Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Rental car

Many of us think that renting a car is quite expensive. Well, you do not really get a rented car for free but you can shave off a few dollars from the rent amount if you know how to get car rental discounts. Aside from that, you can always maximize the amount of money you pay by getting the best car rental service around. Here are some of the best car rental tips that you can use the next time you book yourself a car for personal or business reasons:

1. Book online.

If you want to have both convenience and savings at the same time, then you might want to book and reserve online. The best car rental companies often have websites where you can get not only useful rental information but also a means to book and make a reservation. Bigger

companies even have online car galleries where you can choose your preferred rental car. Booking online gives you this convenience plus savings on the amount or rental money you have to pay. By booking online, you can make use of coupon codes and discounts. You can shave off 5% to 15% of the rental charge instantly if you enter a valid coupon code upon booking.

2. Book early but return the rented car on time.

Some of the best car rental companies often offer the early bird or early booking promo to all customers. If you book well in advance then you can shave off a neat amount from the car rental fee. However, it is also important to know that you must return the car on time to avoid late return charges. Booking your reservation early can also help you choose the car you prefer. This is applicable especially to smaller rental companies which often have limited car options. Booking early can also help you avoid the rental rush during peak seasons.

Porsche car dealers

Porsche’s design team have been eating sausages and drinking beer at their local pub. As a result, there’s been no discernable change in how the 911 has looked over the years which has meant that if you bought a used Porsche and adorned it with a personal number plate, yourneighbour would have no clue as to its age.

It’s probably with good reason too that the design office has been untouched for so long. When the design team finally did leave the pub, their eyes straining at the daylight and beards dragging on the floor, they created the Cayenne which would cause a blind person to projectile vomit at the sight of it. Ugly doesn’t even begin to describe why Porsche would allow not just the production of a 4X4 but the production of such a monstrosity.

Thankfully it’s not the Cayenne but the Boxster that has become the German firm’s biggest seller to date. Unsurprisingly for a car that costs a third of a 911, it looks like a miniature version of its big brother. In fact the design team were so lazy this time around that the front end could

quite easily be the rear and visa versa as they look near identical. When it was launched there were fears that buying one would advertise that you couldn’t afford a ‘proper’ Porsche like the 911.

Whilst this fact is true, the Boxster is so good to drive that any stigmas are well and truly unattached during the 0-60mph dash. A 2.7 litre version will cover the distance in 6.2 seconds which is only marginally quicker than a Honda Civic Type R. However to buy the Boxster purely on straight-line speed is to miss the point entirely. For driving pleasure the Boxster is simply fantastic. Through the twisty lanes it holds the road and rewards you with precise steering that never once feels like it’s going to put you in a hedge. On the motorway it happily takes on the role of grand tourer, with road noise kept to a minimum and cabin comfort set to ‘high’.

You can even use the word ‘practical’ to describe it, because with the engine in the middle, you have a small boot at both the front and rear of the car which adds up to a full luggage set of space. There’s a slot in the dashboard for your phone’s SIM card, so you can make calls hands free and plenty of leather to wrap you up. The roof folds away electronically and unlike most convertibles doesn’t ruin the look of the Boxster when it’s up or down.

Jaguar car dealers

I had to sell my Jaguar, and I wasn’t happy. Well, would you be, after you’d spent so much time and effort into selecting the Jaguar that was right for you? It’s sod law really, I was given an excellent bonus from work because I’d met and exceeded our annual sales quota. I had always hankered after a Jaguar and after much deliberation I chose an XK Coupe – with its 300

horsepower, 4.2 litre engine, chrome Sabre wheels, body spoiler and dual tailpipes. What a car! And when I bought my Jaguar home, she was everything I expected and more. I felt like a King, a VIP, when I drove around in her. But one day, when I came home, my wife dropped a bombshell. She said her work was transferring her…not to an office just down the road, or even across the country…but across the other side of the world to Mexico. If I had been told this information before I had the car, I would have been quite excited about the news…but not now, because the move meant I had to sell my Jaguar. I couldn’t really take it with me overseas. I could have kept it in storage but that was an expensive option and I don’t know how long we are staying in Mexico.

When I realised I had to sell my Jaguar, I must admit to a wave of depression sweeping over me, and I buried my head in the sand, so to speak, and pretended none of it was happening. Therefore I did nothing about selling my car…until we only had one month left in the country. When my wife found out that I still hadn’t sorted out my car, she threaten to put an advert for it in the local newspaper. No way was I going to have my lovely car being advertised for sale in a local rag…it just didn’t seem a fitting way to sell such a magnificent car. So, taking matters into

my own hands I researched the best way to sell such a car, and I found the answer…to sell my Jaguar through a company that are experts in buying prestige and specialist cars. And it all happened so quickly and smoothly once I contacted them. All I had to do was fill in an online form with my contact details and some basic information about the car: make, model, age, and condition. I sent the form to them in the evening, and by the next day they had contacted me. I spoke to someone who knew all about Jaguars and although I was doing something I didn’t want to do, i.e. sell my Jaguar, at least they were making the whole transition as pleasant as possible.

Hyundai car dealers

On the other hand, the question of where to buy is a little more complex. Once you’ve decided to purchase a car, the next decision of where to shop can be just as hard as choosing the model and color of the car. In fact, it is even suggested that you consider the car dealership just as thoroughly as you would the car you want to buy. Buying a car is already extremely stressful so don’t make the experience worse by choosing a bad dealer. Use the following criteria when selecting a dealer and you’ll be on your way to a smooth ride.

