Why The Interest In Crossover, SUV, 4×4 cars?

Although there’s an enormous amount of interest in small cars today there is renewed and rising interest in Crossover, SUV, 4×4 cars.

Over the past four decades interest in small more economical cars rose every time there was an economic downturn or rise in fuel prices. Historically this hasn’t necessarily meant a rise in the sale of small cars. People said one thing about their intentions in surveys but that wasn’t what they actually did. The medium small Focus, Astra, Golf sector remained the most popular.

The reason car buyers have said one thing and done another in the past is although a car has to be affordable it also has to suit a buyers’ lifestyle. Over the past four decades small cars have grown from 3.5m to near 4m increasing their interior space and safety. Today small car sales are edging to the fore.

What is surprising is the renewed interest in the Crossover, SUV, 4×4 sector. This sector near died a death by 2007 because of running costs but has been rescued by the Crossover car concept. A Crossover car is built like a car – not a truck – and drives more like a car with more car like running costs.

It seems car buyers believe Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s are suited to their lifestyle and are now a consideration as they become financially viable. The Nissan Qashqai’s amazing success is a good example.

The Nissan Qashqai replaced their Almera which competed in the most popular Focus, Astra, Golf sector. The Qashqai is an interesting alternative to the ubiquitous family hatchback.

A Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform as is the Renault Scenic but the Qashqai does not have the versatility of MPVs so why the interest? Without going into explaining the body styles of estate cars, SUVs and MPVs the main difference is the Qashqai has a prominent horizontal bonnet as opposed to one box MPV style with a steeply sloped windscreen merging into a sloping bonnet.

I can’t analyse the attraction of a prominent bonnet, maybe it’s an indication of a big powerful engine under the hood or perceived frontal crash protection. Certainly Ford have latched onto this style feature with the new C-Max having a more distinctive bonnet more like the Kuga than the old C-Max.

I seems against all reason SUVs should compete with more versatile MPVs when it comes to cars suiting lifestyles. However Crossovers have improved SUV versatility. The interest in Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s seems to be a combination of being an alternative to the ubiquitous hatchback, with near MPV versatility and 4×4 macho styling.

What nearly killed the SUV sector was the viability of running the things. Vehicles like the RAV4, CR-V, Freelander followed by the Tiguan have managed to survive but with entry prices £20,000 or more it’s a bit of a stretch from the price of a family hatch.

Although the Qashqai costs more than a Megane it’s close enough to be considered. What has really racked up the interest in Crossovers is lower priced entrants into the market like the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi ASX and Skoda Yeti.

All the new entrants have the 4×4 style, adequate – not MPV – versatility in the dimensions of a Ford Focus. This makes them strong contenders as cars to suit people’s lifestyles.

If you compare their performance, emissions and fuel consumption with traditional 4x4s the improvements are amazing. However they don’t come close to the new improved efficiency of the everyday family hatchback. But maybe that’s not the comparison being made. They could be comparing Crossovers with the cars they are replacing.

Car sales have been poor since 2007 with owners postponing changing their cars which are most likely to be reliable and durable enough to hold onto. If their car is something like a Focus, Astra, Scenic, Zafira then their versatility probably still suits, whilst engine efficiency and general running costs have been good enough. Who’d pay thousands even tens of thousands to change their cars for the same type of car with small improvements?

However a Crossover is different, might suit their lifestyle and is now more affordable. It will be interesting to see when car sales pick up if interest in the Crossover sector will manifest itself in sales as it has done with the Qashqai.

Certainly there are deals to be done with dealers offering heavy discounts and low rate finance. If you ask for even more discount and better finance rates you may well get them. Just be sure you also get a good price for your part-exchange and discount on add-ons. Don’t be swayed by one of these for deals, you need the best on all four.

Four things you need to check:

• Get the latest EuroNCAP rating for new entrants into the market – you need 5-stars and ESP/ESC.
• The elevated view of the road from a Crossover has many advantages but be sure you’re happy with the cars’ higher centre of gravity, it’s stability and handling.
• When considering different engine and trim options be aware of the changes in car insurance groups and the differences in premiums.
• If you consider diesel engines compare it with a similar performing petrol engine and calculate at what total mileage savings in fuel costs repay the extra you pay for a diesel car.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. car comparison website to help you find the car to suit your purpose and purse

Over 50, looking for car insurance? You’ve got problems

Seriously. If you’re over 50 you may have noticed ads for car insurance for 50 years olds. When you see cheap car insurance for over 50s advertised you think you’re going to get cheap car insurance. When it comes to cheap car insurance women – who were previously targeted – will tell you insurers seemed to just want their low risk business and the quotes weren’t that cheap so they still had to shop around.

