Car is a precious asset. Value it, if you want a smooth drive and better resale value of your car. Following tips will help you to check the proper maintenance of your car and keep it in better working condition.

1. Avoid long routes

Avoid taking your car for long trips. When car is used for long distance drive, its wear and tear cost also increases. In other words, depreciation cost adds to the total cost of cars as the mileage of car raises. Prefer to use rental car for long distance drive. This point is particularly important for those people who often sell out their cars after few years with the intention to replace it with new model. Keep this point in mind, if you want to get the better resale value of car.

2. Proper tuning is must

Send your car to service station on every weekend. Proper tuning of car is very important. Make sure that person at car station check all the parts. This will assure you that your car is in proper working condition.

3. Keep your car clean

A part from proper service of car, keep the car clean on your part.

4. Avoid scorching sunlight

Never park your car in gazing sunlight; scorching sunlight badly affects the shade of car. Prefer to park in shady areas.

5. Keep away from excessive moist

Rust is the greatest enemy of car. Metallic body of cars can not tolerate too much rust. This caution should be taken by the person who lives in cold climate areas.

6. Avoid eatables in car

Remember that your car is not an eating place. Avoid eating in the car and make your car a smoke free zone. Its ashes can damage the seat and other material of car. On the other side, from the perspective of health, smoking inside the car is not fine.

7. Follow the manual

In order to maintain the engine, follow the manual guide. Every manual of car describes the proper way to clean the engine.

8. Use recommended engine oil

Engine oil lubricates it for better functioning. Use proper oil as mentioned in the manual. Never get fascinated with the advertisements of different oils. Remember that your engine work best with the oil mentioned in the manual. In case you bought a second hand car whose manual is not available, ask from renowned technicians.

9. Be the engineer

You must be the engineer of your own car. Being a driver and owner of car, know how about the car is must. It is important because incase your car do not function properly and get struck at a place where you find no one. In such situation you can diagnose and solve the problem to some extent.

10. Keep tool kit in car

Tool Kit inside the car is must-have. Make sure that the tool box contains all the tools necessary to handle the situations of emergency.

11. Keep a spare tire

Always keep a spare tire in car. Before setting out, check that the spare tire is available.

12. Turn on AC for few mins in winter

Turn the air conditioner of car for 5-10 mins in winter season. It will help to lubricate it and when you will use it in summers, it will function properly.

13. Check the air pressure and brake oil before drive

Before taking your car for drive, check the air in the tires as well as brake oil. It is vital for your safety.

14. Wax for shine

For a shiny look, wax your car twice a year with high quality wax.

15. Replace the automatic transmission fluid

When your car reaches to mileage of 36,000 miles, replace the automatic transmission fluid.

If you are looking for a new car and want to get rid of old one, better sell it. Selling is an art, be careful in deals so that you get the right price for you car. Here are some tips that will help you to avoid mistakes while selling your car.

1. Legal Compulsions

Before making your car ready for sale, make sure that you have all the legal documents of cars i.e. its registration file, insurance papers and in case you bought it from any bank on lease, all the documents that shows the record of payment of installments. All these documents will help to clear the ambiguities of the buyers and he/she will take less time to finalize the deal with you. Above all you might get the proper price of you car. Most of the people forget to complete the required documents, hence suffer a lot at the time of deal.

2. Do not Involve Dealer

Try to avoid the dealers if you want to get the right price for your used car. Dealers most of the times are unable to satisfy a person in terms of money worth for car. One thing you should keep in mind that by involving a dealer in the sale’s deal of 2nd hand car, you might get the lower price for your vehicles, than you expectations.

3. Sell Online

On-line selling is the best option to sell the used cars. eBay is the well known site, which you can trust to sell your car. It makes a connection among buyers and sellers and one can make a bid for the cars online. On-line selling of cars helps to get the appropriate price. Secondly it is the fastest way to sell the car, especially for whose who are interested to sell their cars as soon as possible.