Reputation
The dealership’s reputation is one of the most important things to consider because in more cases than not, the reputation reflects the dealerships true character. For instance, if a dealership has a reputation for being dishonest or shady, they probably are dishonest or shady. I found this to be true when I purchased a car a few months ago. I heard that a local Hyundai Dealer was not only honest and but very accommodating to customers so I decided to check it out. I quickly learned that they lived up to their reputation.

There are several ways to learn about a dealerships reputation. Start by asking for the opinions of your friends and family who have had experiences with the dealership in question, both positive and negative opinions will help you determine reputation. Knowing how you will be treated is very helpful. You may also want to learn about the dealership’s reliability with the local Better Business Bureau.

Location
When selecting a dealer, you should always consider choosing one that is located near your home. Proximity is especially important for maintenance issues. Usually vehicles are serviced at the same dealer where they were purchased, especially when they are under warranty. For maintenance and repair issues it is ideal to have the dealer’s service department close by. This will give you more flexibility in your schedule and it will help you get your car quickly through the system. Location may not be a necessity, but it is definitely an advantage in the long run.

Volkswagen car dealers

Blimey. Was I embarrassed or was I embarrassed. Nipped into my friendly neighbourhood Volkswagen dealer last week, put two and two together and came up with far more than four. The salesmen were all smiles, jovial and ever-so-friendly. Well, with the world in the state that it is, I figured there was only one explanation for this frivolity – drugs. I debated how many real salesmen were trapped in the back office and just how to escape these impostors and inform the police. Suddenly one of them pounced and asked if he could help me and after looking gormlessly at him, I decided that in fact these guys were happy because they were just, well happy.

Me being the idiot that I am, it turns out Volkswagen dealers only deal one form of drug, the very real, the very legal adrenaline. And small wonder Volkswagen dealers’ are smiling ear to ear, with their current line-up of vehicles, Volkswagen are strongly positioned to become the market leader across their range – most notably the dopamine deliverer, the Golf GTi.

Ever since the MK I burst onto the scene in 1976, engulfed in a cloud of tyre smoke and snarling engine, the GTi name has always been synonymous with Volkswagen’s ‘hot hatch’, in the same way that ‘Stuck in the middle with you’ by Steelers Wheel is no longer heard as a catchy pop

song, but as the soundtrack to a policeman having un-consenting surgery in Reservoir Dogs – so mighty was its impact things would never be the same again. However as was the case with Elvis, as the king of the road began to gain more and more accolades and success, the waste-line began to expand and its performance became slower and more laboured.

Hybrid trucks

With the increasing concern about environmental issues such as pollution and global warming, as well as the unbelievable rise in the price of gasoline, it is no wonder that hybrid vehicles are gaining popularity. Hybrid cars have been relatively common for years, with hybrid Sport Utility Vehicles in close competition, but what about hybrid trucks? We don't see those too often. Automotive manufacturing giant General Motors, however, believes that will change.

In 2005, GM introduced hybrid versions of the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra in Florida, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Alaska. In 2006 the company made the vehicles available nationwide. These hybrid pickup trucks have 5.3 liter V-8 engines which have exactly the same amount of power and torque as there non-hybrid counterparts (295 horsepower, 325 pound/feet of torque). They can carry the same size loads, tow the same weights, and accelerate

to the same degree that regular non-hybrid GM pickup trucks can. And they do it all while providing the most efficient gas mileage of any full-sized pickup on the market—about 20 miles per gallon on the highway. These hybrid trucks also feature a 2400 watt generator that can be used to power electrical devices, making them ideal for contractors or construction workers.

When compared to the Toyota Prius, a small hybrid car that gets 50 miles per gallon, 20 mpg might not sound like much. It is in fact only about a 10 percent difference from the fuel consumption of regular non-hybrid GM trucks. This is because the Prius is what is known as a “full hybrid,” which means that its internal combustion engine can shut off completely when the car is idle or driving at low speeds, relying solely on battery power and drastically improving fuel efficiency. This type of fuel savings is great, but it requires a significant compromise of power, which is something that the general pickup truck owner simply will not stand for.

General toyota trucks

You may have noticed that the truck market has become very hot lately. It seems that you don’t have to have construction type jobs to own a truck these days. In the past foreign trucks struggled with quality issues. Now a days all manufacturers have stepped up in quality and have produced their own profitable truck market segment.

The Toyota Tundra was previously known as a light-weight duty truck, but since 2007, the Tundra has upped the heavy-duty competitive bar. Toyota has also started an aggressive branding of their tundra line to compete more aggressively with American car manufacturers. By keeping the brand in front of the customer you slowly begin to program potential buyers into the fact that there is a better truck out there, and you don’t always have to buy American to get the best product. There newest commercials show the trucks being used by hard working laboring men in various jobs. This promotes some pride in the job and shows that it is ok to have a foreign truck doing an American job. This not only helps the bottom line for sales but also spurs on the transition from the industrial age to that of a global economy.

If you’re looking to buy a truck that is affordable and reliable, then Toyota might be the dealer to call on. The Toyota Tundra is well known for it’s heavy duty utility features and is appealing to many middle class families. Many people who work in the construction field look to buying a Toyota truck because of its quality. Heavy duty features are also promoted in television

commercials which help you realize the quality design built into the truck. In the past foreign trucks did not always mean quality, just a lower price. They never really had a good reputation.