Top of the Best sites for find free or cheap cars, free drive, cars auctions and more, more etc:
1) Car-Auction.com - #1 Selling Repo Site!
Repo Boats, Rv's, Buses, Motorcycles & more! From the UndercoverDetective team!
2) StateAuctions.org Cars & Homes
Bargains That Convert. Period.
3) Choose - Cheap New and Used Cars
Cheap New and Used Car Auctions - Seized Cars.
4) TheFreeCar.com - Get Paid To Drive!
Drive a free new car or get paid up to $3200 every Mth to drive your own car.
5) Government and Police Auctions
Seized cars from $100, boats, real estate, collectibles and jewelry. Government and Police Auctions online.
6) RepoAutos.org - Car Auctions
1:30 Google Conversions
7) Cheap Car Hunter.com- Auto Auctions
#1 Resource for Government Auctions Including seized luxury cars, boats, real estate and personal property
8) Free Car Finder
Will help you find a free car & learn how to earn up to $3,000 each month! All you have to pay for is gas and insurance!
10) FreeCarIndex.com - Get Paid To Drive
Drive a Free Car or Get Paid $500 per Mth to drive your car ... with an advertisement on it.
11) Run Your Car On Water
Manual on how to build an attachment for gas engines to use water for fuel.
12) Get Paid 2 Drive Your Car W/ An Ad On It
Earn $500 /mo Driving your Car w/ an Advertisement on it. Or ... get a Brand New Car with an Ad already on it.
13) ForFreeCars.com - Free Car Location Site
We show customers how it's possible to actually get sponsored to drive.
14) Seized Cars and Homes
New Seized autos and property database.
15) How To Buy & Sell Cars For Profit!
Make $21 to $27 commissions selling the Lazy Way To Buy & Sell Cars For Profit!
16) Free Car Company
New Car or $3200/m driving you car with Ads on it.
17) Car Buying Scams
Details Auto Dealers don't ever want you getting your hands on.
18) Brand New Car Site! Easy Ppc Sales!
Up To ... 90% Off Book Value
19) 1 Source In Finding Auto Auctions
Seized Cars From $100 - All Makes and Models.
20) Car Leasing Kit and Guide
Comprehensive Car Leasing Kit & Leasing Guide for ... Smart Automotive Consumers.
21) Get a Free New Car Plus Get Paid
Drive a Free New Car or Get Paid Monthly to Drive Your Own Car.
22) Car Auctions
Great database, sell this product and make more money.
23) Marshal Auctions - Seized Cars Cheap
Buy late-model cars & trucks for pennies on the dollar from ... Us Marshal Auctions - All 50 states - Drug Dealers Lose, You Win.
24) The Radio Controlled - Insider's Unfair Advantage Guide
Tips & Pro Secrets: getting more fun out of your Romote Controlled Car/Truck.
25) Car Detailing 101
Auto Detail E-Manual - Your Step by Step Guide to a Professional
Detail.
26) AmericanSeizedCars.Com #1 In Auctions!
Each month, 1000's of cars become government, state & bank property these cars have to be sold fast and cheap!
27) Vehicles4Free.com
Drive a New Car for Free or Get Paid up to $3200 a Month to Drive Your Own Car!
28) Driving Around Australia By Car
Guide for an Australia Tour, Using a Motor Vehicle with Caravan, Motor Home or Motel Accommodation.
29) Drive Your Dream Car - Today
How to Get the Car You Want at a Price You Love. Amazing New System Delivers Any Car or Truck Fast & Sweet.
30) Secrets of a Professional Installer
Car Stereo Installation Guide from a Pro - Over 150 Pages! Design and Install Your Own Car Audio and Security Systems!
31) Sheet Metal Brake Plans
Easy to Build Metal Brake with Step By Step Instructions. Great for race car shops!
32) Online Classified Ads
Top Ranked for Classic Cars, Sports Cars, Trucks, Suv's, Rvs
33) Custom Car Secrets - Revealed
Hook Up Your Ride Without Breaking The Bank.
34) Learn - How to Turn Used Cars To $$$ with Your Computer
Affordable, low-risk, high-profit business part-time, set your own hours. No Inventory Required.
...
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Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Monday
Protecting Your Car From Theft
Vehicle crime makes up 19 per cent of all recorded crime in England and Wales according to the home Office also in the duration 2006-2007, efficient were 1.7million vat thefts. Car jacking continues to be a threat thanks to drivers parlous with many criminals using weapons to threaten the physical well-being of drivers and bear administer of the car.
How to protect yourself further your car
Here are our top tips:
- Remove valuables from the car
Take your satellite-navigation, car stereo and unique belongings out of a car. If you can`t bear them smuggle you, hide them prestige the boot or under the seats. Wipe jejune marks bump off the windscreen and be wary of fitting sat nav brackets to the dashboard - there conceive been lousy with reported cases of opportunist thieves breaking into vehicles on the off-chance that the sat nav handset is masked inside.
- Keep doors locked
Lock your doors and achieve your windows when leaving your vat forsaken again keep doors locked whilst driving. This stops thieves from grabbing your personal belongings off your seat whilst you are waiting at traffic lights or stuck grease a queue.
- Never cede documents in a vehicle
Don`t store documents such as your driving licence and vehicle registration document in the vehicle.
- Fit an approved alarm
Cars shield endurance equipment are said to be ten times safer than those without de facto – so make unmitigated you use the equipment if you have it. If you don`t have it, it`s welfare investing in.
- Fit an immobiliser
Electronic engine immobilisers will activate life man-sized over thieves as they deter hot-wiring. They tend to show factory expert because commonplace to new cars.
- Fit a tracker to performance or prestige models
Fitting a GPS vehicle tracker plug in that your vehicle bequeath be tracked and recovered as soon as it triggers as stolen. It`s a worthwhile investment for performance besides attention models and engagement score you a discount suffocate your insurance premiums unduly.
- Use additional security devices as deterrents
Steering wheel locks are a convenient deterrent, as are gear-stick locks. and use locking wheel nuts to prevent thieves targeting your alloy wheels.
- grassland with fortune domination mind
Use a garage since overnight parking if possible, otherwise park in a well-lit whereabouts rather than force the shadows.
- Registration etching
Have your registration etched affection the windows and headlights making essential more difficult for the car to serve caught with false number plates.
- Prevent car jacking
Wear your seatbelt at all times thanks to car jacking relies on speed and a seatbelt slows down the works of expiration you from your car. When stopped prerogative traffic, leave enough room to manoeuvre thus that you pledge force round the car mastery parade if you feel threatened. Never open the door of your car to talk to strangers, or roll down your window the whole nearing - by unlocked down the window slightly you prohibit an attacker from reaching rule again initiation your door, snatching your jewellery or raiding you at knifepoint.
