Category Archives: Automobile

Tips for Preventing Costly and Troublesome Auto Repairs

Anyone who has ever owned a vehicle knows that repairs can get expensive. The problem is that it’s difficult (and sometimes impossible) to anticipate when something is going to go wrong, and unforeseen car expenses are never ideal. In order to reduce your long-term spending, it’s important to take steps to protect your vehicle now – while it’s still running properly. Here are 5 tips that will make owning a car less expensive and troublesome in the long run.

 

Check Your Manual for Maintenance Scheduling

 

That book in your glove box provides a great deal of helpful information. If you no longer have yours, you should be able to find a copy online. Check the manual to see how often you should perform basic maintenance such as changing the oil and coolant, rotating the tires, replacing the cabin air filters, and so on. You may even want to set a calendar reminder on your phone, or you could write down the dates on an actual calendar. When the time comes, don’t put off maintenance. The low cost now is preferable to the high cost of repairs later.

 

  1. Find a Good Mechanic

 

Unless you’re well-versed in automotive repair, you’re going to have to get professional repairs done eventually. Going to an honest, skilled mechanic is one of the easiest ways to save a whole lot of money. Once you’ve found a good mechanic, don’t go elsewhere. Repeat business is naturally going to lead to better service and sometimes even better prices. To foster a positive relationship with your mechanic, Forbes recommends communicating effectively, dropping off a clean vehicle, and being accessible without micromanaging the project.

 

  1. Have an Emergency Kit Prepared

 

Left untreated, a minor issue can turn into a bigger one. For example, if your car overheats and you keep driving it to get home, you risk further damaging your vehicle. CNN recommends packing a kit with the following essentials:

 

  • Motor oil
  • Jumper cables
  • Coolant and de-icer fluid
  • A flashlight with spare batteries
  • Emergency flares
  • Spare tire and jack
  • First aid kit

 

  1. Listen to Your Car

 

While some problems may go undetected until it’s too late, many can be avoided. If your car is making unusual sounds, have it checked. If a warning light comes on, have it checked. It may seem obvious, but many drivers ignore the problem until it’s too late. According to Cars.com, some symptoms that may be signs that your car needs a tune-up include low fuel economy, sluggish acceleration, and hard starting.

 

  1. Use Quality Components

 

It’s always tempting to go for the cheapest replacement part available, but you’re going to pay for it eventually. At the same time, you don’t always have to pay a fortune for replacement parts either. These days, plenty of savvy shoppers are buying their own replacement parts online, rather than ordering directly through a mechanic.

 

Technicians at Enjuku Racing, a specialty automotive parts retailer, say that upgrading and maintaining a car is rarely an easy process, so it may be in your best interest to seek professional help when it comes to doing the actual labor. However, you may be able to find better parts online at the same cost (or less) than you would pay in-store.

 

Author Bio:

 

Frankie Little is a freelance writer from Denver, CO who lives for cars, racing, and aftermarket modifications. When he’s not writing about cars, driving them, or tinkering away in his garage, Frankie enjoys basketball, fitness, and bicycling.

Hyundai Creta vs Honda BR-V: Heart vs mind

The highest selling car segment in the Indian car market is certainly the compact SUV segment. Hyundai had launched the Creta last year which was awarded the Indian Car of the Year in 2016, which has been leading the compact SUV segment since its launch. Hyundai Creta has given very little scope to other cars in the same segment to compete with it. Over the years, Honda has gifted to the Indian car market, cars which have got a long term capability in them. Honda is now relying on the performance of the BR-V to achieve that competitive strong hold in the compact SUV segment. The BR-V is set to face stiff competition from the Creta.

