Volkswest Workshop
Volkswagen Service Xpress at Volkswest is designed to give you peace of mind.
Opening Hours
Monday – Friday
10:00 am – 05:00 pm
Address
57 Osborne Road, KINGSDALE
KY8, 0BY.
Get in touch
Tel: 077 2982 0613
Toll: 079 4928 0701
Auto Repairs
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Head Gaskets
Oil Changing
Car Battery
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Kenneth T. Grimmett
David M. Mashburn
Peter F. Rodriguez
Latest Automobile News
6 Ways to Reduce Your Motor Fleet Insurance Costs
Motor Fleet Insurance: How can I reduce the costs?
Motor fleet insurance is designed for businesses that have the use of several vehicles, more than 2 to be exact. It allows businesses to place multiple vehicles under one policy. Fleets can include all types of vehicle, whether that be cars, vans, HGVS, taxis or minibuses.
Every year the number of vehicles on the roads is on the rise. This means there has been an increase in potential dangers business drivers are facing whilst at work. Research suggests that the UK has the highest level of injury claims in Europe, despite this, one third of UK business drivers are thought to be driving without the correct insurance to cover them for business purposes. Without a fleet insurance policy, businesses could face running into thousands of pounds worth of damages, should a vehicle be involved in an accident. Not only could this leave businesses out of pocket, it could also ruin its reputation. Thankfully, there are positive steps your business could take to reduce the cost of fleet insurance and in turn, minimise the financial impact a road accident can have on your company.
Review your existing fleet insurance policy
With the number of staff constantly fluctuating, it is not surprising that keeping track of who is covered on your fleet insurance policy can be difficult. It is therefore important to keep your fleet insurance details up to date, ensuring your policy covers all drivers as well as all vehicles, new or old. Imagine an accident occurred involving a driver that was not added to your existing policy in error – the consequences could be devastating for your business. Equally, reviewing your current policy with a broker such as utilitysavingexpert.com will ensure you are not paying for any unnecessary costs, for example, insuring an old vehicle against collision when in fact it is no longer being used. Vehicles also decrease in value the older they become, so it is important to check vehicle details too.
Invest in Technology
Installing certain technology such as front facing cameras, has been proven to have a positive impact on driving behaviour, meaning drivers are generally being safer on the roads, using more controlled driving techniques. Businesses such as trucking firms, are not only installing this technology for safety reasons, they have also been proven to help cut the costs of fleet insurance. This is because insurance companies recognise that such technology can be used to provide more accurate ‘risk-scoring’, a point which is taken on board when considering your fleet insurance premium. If the risk score is low, your insurance premium will be cheaper.
Reduce the time taken to report incidents
If a third-party claim is made, the costs can rise considerably, however, the quicker the claim is reported the quicker the insurer can reduce the time it takes to settle a claim, therefore costs are kept to a minimum.
Ensure all vehicles have a good level of security
If your vehicles are secured they are less likely to be involved in an incident. It is therefore wise to ensure vehicles are secured, overnight especially. Devices such as Cybit trackers can be placed within a vehicle to track its location if it should be stolen. Insurance companies see such devices as having a positive impact on level of security and therefore insurance premiums may be reduced.
Provide Training
Certain insurance companies may offer driver training programmes through a number of their partners. This may decrease your fleet insurance premium as the drivers will be considered safer on the roads.
Manage young drivers
Research suggests that young drivers, typically between the ages of 17-20, are twice as likely to be involved in an accident and therefore make a claim when compared to any other driver. Studies also suggest that these claims are 10 times more likely to involve severe bodily injury. Because of these statistics, insurance companies tend to hike up the prices of new or young drivers as they carry more risk. It should therefore be a priority of any business to look closely at their policies for young drivers, perhaps offering further training or setting an age benchmark.
What Type of Fuel is Best for Your Car
When is comes to fuel, one can often get confused as to what type you should choose for your car. Different types of fuel have different brand names and are appropriate for a specific variety of cars.
Petrol is available in four ‘flavour’s, which is known as 91, 95, 98 and E10, as well as E85. Many individuals don’t know the requirements of their cars and get confused as to which type they should fill up with. Filling your car up with the wrong fuel can make your car, in some cases, use fuel faster, as well as damage your engine.
Choosing the Right Petrol for Your Car
While you might not have heard about ‘91’ as a choice for petrol, you might be more familiar with unleaded, which is a more popular name for 91.
95 and 98 are both known as premium unleaded and E10, ethanol, which is a mixture of 90% petrol and 10% ethanol. The E10 is a perfect substitute for 91 in 2005 car models, up until now.
You also might find what type perfectly suits your car n the user manual of your car.
Using the wrong fuel for your car could be mechanically destructive. This is due to the index of the fuel’s resistance burning too fast or slow inside of your engine, which is also referred to as octane.
Generally, car companies design cars that have a lower octane rating. This allows for more safety of your car. One can possibly use 95 or 98 for an engine that is designed for 91, but one cannot use 91 again for either 95 or 98.
Comparing Different Types of Petrol
Generally speaking, E10 is considered to be a lot cheaper than 91, but then again, 91 can be found at every gas station. E10 tends to be far more impressive as it supports the sugarcane industry and is able to hamper fuel economy, but it’s not easily accessible, like other types of fuel.
91 is far more accessible and can also be used by a variety of many different cars and is also considered to be a common type of fuel in cars, especially for those that were built more than a decade ago.
95 is mostly used by smaller standard or turbo cars, has a great mid-range fuel performance, is a lot more expensive than 91, but is also, much like the E10, harder to find at gas stations.