That’s problem number one.
Problem number two is being over 50 and insuring a small car.
Problem number three is being over 50 and insuring an MPV.
Problem number four is being over 50 and insuring a Crossover, SUV or 4×4.

Problem number five is frustration.

It’s worth looking into because you could save the equivalent of 3-months state pension, even five months.

It sounds unbelievable a driver over 50 would have problems insuring a small car. The problem with insuring small cars is the new car insurance groups 1-50 have widened the range of premiums that can be quoted. In some cases small cars that were group 2 under the old system are now group 8, not 4 as expected. Plus some small engines are now more powerful pushing them further up the group ratings. This all means motorists over 50 not only has to calculate if they are getting value for being a low risk driver, they have to be very careful which small car to go for based on insurance groups.

The problem is worse with Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s because the variations for sale have expanded with new crossovers and premium brand entrants and therefore the range of premiums has increased. This sector has retail prices ranging from £15000 to over £75000 with various dimensions and engines. The problem is becoming similar for MPVs.

Knowing which car insurance to go for is further confused by various promotions, packages, premiums and different car insurance companies.

This all calls for some serious comparisons to be made which brings me to the last problem – frustration – and the tendency to take the first quote you think suffices. I know what it’s like. I qualify for car insurance for the over 60s. I get very frustrated not being able to talk to people and when I do they have english as a second language and are reading a script. It’s like talking to a wall. Did you know some supposed customer service departments are internally referred to as shield teams. It gets more frustrating filling in online forms with the same information. I feel like I’m doing their job for them and they’re robbing my time.

However it is worth shopping around because of the huge range of quotes available and the huge savings to be made. Car insurance is one cost where you make savings.

All you need is:

• all your personal and car information in front of you
• remember they are free quotes so get as many as possible
• note what you get for your money
• make comparisons in a table not on the back of an envelope
• have a big list of car insurance companies
• shop directly before using car comparison sites

It’s no fun, it’s frustrating but keep going with an eye on saving big money. Don’t take the first quote that seems OK. A car insurance quote can be half the highest quote BUT there are cheap car insurance quotes a quarter of the top price.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk Car Comparisons to help you find the right car for your purpose and purse.

Is an MPV car comparatively affordable?

Yesterday I reviewed the Crossover concept and ended on the comment, ‘if I was willing and able to pay the price.’ It later struck a chord with me. I remember when I sold Rolls Royce and Ferrari in the 70s. People would stroll in just to tell us they’d never buy one. We used to say, ‘that’s because you can’t afford one.’

When you think about it people who buy Range Rovers are willing and able to pay the price and probably want everyone to know they can. Kinda kills my reasoning against Crossovers.

So let’s see if we can destroy MPV car myths. What is a MPV car? What does an MPV promise?

An MPV was defined by the 1985 Renault Espace which was purposefully designed and built-in a unique way.

• It appears as a one box design with a steeply raked windscreen merging into a short bonnet.
• The high roof and rear door angle were set near the ideal 90% estate car angle.
• Passengers could sit more upright than in low line cars.
• The seats could be folded or removed.
• All round access was easy.
• The view of the road was elevated.
• The unique selling proposition was MPVs were more spacious and versatile than other body types.
• You could also drive the Espace like a normal car.

To further understand a MPV it’s not exclusively a 7 seat people carrier, not a 60s minibus or 70s Yankee minivan, or 80s Japanese space wagon.You could buy a 7-seat Renault back in 1929.  The idea of more than 5 seats was not something new to the Espace. Space and versatility was. So an MPV can be 5 seats like the first Scenic, Picasso, C-Max.

1995 saw the first Ford Galaxy for sale which was promoted as a vehicle the same length as their saloon but with more space and versatility. Interestingly the DVLA classify the Galaxy and other MPVs as an estate car. So what’s an estate car? And let’s get comparing.

