5 Used Cars to Avoid And The Alternatives

MoneyWatch have recently looked at car owner surveys and put together a list of vehicles that have the poorest reliability records based on five categories. The year 2008 was chosen  for three reasons:

1. This particular year means that most vehicles will have had already gone through the depreciation period, so you will not have to worry too much about losing money. (New cars lose value every year).

2. The year 2008 ranked in the latest dependability study from J.D. Power and Associates.

3. The cost of used car prices have risen so significantly over this past year and used cars can make worse financial sense than new.

Small Car 

From the 'Small Car' category, the first car selected is the Volkswagen Beetle.

2008 Volkswagen Beetle

According to MoneyWatch, although the Beetle's cute and all-around appeal is enticing to some, it doesn't save it from being on the least reliable list. Owners of the 2008 model told Consumer Reports that they had trouble with the climate control system and power equipment - both are very costly and expensive to repair. 

Alternative : Hyundai Elantra

2008 Hyundai Elantra 

The Hyundai Elantra got the maximum of five circles in the J.D Power reliability ratings and is ranked an above-average used car by Consumer Reports, where survey respondents reported no major problems. Hyundai not only make top quality cars but they are also offering consumers a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Medium Car

For "The medium car" category, the car selected is the Volkswagen Passat, picture below;

2008 Volkswagen Passat

Volkswagen despite being praised by reviewers when new, the passat gets the minimum J.D two circles and a below-average rating from Consumer Reports. Readers there report problems with the fuel, power equipment and electrical and climate systems.

Alternative: Ford Fusion

2008 Ford Fusion

Ford's first real contender in years against mid-size leaders Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the Fusion won the reliability award in this year's J.D. Power Survey. Consumer Reports gives it a top Much Above Average used car rating. Readers there reported no major problems with their 2008 Ford Fusions.

Mid-size SUV

For "The Mid-Size SUV" category, GMC Acadia has been chosen pictured below:

2008 GMC Acadia 

Though its quality has improved in recent models, the 2008 Acadia is a repeat loser in this category. With the minimum two circles in the J.D Power survey, it gets a worse than average used car ranking from Consumer Reports. Readers there reported problems with the suspension and audio system.

Alternative: Toyota 4 Runner

Toyota 4 Runner

This 2008 Toyota won the J.D Power reliability award and is rated much better than average as a used car in the Consumer Reports ratings, where readers reported no serious problems. Reviewers praises its capability both on the highway and off-road.

Mid-size SUV

For "Large SUV" Category - Ford Expedition has been chosen, picture below:

Even if you need large-capacity hauling and can ignore the lame mileage number (the Expedition is rated at 12 mpg in city driving) look elsewhere. The Ford SUV line, which strangely all start with the letter 'E', has received the minimum two circles from J.D Power and a worse-than-average Consumer Reports rating, where readers report problems with the transmission and the audio system.

Alternative: Toyota Sequoia

2008 Toyota Sequoia

In a category with no clear winner, the Toyota entry again looks like the best bet. It gets four out of five circles in the J.D Power rating and an above-average rating from Consumer Reports. Reviewers praise its roomy seating and comfortable ride for long trips.

Minivan

For "minivan" Category - Chrysler Town & Country

2008 Chrysler Town & Country

Chrysler originated the minivan and in most years has sold more than other companies. But sometime around 2008, manufacturing quality began to lag.

This Chrysler van got the minimum two circles from J.D. Power and a much-worse-than-average used-car rating from Consumer Reports. Readers there reported problems with the suspension, brakes, climate system and power equipment. 

Alternative: Toyota Sienna

2008 Toyota Sienna

As it did last year, the Sienna wins the reliability award for minivans from J.D. Power, and it gets a better-than-average rating from Consumer Reports. Reviewers praise its comfort and seating; it holds up to eight people. 

     Despite Toyota’s recent recall problems and lagging sales this year, its dominance of numerous categories in three-year-old used cars is a reminder of what a strong record of reliability it has achieved. Domestic companies certainly should not count out Toyota as a strong competitor.