 

 

Talking about the external features, in terms of design, the front fascia of the Honda BR-V has been given an exciting look to it, while the interiors of the BR-V are designed in a quite elegant and smartly fashion.  With a boot space of 691 litres, the third row inside the BR-V offers decent space for comfort when the seats are folded down and moreover, the rear seats come with their own AC vents. The Hyundai Creta has been given an imposing look and offers a strong road presence with its aggressive styling like that of an SUV. The chrome accented radiator grille give off a bold look while the projector head lamps integrated with LED, vertical fog lamps along with the dual tone front bumper add to the stylish and distinct SUV like traits of the Creta.

Honda BR- V vs Hyundai Creta

The BR-V comes in both diesel and the petrol variants – a 1.6 litre 16 valve SOHC petrol engine and a 1.5 litre 16 valve DOHC diesel engine. The diesel engine is on offer only with a manual transmission while the petrol version comes with both manual as well as a CVT model. On the other hand, the Hyundai Creta is offered in three engine variants – a 1.6 litre dual VTVT petrol engine, a 1.4 litre U2 CRDi diesel engine and a 1.6 litre CRDi diesel engine. Hyundai is providing two transmission systems, a six speed manual and a six speed automatic transmission with the Creta.

 

The Honda BR-V comes with a ground clearance of 210 mm along with 16 inch tyres whereas the Hyundai Creta has a lesser ground clearance of 201 mm, than the BR-V.

 

It can be stated that it does not matter if it is the Honda BR-V or the Hyundai Creta that you wish to go for since both cars are extremely stylish and great performers and thus are certainly going to be good buys.

 

Datsun launched redi-Go on June 7

Datsun India had already launched the Redi Go on the first week of June, which is going to be their third offering to the Indian car market. It was during the Delhi Auto Expo back in 2014, that the car maker had unveiled the concept model of the Redi GO for the very first time. Now into the production phase, this model is going to be quite similar to the concept car that had been showcased earlier. Now this is great news, since this hatch back car loads in impressive looks at a very affordable price. Launched after the earlier cars Go and Go+, the Redi Go according to Datsun India is positioned below these current models and it is going to be the first Urban Cross vehicle that is launched in the Indian auto market. Considering that Datsun Redi Go car comes with a decent ground clearance of 185 mm, it does appear to have got tall boy aggressive stance.

 

The front facade of this car has been given a nicely designed bonnet which is flanked by a pair of stylish swept back head lamps which comes with integrated turn lights and Datsun’s trademark hexagonal radiator front grille with its chrome accented borders. The front bumper also adds to the aggressive stance of this model with its chrome slats, and lines that flow along the side profile of this car. The rear wind screen that is mounted high up along with the vertical tail lamps adds to the appealing look of the Redi Go.

 

datsun redi-go

The Redi Go has been based on the CMF-A platform that has also been used to build the Renault Kwid. Datsun India is has pinned high hopes on the Redi Go with a focus to grab a considerable market share in the small car entry level segment of the Indian automobile industry. As of now, Datsun will be offering the Redi Go with an 800 cc petrol engine that will be similar to the Renault Kwid and will be delivering highest torque of 72 Nm and generate 53 BHP output. The company will be initially launching a five speed manual transmission variant for the Redi Go.

 

It is expected that the Datsun Redi Go on road price is going to start from INR 2.64 lakh and go up to 3.67 lakh in Delhi, while the Datsun Redi Go TCO is expected to be around 3.85 lakh for 5 years. This car will compete against the Maruti Alto 800, Hyundai Eon and Renault Kwid.

 

 

Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Maruti Baleno: The sibling showdown

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has created quite a buzz in the automobile industry in India ever since it was launched, with Maruti Suzuki claiming that more than 20,000 bookings for this model were recorded within a fortnight of its launch.

 

From the exterior, the Vitara Brezza looks like a compact SUV model. It has been given a high bonnet with a grille styled in honeycomb design and swept back head lamps. The top model has got integrated day time running lamps and projector head lamps. In terms of dimensions, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has a wheelbase of 2500mm and is 3995mm in length, 1790mm in width and 1640mm in height. The ground clearance of the Vitara Brezza is 198mm. It scores quite high in terms of head space and leg room in the front as well as rear of the car, ensuring a very comfortable ride for the passengers. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is powered  by a 1.3 litre DDIS diesel engine with four cylinders which is capable of delivering peak power output of 88bhp @4000rpm and maximum torque of 200Nm @1750rpm. This engine is coupled with a five speed manual transmission. This car is capable of delivering a superb mileage of 24.3 kmpl.