An estate car is based on a saloon car which can be seen as 3 boxes, one for the engine, one for passengers and one for luggage. An estate car merges the passenger and luggage areas into a shared one and preference given to one or t’other by folding the rear seat. The defining factors are an estate must have  tail board or gate and the cargo floor must be level with the lower edge of the tailgate frame – not sunken like a boot.

Given the description of a MPV and Estate the only difference is a MPV is higher and appears to be one box whereas an estate appears as two boxes because it has a long bonnet. The idea behind both is to increase versatility and space.

It’s difficult to compare the Espace and Galaxy because they’ve grown over the years and gone up market. The original Espace was only 4.25m long – shorter than a Ford Focus. Todays Espace and Galaxy are about 4.7/9m long. Something like the Vauxhall Zafiras size would be a more realistic comparison. So let’s make the same comparisons as yesterday.

Price – You can see a MPV IS comparatively affordable.

• Vauxhall Zafira from £15410
• Kuga £21505 to £26715
• Ford Focus Estate £17095 to 25095
• Focus Hatch £15995 tp £23995

Length – An MPV can be compact in length

• Zafira 4.47m
• Kuga 4.44m
• Focus Estate 4.56m
• Focus Hatch 4.36m

Minimum/maximum load space – MPVs are more spacious and versatile as promised.

• Zafira 140/645 to 1820 litres
• Kuga 360/1355 litres
• Focus Estate 476/1502
• Focus Hatch 316/1101

Engine options – MPVs have very similar engine ranges.

• Zafira 1.6, 1.8, 2.2 petrol or 1.7, 1.9 diesel with an auto option.
• Kuga 2.0 diesel FWD or AWD with auto option, 2.5 petrol AWD manual or auto.
• Focus Estate manual 1.6 diesel and petrol, 2.0 diesel and petrol with a diesel auto option.
• Focus Hatch same as estate.

Efficiency – MPVs can be better than a Crossovers but not a match for a hatchback or estate.

• Zafira 33.2 2 to 55.4 combined mpg, 134 to 191 CO2s, 111 to 127 mph, 12.4 to 9.9 seconds to 62 mph. 
• Kuga 47.1 to 27.4 combined mpg, 156 to 244 CO2s, 114 to 130 mph, 10.3 to 7.9 seconds to 62 mph.
• Focus Estate 67.3 to 47.1 mpg, 139 to 109 CO2s, 112 to 134 mph, 12.7 to 8.8 seconds to 62 mph.
• Focus Hatch not significantly different from the Estate.

 You can see you can buy an MPV in the same price range as a hatch or estate. It will be as compact but as the MPV concept promises you get more space and more versatility. MPVs can be as fast and as quick as a hatch and you can throw them around like a car. You pay a little extra in terms of fuel and emissions over a hatch or estate but significantly less than a SUV.

It appears the MPV idea is viable and comparably affordable. Plus you get 7 seats with a Zafira. You could make the comparisons above with a shorter 5 seat Scenic, Picasso or C-Max. Using the criteria above, although they’re shorter they beat the estate concept by a nose.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk Car Comparisons to help find the right car for you.

Why Is The Nissan Qashqai Popular?

The Nissan Qashqai is an interesting car because it sells well and was one of the first modern-day crossover cars replacing Nissan’s popular Almera  hatchback car.

The Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform which Renault also use for their Megane estate, coupe, cabriolet and Scenic. This puts the Nissan Qashqai dimensions in competition with hatchbacks like the Focus, Astra and Golf plus MPVs like the Meriva, Scenic and Zafira.

Whilst the Qashqai is based on a hatchback and built like an MPV many see it as a sensible substitute for a SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) with it being promoted as some sort of Sports Urban Vehicle – that’s not a class of car, I just made it up. Although the Qashai has 7-seat models you wouldn’t necessarily compare the Qashqai with Vauxhall Zafira models.

So how does the Nissan Qashqai compare with its competitors, what are its advantages that make it popular? We’ll see in a moment the Qashqai is fairly similar to the new Ford Focus for sale. It seems it all boils down to style which like comfort is a personal taste I can’t comment on for you. I can however compare size, versatility, driveability, economy and safety.

A car’s style seems to somehow play a part in a car’s standing in the market place and its prestige. For some reason many motorists attach prestige to cars styled like SUVs, maybe the imagine themselves as Royals in Range Rovers.