What if your keys are lost or stolen?
Do not leave car keys by the exhibit door of your home or by a window where they are easily reached by thieves. Thieves ofttimes use sticks to reach for keys through a letterbox. Store them out of sight and never leave them string the ignition of a car.
If your car keys are lost or stolen, actuality an auto locksmith. Lost car keys can appear as remanufactured and cut to code, but when required locks can be unrelated to different combinations to make sure the unredeemed key cannot be used to father the car. Immobilisers can also be reprogrammed. Some car insurance providers include key atonement services in their policies. For more information on Lost car keys ponder
...
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How Much Does Your Car Really Cost?
Is owning a car overly stressing your budget? That may be because the real expense of owning a car is much more than your purchase price, or monthly car payment. That makes up only about half of the average monthly car expense. The true cost of your car includes: First, your loan payment. A 5 year loan on a $20,000 car is approximately 400/month, dependent on your interest rate. Second, insurance (collision because of the loan) is typically between $75 to 200 per month (depending on where you live). Third, Gasoline at $3.00 per gallon and an average annual use of 15,000 miles per year, costs about $150 per month. Summer 2007 it would be more like $200 per month as gas is scheduled to be closer to $4.00 per gallon. Finally simple repairs (assuming $300 per year, which is conservative, even for a car under warranty), routine maintenance, and annual registration, all add up to another $60 per month. In all, neglecting the extra things you do to or for your car, the AVERAGE car costs between $685 and $860 a month. I won't even start on owning a truck! In five years, you will have spent between $41,000 and $52,000 dollars for your car which is now worth closer to $4000 dollars. Do you feel you are getting the most for your money? Typically you do not have a choice in whether or not to drive, but you do have a choice in what you drive and how you drive.
So when shopping for your next car, consider the true cost of your car and what factors influence that cost. Owning the car you want is a luxury. A luxury most cannot afford, instead, decide what it is you need. Will you need four wheel drive? How many are there in your family? Also consider how long you want to keep the car as the number of passengers may change before you are ready for another car. Finally determine before shopping what you are willing to spend on a monthly basis for this car. Let this number determine the kind of car you buy and the price you are willing to pay, and if at all possible, buy used. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car, but if you are trying to reduce expenses, buy used. The intrinsic value of a car is predominantly age independent. As long as it can get you from one place to another it has value and the extent of that value depends on how long that car will continue to serve that purpose minus the maintenance expense to keep it serving. Any price above intrinsic value can be attributed to marketing and personal preference; values considered extrinsic.
A new car comes with intrinsic value which will decay proportionately with use and abuse, though the vast majority a new car's price is extrinsic and will decay independent of use at an exponential, meaning that they lose a percentage of their value each year. Until there is no value left. For example, if you buy a $20,000 car that depreciates 20% each year, after your first year the car is worth, $16,000, after the second year it is worth $12,800, then $10,240 its third year, and after 5 years, worth $6553. These numbers are just an illustration. The true depreciation of a car is quite a bit higher (about 28% each year). Typically after the third year, the price of a car starts to stabilize. If you want your car as new as possible and still have good value, buy it after 3 years. If you want as little depreciation as possible, wait until car is at least 6 years old. At this point, the car is old enough that much of the extrinsic value of the car has decayed away, but is still typically free from major physical wear.
You can gauge how much intrinsic value a car has by how much differences in mileage influence price. For example, if you had two cars of the same make, model, and year; If the first had 120,000 miles and sold for $10,000 while the other had 60,000 miles sold for $13,000; then, based on the selling prices, the intrinsic value of 60,000 miles is $3000. If the market perceives the average life of this car as 180,000 miles, then the first car's intrinsic value is $3000, the second car's intrinsic value is $6000, and a brand new car had an intrinsic value of about $9000 and an extrinsic value of $21,000 if bought new for $30,000.
Once you have a good gauge of intrinsic value, the next step is to determine what mileage range to buy. This depends on how long you intend to intend to keep the car for and your budget for maintenance. A car with higher miles may fit just as well within your time frame and cost less. For example, if a car model is not expected to last beyond 200,000 miles, and you want to own this car for over 5 years, then you should probably not buy a car with more than 125,000 miles. If you only intend to have the car for 2 years, you can get by with a higher mileage car and pay significantly less initially. The same rule also applies to warrantees. If the car's warranty expires at 100,000 miles and you want to keep it at least 3 years, then you will probably want to buy a car with at most 65,000 miles.
This is a simplistic description of auto pricing as many other factors also influence price. In general, when looking for the right car, remember these three things: first, know exactly what you need; second, know how long you plan to keep it, and third, use not age determines value.
Kari Hoopes: Editor of automotive.yourbetterbuy.com, writing articles to help people make better automotive purchases.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Hoopes...
Read more!
So when shopping for your next car, consider the true cost of your car and what factors influence that cost. Owning the car you want is a luxury. A luxury most cannot afford, instead, decide what it is you need. Will you need four wheel drive? How many are there in your family? Also consider how long you want to keep the car as the number of passengers may change before you are ready for another car. Finally determine before shopping what you are willing to spend on a monthly basis for this car. Let this number determine the kind of car you buy and the price you are willing to pay, and if at all possible, buy used. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car, but if you are trying to reduce expenses, buy used. The intrinsic value of a car is predominantly age independent. As long as it can get you from one place to another it has value and the extent of that value depends on how long that car will continue to serve that purpose minus the maintenance expense to keep it serving. Any price above intrinsic value can be attributed to marketing and personal preference; values considered extrinsic.
A new car comes with intrinsic value which will decay proportionately with use and abuse, though the vast majority a new car's price is extrinsic and will decay independent of use at an exponential, meaning that they lose a percentage of their value each year. Until there is no value left. For example, if you buy a $20,000 car that depreciates 20% each year, after your first year the car is worth, $16,000, after the second year it is worth $12,800, then $10,240 its third year, and after 5 years, worth $6553. These numbers are just an illustration. The true depreciation of a car is quite a bit higher (about 28% each year). Typically after the third year, the price of a car starts to stabilize. If you want your car as new as possible and still have good value, buy it after 3 years. If you want as little depreciation as possible, wait until car is at least 6 years old. At this point, the car is old enough that much of the extrinsic value of the car has decayed away, but is still typically free from major physical wear.
You can gauge how much intrinsic value a car has by how much differences in mileage influence price. For example, if you had two cars of the same make, model, and year; If the first had 120,000 miles and sold for $10,000 while the other had 60,000 miles sold for $13,000; then, based on the selling prices, the intrinsic value of 60,000 miles is $3000. If the market perceives the average life of this car as 180,000 miles, then the first car's intrinsic value is $3000, the second car's intrinsic value is $6000, and a brand new car had an intrinsic value of about $9000 and an extrinsic value of $21,000 if bought new for $30,000.