4. First Impression is the Last Impression

The common mistake most of the people commit is that they show the dirty car to interested parties. It leaves a bad impact of your car (and you as well). Better send your car to service station before showing it other people.

5. Give Attractive Description of Your Car

If you are planning to give add in newspapers or online, compose an attractive add. Add should present the attractive description of your car so that people take interest to contact you for a deal.

6. Use Eye-Catching Photos of Your Car

Advertisement really matters, especially when it comes to second hand cars. Be sure that you are using the eye catching photos of your cars that are attractive enough to appeal people

7. Right Car at Right Time

Time matters a lot. Do not set your cars to sale’s deal at the end of month as most of the people run out of cash that time. Initial first days of month are more appropriate if you like to sell your car urgently.

8. Be Fair

Do not boast about the working, mileage or condition of your cars. Try to be as fair as possible.

9. Meet with good attitude

Your attitude matters more than your car. If you meet with the client with good attitude, he/she will think hundred times before rejecting the deal. Try to be lively with your clients and if someone visits your home to view the car to be sold, offer tea or cold drink and show your hospitality. He/she might not like your car but there are possibilities that he/she might recommend your car to the siblings.

10. Don’t Be Panic

It takes time to sell a car especially if you want to get the price you desire out. Do not be panic and have patience. Otherwise you might not be able to get appropriate money value of car that it worth.

Time has gone when electric cars were traditional and shabby with conventional fringe looks; compact interior with no back seat and congested driving seat with hardly any facilities. The year 2011 is going to mark with some of the coolest electric cars with some cool features. Let’s have a look to the list of the electric cars which you can think to buy for you.

1. Nissan Leaf

Nissan Leaf is the new car from the house of Nissan. It is 100% electric and contains high response 80Kw AC synchronous electric motor and consist of 50 kW DC fast charging port. Nissan Leaf is meant for 5 passengers and consists of 5 doors. One can speed it up to 90mph. Unlike other cars, Nissan leaf does not have tail pipe. That’s why it is environment friendly and zero emissions vehicle. Its electronic brakes force distribution system makes it a safe car.

2. Ford Focus Electric

Ford Focus Electric is stylish and stunning car with new and better chassis and suspension. It is powered by high-voltage 23 kWh lithium ion battery; its electric motor is especially designed to avoid energy loss. An optional 240-volt charging station helps to charge its battery in 3-4 hours. It also contains a standard 120-volt convenience cord, which is used to charge batteries in garage with the help of 120-volt household outlet. Its exterior is stunning whereas interior is more than comfortable, Earth-friendly cloth seat fabric makes its seats Eco-friendly. It means it is a complete Eco-friendly car.

3. Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an electric vehicle with zero emission level. MiEV stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. It is cost effective car as compare to gasoline vehicles. It contains a permanent magnet synchronous motor that produces high torque for low speed. Its Lithium ion battery can be charged with 100V or 200V power source. i-MiEV is a meant for four passengers and one can achieve speed up-to 130Km/Hr.

4. Coda Sedan

Coda Sedan is an all-electric car. It is meant for 5 passengers and consists of Lithium-ion phosphate battery that needs 6 Hrs to charge from 220 Volt power. Transmission in Soda is single speed gear reduction. Its ABS brakes and 6 air-bags rank it among the safest cars.

5. Ford Transit Connect

Ford Transit Connect is a commercial van that best suits the people who own business. It is a comfortable and fuel-economical car. It is powered by 2.0L Dura tech 16-valve I-4 engine. Its mpg value is 21 in the city and 26 on the highway. It has 4-speed automatic transmission. It is quite spacious and best for recreational family trips.

6. Chevrolet Volt

Volt is new electric vehicle designed by Chevrolet powered by electricity. It has 16-kWH lithium-ion battery; it takes 10 Hrs to charge with standard 120-volt line or 4 Hrs from 40-volt line. Engineers have specially designed 7 air bags to enhance the safety of Chevrolet Volt. It is fuel-efficient car with stylist interior and trendy design.