If you compare the size of a standard Nissan Qashqai with a Focus, Astra, Golf its about the same length and width. The difference is in the overall height with the Qashqai appearing significantly higher when in actual fact there’s not a lot in it – 4 inches. The added height and shape of the Qashqai helps it appear like a SUV.

You could take the view as its built on a Megane platform like a Scenic its more like an MPV than a SUV but we don’t associate Nissan with MPVs. Nissan are known worldwide for their 4x4s leading to the assumption the Qashqai is an addition to their SUV range. The Qashqai has 4×4 options.

As an MPV the Qashqai doesn’t compare too well with the Scenic and Zafira although it does have more internal capacity than the New Meriva. The nice thing about these cars are their ease of entry and exit plus an elevated view of the road ahead.

When it comes to driving the Qashqai it benefits from the Megane’s stable platform.

If you compare fuel consumption and take 1.6 petrol engines as an example the hatchbacks do slightly better than the Qashqai which is a tiny improvement on MPVs. The combined fuel consumptions are closely ranked so there’s no guarantee there will be a significant difference in real on the road driving that amounts to a significant cost difference with a Qashqai.

There are the same differences in CO2 emissions but again they don’t amount to a huge difference in costs. However it does pay to keep an eye on this cost as you consider different makes, models and their many engine options.

It’s a similar story when you compare maximum speeds and acceleration. All these cars will comfortably cruise at a legal 90 mph and more across Europe. There’s half a second, maybe one in times to 62 mph which doesn’t mean anything on the road. Around 11 or 12 seconds feels the same, it’s when you get single figure acceleration you feel the difference.

The last thing to watch out for is ESP. All the above cars have 5-star EuroNCAP ratings but not all have ESP as standard which becomes law at the end of 2011 so insist on ESP being thrown into the deal for free.

So you can see there’s no real difference in size, a little variation in load capacity, performance and economy are very similar. The big difference is in the way these cars are styled into the hatchback, MPV and SUV sectors which is why they call the Qashqai a crossover.

The difference in style stops cars becoming so similar to the point they’re could be considered simply as a commodity to be bought on price alone. It’s also comforting to know a mixture of competition and legislation keeps cars up to mark for safety, economy, emissions and performance.

Regards
Ralph

Is This A Viable Way To Cut Motoring Costs?

There are several surveys on the Internet suggesting motorists want to cut costs. There are two issues with surveys:

1. They are normally based on a small sample of hundreds, at best a thousand or two people.
2. People don’t always do what they say. Attitude is not an indication of action. Folk told Ford they’d like a car like the Edsel. Ford built it but few bought it. Over the decades 30 -40% of people have consistently said their next car would be smaller. The market penetration of small cars has remained at best about the same.

Here are some interesting results from carbuyersinfo car comparison pages. They’re based on hundreds of thousands of page views. It’s what people are doing, what they’re searching for and clicking through to look at. It’s a good indicator of their interests.

• Most popular entrance pages, 1) estate car comparisons, 2) SUV & 4×4 comparisons, 3) small car comparisons, 4) MPV comparisons.
• Visitors click the most ads on the MPV then SUV pages which is an indication of commercial intent.
• Most popular comparisons, Mazda2 vs Ford Fiesta, Kia Sportage vs Hyundai ix35 plus a combination of comparisons with the Mitsubishi ASX and Skoda Yeti.

So it appears car buyers have their minds on a car fitting their lifestyle as well as costs, which is the way it should be. Too many times I’ve seen people buy small cars only to regret it and suffer acute depreciation when they made an early part-exchange back to a car that suited their life.

So the question is are these new crossover SUVs and MPVs viable? The sayings go, ‘a small car is all you really need,’ and ‘ a hatchback [like the Ford Focus] is the car for everyman.’ Let’s compare them.

The 2011 Ford Focus dimensions are 4.36m long, 316L boots space, 1,101 maximum load space. Entry price £15,995. Their 1.6 105 petrol engine returns a combined 47.9 mpg, 136 CO2s, max 116 mph and 0-62 mph in 12.3 seconds.

A Renault Scenic figures are 4.38m, 430L, 1,800L, £16,360, 1.6 110 engine, 38.2 mpg, 174 CO2s, 115 mph, 11.7 secs.