98 is considered to be one of the best, or more favoured types of fuels. It will allow for ultimate performance, is an incredibly good option for performance cars and allows for incredible performance. It’s also a bit more expensive than the 95.
One can check the manual of your vehicle on what type of fuel is preferred for your car, consult with your car dealer, or even consult with a professional in car mechanics. One can also even contact the car company itself and ask for advice on your car model’s fuel type.
What is the Difference Between a Manual and Automatic Car?
Whether you’ve been driving for years or you’re just starting out, chances are you’ve heard about both a manual and automatic car, but do you know the difference?
Of course, there’s the apparent difference between a manual car having gears and an automatic not, but is that it?
Before you decide on purchasing a new or used car, you have to have an idea about the specs of what you’re looking for. A dealer will always ask you whether you’re looking for a manual or an automatic.
While neither is considered better than the other, the choice of choosing which one you buy all depends on your preference and what you’re most comfortable driving with. Both types of cars have advantages, as well as a few disadvantages. Knowing what these are will also help you narrow down your search for what is best for you.
The Biggest Difference Between an Automatic and Manual Car
So, you’ve decided on the colour of the car you want, the engine type, the body style, as well as the features you’d like for it to have. Now, the question is, what kind of transmission style will suit you best?
The main difference between these two types of cars is the fact that the one uses shifting gears and the other one doesn’t. It is the case with the manual, which allows you to switch between five gears, whenever needed. The automatic type, however, switches gears for you as you shift.
What is Gear Shifting?
Gear shifting is needed when you’re either trying to slow down, increase your cars speed, stop or after stopping, start driving again. As you increase the speed, the RPM of your engine will also increase.
Shifting gears also help indicate the safety of your engine and protect it by displaying a needle and a red line on the gauge on your car’s dashboard. To protect your engine, one has to switch gear before the needle reaches the red line area. Driving a manual car thus requires a lot more focus, where an automatic car takes care of the transmission for you, making it easier to operate.
The Best Exotic Cars Under $100k
Ever wondered what makes some of the most luxurious cars, not just expensive but, really expensive? If you take some of the most expensive in the world, such as the Bugatti Veyron, or a whole range from Koenigsegg… What’s it about and is it essential to have a car that’s worth a million dollars or even a few?
Well, I can’t tell you, because who has a few million to spend on a car, right? It sure does look good.
But, how about cars that are more budget-friendly?
See, just because you have a budget, doesn’t mean you can’t still own the car of your dreams, or at least something a lot similar to it at about less than 10% of the original price.
Now, while we don’t promote you make that much credit, buying an exotic car at a reasonable price is more affordable than you think. It starts with a deposit of 10% and then continues with monthly instalment payments that could span up to 60 months.
4 Exotic Cars at a Low Price
- Lotus Exige
As one of the most popular brands in the world, Lotus doesn’t disappoint with its lightweight bodywork, gold-infused design and reliability factor. This exotic car only costs $65,690 and can be bought at an instalment rate of $1,166. Now that’s a worthy investment… And, it’s good looking too.
- Porsche Panamera
As one of the most lucrative, exotic brands, we can’t leave Porsche out of the mix, can we? As an extremely reliable brand, a great design and a price of $74,400, the Porsche Panamera will get you anywhere you want to go, fast. With a low instalment rate of just $1,321, all you have to do now is choose your favourite colour.
- Lotus Evora
Lotus knows what they’re doing when it comes to producing high-quality cars that are both easy on the eyes and with its price-tag. At a price of $73,500 and an instalment rate of $1,305 per month, the Lotus Evora is another fantastic version of the brands’ larger vision, which is quality at the best price.
- Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper. The name’s so good that you had to read it twice. Just by reading its name, you’re probably not as familiar with this car brand as the rest on this list. Well, Dodge Viper is a brand known for creating that ultimate sportscar-look exotic car. What’s more is, you’ll feel like you’re driving somewhere in the 1950’s, except with added technology to glam it up. At $90,255 and a monthly payment of $1,603, this impressively looking car has an incredible horsepower rate and is considered to be a force of nature itself.
So, what will it be, red or blue?
The 3 Most Successful Car Companies Globally
The industry around the manufacturing and selling of cars is one of the biggest and most reliable in the world. Each year, billions of dollars are made, due to the sale of some of the most in-demand brands in the world.
Even though cars have been a must in nearly every household that can afford it throughout the past few decades, there has never been a time that cars were as in demand as now. Especially when it comes to the car companies that sell the most suitable cars to suit the everyday lifestyle of most individuals.
Meaning the car brand designs a range of reliable options that sell all over the world in bulk. Never before has the automobile industry been in such high demand and within just a few years, have multiplied and continued to increase every year. While this might not be as good for the earth, it most definitely is good for the pockets of the big guys upstairs, as well as the consumer that purchases the car.
To measure the most successful car companies in the world, one must measure each company’s profit, and while success isn’t only measured by profit, it’s an excellent place to start and even more so, allows the popularity of these brands to speak for themselves.
The Top Most Successful Car Brands in the World in 2018
Toyota
You might know this brand very well since it’s been around for just over eight decades. The company started in 1937 with its headquarters in Aichi, Japan, which operates the business side, as well as the incredible design process that leads to the manufacturing of cars, car accessories and most famously. The Toyota truck range. The Toyota brand operates with a total of five different brands, which includes the brand itself, Lexus, Ranz Cooperation, Hino and Daihatsu. These joint brands manufacture and sells cars all across the world and sell over 170 countries and have an impressive total of 53 plants in various locations.
As the leading successful brand on the market, the brand banked a revenue of $249.83 billion and made a total sale of 1,69,85,870 automobiles. The company also has over 300 thousand employees scattered all over the world.