7. Honda Fit EV

Honda Fit is an electric vehicle designed by Honda. It is meant for 5 passengers. Fit EV Concept has a high density motor. It could be charge in less than 12 Hrs with the help of traditional 120-volt outlet and less than 6 Hrs with 240-volt outlet. Honda Fit EV is a hatch back vehicle. It will be available in US in 2012.

8. Tesla Roadster

Roadster is the reflection of Tesla’s innovative capabilities, it is an electric car powered by 375 Volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive. One can attain speed up-to 125mph with it. Roadster consists of lithium-ion battery that requires almost 4 Hrs to charge with the help of Tesla high power wall connector at 240 Volts. Being an electric car, Roadster is Eco-friendly with zero-emission level. Once fully charged, it can run up-to 245 miles.

9. Wheego Life

Wheego Life is a hatch-back electric car from China. It’s a front wheel drive, meant for two passengers. It is powered by an electric motor (AC 50). Wheego Life has power lock doors and remote keyless entry. Power assisted four wheels disk brakes with ABS make it a safe vehicle. It contains 115 Volt Lithium pack battery. Being an electric car it is Eco-friendly and energy efficient.

10. Fisker Karma

Fisker Karma is an electric car but it is somewhat hybrid because it contains gas engine to recharge the battery. It just uses the electric motor for the power train; it can be speed up- to 125 mph (200 Km/Hr). A fully charged Fisker Karma does not need fuel at least for first 50 miles, after 50 miles its gasoline engine with the help of generator; charge the lithium-ion battery.

2011 is expected to be the year of electric cars because soaring fuel prices really hassle people. Keeping an eye on this trend, majority of leading car manufacturers have added electric cars in their current and future product lines.

Photo by peterw_in_la

Freshly manufactured to crazily modified the Los Angeles Auto show 2009 had it all, from Chevrolet’s first electric car-the Volt, the Volkswagen New Beetle (final Edition), to the evergreen Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid. This is one of the best places to find cheap, convenient to flashy and uber-expensive vehicles. Press conferences had also been held announcing the unveiling of specially designed cars like the Scion which apparently takes tailgating to a whole new level. A brilliant modification on Kogi xD comes with a built-in-grill, refrigerator and working sink. Another Scion production the Five Axis Dj xB is practically a disco-on-the wheels.

As for the non-modified vehicles, manufacturers like Porsche has released brand new versions of the Boxster Spyder which has been upgraded and is considered the lightest Porsche in the market. Cheaper cars like Hyundai Sonata, sedans from Mercedes and Volkswagen have managed to create heavy sales even in the low economy. Cleaner machines along with meaner machines have appeared in this show this year, in an order to save the environment manufacturers have come up with an array of hybrid cars which use cleaner fuel and alternative sources of energy like hydrogen fuel cell, natural gas, and ethanol had made their appearance felt in the show.

Features like hill start assist and downhill braking control with a four cylinder engine, the 2010 Hyundai Tuscon had got it’s share of the attention too. Yet, the show stealers happened to be the favourites like the Rolls Royce Ghost which the company described best as “immediate and extremely smooth” took people’s breaths away, and as for the minivans Toyota Sienna was an eyecatcher, finished with high-tech gadgets like a 180 degree backup camera, adaptive radar cruise control. Which all showed that even minivans have a lot of style in them.

Tata Motors also has mentioned that the first 100000 applicants who are selected will get their Nano by the end of next year as delivery of the cars will begin by July ’09. In the remaining 106000 people who are in the waiting list 55000 opted out their name from lottery for future Nanos and the company has announced some discounts for these people in all Tata products.

These discounts will even be available to those who are still in contention for winning their Nano. The money that Tata collected as booking fee will earn some interest for the customers which is 8.5% if the car is delivered within two years and 8.75% if it takes more than that time.

Source: Telegraphindia