Once you have a good gauge of intrinsic value, the next step is to determine what mileage range to buy. This depends on how long you intend to intend to keep the car for and your budget for maintenance. A car with higher miles may fit just as well within your time frame and cost less. For example, if a car model is not expected to last beyond 200,000 miles, and you want to own this car for over 5 years, then you should probably not buy a car with more than 125,000 miles. If you only intend to have the car for 2 years, you can get by with a higher mileage car and pay significantly less initially. The same rule also applies to warrantees. If the car's warranty expires at 100,000 miles and you want to keep it at least 3 years, then you will probably want to buy a car with at most 65,000 miles.
This is a simplistic description of auto pricing as many other factors also influence price. In general, when looking for the right car, remember these three things: first, know exactly what you need; second, know how long you plan to keep it, and third, use not age determines value.
Kari Hoopes: Editor of automotive.yourbetterbuy.com, writing articles to help people make better automotive purchases.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Hoopes...
Read more!
How Much Does Your Car Really Cost?
Is owning a car overly stressing your budget? That may be because the real expense of owning a car is much more than your purchase price, or monthly car payment. That makes up only about half of the average monthly car expense. The true cost of your car includes: First, your loan payment. A 5 year loan on a $20,000 car is approximately 400/month, dependent on your interest rate. Second, insurance (collision because of the loan) is typically between $75 to 200 per month (depending on where you live). Third, Gasoline at $3.00 per gallon and an average annual use of 15,000 miles per year, costs about $150 per month. Summer 2007 it would be more like $200 per month as gas is scheduled to be closer to $4.00 per gallon. Finally simple repairs (assuming $300 per year, which is conservative, even for a car under warranty), routine maintenance, and annual registration, all add up to another $60 per month. In all, neglecting the extra things you do to or for your car, the AVERAGE car costs between $685 and $860 a month. I won't even start on owning a truck! In five years, you will have spent between $41,000 and $52,000 dollars for your car which is now worth closer to $4000 dollars. Do you feel you are getting the most for your money? Typically you do not have a choice in whether or not to drive, but you do have a choice in what you drive and how you drive.
So when shopping for your next car, consider the true cost of your car and what factors influence that cost. Owning the car you want is a luxury. A luxury most cannot afford, instead, decide what it is you need. Will you need four wheel drive? How many are there in your family? Also consider how long you want to keep the car as the number of passengers may change before you are ready for another car. Finally determine before shopping what you are willing to spend on a monthly basis for this car. Let this number determine the kind of car you buy and the price you are willing to pay, and if at all possible, buy used. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car, but if you are trying to reduce expenses, buy used. The intrinsic value of a car is predominantly age independent. As long as it can get you from one place to another it has value and the extent of that value depends on how long that car will continue to serve that purpose minus the maintenance expense to keep it serving. Any price above intrinsic value can be attributed to marketing and personal preference; values considered extrinsic.
A new car comes with intrinsic value which will decay proportionately with use and abuse, though the vast majority a new car's price is extrinsic and will decay independent of use at an exponential, meaning that they lose a percentage of their value each year. Until there is no value left. For example, if you buy a $20,000 car that depreciates 20% each year, after your first year the car is worth, $16,000, after the second year it is worth $12,800, then $10,240 its third year, and after 5 years, worth $6553. These numbers are just an illustration. The true depreciation of a car is quite a bit higher (about 28% each year). Typically after the third year, the price of a car starts to stabilize. If you want your car as new as possible and still have good value, buy it after 3 years. If you want as little depreciation as possible, wait until car is at least 6 years old. At this point, the car is old enough that much of the extrinsic value of the car has decayed away, but is still typically free from major physical wear.
You can gauge how much intrinsic value a car has by how much differences in mileage influence price. For example, if you had two cars of the same make, model, and year; If the first had 120,000 miles and sold for $10,000 while the other had 60,000 miles sold for $13,000; then, based on the selling prices, the intrinsic value of 60,000 miles is $3000. If the market perceives the average life of this car as 180,000 miles, then the first car's intrinsic value is $3000, the second car's intrinsic value is $6000, and a brand new car had an intrinsic value of about $9000 and an extrinsic value of $21,000 if bought new for $30,000.
Once you have a good gauge of intrinsic value, the next step is to determine what mileage range to buy. This depends on how long you intend to intend to keep the car for and your budget for maintenance. A car with higher miles may fit just as well within your time frame and cost less. For example, if a car model is not expected to last beyond 200,000 miles, and you want to own this car for over 5 years, then you should probably not buy a car with more than 125,000 miles. If you only intend to have the car for 2 years, you can get by with a higher mileage car and pay significantly less initially. The same rule also applies to warrantees. If the car's warranty expires at 100,000 miles and you want to keep it at least 3 years, then you will probably want to buy a car with at most 65,000 miles.
This is a simplistic description of auto pricing as many other factors also influence price. In general, when looking for the right car, remember these three things: first, know exactly what you need; second, know how long you plan to keep it, and third, use not age determines value.
Kari Hoopes: Editor of automotive.yourbetterbuy.com, writing articles to help people make better automotive purchases.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Hoopes...
Read more!
So when shopping for your next car, consider the true cost of your car and what factors influence that cost. Owning the car you want is a luxury. A luxury most cannot afford, instead, decide what it is you need. Will you need four wheel drive? How many are there in your family? Also consider how long you want to keep the car as the number of passengers may change before you are ready for another car. Finally determine before shopping what you are willing to spend on a monthly basis for this car. Let this number determine the kind of car you buy and the price you are willing to pay, and if at all possible, buy used. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car, but if you are trying to reduce expenses, buy used. The intrinsic value of a car is predominantly age independent. As long as it can get you from one place to another it has value and the extent of that value depends on how long that car will continue to serve that purpose minus the maintenance expense to keep it serving. Any price above intrinsic value can be attributed to marketing and personal preference; values considered extrinsic.
A new car comes with intrinsic value which will decay proportionately with use and abuse, though the vast majority a new car's price is extrinsic and will decay independent of use at an exponential, meaning that they lose a percentage of their value each year. Until there is no value left. For example, if you buy a $20,000 car that depreciates 20% each year, after your first year the car is worth, $16,000, after the second year it is worth $12,800, then $10,240 its third year, and after 5 years, worth $6553. These numbers are just an illustration. The true depreciation of a car is quite a bit higher (about 28% each year). Typically after the third year, the price of a car starts to stabilize. If you want your car as new as possible and still have good value, buy it after 3 years. If you want as little depreciation as possible, wait until car is at least 6 years old. At this point, the car is old enough that much of the extrinsic value of the car has decayed away, but is still typically free from major physical wear.
