Archive for August, 2010

Factors that are useful to consider when purchasing a hatchback model

With a timeless design that has been popular since the 1930s, hatchback vehicles are expertly engineered and professionally manufactured. A hatchback simply means a car body style that provides passenger space with cargo facilities with a sloped boot and a hinged rear door that opens upwards.

Perfectly equipped for urban living, a hatchback vehicle will handle excellently in cities, as well as in rural areas. Offering a speedy pace with perfect, responsive handling, at a generally cheaper price, new drivers commonly purchase a hatchback as their first car.

A hatchback car can typically seat up to 5 passengers, making them a great choice for the school run. Listed below are the top five factors to consider when purchasing a hatchback car.

5. Depreciation value – A second-hand car will depreciate in value at a much slower rate than newer ones and with the advent of online selling, a prospective buyer should have no trouble finding a great bargain on a used vehicle. When browsing vehicles, stick to reputable websites and view the feedback of the seller to ensure that you do not have any trouble. If/when you think of selling the car on, the depreciation value will really show its importance.

4. State of repair – If you are looking to purchase a new car, then this is not a concern; however when buying a used car, check over all mileage, cosmetic damages and small faults. These small factors can quickly build up into a major problem, so you must fix these as quickly as possible or browse other sites and vendors for a better deal. Always remember the old saying ‘a stitch in time saves nine’.  Read more...

Child Car Seats — 7 in 10 are Misused — How to Get the Right One to Keep Your Child Safe!

Child car seats are widely recognized for their value in helping to keep children safe and comfortable while traveling, and are one of the most important purchases that can be made for your child’s safety. However, a study by the U.S. Government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration** found that, of nearly 3500 car seats observed, more than SEVEN in every TEN child restraint systems were misused in a way that “could be expected to increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash”. It is not only important that you obtain the right car seat in the first place, but also that the car seat be used properly at all times.

**Per the U.S. Government’s Department of Health and Human Service’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ‘Child Passenger Safety Fact Sheet’ (see the ‘Risk Factors’ section).

Types of Child Car Seats:

There are three basic types of child car seats, with each type being suitable for a child within a certain age and weight range.

‘Infant’ car seats are designed for newborns up to about six months of age. These are rear facing car seats with a harness to keep the child securely in place, with the child riding in a lying down position. There are also ‘convertible’ infant/toddler child car seats available. These car seats can be used for children from infancy into their toddler years, until they are ready for a booster seat.  Read more...

Toddlers Ride In Safety And Style With A Designer Car Seat Cover!

When having a baby, there are dozens of new products to browse and buy that you never had to choose from before! Doubtless you have chosen the car seat that your infant and/or toddler will ride in, but did you make your decision based on safety or style? The most popular brands of car seats are highly rated for safety, and of course come in a variety of colors. But if you are hoping to coordinate your car seat with your personality or your other baby items, you may find that your options are limited. Here is where the wonderful concept of Car Seat Covers comes into play! Car Seat Covers offer beautiful fabrics and prints designed to fit snugly and unobtrusively right over your current car seat, without compromising its integrity! Are you tired of looking at the same old black car seat? Did the company only have a bright orange model left in stock? Do you always go the extra mile for fashion? Then a designer Car Seat Cover may be just the thing you’ve been searching for!

Car Seat Covers come in sizes for both infant and toddler car seats. Most Car Seat Covers are designed to slip easily over the existing fabric, though some require you to remove your current cover and replace it with the new one. Car Seat Covers are generically designed to fit over most major brands of car seats, including Britax, Peg Perego, Graco, Chicco, Combi, Maxi Cosi, Eddie Bauer and more. A Car Seat Cover will either have holes that your car seat’s straps can be inserted through, or it will offer additional covers for these straps so that they aren’t left out of your redesign! Some brands offer headrest cover options, and some even offer personalization! With the variety of Car Seat Covers available, you can fully customize your infant or toddler’s car seat!  Read more...

Family car running costs are beginning to fall

The cost of running the average family car in Ireland has dropped by over €1000 since last year according to the findings of a new survey looking into car expense.

Factors such as the historically low interest rates helped, which meant that across a wide range of car models, the price for new cars did not increase overall and in some cases prices actually fell.

There have also been small reductions in the cost of things like servicing a vehicle and parking costs, which have both been in line with the overall inflation figure for the year.
A family in tax category ‘Band C’ that runs a car with an engine size of 1251-1500cc, is now spending just €11,156 a year, which works out as a decrease of €1,049 compared to the figure for 2008.

However, it is believed that the most significant reason for car running costs to have fallen is a reduction in the price of unleaded petrol, making things like car insurance more affordable. This cut in petrol prices has made life a bit easier for families and has helped with the overall drop in cost of running a car for a year.

One motoring expert said, “The fuel cost reduction is the big factor and is clearly good news but remember that last summer we had a fuel crisis before we had a credit crunch with record high prices. Although we have seen prices rise since January, they are nowhere near as high as they were last year. In June 2008, petrol cost 130.5 cent per litre, it has fallen to 116 cent. That difference alone saves the average motorist over €18 per month.”  Read more...

Advice On Buying The Best Family Car Insurance Plan

One of the things that makes Canada such a wonderful place to live is the fact that so much variety can be found in it. One province has mountains while another has grasslands. Some of the cities are urban and new while others are still very much the same as they were decades ago. And of course there is everything in between. The variety that comes from having so many provinces and territories also branches into living regulations. Family car insurance is really no different and as such it would be difficult to list every regulation per province. Still, because those making policies are all human there are a few tips that can keep anyone looking for the best family car insurance policy for them regardless of exact locations.

Assuming that the prospective policy covers minimum coverage requirements for the province, the first thing to determine is how much you are willing to spend and even then if you can save, do it. There are plenty of policies that you will see as soon as you start looking for car insurance. It is extremely important to avoid spending more than you need to on your insurance.

Some factors that may have an effect on how much you have to spend can be summed up as the type of car, the area of residence, past driving, as well as the age group of the people driving. Depending on how these go, you may be able to get a substantially cheaper deal than you previously believed.  Read more...

Get Useful Information and tips about family cars from FamilyTram

“A family that plays together stays together.” Ever heard of this quote? Some families live by this mantra to preserve the closeness of its members. Don’t take the word playing literally. It also means doing things as one, as a family, with Mom, Dad, and kids intact. Let’s face it: it’s rare that families get to spend quality time together. One way of practicing family togetherness is going on a road trip. But, before going on one, they must have the perfect car and helpful safety tips to guide them on their way. FamilyTram can help in this aspect!

Families can’t have a better guide than FamilyTram if they need information and tips regarding road trips and road safety. You will find very useful data in the comprehensive topics that cover in this blog site. The subjects we write about will make you and your family feel more secure each time you go out for a spin on the fast lane and on the country lanes. Aside from road safety guidelines, FamilyTram also covers auto repairs tips that can help if your car suddenly malfunctions in the middle of nowhere. With these tips, road inconveniences will be just things of the past.

And if you are looking for reviews on the latest family cars available in the market today, FamilyTram is still the right place to be. We have reviews on a wide-range of vehicles including minivans, full-size vans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), station wagons, sedans, and hatchbacks. Reviews are made on newly-launched as well as previously released makes and models.  Read more...