Going Abroad This Summer? Be Prepared UK Drivers!

The AA has put together a list of things you should have organised before you go abroad with your vehicle. We know you will find this useful and will also help to make your summer holiday as stress-free as possible!

Be Prepared!

Traffic & Speeding regulations:

Are you aware of the road and traffic regulations of the country you are visiting? Some countries use the KM speed limit rather than the MPH that we are so used to in this country, don't get caught speeding due to unawareness! 

Example of Speed signs abroad:
(This is in Km's not Mph!)

If you do get caught speeding, in many countries the penalties can be both tough and instant. If you are actually stopped for a motoring offence by police you are likely to be required to pay an on-the-spot fine and most police will accept credit or debit cards. If you don't pay, your car could be impounded. If you have been flashed by an enforcement camera, the fine will follow you home and you will be forced to pay via a UK court. Take note that also some motorways as well as urban highways measure average speed between cameras. Speed limits can vary depending on weather too, for instance in France the speed is reduced when it is raining. Knowing this kind of information before you travel can be invaluable and can also save you a lot of money and bother.

Traffic signs and signals:

Most traffic signs and signals for different countries are very similar - or at least you can normally take a guess at what it means. However, there are some that can be quite confusing or unclear what they are asking of you, to avoid any accidents, arguments with the wife or mental breakdowns, we recommend familiarising yourself with these signs before commencing your journey.

Don't drink and drive: 

Most European countries have a lower limit to what is acceptable in the UK for drinking and driving regulations. It really isn't worth the risk, our advice is to avoid all alcohol if driving.

Driving License:  

Although a fairly obvious one, make sure to bring your driving license with you on holiday including the paper counterpart that is included.

Towing a Caravan?:

If you are taking a caravan with you on your holiday your caravan's insurance will need to extend to the countries you are visiting. Most do, but it is always better to check before-hand. 

Breakdown Cover:

Make sure you bring your European Breakdown Cover documents with you, if you don't have these before you start your journey, you might be left high and dry if anything happens to your vehicle - it could cost you over the earth to get your vehicle fixed and back up and running without these documents.

Vehicle Registration Document:  

Take your vehicle registration document with you so that you can prove that you are the owner of the vehicle in your possession.

Health Insurance: 

It is always better to go to Europe with your health in mind, including the thought that if anything goes wrong, you are covered. The health insurance card used to be called the E111 card, however this has recently changed to the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). Please note, that EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance and it does not necessarily mean that treatment will be free. More info on the EHIC card can be found here.

Travel Insurance:

You will certainly need travel insurance if you do not have it already. If your home insurance covers your personal property outside the home anywhere in the world: you won't need baggage cover on your travel insurance - ask for this to be excluded and for the premium to be reduced accordingly. The AA offers travel insurance which can be found here.

Passport and tickets please!:

Don't forget your passport and ticket before travelling. It is amazing how many people get to the ferry/Eurotunnel and find they have left them behind.

EU Driving Kits:  

Depending on the country you are visiting, will depend on what car equipment you need to take with you. Some countries require you to have high-vis jackets, warning triangles, first aid kits and wheel jacks. Most countries will require you to purchase a set of headlight beam convertors and a magnetic GB plate - this is a legal requirement. 

You can double check any items that you may have missed as a requirement by purchasing a very useful European Driver's Handbook which will contain all of the information that you need to know and any documents it recommends for you to take. You can also pick up Atlas' and road maps to help you get to where you need to go (or buy a European Sat Nav!).  

Ford Galaxy Chosen for Sussex Police

Sussex Police Department have ordered three extensively modified versions of the latest Ford Galaxy for their Forensic Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Unit due to extreme demands placed on its crash investigation vehicles. The conversions were carried out by Ford's Special Vehicle Preparations (SVP) team.

