NEWS: India's Tata Nano Heralded As "World's Cheapest Car"
This little oddity is the people's car of the 21st century. The Tata Nano will offer the dream of personalised transport to the millions of people in India who can afford 100,000 Rupees. This equates to just $2,815 Australian. And it's quite a normal car, considering - the entire bodywork is made of sheetmetal, like a normal car, it's safe enough to be a normal car, and is roomy enough to be a normal car. It even has four doors and four seats! At just over 3 metres long, this would have to be one of the most efficient uses of space I've ever seen.
This is obviously an arrogant and elitist point of view - I don't consider it wrong for any Australian to buy a car, and yet I think of denying Indians the privelige we have. The privelige of owning a car, and creating a global greenhouse problem. We should have known that eventually, the problem of petrol-powered cars will reach an epic scale - but the advent of the Nano makes it all the more real. Machines that destroy the environment are being made and used on a massive scale, and although I do love these machines (I am an automotive enthusiast after all) I can't help but feel morally obligated to voice my concerns.
- Drive system: Front Wheel Drive
- Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
- Number of doors: 5
- DIMENSIONS
- Overall length: 3,099 mm
- Overall width: 1,495 mm
- Overall height: 1,652 mm
- Wheelbase: 2,230 mm
- Tread
- Front: 1,325 mm
- Rear: 1,315 mm
- CAPACITIES
- Seating capacity: 4
- Luggage capacity
- Rear seatback raised (VDA method): 135 L
- Rear seatback raised (VDA method): 135 L
- Fuel tank capacity: 15 L
- ENGINE
- Number of cylinders: 2
- Piston displacement: 624 cm3 (0.6 Litres)
- Maximum output: 26kW @ 5,250 rpm
- Maximum torque: 48 Nm @ 2,500-4,000 rpm
- Number of cylinders: 2
- PERFORMANCE
- Maximum speed: 105 km/h
- 0-100 km/h: Probably quite a while
- Fuel consumption (Average): 4.2 l/100 km
- CO2 emissions (Average): 101 g/km
WATCH THIS SPACE: New Cars Coming Your Way
Skoda Octavia - The Czech brand has unveiled a new facelifted Octavia, which looks more modern than before. They've taken this opportunity to stuff the Octavia with even more features, new engines, and for the first time, Volkswagen's excellent 7-speed DSG transmission. Maybe finally Skoda will be taken seriously in Oz - but they really do need to make more stylish cars...
Volvo XC60 - The Compact SUV claiming to be Australia's Safest Car has much more going for it than claims about safety. The XC60 will bring new levels of class and elegance to the segment, and will almost certainly rise to the top of the SUV pile. This is, without a doubt, the prettiest 4x4 on the market. I'd much rather have one of these than an awful BMW X3 anyway.
Hyundai i30 Cross Wagon - The reputation-busting i30 (since it will probably go down in history as the first ever actually good Hyundai) adds wagon versatility to its armory. So the Holden Viva wagon should be worried, because the i30 Cross Wagon will probably steal its grand total of three buyers The line-up is the same as the hatch range, and it gets an awkward looking tailgate. But do wagon buyers want something this small?
Citroen C4 - One of my favourite hatches gets a freshen-up. It still retains the same quirky interior design, and the funkiest 3-door style on the market, but instead of the PSA (that's Peugeot group, basically) engines which powered the C4, new BMW-developed engines will sit under the bonnet. I wonder if the transformer gets a makeover too, or will that remain the same? New dance, perhaps?
Mini Cabrio - The all new Mini convertible that looks exactly the same as the old one arrives in Australia. So what is actually worth knowing about this car? Not much, really. The car also introduces the "Always-Open Timer" to the motoring world. The gimmicky gauge monitors the amount of time the owner spends with the roof down. Who is vain enough to handle that?
