| The element of trust between a car dealer and a buyer is one thing that must be strong if the purchase is going to go through smoothly. After all, paying for a car is big business – it costs a lot of money and is pretty much unrivalled in terms of one-off payments, unless you buy a house or get a top-quality holiday package.  Obviously, if you buy a car at Evans Halshaw or another reputable dealer, you’ll find yourself with a much safer transaction and a trust element that is both promoted and fostered by the company you approach. What’s more, they have a much greater understanding of specific makes and models that they specialise in, while also offering a large number of related services such as insurance and mechanics. Much like private dealers, they also haggle.
When dealing with a private seller, you must establish a few things to ensure you have a trust element in the sale. You must check if a car is genuine, for one; demand documentation such as the V5 sheet, which tells you if the registered keeper is the seller. Current and previous MOT certificates also need to be made available, as well as the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Get hold of an insurance certificate and service history before carrying out a vehicle background check; this ensures the used car isn’t stolen, carrying outstanding finance and shows if it has once been an insurance write-off. See the car with a friend too. Go during the day to check the vehicle and see it at the dealer’s home for more trust. Do your research before the visit for any faults that can arise with the model. Of course, a test drive is the best way to establish whether or not it’s right for you. Again, be sure to haggle too, as most sellers will make room for manoeuvre with the price. The concept of the general public taking to the sky in a small flying car has been around for quite some time. Now it is closer than ever to becoming a reality.  Flying Car - The Terrafugia Transition Optimistic aviation experts are claiming that we could be flying our own transport within 5 years thanks to vehicles like the Terrafugia Transition. Officially approved in the US the $250k flying car (approx. £155k) has 2 seats and can take you around 500 miles at up to 120mph on just one tank of fuel, you will need a longish and straight road to get air borne..! So this little flying motor is actually practical, its wings will fold up at the touch of a button and power will move from the propeller to the wheels to let you do around 60mph. Of course, you will look ridiculous but then you will have the last laugh when you take off at will and avoid the traffic. You can reserve one now for a modest $10,000 deposit, what are you waiting for? The car industry may be about to be turned on its head.. Forget the Freelander, the “baby” Range Rover is the new kid on the block The brand new Evoque is set to become the top selling vehicle at Land Rover according to company chiefs. The vehicle, touted as a “baby” Range Rover due to its compact design, was officially unveiled yesterday and it was also revealed that 18,000 eager people have already put deposits down. The impressive rate of sales, which if continued means the new coupe will usurp the Freelander 2 as the fastest selling vehicle, was announced by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) chief executive Dr Ralf Speth. The Evoque has been eagerly awaited by the majority of the motoring industry, ranging from consumers who might previously opt for a used Land Rover Freelander due to its lower cost and its low emissions rate and lightweight design.  Range Rover evoque review At the launch Land Rover global brand director John Edwards said: “We think this will be our bestselling car and the order books are looking very healthy. Halewood is going to be pretty busy with the Evoque for some time to come. “I have worked for JLR for 25 years and this car is going to be a global success. We believe it will out-sell the Freelander 2.” What makes the success even more staggering is that there is not a single test model in any showroom across the country, so the customers have ordered without even seeing the car in the flesh or taking it for a test drive. Only last month the Liverpool Echo reported that the Freelander, currently built in Halewood, continued to be the jewel in the crown of the manufacturer. That is set to come to an end as sales of the Evoque have already generated £630m of revenue for the company, which is also good news for the UK economy because the majority of vehicles will be exported around the world. However the triumph will not mean an explosion of used Freelanders flooding the second hand market as owners switch to the newest release. Edwards insisted the popularity of the Evoque will not be at the expense of its predecessor as 80 per cent of Evoque’s “order banks” have been tempted away from other automotive brands. The unveiling was hosted by TV and radio personality George Lamb, a Range Rover driver himself, and was attended by production workers from the Halewood plant, at which more than 1,000 jobs will be created by the production of the vehicle. The price range of the SUV begins at just under £28,000 and goes up to just over £44,000. It is seen by the firm as the product which will challenge the long standing perception of 4x4s as gas guzzlers due to its environmentally friendly performance. Standard models boast a smart system which cuts emissions to 159g/km in traffic, while the coupe version emits less than 130g/km of CO2. This does not compromise performance though as the 2.0-litre Si4 turbo-charged petrol engine has direct fuel injection and twin variable valve timing. This translates to 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds. Soaring temperatures and brighter nights mean summer is finally here – and for young car owners, that means it’s time to go out cruising. Crank up the stereo and pick up your friends or significant other before setting off to anywhere and everywhere in your pride and joy.  