A Mitsubishi ASX is 4.3m, 442L, 1,193L, £16,599, 1.6 cc, 47.9 mpg, 135 CO2, 113 mph, 11.4 secs.

A half decent small car - not a spoof basic loss leader – one you’d want like a Clio 5-door Dynamique 1.2 100 is 3.9m, £13,550, 52.3 mpg, 125 CO2, 114 mph, 11.0 seconds.

The Focus, Scenic and ASX are the same size. There’s not a significant difference in boot space. The Scenic clearly has a much larger maximum load space. There’s only hundreds difference in the entry prices which will look immaterial in finance repayments.

The Focus is todays state of the art as is the ASX. You can see there is no significant difference in mpg – about £1,660 for 12,000 miles, emissions, maximum speed or acceleration. The Scenic is longer in the tooth as are its engines. It’s a bit behind on mpg and emissions which will cost about £2,000 for 12,000 miles. All three have super efficient diesels but at extra cost.

The surprise may be a small car is more efficient but will still probably cost you £1,490 for 12,000 miles. There’s a couple of thousand in the car price but what’s that over 3 years, even less over 5 years? You’ll get some back when you part-exchange the family hatch, MPV or crossover.

Over a year the differences in motoring costs are at a guess well within £500 set against which vehicle suits your lifestyle.

So maybe it is viable to be looking at MPVs and crossovers.

Fuel consumption figures are as published by the DVLA and for comparison puposes only. Fuel costs are based on £6.50 per gallon. All figures should only be considered as a guide. The actual deal you can do on car price discount, finance and part-exchange price will make a major difference in your costs.

Regards
Ralph

Are you planning to cut your motoring costs?

It’s not a bad idea. If you work it out you might find near a quarter of your take-home pay goes in motoring costs.

Even if you run a small car you’ve over £1,500 per annum in depreciation, probably £500 in interest, another £500 for car insurance, and about the same £500 for replacement parts. VED, say £100. Then there are fuel costs, 12,000 miles - the annual average – at 40 mpg is £2,000 per annum. Total over £5,000 a year, that’s £417 per month. If you make a small cars comparison you’ll find they have similar costs.

Fuel costs have now become a more significant cost than depreciation and rising insurance premiums are a real worry. It’s difficult to know where you stand with the new car insurance groups table which ranks cars 1 to 50 instead of 1 to 20.

At a guess someone earning £40kpa takes home £2,200 per month and might be into MPV cars. Apart from replacement parts all the above costs increase and they could easily be looking at over £500 per month to run an MPV.

The problem is these costs are fixed and out of the car owners control. The used car market determines depreciation, interest rates are fixed for the period of agreement, VED is set in budgets and by emissions. Fuel prices are influenced by the market and tax. Replacing parts which inevitably wear out can’t be avoided. You can shop around for car insurance and save a significant amount of money.

 Many car owners intend to buy a car with cheaper costs when a change is due. Which brings me to the next problem – to most buyers this means buying a smaller car.

In the early 70′s oil crisis many motorists bought small cars only to find they were too small and did not have the space/versatility to suit their lifestyles. This meant they had to change their car earlier than planned and suffered horrendous depreciation. It got worse because the market was swamped with near new small cars the market adjusted prices down accordingly plus the demand had gone.

The big message is – YES, a car has to fit your budget, BUT remember it also has to fit your lifestyle.

There are larger cars, more versatile cars for sale with low fuel consumption, low emissions/VED costs and low car insurance groups. Next problem, most of these cars were launched or updated last year and cost more than a small car. The answer is to look at near new self-registered cars with delivery mileage – there are plenty about. You’ll not only save on the car cost, you’ll save on a large part of the depreciation and interest costs will be lower if the price is.

So yes you can cut motoring costs by shopping around for car insurance. You’ll only cut other cost by buying a car that is not only cheaper to run but also fits your life which is more affordable if you buy a near new car.

Regards
Ralph

Is the Renault Espace fading away or are we in for …

a delightful surprise?

I’m a big fan of the Renault Espace. I owned one back in the late eighties. It was fast, amazingly versatile and comfortable. It looked different and was great to drive the length of the UK or Europe. Trouble was my wife and our three easily found another mum with the typical two kids making seven. The car became the local family taxi and clocked over 20,000 miles per year and cost us a fortune in fuel. So it was a Scenic next. An MPV is definitely the best car for a family.