Kia Soul - A five-door family hatch, that's sort of a 4x4. It's confusing
Nissan GT-R - The one we've all been waiting for
Mazda 3 - One of the most important cars of 2009, Mazda is hoping the new 3 keeps its popularity
Honda Civic hatchback - Finally, we'll get the Civic we all want
Nissan 370Z - Hideously ugly z-car may well be delicious, but I still like the old one
Audi Q5 - A bulky looking minature (...) of the Q7
BMW Z4 - Classy looking convertible says goodbye to awkward droopy eyes
Audi S4 - A4 gets a fast model, but I'll wait for the RS4 thanks
BMW 730d - turbo-diesel joins line-up, promises impressive performance/economy
BMW 330d - 3-Series gets that same diesel
Nissan Maxima - Nissan wants this new Maxima to sell better than any Accord or Aurion
Mini Cooper D - Turbo-diesel hatch stakes a claim to title of Australia's cleanest car
Skoda Superb - Slightly camp name, but the Superb is Skoda's attempt at a large car
Peugeot 308CC - let's hope Peugeot don't try to use this for a rally car, like the 307CC
Alfa Romeo MiTo - slightly stunned-looking baby hatch kicks the Mini's butt into next week
Ferrari California - Underwhelming new Ferrari takes it's first orders from rich hairdressers
Ferrari 430 Scuderia Spider 16M - A lightweight Scuderia model convertible? Too heavy...
Audi R8 V10 - Audi nicks Lamborghini's V10 for the R8. Expect fireworks
Toyota Prius - Green apparently, but I'm not entirely convinced
Jeep Patriot - Jeep updates the better of its compact SUVs
Mercedes Benz E-Class - Sedan and Coupe (formerly CLK) will arrive simultaneously
Porsche Panamera - the ugliest sports/luxury car in the world hits home
Subaru Liberty/Outback - Subaru will again prove that it knows how to make an ugly car
Kia Cerato Koup - Kia presents its rival for the Hyundai Tiburon
Volvo C30 DRIVe - the first Volvo eco-efficient DRIVe model to hit our shores
Hyundai i20 - Compact hatch now slated to sell beside Getz, even though t
Jaguar XFR/XF 3.0L Diesel - I can't wait for the sports model of one of my favourite large cars
Audi A5/S5 Cabriolet - sexy coupe loses it's head
Audi Q7 V12 - Every time this motor starts up, a penguin dies somewhere in Antarctica
Mercedes Benz S-Class - It's getting a facelift. Yes, already
Mercedes Benz GL-Class - Also getting a makeover, will probably get a huge badge like GLK
Honda Insight - Honda's answer to the Toyota Prius, but much cheaper apparently
Jaguar XKR - Gets even faster, not sure how yet
Kia Sorento - I forgot this car still existed, but it's getting updated
Kia Magentis - will get the new Schreyer grille, but doesn't look any nicer really
Subaru Exiga - a sort of low, wagon-like MPV that looks a bit like the new Liberty
Chery A1 - Chinese car maker Chery looks to enter the Australian market
Chery A5 - But may not, because of the current financial crisis. We may be saved...
Chery Tiggo - BTW, the A1 is a tiny car, the A5 a Tiida size car, and this Tiggo is a SUV
Peugeot 4007 - Still being considered, even though everyone knows it won't sell
Ford Territory - Facelifted, but will it be enough to save dying sales?
Holden Cruze - Holden want this car to take the fight back to the might of Toyota
Mazda CX-7 - It doesn't look crap at all, but Mazda feel the need to facelift it
Porsche 911 GT3 - Is it the best Porsche? Time will tell
Renault Megane - Sexy bum now gone, will the Megane have any appeal at all?
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic - The diesel that's taking the fight up to hybrid cars
Audi A1 - Is it really good looking enough to be a MiTo competitor?
Volvo S60 - should look great, if the concept and XC60 are anything to go by
Mercedes Benz GLK - we'll probably only get the RWD version of this boxy SUV
BMW X1 - new SUV is about the size of current X3... huh?
Nissan 370Z Roadster - let's hope the convertible looks better
Volkswagen Robust Ute - camp name, but set to take on the venerable HiLux
Peugeot 3008 - Sweet Nissan Dualis competitor with an aggro look and a possible hybrid drivetrain
Hyundai Sonata - Hyundai look deadly serious about making this a world beater
Hyundai CC - Hyundai's take on a "four-door coupe", but I'm unsure if it'll be desirable
Ford Focus - going to be built down under, so cross fingers it's good
BMW 1 Series - as long as it doesn't look as weird as the current model...
Mini Crossover - the largest Mini ever will go on debut
Porsche 998 911 - the next 911 is currently being refined
FEATURE STORY: Your First Car
After being prompted in a reader comment "what would be a good first car?", I felt I couldn't simply answer that question properly in a Blog Comment. There is enough meat in this to make a sizeable story.
There is not one car that will suit all types of people, and different people have different priorities. Not to mention different price ranges. I can recommend stuff, but the range of things to choose from is so large these days that you'd still be scratching your head. However, for most reasonable price ranges, you can still get a variety of used and new cars. But there are a few golden rules to buying a good first car - so pay attention as I start listing them. I'll test ya later.
