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It is convenient to take your car into the city – but with Australian cities becoming more and more congested, parking is an issue. For some advice on the best way to navigate this issue in the easiest way possible, read on.

Firstly – take some time to become familiar with the parking signs. Some of these can be really complex, with some parking zones different regulations for different times of the day. Look out for special instructions such as “rear to kerb”.

Plan your trip – find out whether there is a parking garage in the vicinity of where you need to go, and whether they offer a discounted rate for advance booking. If you travel in to the city on a daily/regular basis, look out for further discounts available for weekly or monthly use. Some parking garages will take credit cards which saves time on locating the pay station when you are ready to leave. Some parking garages will offer discounted rates for parking during off-peak periods, and some street parking spots become free parking from 6pm daily.

An alternative to a paid car park is a shopping centre – often they will allow for parking at a reasonable cost.

When you park, take note of the exact location – seems a bit obvious, but most of us have spent some time looking for a “lost” car – whether it be inside a parking garage or on the street. Having taken note of where you have parked, don’t forget to note when your paid time will expire. Setting an alarm on your phone which will allow you enough time to return to your car before the metre expires is a great idea.

Another good idea is to take a few photos of your car once you have parked it, so that you have a reference as to the condition in which you left it – should something happen to the vehicle while you are away.

Look at options to utilise available public transport in conjunction with the convenience of using your car – perhaps parking on the outskirts of the city in a more affordable parking garage or unmetered area, which is close to a bus, or train or tram.

When you have been driving for years, it’s easy to switch to “auto pilot” and tune out everything around you, and before you know it – you have arrived at your destination. However, it’s not a good idea to fall into bad habits on the road. We have identified a few common bad habits that drivers easily fall into – have a look and see whether you have some negative habits that you need to address.

Before you get into your car, walk around the vehicle and check that all is OK – tyres inflated, lights working, mirrors intact. Inside your car, adjust your seat, steering wheel and mirrors before you set off.

How do you hold the steering wheel? Using one hand to drink coffee, twiddle with the controls on the dashboard, with one hand loosely on the steering wheel is dangerous. If you do hold on with both hands – you are doing well – but there may be room for improvement. Always try to keep your thumbs on the outside of the steering wheel, with your hand at ten and two o-clock, for the best control.

Do you naturally drive fast in wet weather? Even if you know the road like the back of your hand, weather conditions may make it unsafe to travel even at the speed limit. Slippery roads, poor visibility all mean that you should reduce your speed to account for the poor driving conditions. Keep your headlights on in poor weather conditions -this will help to make your vehicle visible to others.

Do you put off filling your vehicle with fuel until it is near empty? It’s just too much bother to make that trip to the filling station – “I’ll do it next time”? It is really not a good idea to let your tank run that low – there could be sediment in the tank that could get into the fuel line and cause blockages, and in addition, you may run out of fuel altogether if your fuel gauge is not accurate. Being stranded and far from help is no joke – especially when it could have been easily prevented with a bit of forward planning.

Make sure that you have a well-equipped emergency kit in your car – and replace any items as they may be used.

Turning the music up to too high a volume can be quite dangerous. You may not be able to hear things happening around you – and with little advance warning you may need to react very quickly.

Don’t use you mobile phone while you are driving – even reading a message on your phone is terribly dangerous as you take your eyes off the road even for a second.

Stay safe on the roads by developing good driving habits!

If you have a family, especially with younger children, their safety in any vehicle that you drive will need to be of paramount importance. Here are a few things that you will need to consider.

How many baby chairs or children’s seats can be accommodated in the back seat of the vehicle – enough for the number of children in your family? Also – look at the amount of room available in the back of the car – you don’t want to land up with your legs folded under the dash because there isn’t enough space for the child seats. Also look at the seat anchor points provided – where are they? If the anchor point is on the boot lip, it will use boot space – whereas if the anchor point is on the back of the rear seat, it won’t.

Something that we don’t always think of is that the configuration of the rear window can affect the amount of sunlight shining on the child – if the rear window is sloping (as in a hatchback), the baby or child will be in direct sunlight if they are rear-facing. If you can’t do anything about this, think about whether there are rear air-conditioning vents in the vehicle, and also whether to equip the rear of the vehicle with after-market sunshades that can be attached to the rear windows.

Look at the amount of boot space available, and make sure that you will be able to fit the pram in as well as everything else that you will normally want to carry in the boot – shopping, for example. Make sure that the pram will go into the boot easily.

Test the rear doors to make sure that they will open widely enough to put in and remove the baby carrier/car seat in and out of the vehicle without undue difficulty.

You want a car that will be as safe as possible. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is a car safety performance assessment programme based in Australia and founded in 1993. ANCAP specialises in the crash testing of automobiles sold in Australia and the publishing of these results for the benefit of consumers. ANCAP provides consumers with transparent advice and information on the level of occupant and pedestrian protection provided by different vehicle models in the most common types of crashes, as well as their ability—through technology—to avoid a crash.