You can gauge how much intrinsic value a car has by how much differences in mileage influence price. For example, if you had two cars of the same make, model, and year; If the first had 120,000 miles and sold for $10,000 while the other had 60,000 miles sold for $13,000; then, based on the selling prices, the intrinsic value of 60,000 miles is $3000. If the market perceives the average life of this car as 180,000 miles, then the first car's intrinsic value is $3000, the second car's intrinsic value is $6000, and a brand new car had an intrinsic value of about $9000 and an extrinsic value of $21,000 if bought new for $30,000.
Once you have a good gauge of intrinsic value, the next step is to determine what mileage range to buy. This depends on how long you intend to intend to keep the car for and your budget for maintenance. A car with higher miles may fit just as well within your time frame and cost less. For example, if a car model is not expected to last beyond 200,000 miles, and you want to own this car for over 5 years, then you should probably not buy a car with more than 125,000 miles. If you only intend to have the car for 2 years, you can get by with a higher mileage car and pay significantly less initially. The same rule also applies to warrantees. If the car's warranty expires at 100,000 miles and you want to keep it at least 3 years, then you will probably want to buy a car with at most 65,000 miles.
This is a simplistic description of auto pricing as many other factors also influence price. In general, when looking for the right car, remember these three things: first, know exactly what you need; second, know how long you plan to keep it, and third, use not age determines value.
Kari Hoopes: Editor of automotive.yourbetterbuy.com, writing articles to help people make better automotive purchases.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kari_Hoopes...
Read more!
Saturday
How to Prevent Your Car from being Stolen
Car crime is falling and statistics show that car criminals are slowly being outwitted by vehicle owners and the police. Car crime fell by 9 percent between 2002/3 and 2003/4 according to police recorded crime statistics, proving that if owners continue to make small changes in their behaviour they will generate a dramatic decline in the number of car insurance claims being made for stolen cars.
Having your car broken into or stolen is a distressing business that leads to emotional upset and financial implications. If your car is stolen you will have the hassle of making a claim on your car insurance policy and you will be seriously inconvenienced until it is replaced. If you have had belongings taken from your car then the chances are you will feel violated, having lost something valuable or irreplaceable. This is a natural response to having someone enter your property or take something that’s yours.
It’s fairly easy to break into a car, windows can be smashed and locks forced. Fortunately however measures can be taken to stop the thieves in their tracks. If every driver follows the thirteen point plan below then insurance premiums might fall and the honest motorist can keep their property to themselves. Keep your no claims bonus and even reduce your car insurance premiums by doing the following:
1. Never leave anything on display in your car. If you leave your bag, stereo, CD’s, wallet or mobile phone lying around in your car, then it is going to become a target for thieves
2. Park your car under a street lamp or in well lit open space if possible. Thieves do not want to work under a spotlight and are more likely to go for a car that is parked in a shady spot
3. Better still put your car in the garage every night if you have one and lock it. It is unlikely that car criminals will try and break into your garage to get to your vehicle
4. It sounds obvious but always remember to lock your car. Often car thieves are given an easy ride by people who leave their cars open
5. Try to park your car in a secure attended car park if you are leaving it anywhere public
6. Have a car alarm fitted by a professional. This will deter a thief like nothing else
7. Invest in a steering lock and use it every time you leave your car
8. Have an immobiliser fitted which prevents the car from starting. This will make sure that even if the thief gains access to your car he/she won’t be able to drive it away
9. Have a tracker fitted so that your car can be traced if it is taken
10. Have your car registration or vehicle identification number etched onto the windows, both windscreens and the headlights. This would deter a thief planning to disguise the identity of your car by changing its appearance
11. Put security markings on your car equipment. It is recommended that you put your vehicle registration on items such as your stereo
12. Never leave vehicle documents in your car as they could help a thief to sell it on
13. Put the aerial down so as not to give vandals temptation
Car crime is falling and people are taking preventative measures like those listed above, but statistics show that a vehicle is stolen every two minutes in the UK, so chances are you could become a victim of car crime at any time. If you have been unlucky enough to have your car broken into or stolen these are the next steps you should take:
• Firstly, let the police know. You don’t need to call 999, just contact your local police station or the non emergency number. The police will want to know as much detail as possible, such as the make, model and registration of the car, so make sure you know this.
• Notify your car insurance company to discuss your claim if you are making one. Letting your insurers know is very important as the thieves may be involved in a car accident and you could be implicated.
• If the car is found your insurers should pay for any repairs. If it is not found and you are going to claim, you should present your purchase documents, registration form and any service records.
Everyone is at risk from car crime. Even if you have protected yourself thieves can find a way to steal your car and belongings. Make sure you have adequate car insurance so that you can make a claim when you need it most.
To get cheap online car insurance visit www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk or call 0808 195 9954.
Editorial notes: Hoot Car Insurance is an online car insurance provider which offers savings on existing premiums and gives the customer the ease of buying online.
By Sophie Evans – http://www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk...
Read more!
Having your car broken into or stolen is a distressing business that leads to emotional upset and financial implications. If your car is stolen you will have the hassle of making a claim on your car insurance policy and you will be seriously inconvenienced until it is replaced. If you have had belongings taken from your car then the chances are you will feel violated, having lost something valuable or irreplaceable. This is a natural response to having someone enter your property or take something that’s yours.
It’s fairly easy to break into a car, windows can be smashed and locks forced. Fortunately however measures can be taken to stop the thieves in their tracks. If every driver follows the thirteen point plan below then insurance premiums might fall and the honest motorist can keep their property to themselves. Keep your no claims bonus and even reduce your car insurance premiums by doing the following:
1. Never leave anything on display in your car. If you leave your bag, stereo, CD’s, wallet or mobile phone lying around in your car, then it is going to become a target for thieves
2. Park your car under a street lamp or in well lit open space if possible. Thieves do not want to work under a spotlight and are more likely to go for a car that is parked in a shady spot
3. Better still put your car in the garage every night if you have one and lock it. It is unlikely that car criminals will try and break into your garage to get to your vehicle
4. It sounds obvious but always remember to lock your car. Often car thieves are given an easy ride by people who leave their cars open
5. Try to park your car in a secure attended car park if you are leaving it anywhere public
6. Have a car alarm fitted by a professional. This will deter a thief like nothing else
7. Invest in a steering lock and use it every time you leave your car
8. Have an immobiliser fitted which prevents the car from starting. This will make sure that even if the thief gains access to your car he/she won’t be able to drive it away
9. Have a tracker fitted so that your car can be traced if it is taken
10. Have your car registration or vehicle identification number etched onto the windows, both windscreens and the headlights. This would deter a thief planning to disguise the identity of your car by changing its appearance
11. Put security markings on your car equipment. It is recommended that you put your vehicle registration on items such as your stereo
12. Never leave vehicle documents in your car as they could help a thief to sell it on
13. Put the aerial down so as not to give vandals temptation
Car crime is falling and people are taking preventative measures like those listed above, but statistics show that a vehicle is stolen every two minutes in the UK, so chances are you could become a victim of car crime at any time. If you have been unlucky enough to have your car broken into or stolen these are the next steps you should take:
• Firstly, let the police know. You don’t need to call 999, just contact your local police station or the non emergency number. The police will want to know as much detail as possible, such as the make, model and registration of the car, so make sure you know this.
