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With winter fast approaching (in fact it seems as though winter is already here judging by today’s temperatures) cars will need to be treated with extra care. I always remember during the last winter season the amount of time that my engine would not start because of the freeze. Well the good old days of having to scrape the ice from the windscreen and having to use warm water from the household kettle is nearly upon us. We didn’t really have much of a summer and so it seems Winter may just come that little bit earlier this year. With used cars especially, the cold weather can have quite an impact as the engines are more worn than that of their contemporaries with a newer engine. They also seem to take longer to start up in some cases and can be compared to an older person who has problems with their joints for example! Another quite common issue during the festive season is the car door “sticking” and unable to open. I have seen this on many occasions and I am in the unfortunate position of living across the road from a field, which when the wind is active, blows the frozen due off the grass and onto the right hand side of my car; therefore including the drivers’ door. Now many times in the past not only has the door “stuck” but also the door handle, window etc. Frequently I had to enter the vehicle from the passengers’ side just so that I could get in! Whilst this proved to be quite inconvenient, it was my only way of being able to make the car function unless I was willing to wait until the sun arose. However, during the early hours of the morning this was next to impossible and so it was my only option. In terms of unfreezing the windscreen – many people seem to think that de-icer is the best way forward. Whilst I agree to a certain extent – de-icer alone will not always provide the desired results and you will find that the cars windscreen will appear blotchy and only offer a clear view in certain areas. The very best way to remove ice from a cars windscreen is to boil some water in the kettle and then mix it with cold until it is just warm. The reason for this being that hot water could indeed crack the car windscreen and cold water will only make the freeze worse! Therefore, by using warm water – it provides a feasible solution to removing the ice. This, combined with anti-freeze is by far the best option on those cold winter mornings when you are in a rush to get to work.

It seems that they are having a few problems over in America in terms of failing car dealerships. Over the weekend there was a report released that projected that almost four thousand automotive dealerships could potentially go out of business before the end of the year and next year. This is due to a combination of a reduced number of cars being sold, a rise in maintenance costs and the overall state of the countries’ economy. Also, to add to the woes of such businesses, potential investors from the automotive industry are no longer willing to invest; especially in the used cars market as the environment is just far too unstable at present, which presents increased, challenges to earn money. This news comes after one of the biggest Chevrolet dealerships filed for bankruptcy due to their being much less of a demand for their cars and also due to the lack of finance and credit being available to buyers due to the downfall in the banking system. This came as much of a surprise for many as the company was previously operating at over 2.5 million dollars per year (when at its optimum level). The forecast also stated that the sale of lighter cars is expected to decrease to just less than fourteen million vehicles during next year. The result of this being that the dealerships will need to cease trade. It is expected that 2009 will be a poor year in terms of performance for the used car industry and that it will not be until the year 2010 or 2011 that sales will begin to increase again. However, it isn’t just Chevrolet that has been hit; Ford and Chrysler are also experiencing a decrease in demand for their cars. There has been as much as a twenty four percent decrease, which has contributed to the downfall of sales. The new cars section of trade has also been drastically hit given the cost for production is much greater than for used cars. It is expected that the automotive dealerships will be operating a tight ship up until the end of this year and throughout 2009 where it is expected car sales will decrease even further. The fact that finance is not as readily available to buyers as it once was, has had a massive effect on vehicle purchases and profits.

I have a slight dilemma. With me currently being in the market for a new car, I have found two that really tick all of the boxes; a used Vauxhall Vectra and a used Vauxhall Astra. The only problem is that the Vectra is way up in Scotland, which is like a 4 hour plus drive from where I live. Whereas the Astra dealership is only just over an hour’s drive away. However, the Astra is a bit more expensive and ideally I want the Vectra as it has a bigger engine and looks more elegant. This is the problem with smaller car dealerships; they do no deliver or if they do – it is at an extortionate cost. However, because they are more desperate for business and the fact that they only sell used cars means that there is more room for bargaining with them. However, a four hour plus drive all the way up to Scotland for the sake of a few hundred pounds; is it worth it? I’m not so sure. Maybe if it was a brand spanking new Audi R8 it may not be as much of a problem as I would no doubt look forward to the drive back. However, this purchase is only for getting from A to B and will be used for work alone, which makes it even more of a pain! However, due to the line of work that I am in – a used vehicle must be purchased and so I do not have the choice of many different cars. I do like the Astra from Vauxhall but it isn’t the new shape, it is the older version (before anyone questions it!). Therefore I suppose the questions is; is driving all that way necessary in order to get the car that I want even though it is slightly more. Plus when you add the cost of petrol for getting up there and then the return journey, it makes it even more costly. Buying cars is just not easy anymore is it?!

Hands up then – who has had one of their new cars or used cars clamped at least once over the last few years?! There is nothing like the sight of seeing that big yellow brace hugging the wheel of your motor. Even worse would be not noticing the clamp, thinking the notice on the windscreen is merely an advertisement and attempting to drive away! Not that I would know what that feeling is like of course (cough, cough). Wheel clamping is getting quite a bit of bad press at the minute (hasn’t it always?) as there have been reports of pregnant women or disabled drivers (who had forgotten their display badges) having their vehicles clamped. The “victims” have even gone public with their story and insisted that the clamping took place even though there was no pay and display signs in view. It seems that in situations like this, it is only when things indeed to go public and threaten to embarrass the local governments – that things actually get done. My question is; why do they react to something after it is done, why not act beforehand? It costs as much as £250 to release the clamp off a cars wheel – add to that the time it takes for a company to come out do this – and it could contribute to a very tiresome day. Note to readers – while I am not condoning those that do park in places that they shouldn’t do, I am very much against the clampers that are conveniently “on hand” to do their job without weighing up the entire situation. A little rant there but I feel much better now thanks!