The ANCAP assessment splits safety systems into 3 types:

• Structural integrity – how does the safety cell hold up in a collision
• Safety features – airbags, ABS (Antilock braking Systems and ESC (Electronic Stability Programs)
• Safety Assist Technologies – advanced systems that help the driver to avoid a crash, or restrict its severity, such as AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking), LDW (Lane Departure Warning), BSM (Blind Spot Monitoring) and FMS (Fatigue Monitoring Systems).

Check the ANCAP safety rating, and select only five-star rated vehicles.

As you can see, there are some choices that you can make which can make your driving life easier, as well as safer both for you and for your family.

When buying a car in Australia, be aware that the actual cost of the car includes more than just the advertised purchase price – there are additional costs that you will need to budget for.

Dealer delivery is a charge set by the dealer. It covers expenses that the dealer will incur in selling the car – such as cleaning the car, compliance, administrative costs and the cost of holding the vehicle prior to the sale.

Stamp duty will be an additional cost – and this varies depending on which state you are in.

Goods and services tax (GST) is a broad-based tax of 10 per cent on most goods sold in Australia. If you are buying a luxury vehicle, be aware of the Luxury Car Tax, which is 33 per cent on the GST-inclusive value of the car over the relevant threshold.

Any extras that you order for the vehicle will normally also cost you extra. The advertised price usually only covers the minimum, i.e. the base model with everything stock standard. If you are buying the vehicle with extras such as ABS, automatic transmission, metallic paint and any upgraded trim, expect that you will be paying additional costs for these extras. You could be surprised when presented with the total purchase price of the vehicle if you are unaware that the floor mats, stereo upgrade, mirror and light protectors, body kits, spoilers, window tinting, rust proofing and so on that you are accepting as they are offered to you, are all adding to your eventual bill. If you are considering any of these optional extras – ask for the price before you make a decision, and use every opportunity to negotiate for some of them to be included in the base price of the vehicle, if you can.

In addition, you will need to cover the cost of registering your vehicle, as well as compulsory third party insurance, fire/theft or comprehensive insurance. These costs will also need to be paid annually when renewed. Any vehicle that is sold as an unregistered vehicle will incur the cost of number plates.

It is so easy to forget about all of these items when swept away in the enthusiasm and excitement of buying a new car. Being prepared and aware enables you to budget accordingly, and also positions you to ask the right questions and equips you to negotiate where appropriate.

Interested in purchasing a car but want to find out more about any costs involved? Contact us on 1300 889 256 or message us to find out more! 

Fuel economy indicates the distance a vehicle can travel on a certain amount of fuel, and is measured in litres per 100 km or in kilometres per litre in Australia. The more fuel you need to put into your car, the more your vehicle is going to cost you to run.

The fuel economy of a vehicle is impacted by a number of design considerations, such as size, shape, engine type. It is important to think carefully about fuel economy when buying a car – some cars will be more efficient than others. When you compare cars with different fuel economies, it is important to understand that the car with the better fuel economy will use less fuel to travel the same distance, having a lower impact on your wallet as well as the environment. Cars with good fuel economy are often referred to as “green” or environmentally friendly. Smaller vehicles and hybrid vehicles have better fuel economy than larger vehicles such as four-wheel drives. The more powerful the engine, the less the fuel economy, generally speaking. The Green Vehicle Guide rates all new Australian passenger, four-wheel drive and light commercial vehicles based on fuel consumption, and greenhouse and air pollution emissions. It also includes data on all models sold from 2004 onwards.

Apart from choosing a car with good fuel economy, there are some things that you can do to reduce your car’s fuel consumption.

• Don’t accelerate or brake excessively.
• Choose the right gear, and drive smoothly – stop/start driving kills your fuel economy.
• If you own a four-wheel drive leave your car in 2WD (most 4WDs offer you this option) to increase your fuel efficiency when you are driving on normal road surfaces
• Avoid driving in peak hour or on congested roads.
• Watch your speed; your vehicle’s fuel efficiency decreases dramatically at higher speeds (you may use up to 25% more fuel at 110 km/h than at 90km/h).
• Maintain your vehicle-  have your vehicle serviced regularly according to the manufactirer’s guidelines. Check tyre pressure, as incorrect tyre pressure may reduce your vehicle’s efficiency by up to 3% and may also reduce the life of the tyre by 10%.
• An extra 40kgs in your car could reduce your fuel efficiency by 1%. Remove any items fron your car that are not necessary for your journey.
• Limit the use of your vehicle’s air conditioning system. Air conditioning can have a huge impact on your fuel economy. Try to keep your car cooler to begin with, so choose a car with a light paint colour, park in shady spots, crack the windows slightly while parked and before driving on hot days to let the hot air escape and use a windshield screen wherever possible.
• Minimise drag. Try not to drive with open windows, or with roof racks or rooftop storage unless you have to, as this can reduce your fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent.
• Use the right fuel. Follow your car manufacturer’s recommendation.