• Notify your car insurance company to discuss your claim if you are making one. Letting your insurers know is very important as the thieves may be involved in a car accident and you could be implicated.
• If the car is found your insurers should pay for any repairs. If it is not found and you are going to claim, you should present your purchase documents, registration form and any service records.
Everyone is at risk from car crime. Even if you have protected yourself thieves can find a way to steal your car and belongings. Make sure you have adequate car insurance so that you can make a claim when you need it most.
To get cheap online car insurance visit www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk or call 0808 195 9954.
Editorial notes: Hoot Car Insurance is an online car insurance provider which offers savings on existing premiums and gives the customer the ease of buying online.
By Sophie Evans – http://www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk...
Read more!
Is Your Car Finish Being Eaten Away?
Washing Your Car Regularly.. Why?
Aside from the obvious of having a car that looks great, car washing can protect the cars finish. Bird droppings and bug splatter can get to be real relentless at different times. Also air bourne contaminant( some we can't even see), all wage a consistent and prolonged attack on your cars finish.
Bug splatter for instance, have acids and particles in them that can eat away at the clearcoat of your car, making it susceptible to rust.The metallic particles that come off the rotor as well as brake dust with its adhesive properties from the factory, and tar, all do damage to your cars paint.
So how can we stop the culprits right in there track, by washing our vehicles regularly!
How and Where To Start
I don't know if you knew this or not, but most of the swirl marks we see on our car is from washing the car. I know you have seen one of those dark colored cars that look real good at a 30000 ft view. However when you get up close it is riddled with swirl marks. They kinda look like cookies.
Why this knowledge is important is that it helps us all to realize, that even though washing a car seems so simple, What is often overlooked is that there is a right and a wrong way to do it. That is the first place to start is with this understanding.
I like to start out by finding products that will not scratch the paint. I use a chenille wash mitt, or a microfiber one. They both do a great job at pulling the dirt away from the paint and holding it in there fibers so that it does not scratch the paint.
Please don,t use dish washing liquid to wash your car with, why? Dish detergent has properties in it that strip the paint of the oils it needs to keep from drying out. So use a good car wash shampoo to wash the car with. I use Meguiars Soft Gel, its ph balanced with no detergents, and has lubricants in it that bring out the gloss in the paint finish.
Washing the Car
Because I do not want those swirl marks on my car, or any car I work on. I use more than one bucket to do my car washing. I recommend to do it that way if you can, cause after you make a pass with the wash mitt its gona be dirty. Instead of constantly washing with the water hose, just dip it in the bucket of fresh water to remove the dirt then back in the soapy water.
With that said, as always I like to wet down the car real good with water to remove what I can before I start car washing and you should too, it gets of some the dirt that I would otherwise have to.(I know call me lazy) Also before you suds away, this is a good time to remove any bugs and tar using a bug and tar remover. Gold Class Bug and Tar Remover is the way to go here.
Then begin by cleaning and doing the Wheels and Tires. I have written an article on that for you, so if you want to start with the article before moving on.
Using a soapy sponge, and with the car wet down apply the bug and tar remover going over the car until you get all those unsitely trouble spots. After you are finished, rinse area with water.
Starting at the Top of the vehicle go ahead start to wash the car, taking a moment between passes to rinse the car off, as you work your way down from the top to the moldings.
Remember clean the wash mit often in order to keep as much dirt as possible, from being introduced back on to the paint. While car washing be sure to get the door jams, the area outlining the trunk and up under the hood in that hood pocket outlining the engine.
Its important to wash the car completely from top down, as the bottom is alway the dirtiest, as well as under the hood area so do those last. Preferably with a different Wash mit either way remember not to introduce a dirty wash mit back on to the paint.
Drying The Car
I like to use a Dual Pile Microfiber towel to dry the car with. Starting with the windows first, go ahead and dry the car off. Then after you get the windows. Start drying from top down like you washed the car. Do the door jams, and Trunk lid, and under the hood, after you have dried all the other panels of the car like we talked about.
That way we continually eliminate the chance for scratches and swirl marks while you are car washing. If washing the car in the sunlight try not to let the water dry on you, or it will leave water spots. So do the car washing out of direct sunlight if at all possible.
You want more great car detailing secrets? Come visit us at Auto-Detailings.com for all your car care needs....
Read more!
Aside from the obvious of having a car that looks great, car washing can protect the cars finish. Bird droppings and bug splatter can get to be real relentless at different times. Also air bourne contaminant( some we can't even see), all wage a consistent and prolonged attack on your cars finish.
Bug splatter for instance, have acids and particles in them that can eat away at the clearcoat of your car, making it susceptible to rust.The metallic particles that come off the rotor as well as brake dust with its adhesive properties from the factory, and tar, all do damage to your cars paint.
So how can we stop the culprits right in there track, by washing our vehicles regularly!
How and Where To Start
I don't know if you knew this or not, but most of the swirl marks we see on our car is from washing the car. I know you have seen one of those dark colored cars that look real good at a 30000 ft view. However when you get up close it is riddled with swirl marks. They kinda look like cookies.
Why this knowledge is important is that it helps us all to realize, that even though washing a car seems so simple, What is often overlooked is that there is a right and a wrong way to do it. That is the first place to start is with this understanding.
I like to start out by finding products that will not scratch the paint. I use a chenille wash mitt, or a microfiber one. They both do a great job at pulling the dirt away from the paint and holding it in there fibers so that it does not scratch the paint.
Please don,t use dish washing liquid to wash your car with, why? Dish detergent has properties in it that strip the paint of the oils it needs to keep from drying out. So use a good car wash shampoo to wash the car with. I use Meguiars Soft Gel, its ph balanced with no detergents, and has lubricants in it that bring out the gloss in the paint finish.
Washing the Car
Because I do not want those swirl marks on my car, or any car I work on. I use more than one bucket to do my car washing. I recommend to do it that way if you can, cause after you make a pass with the wash mitt its gona be dirty. Instead of constantly washing with the water hose, just dip it in the bucket of fresh water to remove the dirt then back in the soapy water.