 

The Maruti Vitara Brezza on road price starts at 7.95 lakh in Delhi and goes up to 10.84 lakh. The Vitara Brezza TCO (total cost of ownership) ranges around 7.25 lakh for 5 years.

 

With the launch of the Baleno hatchback, Maruti Suzuki is set to claim a strong foot hold in the Indian car market as a manufacturer of premium cars. Maruti Suzuki India had launched its premium hatchback model the Baleno in India last year.

 

The Baleno is designed as per the ‘Liquid Flow’ design principle, for which it has been given smooth lines and slender curves along its side profile. The new Baleno also comes loaded with several comfort features. The higher models of this car come with LED tail lamps, which make the new Baleno the first model from the house of Maruti Suzuki to offer such modern light fitments. The Baleno is driven by an 84PS 1.2 litre K-Series, four cylinder petrol and a 75PS 1.3 litre MultiJet, four cylinder diesel engines. Both the petrol and diesel versions are mated to five speed manual transmissions. The petrol version also comes with an optional CVT gearbox. This car records best in class mileage at 21.7 kmpl for the petrol variant and 27.39 kmpl for the diesel variant.

 

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno on road price starts with 5.65 lakh for the base model in Delhi and goes up to 9.49 lakh for the top trim and estimations say that Maruti Suzuki Baleno TCO is expected to range at 6.82 lakh.

Vitara BrezzaBaleno

Maruti Suzuki’s new Baleno boasts of quality engineering

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has launched its premium hatchback car the Baleno in India last year. The Baleno has been given stylish external features with premium interiors, and it has been received with great appreciation by both car critics and consumers. With the launch of the Baleno hatchback, Maruti Suzuki India is all set to claim a strong hold in the Indian car market as a premium car maker. While this car comes with the earlier petrol and diesel engines which are found in the Swift, Maruti Suzuki is expected to soon launch the Baleno with a 1.0 litre Boosterjet turbocharged motor at the 2016 Auto Expo.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno New
Maruti Suzuki Baleno New

The Baleno hatchback has been styled in the ‘Liquid Flow’ design principle of the car maker, which is carries an obvious reference to the ‘Fluidic’ design language of the Hyundai i20, its main rival. As a result of this ‘Liquid Flow’ principle, the Baleno has been given smooth lines and slender curves along its side profile. The new Baleno has also been loaded with many convenience and comfort features. The higher models of this car have got LED tail lights, which make it the first car from the house of Maruti to offer such modern light fixtures. The top variant also gets 16 inch wheels. On the interiors, the Baleno comes with Suzuki’s 7.0 inch SmartPlay audio visual entertainment system. The interior of the Baleno has been given an all black theme which adds an extra look. In terms of safety, the Baleno has been offered with dual front air bags and ABS as standard across all models. The overall dimensions are 3,995mm in length, 1,745mm in width and is 1,470mm in height, with an impressive boot space of 339 litres.

 

The Baleno is driven by an 84PS 1.2 litre K-Series, four cylinder petrol and a 75PS 1.3 litre MultiJet, four cylinder diesel engines. Both the petrol and diesel versions are mated to five speed manual transmission. Additionally, the petrol engine also comes with an optional CVT gearbox. The Baleno offers best in class mileage figures at 21.7 kmpl for the petrol variant and 27.39 kmpl for the diesel model.

 

 

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno on road price starts with 5.65 lakh for the base variant in Delhi and goes up to 9.49 lakh for the top trim while as per estimations, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno TCO is expected to be around 6.82 lakh, which makes this car quite a practical option in the hatchback segment, with graceful engineering and modern features.