The automobile or drivetrain layout describes where on the vehicle the engine and drive wheels are found. There are many different combinations of engine location and driven wheels -factors influencing the design choice include cost, complexity, reliability, packaging (location and size of the passenger compartment and boot), weight distribution, and the vehicle’s intended handling characteristics.
Layouts can roughly be divided into two categories: front- or rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel-drive vehicles may take on the characteristics of either, depending on how power is distributed to the wheels.
Most cars these days are front-wheel driven – cheaper layout, safest and lightest with the best interior space. Rear-wheel driven cars will provide higher sporting performance, usually found only in higher powered cars, and good for fast laps or powersliding. With modern vehicles, most people will not really be able to tell the difference.
In most traditional 4WD vehicles, the drive from the engine is sent to the rear wheels by default, through a box known as a transfer case.
All-wheel drive (AWD) doesn’t use a transfer case, but uses a system that delivers torque to where it’s needed most, still allowing for individual axle speeds. In many AWD systems, the engine drives a front-mounted gearbox, which drives the front axle through the front differential first. Some of them power the centre differential first which can then send most of the torque to the rear axle – so not all AWD vehicles are the same.
An on-demand AWD vehicle runs in two-wheel drive (normally front wheels) by default – but when the front wheels begin to spin, sensors detect the loss of traction and redirect torque to the other axle to ensure maximum grip. The reduced friction of driving two wheels most of the time will use less fuel that a full-time AWD system.
In most Australian road conditions, all you need is a two-wheel, front-wheel drive. If you want to race in a high powered vehicle, you will choose a rear-wheel drive.You would go for an AWD vehicle if you need the safety of all-wheel traction in conditions like dirt roads, snow or wet and cold mountain roads, and then a constant all-wheel system is best, with next-best being the on-demand systems. True 4WD systems are really only needed for really rough terrain, or extremely muddy conditions.

You want a car that will be as safe as possible – but are you having difficulty decoding the various acronyms and descriptions of safety features that manufacturers include in their specification write-ups? What should you spend your money on, and what is not worth the additional cost?

Airbags are one of the safety features that you should not be doing without – covering as much of the interior of the vehicle as possible, especially those focussing on head protection and side impact, as well as driver knee protection.

Cameras and sensors that help you to park your car safely are important safety features – not necessarily for the driver and passengers – but for those people around your car.

A nice to have feature is rear-cross traffic alert, which will warn you of potential dangers behind you even when not visible to you. What happens here is that sensors in the rear corners of the vehicle scan for any out-of-sight traffic behind you and provide an alert if necessary.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) will allow you to set your required speed, and automatically reduce speed if the vehicle comes up behind a slower moving car.

Auto emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning can stop your vehicle and avoid cars or obstacles ahead. In some cars the system operates only for lower speeds, and in others, a warning is provided to the driver if a potential collision is identified – this technology is applied differently in various vehicle makes and models.

Blind-spot monitoring will warn you by lighting up an area of your side mirror when a car is alongside you that you may not see.

Lane departure monitoring will provide you with an alert if you are travelling on a road marked by clear lanes, and you veer outside of the white lines. Some systems even make minor corrections to your steering inputs to ensure that you stay on course.

Electronic Stability Control will stop a car from sliding and a driver from losing control. Stability-control programs – which monitor the position of your car and can apply the brakes to the inside wheels and/or reduce power to keep you in a straight line – prevent an unknowably large number of car accidents every year. The Electronic Stability Control is mandated by law in new cars, but if you are looking at a used car, do ensure that the vehicle comes equipped with this safety feature.

Fatigue Monitoring System (FMS) has the ability to notice when you’re tired – simply by measuring your steering inputs and pedal movements – and warn you.

When deciding on which car to purchase, safety features should play a role. Be sure to let your car broker know which features you are most looking for. Contact us on 1300889256 or message us today to start your car buying journey.

With a “normal” tyre, if you get a puncture you will lose steering control, and in addition – you are exposed to added danger when you stop at the side of the road to change the tyre.

Run flat tyres (also known as mobility tyres) will not deflate suddenly if you get a puncture. How does this work? The tyre has a thicker sidewall which is made from heat resistant rubber, and is reinforced. The tyre will safely carry the weight of your car for a short period of time – even with total loss of air pressure. This allows you to drive on until you get to a service centre to have the tyre fixed or replaced.

Run flat tyres are around 25% more expensive – but this covers the convenience of not having to stop to change a tyre, possibly in unsafe surroundings. These tyres normally have a recommended speed limit of 80 km/h and can be driven for up to 150 km when punctured. Another advantage is that you don’t have to carry a spare tyre – giving you more storage and meaning that your vehicle is carrying less weight. One disadvantage of run flat tyres is that they can affect the ride quality as a result of the way in which the tyre is constructed.

A next generation in run flat tyres has a thinner side wall together with two new heat suppressing technologies that limit tyre distortion – with a resultant improved ride comfort and safety.

With run flat tyres, you should have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) in your vehicle. Because run flat tyres are designed to minimise the difference in ride quality when the tyre is punctured, it may be difficult for you to realise that a tyre has lost pressure or is operating without any pressure at all. If you are unaware that you have a puncture, you may well exceed the speed and/or distance safety limits imposed by the manufacturer.

Some run flat tyres are not repairable. If you are unsure whether your run flat tyres are repairable or not, consult the specific manufacturer recommendations for your tyres.

If you’d like to find out more about run flats for your car, let us know! Contact us on 1300889256 or message us today!