carfault.co.uk
Insurance deals
Kwik Fit Insurance Services have brokered a very clever panel of leading motor insurers to offer amazing savings on policies for drivers who are aged over 30 with a maximum no claims. we had very good results for over 30 but very poor for newly qualified . More than Insurance have an offer on at the moment with one free months car insurance in the first year and if you stay with them two months free the following year and every year while you stay claim free. we found this a better policy for the under 30 than over.
courtesy of bankdeals.co.uk
the new Ford Fiesta Convertible
Here are the pictures that prove the brilliant new Ford Fiesta is about to blow its top!
As blue oval's sensational supermini sets up to wow British Motor Show visitors next week, we can reveal the cabriolet version – which is set to hit the road here in 18 months' time!
The new Fiesta has already caused a stir with Ford fans and rivals in three and five-door form. Here in the UK, the cabrio will face a pack of rivals that has expanded quickly since the success of the Peugeot 206 CC.
The drop-top is likely to take inspiration from the Fiat 500 Cabriolet
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Ford currently offers a coupé-cabriolet version of the larger Focus, but the first official open-top Fiesta will have a fabric roof. That will help keep weight gain to a minimum and mean performance, emissions and economy aren't hampered.
For all the details on Ford's newcomer make sure you pick up issue 1,022 of Auto Express, on sale Wednesday 23rd July. Plus don't forget to log on next week for all the latest news from the British Motor Show, including exclusive video content.
Road-tax hike makes thousands of family cars almost worthless
Tens of thousands of cars will become almost worthless as a result of the decision to raise road tax on older models with higher carbon dioxide emissions by up to £245 a year.
Many families will find that they cannot sell their cars even though they are in good working order and no more than seven years old.
The Times revealed yesterday that the Treasury had quietly abolished the exemption from higher road-tax rates for cars that emit more than 225g of CO2 per km and were registered between March 2001 and March 2006.
CAP, which supplies the used car industry with data on residual values, said that many larger cars would be reduced to their scrap value because they would fall into one of the higher tax brackets being introduced for high-emission cars next April.
A Hyundai Lantra 1.6GSI automatic, registered in 2001, is listed as having a trade value of £850. But under the rules buried in the small print of last month's Budget, its road tax will increase from £210 this year to £300 next year and £430 in 2010.
CAP estimated that the road tax increase would cut 20 per cent, or £1,000, off the value of a 2001 Renault Espace 2LT Privilege people carrier.
Mark Norman, CAP's development manager, said: “When people find out that it could cost half a car's value just to tax it each year, its value will plummet. Many of these cars, particularly saloons, will be reduced to their scrap value. The sad thing is that perfectly usable cars will be scrapped, which could perversely increase overall CO2 because of the emissions from manufacturing new cars.”
car faults
Labour loves the Motorist(Honestly)
Rubber red tape could soon see motorists forced to fit eco-friendly tyres to their cars. Draft European Union regulations have set out tough new noise limits for rubber – meaning drivers may have to switch to tyres with improved rolling resistance, which cut CO2 emissions.
However,Tyre maker Continental warned that it also has less grip, and “reduces wet braking performance by up to 10 per cent”.
Drivers already feeling the pinch with rising fuel prices could find the new rules also have cost implications. Under the proposals, all new cars must have stability control and tyre pressure monitors as standard – effectively consigning basic entry-level models to the history books. It's also not yet clear whether the rubber rules only apply to new vehicles , or whether all drivers will have to buy them when their tyres need replacing.
It's now simple to check for noise levels where you live, however. A new Government website shows decibel ratings for towns and cities in England for road, rail and air noise. Visitors to www.defra.gov.uk/noisemapping just need to input their postcode for details.
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