1. If it was a good car when it was new, then chances are, it will be a good used car as well.
Now what I mean by that is when the car was new - like in 2004 when Proton launched the Gen-2 - how was it considered? The Gen-2 was crap then, and is still crap now. Good new cars tend to make good used cars. So:
2. Forget about Chrysler, Daewoo, Daihatsu, Dodge, Hummer, Hyundai, Kia, Proton and Ssangyong. You won't miss them.
Why have I been so harsh? Because I can't think of one car any of these manufacturers have made that is actually good. New or used, it doesn't matter, don't be tempted by these carmakers. They may try to lure you with low prices, and seemingly good warranty etc., but these cars are made with the philosophy "near enough is good enough", and they will require more maintenance and repair than other cars. They are quite likely to be faulty. Not only that, they will not make you feel special in any way, and will be dull in every respect, not least to drive. With the exception of one or two recent Hyundais, all these manufacturers make cars that are significantly less safe than their competitors. Don't be fooled by how many airbags are quoted - they are made by Asian slave labour, and wearing a Michellin-Man suit is a more effective protection system than one of these cars. They are cheap, and that's it.
So talking about reliability, here's a rule that might help you out.
3. Buying a Japanese car will mean virtually trouble-free ownership.
More than a European car, anyway. Okay, here's the trade-off. A Japanese car will be really reliable, and won't cost too much to service or to insure either. But a European car will have more personality, will usually drive even better, but won't be as reliable or as cheap to service and insure. Really, the disparity in insurance costs can be an eye-opener. Get an online insurance estimate for your car before you buy, just to know what you're in for. Some online calculators are quite innacurate, but I can recommend the RACV insurance calculator, as they seem to be just about spot on. European cars are also more expensive than their Japanese counterparts. Really, those little Japs have worked out marvellous ways to manufacture with fantastic quality - especially Toyota. Toyotas never seem to as much as cough. Which reminds me:
4. Don't buy a Toyota unless you really, really have to.
But why, you ask? Well, let me as you a question in return. For your first car, would you like a whitegood on wheels, or would you like a car? If you answered "a car", then you do not want a Toyota. You will want to smile as you turn the key of your car every day, not groan because after 35 years your bland Toyota still keeps going and you wish it would just die. Okay, I know you can sell your car, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you should be a car because it is good, not because it won't die.
But that's enough brand bagging for one day. It's time to help you with what kind of car you should buy, and helping you come to your own conclusions about what is right for you. The first question you need to ask yourself is: how big does my car need to be? Which leads on to my next rule:
5. Don't buy a car that is at all bigger than you need it to be.
It may sound like common-sense, but you'd be surprised how many people just get carried away. Basically, the principle is this: you are far better off buying a better quality small car than buying a sh*tbox of a large car. And besides, a small car will provide better fuel efficiency (less money at the pump), and will be easier to park. That should be quite important, because if you're buying a first car, chances are you are young, and young people tend to need to drive in the city. You will be very surprised how much the right-sized car will lessen your in-car stress levels.
When people go out to buy a car, all they seem to talk about is their price range. They're getting it wrong! The first thing you should think about is your size range. What cars are the right size for your needs? Once you know that, you can see how old the cars have to be before they reach into your price range. But remember this:
6. Buy the newest car you can afford, with the least amount of kilometres on the odometer you can find.
Don't try and find the cheapest car that looks fine - a newer car will perform better and be more reliable than an old one. Spend as much money as you can (within reason) on your car - every penny is worth it, trust me. Cars get better all the time. These days they do, anyway. Try to find a car that has the least amount of kilometres you possibly can. But a good guide to follow is this - don't buy a car that has significantly more than 15,000km on the clock for every year of age. So a MY2003 (Model Year 2003) car with more than 75,000km is a bit of a worry. Why? Because any higher than that and it is likely that the car has been thrashed, and its internals may not be in great condition. Really, you do have to make sure everything about your car is in good condition.
7. Always, always test drive the car, and give it a thorough once-over, twice-over and thrice-over.
Play around with all the switches and knobs, and check to see if the electricals (air-conditioning, radio, CD player, windows, mirrors, etc.) are still working. If they are not, that will be an extra expense, and you really don't want that - depending on what car it is, it can be quite an expense, too. If you don't trust your own judgement, pay for an expert assessment of the car - they will point out mechanical problems that may not be immediately evident. But I'm talking about used cars here, not new ones.