With that said, as always I like to wet down the car real good with water to remove what I can before I start car washing and you should too, it gets of some the dirt that I would otherwise have to.(I know call me lazy) Also before you suds away, this is a good time to remove any bugs and tar using a bug and tar remover. Gold Class Bug and Tar Remover is the way to go here.
Then begin by cleaning and doing the Wheels and Tires. I have written an article on that for you, so if you want to start with the article before moving on.
Using a soapy sponge, and with the car wet down apply the bug and tar remover going over the car until you get all those unsitely trouble spots. After you are finished, rinse area with water.
Starting at the Top of the vehicle go ahead start to wash the car, taking a moment between passes to rinse the car off, as you work your way down from the top to the moldings.
Remember clean the wash mit often in order to keep as much dirt as possible, from being introduced back on to the paint. While car washing be sure to get the door jams, the area outlining the trunk and up under the hood in that hood pocket outlining the engine.
Its important to wash the car completely from top down, as the bottom is alway the dirtiest, as well as under the hood area so do those last. Preferably with a different Wash mit either way remember not to introduce a dirty wash mit back on to the paint.
Drying The Car
I like to use a Dual Pile Microfiber towel to dry the car with. Starting with the windows first, go ahead and dry the car off. Then after you get the windows. Start drying from top down like you washed the car. Do the door jams, and Trunk lid, and under the hood, after you have dried all the other panels of the car like we talked about.
That way we continually eliminate the chance for scratches and swirl marks while you are car washing. If washing the car in the sunlight try not to let the water dry on you, or it will leave water spots. So do the car washing out of direct sunlight if at all possible.
You want more great car detailing secrets? Come visit us at Auto-Detailings.com for all your car care needs....
Read more!
Friday
How To Keep Your Car Gleaming New... Always!
Buying a new car is a great feeling. The smell of fresh
leather as you The fresh smell of leather as you enter the
car. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy smooth. You might
even catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection of
your pride and joy as you drive it out your house.
Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Is
it still gleaming new or does the paintwork look tired, dull
and "old"? How can some cars look brand new even though they
are already 3 years old? Why do others look "old" when it
just rolled out the showroom 12 months ago?
The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy to
keep your car like new if you know how.
1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your Car Clean & Slick
Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself,
it just won’t happen. Dust will accumulate even if you just
keep it in your garage. There’s only one thing to do. Wash
your car! It’s very important that you wash your car
especially after you’ve driven in the rain. If you let the
water droplets dry naturally, especially under the hot sun,
there will be tough-to-remove watermark stains on your
paintwork.
The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean and
soft terry cloth. Alternatively, you can use cloth diapers
as well. You can get these easily at the baby’s section in
your local departmental store. They’re cheap and it works.
Of course, if you want to be posh, then get the Ultimate
Wipe cloth from Meguiar’s
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). You’ll need a
good car shampoo next. I personally use Meguiar’s NXT
Generation Car Wash
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It’s reasonably
priced and a 64oz bottle will last you quite a while.
Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud or
grime. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (a
small bucket) of water. Apply the shampoo mixture to your
car using the cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once you’ve
finished shampooing the car. Use your cloth under running
water to wipe off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERY
important that you wipe your car dry with another clean
terry cloth/diaper. Make sure your entire car is wiped dry.
Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates there
and cleaning it will make a huge difference in how your car
looks. It’s pointless to have clean paintwork you’re your
rims are dirty. It’s also advisable to vacuum the inside of
your car every week or every other week. You spend your time
inside the car, so cleaning the interior just makes sense.
2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The Shine To The Max
Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. You
can either send it to an auto detailer or do it yourself.
It’s actually not that difficult to wax your car. If you
have an hour or so of spare time, then try waxing your car
yourself.
It’s important that you wash and wipe dry your car before
waxing. NEVER wax your car before washing/drying it! It’s
best to park your car under in a shady area when waxing. It
makes sense to use a good carnauba wax like Meguiar’s NXT
Generation Tech Wax
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Use the
included sponge and apply the wax in a small circular
motion. Wax your car one section at a time, remembering
which section you started with. Finish applying wax on the
entire car.
Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/cloth
diaper. Start with the first panel that you applied the wax
and continue from there. You’ll find the wax residue
accumulating on your cloth. Shake it off periodically and
continue to remove excess wax until you’ve finished all
panels.
Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use your
cloth to clean any remaining residue.
To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with a
liquid softener. It’s fine to use the liquid softener that
you use for your clothes. This guarantees there isn’t any
remaining dirt/grime that may scratch your car during your
next waxing session.
3) Wax Your Tyre Next O’ Sire
For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after every
wash/wax. Use Meguiar’s Hot Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm). The trigger
spray makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5
minutes for this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a big
difference.
4) Condition That Leather To Help It Fight The Weather
Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats at
least once every 2 months if you car comes with leather
seats. Use Meguiar’s Medallion Premium Leather Care
conditioner (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm).
Apply the conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leave
for 15 minutes and wipe off excess conditioner. Your leather
will look and smell like new if you do this every month.
While you’re at it, clean any vinyl surface of your car
using Meguiar’s Vinyl & Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm). This
maintains the interior looking like new.
5) Your Car’s Now Shiny So You Can Be Happy
Your car will look like it’s brand new if you follow this
routine. An hour or so every week pays huge dividends.
Friends and family will think you’ve just bought a new car
even though it’s 3 years old. The best thing is when it
comes time to sell your car. A car with gleaming new
paintwork and a clean interior makes a strong impression and
will automatically raise the selling price of your car!
P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiar’s and only
recommends the products as a satisfied customer....
Read more!
leather as you The fresh smell of leather as you enter the
car. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy smooth. You might
even catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection of
your pride and joy as you drive it out your house.
Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Is
it still gleaming new or does the paintwork look tired, dull
and "old"? How can some cars look brand new even though they
are already 3 years old? Why do others look "old" when it
just rolled out the showroom 12 months ago?
The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy to
keep your car like new if you know how.
1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your Car Clean & Slick
Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself,
it just won’t happen. Dust will accumulate even if you just
keep it in your garage. There’s only one thing to do. Wash
your car! It’s very important that you wash your car
especially after you’ve driven in the rain. If you let the
water droplets dry naturally, especially under the hot sun,
there will be tough-to-remove watermark stains on your
paintwork.
The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean and
soft terry cloth. Alternatively, you can use cloth diapers
as well. You can get these easily at the baby’s section in
your local departmental store. They’re cheap and it works.
Of course, if you want to be posh, then get the Ultimate
Wipe cloth from Meguiar’s
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm). You’ll need a
good car shampoo next. I personally use Meguiar’s NXT
Generation Car Wash
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm). It’s reasonably
priced and a 64oz bottle will last you quite a while.
Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud or
grime. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (a
small bucket) of water. Apply the shampoo mixture to your
car using the cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once you’ve
finished shampooing the car. Use your cloth under running
water to wipe off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERY
important that you wipe your car dry with another clean
terry cloth/diaper. Make sure your entire car is wiped dry.
Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates there
and cleaning it will make a huge difference in how your car
looks. It’s pointless to have clean paintwork you’re your
rims are dirty. It’s also advisable to vacuum the inside of
your car every week or every other week. You spend your time
inside the car, so cleaning the interior just makes sense.
2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The Shine To The Max
Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. You
can either send it to an auto detailer or do it yourself.
It’s actually not that difficult to wax your car. If you
have an hour or so of spare time, then try waxing your car
yourself.
It’s important that you wash and wipe dry your car before
waxing. NEVER wax your car before washing/drying it! It’s
best to park your car under in a shady area when waxing. It
makes sense to use a good carnauba wax like Meguiar’s NXT
Generation Tech Wax
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm). Use the
included sponge and apply the wax in a small circular
motion. Wax your car one section at a time, remembering
which section you started with. Finish applying wax on the
entire car.
Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/cloth
diaper. Start with the first panel that you applied the wax
and continue from there. You’ll find the wax residue
accumulating on your cloth. Shake it off periodically and
continue to remove excess wax until you’ve finished all
panels.
Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use your
cloth to clean any remaining residue.
To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with a
liquid softener. It’s fine to use the liquid softener that
you use for your clothes. This guarantees there isn’t any
remaining dirt/grime that may scratch your car during your
next waxing session.
3) Wax Your Tyre Next O’ Sire
For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after every
wash/wax. Use Meguiar’s Hot Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm). The trigger
spray makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5
minutes for this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a big
difference.
4) Condition That Leather To Help It Fight The Weather
Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats at
least once every 2 months if you car comes with leather
seats. Use Meguiar’s Medallion Premium Leather Care
conditioner (http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm).
Apply the conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leave
for 15 minutes and wipe off excess conditioner. Your leather
will look and smell like new if you do this every month.
While you’re at it, clean any vinyl surface of your car
using Meguiar’s Vinyl & Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
(http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm). This
maintains the interior looking like new.
5) Your Car’s Now Shiny So You Can Be Happy
Your car will look like it’s brand new if you follow this
routine. An hour or so every week pays huge dividends.
Friends and family will think you’ve just bought a new car
even though it’s 3 years old. The best thing is when it
comes time to sell your car. A car with gleaming new
paintwork and a clean interior makes a strong impression and
will automatically raise the selling price of your car!
P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiar’s and only
recommends the products as a satisfied customer....
Read more!
Thursday
Ohio Auto Insurance to Raise
Over the last year the rates on automobile policies raised around 0.8% which may not seem like much but they are expected to continue to rise even more. Note that the less than one percent raise may not be much but it is the average. Some companies raised their rates up to 3% and they are amongst the top policy providers in the state.
Although the cost of Ohio auto insurance is among one of the compared the national average the state’s laws have one of the lowest requirements as well. This means that just because Ohioans pay the cheapest car insurance rates does not mean that they are the most protected. For this reason resident drivers should consider raising their liability limits to help further protect them future financial burdens.
The reason why it may be wise to raise limits or consider more extensive protection is because industry experts say that cost of coverage is rising due to the fact that there are more vehicles on the roadways which adds to the chances of traffic accidents. In addition to this the raise in premiums are also due to the higher costs of medical care and repair of vehicles. With this is in mind the current mandatory coverage may not be enough to cover the expense of being at fault in a collision.
If one were to take the time to compare quotes from various insurers they may realize that they can afford to protect themselves more extensively and even afford to purchase coverage for their property/vehicles. Comparison shopping is the most effective way to find the best protection for everyone’s unique situation and it does not cost a thing maybe only a little bit of time.
www.onlineautoinsurance.com...
Read more!
Although the cost of Ohio auto insurance is among one of the compared the national average the state’s laws have one of the lowest requirements as well. This means that just because Ohioans pay the cheapest car insurance rates does not mean that they are the most protected. For this reason resident drivers should consider raising their liability limits to help further protect them future financial burdens.
The reason why it may be wise to raise limits or consider more extensive protection is because industry experts say that cost of coverage is rising due to the fact that there are more vehicles on the roadways which adds to the chances of traffic accidents. In addition to this the raise in premiums are also due to the higher costs of medical care and repair of vehicles. With this is in mind the current mandatory coverage may not be enough to cover the expense of being at fault in a collision.
If one were to take the time to compare quotes from various insurers they may realize that they can afford to protect themselves more extensively and even afford to purchase coverage for their property/vehicles. Comparison shopping is the most effective way to find the best protection for everyone’s unique situation and it does not cost a thing maybe only a little bit of time.
www.onlineautoinsurance.com...
Read more!
Wednesday
What is LED Tail Lights?
If you take a brief walk around a car model that you haven't seen before a few features will make a greater impression than others. The memory of these features will remain with you for a long time. The impact of these features will go a long way in deciding whether you like the car's looks or not. And if you liked the looks then how much you liked them.
It is very likely that one of these features that have a greater impact are the tail lights. And it is for this reason that leading companies vie with one another to come up with better performing and better looking tail lights. And an outcome of this intensive effort are LED tail lights.
As the name suggests LED tail lights are made with LEDs (light emitting diodes) providing the light. LEDs have been around for a long time and you would have seen them in many electronic products. For example they function as the small lights in your computer and camera. However with the development of LEDs that are powerful enough to work as tail lights new possibilities have emerged.
On the technical side the benefit of LEDs is that they are very reliable and last for a long time. Therefore they give uniformly great performance for a long time. At the same time they consume less power than the traditional incandescent bulbs. Therefore they are a lesser burden on car batteries.
On the style front they have the advantage that they are not a single bulb but are multiple small lights. Therefore you can get the glittering stars like effect as many LEDs light up at the same time. This gives LED tail lights stunning gorgeous looks. They therefore give stiff competition in terms of stylishness to other tail lights such as Euro tail lights.
Finally LEDs are not very expensive and for the quality and benefits of LED tail lights they give great value for money.
They are easy to fit and you can replace your existing ones within minutes. A great place to look for LED lights is online where you can browse options and compare process easily and quickly. You can find the latest tail lights at ....
Read more!
It is very likely that one of these features that have a greater impact are the tail lights. And it is for this reason that leading companies vie with one another to come up with better performing and better looking tail lights. And an outcome of this intensive effort are LED tail lights.
As the name suggests LED tail lights are made with LEDs (light emitting diodes) providing the light. LEDs have been around for a long time and you would have seen them in many electronic products. For example they function as the small lights in your computer and camera. However with the development of LEDs that are powerful enough to work as tail lights new possibilities have emerged.
