Vehicle manufacturers recommend that a new vehicle should not be used to tow for the first 800km at least. This will have an impact on the purchase of your holiday vehicles because 800km is quite a way to travel before your first get away. Tow vehicles necessarily need large amounts of maintenance so it is worth considering getting something which is designed to be abused and repaired. If you are able to fix problems with bearings and transmission by yourself with your UTE Toolbox then you will save large amounts of money on repairs.

If you wish to take your trips off of the beaten track when you are towing then it is very important to opt for a 4WD vehicle. This will stop you from getting stuck so easily with two vehicles to work out of the ruts. The towing vehicle also needs to be heavier than the loaded caravan or boat that you are towing so that it is safe to control. All of these considerations will depend upon how large the load you want to tow is so make sure you know that before you start.

Diesel or Petrol?

Whether to opt for diesel or petrol is really up to you. There are a few elements which will effect this decision:

●        Diesel vehicles are better for towing heavy vehicles such as large caravans. The power distribution is more economical when towing heavy loads.

●        Diesel is more readily available in rural parts of Australia.

●        A turbo diesel will provide greater torque and power for pulling heavy loads.

●        Petrol engines will provide more power and control.

●        Petrol engines will consume fuel at a far greater rate than a diesel engine.

●        Diesel engines need servicing every 5,000km, whereas petrol engines only need servicing once every 10,000km.

In terms of performance there will be significant and noticeable differences between the diesel and petrol engines. There will also be big differences in terms of fuel consumption so it is important to weigh up all of these options with regards to the overall cost of the vehicles.

Manual or Automatic?

Whether to choose manual or automatic transmission is really up to you once again. There are significant factors to consider, however, because towing a large caravan requires a lot of concentration. If you are unsure about when to change gear when towing, or are already daunted by the idea of driving with a caravan, then an automatic transmission is probably better for you. If you have experience towing then you will know that it is easier to maintain power and torque through gear changes when using a manual.

Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including UTE Toolbox.

Have a Mechanic Check it Out

A little peace of mind can go a long way. If you are unsure about your own ability to do a car service, Sydney and Melbourne have plenty of mechanics that can have a look at the car for you. Schedule a time with the car’s owner to take it in to a mechanic of your choice. They will run a few basic tests to make sure the car is generally in good repair, and can tell you whether or not the car will pass all of the inspections necessary for the car’s registration.

Ask for a Full History

The history of the car will tell you a lot about it’s current condition. The most important thing to find out is whether it has been in any accidents. Next you want to make sure certain parts have been replaced when they should have been, for example the timing belt needs to be replaced after a certain amount of kilometres or you will run the risk of damaging the entire engine. The last thing to check for is the last time it had a car service. Melbourne and Sydney driving can be very unforgiving and tough on cars, so you don’t want to buy one that hasn’t been regularly maintained.

Carefully Inspect the Outside of the Car

Check for small blemishes on the surface of the car such as scratches, rust bubbles and any panels that don’t line up (which could indicate a body repair job). Check the tires to make sure there still some tread, otherwise you could end up paying hundreds of dollars to replace them later. Look under the hood as well, even if you don’t know what you are looking at you want to see that the motor is generally clean-looking which indicates the car has been cared for. Anything you find at this stage could be used to try and haggle down the price, so make sure you make note of everything you see.

Take it for a Test Drive

Even if you don’t know much about car motors, you can still listen for things that don’t seem right quite right. When the car is started, you want to listen for any loud noises and watch for blue smoke coming from the exhaust, which indicates that the car burns oil. Once you are in the car, if it is an automatic transmission, listen for how quickly the engine noise changes as you shift from ‘park’ to ‘drive’. If there is a long pause before the gear kicks in, it could indicate a problem with the transmission. When you are driving the car, pay attention to how well it handles, how well it brakes, listen for any odd noises coming from the engine and notice how smoothly the gears change over. You don’t need to know much about cars to know that something may not be quite right. If in doubt, refer back to the first point and take it to a mechanic!

Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including car service, Sydney and car insurance

Get Your Car Serviced

If you want your car to be at its best and impress someone enough to want to buy it, it’s obviously worth investing in a car service Melbourne and Sydney are both full of mechanics, including many offering mobile car service Sydney and Melbourne mechanics are known for their skill and integrity, though obviously it’s always good to go with someone who offers a guarantee.