But regardless, make sure there is absolutely nothing about the car that is really going to drive you up the wall. I mean it! Just about all cars have some sort of downfall, or something that is going to irritate someone. Just make sure that nothing at all is going to annoy the crap out of you, because once you've bought the car, there's nothing you can do about it. For example, when my sister was looking for her first car, she found that a few cars were just about perfect in every other area, but had one small problem: The speedometer was in the middle of the car, not directly in front of the steering wheel. My sister has multifocal lens glasses which are nigh on useless in the corners of the lens - they are designed for the straight ahead, and if my sister were to glance at the speedometer, she would have to physically turn her head away from the road - which poses a safety, not to mention an annoyance issue.
If you find that for the size of car you want, you can afford a new car, great! A new car doesn't have the same risk as a used car (risk of it being a lemon), and you don't inherit the problems of the previous owner. However, you may wish to look at buying a slightly used car or dealer demonstrator car - these are called "nearly new" cars. They may save you a few grand, but be warned - a car that is being sold after just a year of previous ownership is always a bit suspicious and fishy. Why don't they want it anymore? Find out why the seller is selling the vehicle. You don't want to buy their lemon. If they couldn't stand it after only one year, how will you fare?
8. Get the Roadworthy Certificate, and see the Servicing History Log-Book of the car.
If the car has been serviced abnormally often (use your own discretion, it's easy enough to tell), then chances are, the car is a dud. If the seller cannot provide a roadworthy certificate, do not buy the car. They should know they need to provide this, and are probably just trying to do a shonky deal with you. If at any time, the seller of the car refuses to answer one of your questions, or is witholding information, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. The car could be stolen, and you don't want to get duped. It could also have money owing. For example, if the seller bought the car for $16,000 but still has $4,000 left unpaid, and you buy the car, then the $4,000 debt is now yours. Retarded, I know, but all the more reason to make sure you aren't dudded. That's why if it looks to cheap to be true, it probably isn't.
You can avoid this trap, however, by doing a free Vehicle Status Check on the VicRoads website - it will check whether the vehicle is stolen, it's registration, whether it has been in a "write-off" accident (some cars are repaired on the outside, but still have unsafe componenents), or any financial information that may be of interest to a buyer. I'll take you there now if you click HERE.
But when it comes to working out what car to buy, this comes first:
9. Do ya bloody research, ya lazy bugger!
After you've worked out what size car you need, you really need to do some research about the cars within that size range. The internet is a great way to do this simply, at your own leisure, and without car salesmen (usually men) breathing down your neck and telling you to buy, BUY, BUY!!!
Some cars will have different features, and so you will have to prioritise. Do I want better safety, or more performance? Do I want good handling, or do I want a more stylish car? They're not always mutually exclusive, but often, you will have to compromise. But how much you have to compromise depends on how well you've done your research. You shouldn't have to compromise very much at all (unless you expect a Toyota Yaris to be equipped like a Rolls-Royce).
By the time you walk into the dealership, or the car yard, or meet the seller to have a look at the car, you should know as much, if not more, about the car than the seller themselves. The seller should not tell you something about the car that you are at all surprised by, or did not know. If they do, you should be confident enough in your research to suspect them of lying - shonky car salesmen tend to lie, and you need to be able to show them up. When you finally see the car in the flesh (or metal, I should say), all you should need to do is see the Service Log Book, the Roadworthy Certificate, test drive the car and make sure everything works, and negotiate a price. That's it. You should already have found out about the car, either online, or by telephoning the seller for more information.
This way, not only do you save time, but you look more informed, and the seller will be less likely to rip you off. But at the end of the day, this is also a really important tip:
10. You should love the car you've bought.
Honestly. Providing you've followed the rules, you should be able to find a car that you will fall in love with, and grow attached to. It sounds lame, but think what a fantastic feeling it will be when you look at all the other cars on the road and laugh because yours is just soooo much better. Cars usually aren't perfect, but if you find one that you truly love, then in the end, that's what truly matters, isn't it? And don't think I'm comparing buying a car to finding the partner of your dreams, because if you are thinking that, then you've missed the point entirely. You too should be a car enthusiast. You should be enthusiastic about your car. Cars are not just transport - they are personal transport, and a symbol of global culture.
So anyway, if one of your mates reckons they've bought a lemon, its because they haven't followed one of my ten simple rules. Learn from their mistakes, buy a better car than they did, and chuckle quietly to yourself when they give you a jealous glare as you drive off down the street.