That thrill of being able to go wherever you want, whenever you want more than offsets the price of car insurance for young drivers, because let’s face it, it costs a fortune when you first get unleashed on the roads. Insurance premiums are high, even after shopping around for the best deals, and can easily lead to a hefty outlay of upwards of £1,000 for the first 12 months after passing your test. In some instances, that’s more than some used cars cost to buy. Then you’ve got to contend with road tax, increasing petrol prices and possibly any garage bills if you have the odd bump and scrape. Saving some money on your car insurance by shopping around might leave you with some left over to put into buying a private number plate!
When summer arrives, though, all that expense and comprehensive car insurance fees seem worth it as you’re able to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in your car and unwind and get away from it all. Banish the stress and anxiety brought on by work or studies within moments of turning the key in the ignition as your attention quickly switches instead to more pressing needs, like thinking of which destinations to drive to. Your journey could have purpose, like visiting friends and family that are located near and far away or taking in tourist attractions at a time that best suits you or even going on a little road trip. Or, it could be totally random, going from city to city, town to town or village to village exploring as you go just because you can. That’s the kind of freedom that motorists have, yet it’s in the summer months when you really notice the benefits of being able to jump in the car at any time of day and night and disappear into the distance in an instant. Winter poses all sorts of problems to drivers, from adverse weather conditions to the fact it’s dark by the time you walk out of the door at work, college or university. Summer is different – very different! You don’t even need an excuse to go for a drive and it gives you the type of independence that will change your life forever for the better. In an unsurprising move towards a more eco-friendly city, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, recently announced that he aimed to have 1,300 public charge points for electric cars installed around the metropolis. In addition to his recent introduction of rental bikes to London, Johnson is trying to bring the capital around to a new way of thinking – at least, where petrol is concerned. Cyclists and hybrid drivers are definitely those in his sights.  Electric Car Charging It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. We already know that the bike rental scheme is operating at a financial loss, much as the bus and underground journey also does. It’ll also be interesting to see an entire city take up electric vehicles, though quite how that’ll work is beyond us, given that they won’t be able to drive up north to see their family if the car runs out of juice halfway up the M1. Watching car insurance giants like Aviva give deals to those with electric motors and comparing them to petrol cars should also give some indication of the view of eco-friendly transportation from the perspective of the industries surrounding motoring. Zero-emission vehicles, however, may turn London into one of the greenest cities on the planet overnight – a significant portion of London’s emissions come from cars, buses, and motorcycles, and switching to electric power would wipe out this statistic completely. For those worried about the ever-depleting amounts of fossil fuels underneath the earth’s surface, this is great news. In the USA, there are also a lot of financial incentives for driving electric, from tax credits and rebates to free recharges and parking. However, you won’t be getting very far – drive more than a 100 miles and even the latest electric car battery may fail you. Like the rental bikes, Johnson may in fact ignore London outside the boundaries of the inner city, so for those commuting, running out of charge may in fact beach people randomly around London, turning the M25 into a scene from Deep Impact. So if you live in London and you’re about to switch vehicles, perhaps go for a hybrid first – you can get the moral boost from owning an eco-friendly car, but you won’t have to worry about finding a charge point, as if the whole city takes up Johnson on his offer, 1300 isn’t even going to scratch the surface of the demand it may create. 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