Clean and Tidy

Apart from having the car running smoothly, making sure it looks good both inside and out is a necessity. No one is going to buy a dirty, messy car. Wash, vacuum, wax, polish and do whatever you can to make your car sparkle. It might even be worthwhile replacing mats or any random loose strips on your car. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but its important that you look at your car from the idea of one that you would want to buy.

Price Your Car

Before you decide how much to ask for your car, find out what it is worth. It’s easy to look up your car, make and model on the Internet and get a good idea of what a car like yours is selling for. This 5-minute exercise will make it easier for you to sell your car at a rate that is fair for both you and the buyer, and will probably make it a faster sale.

Advertise

It’s easy to get the word out these days, and while there are heaps of ways to do it, the internet is most likely going to be how you’ll sell your car. Take a couple of good photos of your car and post a brief advertisement on several sites that sell cars. You may have a lot of people respond so be ready to show the car to potential buyers. Word of mouth is also very effective so tell everyone you know that you are selling your car, there’s nothing better than being able to sell your car to a friend.

Selling your car will be way more fun if you are confident and know what you are talking about. Most people are just like you and are only looking for a good car at a good price, though the better you are prepared, the less likely you are to get taken advantage of. You’ll feel great about yourself having successfully sold your own car and can get stuck into finding your new one.

Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including car service and car service Sydney.

The problem is, in the last few years a lot of people have all been leasing the same cars. BMW 3-series, Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus etc. There’s nothing wrong with these models, in fact they drive very well, but for someone looking to stand out these just won’t cut it. It’s difficult to appear as an individual sometimes when you’re on a limited budget and especially when it comes to leasing and contracting cars. Here is a selection of cars for the discerning individual:

Volvo V60

Citroen DS3 – This quirky car is becoming fairly popular on the road, but is still not chosen by a lot of car leasers for some reason. The car has eccentric looks and bold colour schemes and drives as well as it looks. If you want Citroen Contract hire then this is the perfect car for you, and more importantly something a little bit different to the standard Ford Focus.

Saab 9-3

This fantastic compact executive car is still quite popular despite the production slowing down a bit over the last couple of years. The car is fantastic for families (especially if getting the four door sedan). The new 9-3 is due for release in late 2012 as the 2013 model. These changes include a reduction of diesel and petrol fuel consumption and the return of the three-spoke alloy wheel. You could of course go down the route of Saab contract hire.

These are just a couple of vehicles you really do need to consider leasing!

Compare Prices

People sometimes assume that all car rental companies charge a similar price to each other, but they can actually vary by quite a bit. Make sure you shop around and compare car hire prices before committing, as you may be surprised at the savings you make from the original quote.

Refill the Tank

Always refill the petrol tank before returning the car back to the rental place. All rental companies have an agreement with their customers that you need to return the car with the same amount of fuel in the tank as when you started, or you can opt to have them refill it for you at a charge. You will be shocked at the premium price you will be paying for them to fill the tank for you, so you are far better off stopping and filling it yourself on the way back.

Use Your Own Insurance

Hire companies will strongly suggest you take out an insurance policy with them. However, you may notice their insurance is charged at very expensive prices and you can do better getting your insurance elsewhere. Before travelling, check with your own car insurance to see if that policy covers car hire.

If that one won’t cover it, check with the credit card company that you are using for the hire car, as they will sometimes insure what has been purchased on their cards. Lastly, check your travel insurance policy as well. Most likely these options will be cheaper than taking out insurance on the spot at the car hire company.

Go Smaller

The bigger the car is, the bigger the rental fee will be. Not only that, but the larger car will more likely be a petrol guzzler as well, which you need to pay for out of your own pocket. If you are travelling on your own, don’t be tempted by the jazzy V8 car of your dreams, just go for a small, reliable car with great fuel efficiency.

Check for Deals

There will always be deals around that you can keep your eye on. Some of these deals will be one-offs, and some are just part of the rates package. Most companies will offer varying rates based on weekend or weekday use, so make sure you plan around this accordingly and don’t get the car any earlier than you need to.

Sometimes they will have a one-off offer on particular car models and types. Alternatively, keep your eye out for coupons on the back of shopping dockets, in the newspapers or online. Sometimes you may even get a coupon through your mechanic after you’ve had a car service in Sydney, or elsewhere, that gives you a discount on holiday car hire.

Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including compare car hire and