The present Espace has been around for a decade. In that time there’s been three different model Renault Scenics. The Espace hasn’t really changed. Are Renault going to update the Espace or let it fade away?

Renault have run down the number of Espace trim and engine options which in the past has been an indication a change is due.

The Espace is easily outpaced by more economical alternatives. It may still be the most versatile, safe and comfortable. If the Espace was announced today it would appear futuristic.

The problem might be competitors are based on platforms which global volume selling models. The Ford Focus platform serves ten different cars sold in the UK, the VW Golf platform supports over a dozen different models.

Renault may have been first MPV with the Espace followed by Ford with VW then Peugeot Citroen. Renault reinvented the MPV with the Scenic quickly followed by Citroen Xsara and Vauxhall Zafira.

Eventually the Vauxhall Zafira emerged the winner prompting a Grand Scenic. It was the Vauxhall Zafira dimensions and well thought out interior with 7-seats that gave it extra versatility and made it a more affordable alternative to a large MPV.

The mid-size 7-seat MPV is where the action is – the Grand Scenic, Grand Picasso, Peugeot 5008, VW Touran and Ford S-Max. The Zafira is still in there. The S-Max has elevated itself with Zetec as the entry trim level and amazingly capable engines.

Today the Espace may be the most expensive MPV  starting at £25k with the Galaxy over £24k and the latest Sharan over £23k. But that’s not where the market is at. Car prices matter as do the price of fuel and car insurance premiums.

The main players are the original players. Renault, Ford, VW, Peugeot Citroen, and Vauxhall. It’s like motoring history – Benz may have come up with car concept but Peugeot made it work, Renault were the innovator, Ford the manufacturer, GM the manager and Citroen the marketer.

Vauxhall will again be the new threat. There’s a new Zafira around the corner. It will be a Vauxhall in the UK, an Opel in Europe but a Chevrolet Orlando around the world.

We don’t know the difference between a Chevrolet and Chrysler in the UK – they both begin with ‘C.’  However Chevrolet is probably the most successful car brand in history and last I heard was the 3rd most sold in the world. 

The point is the Zafira will be on a volume selling Vauxhall Astra platform which is an Opel in Europe. The Astra platform is also the Chevrolet Cruze platform which is sold globally.

The Zafira will enjoy massive economy of scale. Renault seem to be waiting until they’ve made so many Espaces. Renault and their Nissan Alliance must have something up their sleeve especially now they’re talking to Mercedes.

There’s also the possibility the new Vauxhall Zafira will grow slightly making it even more versatile.

It would be delightful if Renault announced new Espace with new levels of performance, comfort, style and economy.

Regards
Ralph

Why Change Your Car?

Or why did you change your car? There are many reasons:

• Growing family.
• Shrinking family.
• Job promotion or pay rise.
• Replacing and ageing car.
• Upgrading an existing car.
• Maintaining a replacement cycle.
• Passed driving test.
• Retirement.
• Lost previous car by theft or write-off.

Growing family - many couples buy a bigger car – mpv cars and SUVs – during the first pregnancy, before birth. They look at safety features, ease of access and versatility. However, a child will easily fit into a small car for at least the first 14-years given the versatility of the super-sized Clio, Corsa and Fiesta.

Shrinking family - empty nesters soon exchange their old gas guzzling SUV or MPV for a car with sensible running costs. This won’t be necessary in the future given the running costs of modern MPV, SUVs and 4x4s. Try making a 4×4 comparison for a new model and you’ll find some do a combined 50mpg.

Upgrading an ageing car - was once a must. Buyers’ logic was they were spending more on replacement parts than the car was worth. Maybe the question ought to have been car you buy a replacement car for the cost of the part? Today there’s less pressure to change an old car because modern cars have proven both durable and reliable.

Upgrading and existing car – was a good idea decades ago when new models promised improvements in performance, comfort, durability, reliability, economy and safety. Now, if you’ve a EuroNCAP 5-star crash tested car with ABS and ESP, it’s hard to find significant improvement in performance or economy. Emissions have improved.

