely appreciated along with the extra torque compared to petrol being part of that 
factor, Toyota has finally lobbed an engine powered by dinosaur juice into the vehicle that kickstarted the soft roader revolution.
Both have a 2.2L capacity engine with identical power and almost identical revs, 110kw at 3500rpm vs 3600rpm (Mitsubishi/Toyota), the Mitsi twisting out 360Nm of torque from 1500rpm to 2750rpm and the Toyota 340Nm (2800rpm) via an auto gearbox, in this case a Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT) for the Outlander and a traditionally slick self shifter for Toyota. Both have six ratios programmed in with the Outlander receiving 
F1 style paddles behind the tiller and the RAV a “traditional” gear lever change. Both are All Wheel Drive (no transfer case for low ratio dedicated off road work) and have a form of hill descent control plus an ECO mode to gauge how gently (or not) you’ve been driving and the RAV gets a Sports mode 
too. The Outlander and the RAV have an electronic lock system, allowing a change between a torque split (torque directed between front or rear) drive or a locked AWD setup. There’s a better measure of refinement on the Toyota though, with less engine chatter intruding into the cabin plus the Outlander had some vibration 
and shudder at low speeds at around 1500rpm. There’s a touch less lag on the Toyota as well, when the go pedal is depressed.
On the road both are well behaved, tracking truly on the straight. When asked to change direction both do so without fuss, with the RAV’s electronic assist to the steering somewhat without feel on centre but loads up on either side. The Mitsubishi offers a more even feel all the way through. Ridewise the Outlander was a touch harder; although supple enough on a flat road there was a little less give than the RAV, especially on humps’n’bumps. The front end would also “crash” over bigger speedbumps, with a seemingly shorter suspension travel feeling as if they would pull out. The Toyota, with a slightly more plush ride, would have tyre squeal and understeer more when pushed into a hard cornering situation; possibly to 
do with its slightly different wheel and tyre configuration, 
17 inch rims with 225/65 tyres as opposed to the Aspire’s 18/225/55s, which also may account for the slightly less level of rebound. The stop pedal on each on each was smooth and well weighted on the feel.
Both come with a 60L tank; somewhat strangely, the Toyota seemed LESS economical than the Outlander, even with a mere 50kg weight impost with the RAV reaching a quarter tank used first with similar distance and driving styles covered. Both came with keyless entry and start plus electronic tailgates. Operated via the remote fob, the Toyota’s seemed more successful in reading the signal, with both having a switch in the tailgate and Mitsubishi one on the dash. As expected, both had beepers to warn of gate up, gate down motions.
The interior of both is comfy, with the RAV’s seating a little more padded and supportive; the Outlander’s give you a sitting on rather than in impression. The Aspire has the extra row of seats with the simple “pull strap” to raise or lower but has lost the tumble fold and roll middle seats. The Cruiser has a five seat setup, a touch compromised by the RAV’s ten centimetre shorter overall length although, oddly the wheelbase is just a centimetre less. There’s well over 400L of cargo space for each with the rear seats (not including the third row in the Outlander) up plus 
each have a cargo blind. Overall width is a winner to the Toyota, by just 45mm but the Outlander feels a wider cabin although the RAV has a sunroof. Both dashes are easy to read, with a logical layout whilst taking slightly different routes with the placement of the Start/Stop button. The Mitsi’s is to the lower right of the steering wheel and the RAV to the upper left….neither are clearly visible to the driver. Toyota wrap the centre console and door trim in a carbon firbre look and some handsomely stitched leather on the centre dash. Outlander gets a tastefully contrasting wood trim (doors) 
and pianoblack highlight (centre dash) and both get heated seating. A minor ergonomic issue with the Aspire was the placement of the interior door handle, feeling as if it should be an inch or two higher. Both came with touchscreens for the satnav/entertainment system and steering wheel controls; the Mitsubishi won out with a more user friendly control system and, more importantly, did NOT have the utterly intrusive voice system saying a driver was over the limit…especially when the GPS was a bit lost. The sound from the audio system in each was 
wonderful, with the Aspire copping a Rockford Fosgate setup, although the Toyota’s bass was a little more defined. Naturally, connectivity is not an issue with USB/Bluetooth and Auxiliary ports available, with the RAV proffering two USBs, one in the head unit and one below.
It’s the exterior where these two have a more clearly defined delineation: the RAV cops the new angular family design brief, with the sharper, pointier nose and headlight cluster, LED running 
lights and a slightly less rounded rear than before. The Outlander has the now, more familiar, rounded and slightly bulbous look; it’s one that is slowly growing on me. There’s the familiar rubber touchpad for the keyless entry on the Aspire with the Cruiser getting a touch sensor embedded in the door handle plus has a nifty “blind spot” sensor with each exterior mirror lighting up a graphic if another vehicle appear to be in a tricky position to see.
Pressed to find a clear winner here, I can’t; both have their pluses and 
minuses enough to cancel each other out. And that’s great news for prospective buyers that aren’t brand locked. Both are competitively priced, the RAV starting at $48490 (auto) plus on roads and metallic paint whilst the Outlander starts at $45490 plus on roads and metallic ($495 + the electric tailgate, sound system and a couple of other items are a $5500 option) which, on dollars only, would have the Toyota only just ahead.
For more information click here: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/vehicles/outlander/specifications/outlander-2-2l and here: http://www.toyota.com.au/rav4/specifications/awd-cruiser-diesel-auto
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