Sussex Police Department are combining high performance and stability with fuel savings - by switching to diesel. The vehicles can attend a scene for up to eight hours with engines constantly running to power various systems, so fuel efficiency is an important consideration.

Working closely with Sussex Police technical engineer Neil Neve, SVP installed a bespoke racking and storage system, police livery and public-warning equipment.

"Visually the new vehicles have a greater presence on the road, which is a plus in terms of public awareness but also for the safety of the officers using them," said senior collision investigator Sergeant Colin O'Neill. "They are well-appointed and everyone is very pleased with them in terms of stability and performance.

The vehicles will be used for five years, covering more than 125,000 miles. The 163PS Ford Galaxy Titanium is powered by a 2.0 Duratorq TDCi engine with six-speed manual transmission and returns 49.6mpg combined, accelerates from 0-60mph in 9.5sec and has CO2 emissions of 152g/km.

Source: Fleetnews

The Most Unreliable Car Ever

This car, aptly named 'Monster' is made up of parts from some of the most unreliable cars on sale in Britain including Renault Megane and MG TF. 

The Monster Mk1 was created using the UK-based warranty company - Warranty Direct's -database of 50,000 policies on cars that were an average of five years old.

Here is the breakdown of the parts used on the car:

Engine - MG TF Engine

Renault Megane - Electrics

Gearbox - Land Rover Freelander

Suspension - BMW M3

Brakes - Audio A8

Air Con / Heating / Cooling - Seat

Steering - Volvo V70

And here is the result...

The reason this vehicle has been named 'Monster' is because according to Warranty Direct, this car is likely to break down every other month and cost an average of £2,050 to fix each year. Warranty Direct compiled the list of the worst-performing cars in various categories from its data of what cars suffer which faults and which parts are normally to blame. Warranty Direct says that 'monster' is five times more likely to break down than the average car based on their reliability index which measures car reliability by considering the average cost of repair, frequency of failure, age and mileage.

Overall, the index shows that 4 out of 10 vehicles require a trip to a garage each year and some models can cost up to £7,000 a time to repair. 

Duncan McClure Fisher, the Managing Director at Warranty Direct said that "The wide range of cars included in our special blend highlights how mostly reliable cars can be dragged down by one problem part."

Results from the company's claim records show that almost 40 per cent of BMW M3s require repairs to axle and suspension components alone each year, while the same proportion of Renault Meganes suffer an electrical fault.

About a quarter of MG TF's will experience engine troubles, while more than one in eight Seat Ahlambras will need their air-con fixed during a typical year. One in five Land Rover Freelanders have transmission glitches, while the same number of Audi A8s will need repairs to their braking systems.

Kate Middleton's Used Car On Ebay

A few years ago before marriage and a royal life were on the cards for the young Kate Middleton, Prince William and her had dated for a while but broke up for a short time. Kate wanted to get rid of anything that reminded her of the Prince, including her used Volkswagen Golf. This was a car that she and the Prince spent much time in and it is now for sale on the auction website eBay to buy.

Sonny Brazil with the Duchess of Cambridge's used Volkswagen Golf.
Picture from The Daily Mail.

The first owner of the car was the future Queen of England's and it has been authenticated on the official car report. The Middleton's traded in the Indigo Blue Volkswagen Golf in 2009 and the car is reportedly still in good shape. The owner of the car lot, who took the car as a trade-in, gave the car to his son, Sonny Brazil. Brazil got the car from his father but decided to put the car on eBay last weekend, according to the Daily Mail. The car lot owner bought the car from the Middleton's in 2009 for £1,400, when they had originally bought it in 2001 for £10,818. Now the price of the car could fetch up to £30,000 according to auction houses that have assessed the car, all because the Duchess of Cambridge's name is on the log book. Another added bonus to purchasing this car from eBay is that inside the car were found a pair of silver cufflinks, whether these could belong to any of the Princes of the Royal Family it is still uncertain, but these will be included in the price of the car. The cufflinks are estimated to be worth £30,000 +. 

Source: The Daily Mail.