Maintaining a replacement cycle – is proving harder with the rising price of cars and acute depreciation. Make a small car comparison to see what I mean. Some small cars may have a lower priced entry model but the one you’ll want will be over £12,000. With 5 to 7-year warranties it’s worth holding on and buying the new model which seems to announced on about a 6-year cycle.

It might be falling cars sales are not due to the economic downturn. It could be cars are too versatile, economical, reliable, durable and way too expensive to replace.

Regards
Ralph

VW Touran vs Vauxhall Zafira

The Renault Scenic quickly followed by the Citroen Picasso may have been the first compact MPV cars. Shortly after the Vauxhall Zafira was announced as a 7-seat MPV car.

The fact the Zafira had 7-seats was a shock because the idea of a compact MPV car was owners of  large 7-seat MPVs like the Espace, Galaxy and Sharan liked their cars versatility and elevated driving position but not their size and most rarely used their 7-seats. So it was thought a compact 5-seat MPV was the answer.

However the Zafira became the best seller. Which is probably why we now have a 7-seat Scenic and Picasso. Plus S-Max, Mazda5, Verso and two recent entrants, the new VW Touran and Peugeot 5008.

If you compare VW Touran vs Vauxhall Zafira you’ll find there’s little difference in maximum load space, the Zafira has a lower entry price, with the Touran having the edge for engine efficiency.

The funny thing is these compact 7-seaters are about the same size as the original Renault Espace. You can make more car comparisons over on carbuyersinfo.

Regards
Ralph

Crossover Cars Comparison

As previously posted a crossover car is two car concepts morphed to create a new concept. Today it means building 4x4s and SUVs more like cars than trucks. An early example being the VW Tiguan built on the same platform as the VW Golf.

It brings new meaning to the TV ad, ‘Just Like a Golf.’

A to Z the following are all built on a VW Group A Series platform, just like a Golf - Audi A3 & TT, Seat Altea & Leon, Skoda Octavia & Yeti, VW Eos, Golf Plus, Jetta, Scirocco, Tiguan and Touran.

Are they all crossovers? No. The idea is to create a new concept. There’s nothing new about hatchback, sports cars and coupe. Even MPV cars are 1990s.

Only the Skoda Yeti and VW Tiguan qualify because they’re attempts to build 4×4/SUVs like cars. They’re not an attempt, they are built like a Golf.

Here it gets interesting because all of the above are offered with the same 2.0 TDI 170 engine. Here’s a question for you, ‘how does a car’s engine vs body style determine what the car is?’ There’s a reason car manufacturers badge the engine spec’ on the boot lid.

So what’s the difference in price between an Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro and Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI 170 4×4? What does a VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI 170 Sport cost? How about Scirocco vs TT 2.0 TDI 170? When you’ve finished look at the Octavia 2.0 TDI VRS, its maximum load capacity, price, economy, emissions and performance. Lesser models are the taxi drivers’ choice.

Why all the different models? Marketers call it product differentiation. If you can make a product or service different then you can charge a different price. Car insurance and cosmetics are typical industries who’ve led the way.

So, if you take a standard medium size car like the Octavia which some might think boring which it certainly isn’t with a 2.0 TDI VRS lump in it you’ll have paid 20k, a trendy Golf 23k, Touran MPV 23k, Tiguan 25k. Then the Seats, Yeti, EOS, Plus, Jetta and Scirocco don’t look bad value or do they?

Confused? Does Crossover mean costly? That Pug 3008 ain’t cheap.

It gets more confusing when you look at GM’s links with Alfa, Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and their own Corsa and Meriva.

Then there’s the Ford Focus and the C-Max, Kuga, Mazda3&5 plus Volvo 40, 30, 70 and 50.

To get our feet back on the ground, they say the car for everyone is the medium small hatch – Golf, Focus, Megane – the Qashqai is on a Megane platform.

So maybe before you think crossover, SUV, 4×4, MPV you might look at boring medium small cars like the Astra, and ubiquitous medium size cars like the Insignia, Mondeo, Passat, Mazda6, Accord before paying for something supposedly different.

If you can’t find the space and versatility in the everyday car then first look at estate cars. That’s all SUVs and MPVs are – tall estate cars – check with the DVLA. The best estate cars like the Octavia, Mondeo and the pundits choice – Mazda6 Estate, plus my favourite Citroen C5 Tourer – are all contenders.

Regards
Ralph