Most of us have to keep an eye on our outgoings nowadays and one major expense is running our cars. The price of fuel seems to be forever going up and so there are a few rules we can all follow to help save on fuel.

A thing a lot of us are guilty of at times is putting our foot down when we accelerate. If you drive an automatic it is best to accelerate at a moderate speed in order to give the transmission time to shift to the higher gears. Also if you accelerate away and brake right away this is a big waste of fuel.

A good way to save petrol is simply reduce your speed. As speed increases fuel decreases!

Under inflated tyres are sometimes overlooked. If they are not at the right pressure they will need to use more fuel to keep the car moving. Get yourself a good tyre gauge and make sure that you check the tyres at least once every month. One tip is to check them when they are cold because driving the car will warm up the tyres and the air inside which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading.

Check your air filter because one which is dirty will restrict the flow of air to the engine which will affect performance and also economy.
 
New wheels and tyres may look really good and they can improve the way that a car handles, but if they are wider then they could create more resistance and increase fuel consumption. So it is maybe worth considering keeping the old tyres for long road trips which will give you a far smoother ride and far better economy.

If you are considering changing your car then maybe this is the ideal time to downsize a little. Nissan and Toyota are two of the leading manufacturers who have developed highly fuel efficient cars.

This may not seem obvious, but take a look inside your car and give it a bit of a spring clean. We are all guilty of hoarding rubbish in our cars and its surprising how this extra baggage mounts up in the terms of weight. The more the weight in the car the more fuel is burnt.

Finally, probably not a very popular thing to say, but whenever possible why not walk?!!

I was reading an article today about women drivers and the top ten cars that they drive and was interested to read that women tend to be better ‘car buyers’ than men. I was intrigued to find out what this meant and apparently men are said to buy the type of car that they want whereas a women will buy a car that they need!
On the whole they tend to go for a car that is reasonably priced, practical and economical. It has to be extremely flexible with plenty of storage space for family use.  Here is a list of suggestions that they came up with;

Volkswagen Jetta

This compact individual car is ideal for the independent woman. It is large enough for a growing family and has the engine capacity of a VW GTI. There is also the diesel Jetta which has outstanding fuel economy. It is also clean and quiet. It can easily accommodate two adults and three children.

Mercedes Benz E class

This is a prestige car. It is large enough for the family to fit in comfortably but also compact enough to for easy parking. It has that great touch of luxury. The interior has plush dashboards and steering wheel featuring soft touch buttons. It has a fantastic engine which runs really smoothly and is very powerful. All in all well worth the price.

Mazda MX 5 Miata

This would be a great car for a woman with no family or an excellent second car. It is really a fun car and very economical too. The room in the boot is limited but quite enough for the single woman. The integrated roll bars which are positioned behind each seat add practical safety benefits. The only downside with this car is don’t even consider it if you are over 6ft which I suppose is another reason its more of a ladies car.

Another Mazda but this time a four or five door version. The five door is highly recommended for its practicality and there is more space for a growing family. The body shell is extremely rigid and the suspension has been adapted for improved steering and sharper handling. One important difference is the addition of electronic stability control which can help the driver from losing sudden panic manoeuvre or over aggressive driving. This little car is a good safe all rounder.

Subaru Forester

This is a real family car. For the woman that likes the outdoors and needs that extra bit of space.
Once again safety features are a strong area with antilock brakes and front seat mounted airbags come as standard. One other feature is the all wheel drive which gives great handling conditions in all weather conditions.

We all know that the car industry is in the midst of one of its worst financial times in its history. Although used cars are still widely being accepting, dealers are having trouble ridding of the new cars. The huge niche just blames it on the financial downfall and insists a saviour is the right approach and will rejuvenate a failing niche. But is this the truth or not? Or is there hidden information hidden behind the chassis.

Well something needs to be done about the failing market and I can tell you that it is not a bail out that will save it. Quickly viewing in your mind, Does it really cost manufacturers huge sums of dollars to create a vehicle. Rumours state that cars are created in about 30 hours from start to finish and cost around $2000 for each vehicle, which undoubtedly ends up selling for a profit of up to 90%.

Is this not the true reason as to why the industry is suffering, because they are overcharging? Ok do not see me in a negative light to design a new vehicle and promote the new vehicle must cost slightly more. But when it comes to bulk manufacturing, these vehicles are just getting created and sold. The creators were trying to get alot of profit by charging an arm and a leg and this is why more pricey businesses are struggling, like the BMW.

This is also why budget cars that do exactly the same job such as Fiats and Fords are still thriving in a below average market. They supply great quality vehicles which are still making them a profit, although sold at a low rate. I have been in a Fiat that feels exactly the same if not more advanced than the more costly brands of cars.

Buy a Honda and Buy a Mercedes