On the technical side the benefit of LEDs is that they are very reliable and last for a long time. Therefore they give uniformly great performance for a long time. At the same time they consume less power than the traditional incandescent bulbs. Therefore they are a lesser burden on car batteries.
On the style front they have the advantage that they are not a single bulb but are multiple small lights. Therefore you can get the glittering stars like effect as many LEDs light up at the same time. This gives LED tail lights stunning gorgeous looks. They therefore give stiff competition in terms of stylishness to other tail lights such as Euro tail lights.
Finally LEDs are not very expensive and for the quality and benefits of LED tail lights they give great value for money.
They are easy to fit and you can replace your existing ones within minutes. A great place to look for LED lights is online where you can browse options and compare process easily and quickly. You can find the latest tail lights at ....
Read more!
Tuesday
Fog Lights – Getting Home In Poor Visibility
When you bought your car it came equipped with a lot of features that made it safe to drive. In fact over the years passenger safety has become a very important attribute on which cars are sold and reputations are established. You can therefore be justified in asking if fog lights are so important for safe driving how come they are not a standard feature on all cars?
Well for one thing an increasingly larger number of models now have factory fitted fog lights. And on the other hand in situations of extremely poor visibility even fog lights may not help. But there are often situations where the visibility is not good but if you could see the road immediately ahead of you then you could proceed cautiously till either the visibility improves or you reach your destination. Remember with poor visibility you can get stranded even if you are just a few kilometers from your home.
Fog lights are lights that have a special beam which is able to penetrate better through the mist and fog than a standard headlight beam. It is usually a yellow or a light purple colored beam. A third color red is not used because it can get confused with tail lights. These lights are mounted low on the car and aimed at the ground immediately ahead of the vehicle.
Therefore fog lights are able to illuminate the ground immediately ahead of your car. You are therefore able to move forward at a cautious slow speed. Since the throw of fog lights is not as much as standard headlights you cannot drive at high speeds using fog lights. But if you only need to drive a relatively small distance to either reach your destination or get out of foggy conditions then the slow speed does not matter.
Fog lights also look good on your car just as Euro tail lights do and let people know your car is capable of handling extreme conditions. Therefore if you want your car to have an off road capable sporty look then fog lights will help you get that look. Fog lights are easy to choose online and are easy to install. You can find the latest fog lights at ....
Read more!
Well for one thing an increasingly larger number of models now have factory fitted fog lights. And on the other hand in situations of extremely poor visibility even fog lights may not help. But there are often situations where the visibility is not good but if you could see the road immediately ahead of you then you could proceed cautiously till either the visibility improves or you reach your destination. Remember with poor visibility you can get stranded even if you are just a few kilometers from your home.
Fog lights are lights that have a special beam which is able to penetrate better through the mist and fog than a standard headlight beam. It is usually a yellow or a light purple colored beam. A third color red is not used because it can get confused with tail lights. These lights are mounted low on the car and aimed at the ground immediately ahead of the vehicle.
Therefore fog lights are able to illuminate the ground immediately ahead of your car. You are therefore able to move forward at a cautious slow speed. Since the throw of fog lights is not as much as standard headlights you cannot drive at high speeds using fog lights. But if you only need to drive a relatively small distance to either reach your destination or get out of foggy conditions then the slow speed does not matter.
Fog lights also look good on your car just as Euro tail lights do and let people know your car is capable of handling extreme conditions. Therefore if you want your car to have an off road capable sporty look then fog lights will help you get that look. Fog lights are easy to choose online and are easy to install. You can find the latest fog lights at ....
Read more!
Sunday
The Car Rental Industry
Market Overview
The car rental industry is a multi-billion dollar sector of the US economy. The US segment of the industry averages about $18.5 billion in revenue a year. Today, there are approximately 1.9 million rental vehicles that service the US segment of the market. In addition, there are many rental agencies besides the industry leaders that subdivide the total revenue, namely Dollar Thrifty, Budget and Vanguard. Unlike other mature service industries, the rental car industry is highly consolidated which naturally puts potential new comers at a cost-disadvantage since they face high input costs with reduced possibility of economies of scale. Moreover, most of the profit is generated by a few firms including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. For the fiscal year of 2004, Enterprise generated $7.4 billion in total revenue. Hertz came in second position with about $5.2 billion and Avis with $2.97 in revenue.
Level of Integration
The rental car industry faces a completely different environment than it did five years ago. According to Business Travel News, vehicles are being rented until they have accumulated 20,000 to 30,000 miles until they are relegated to the used car industry whereas the turn-around mileage was 12,000 to 15,000 miles five years ago. Because of slow industry growth and narrow profit margin, there is no imminent threat to backward integration within the industry. In fact, among the industry players only Hertz is vertically integrated through Ford.
Scope of Competition
There are many factors that shape the competitive landscape of the car rental industry. Competition comes from two main sources throughout the chain. On the vacation consumer’s end of the spectrum, competition is fierce not only because the market is saturated and well guarded by industry leader Enterprise, but competitors operate at a cost disadvantage along with smaller market shares since Enterprise has established a network of dealers over 90 percent the leisure segment. On the corporate segment, on the other hand, competition is very strong at the airports since that segment is under tight supervision by Hertz. Because the industry underwent a massive economic downfall in recent years, it has upgraded the scale of competition within most of the companies that survived. Competitively speaking, the rental car industry is a war-zone as most rental agencies including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the major players engage in a battle of the fittest.
Growth
Over the past five years, most firms have been working towards enhancing their fleet sizes and increasing the level of profitability. Enterprise currently the company with the largest fleet in the US has added 75,000 vehicles to its fleet since 2002 which help increase its number of facilities to 170 at the airports. Hertz, on the other hand, has added 25,000 vehicles and broadened its international presence in 150 counties as opposed to 140 in 2002. In addition, Avis has increased its fleet from 210,000 in 2002 to 220,000 despite recent economic adversities. Over the years following the economic downturn, although most companies throughout the industry were struggling, Enterprise among the industry leaders had been growing steadily. For example, annual sales reached $6.3 in 2001, $6.5 in 2002, $6.9 in 2003 and $7.4 billion in 2004 which translated into a growth rate of 7.2 percent a year for the past four years. Since 2002, the industry has started to regain its footing in the sector as overall sales grew from $17.9 billion to $18.2 billion in 2003. According to industry analysts, the better days of the rental car industry have yet to come. Over the course of the next several years, the industry is expected to experience accelerated growth valued at $20.89 billion each year following 2008 "which equates to a CAGR of 2.7 % [increase] in the 2003-2008 period.”
Distribution
Over the past few years the rental car industry has made a great deal of progress to facilitate it distribution processes. Today, there are approximately 19,000 rental locations yielding about 1.9 million rental cars in the US. Because of the increasingly abundant number of car rental locations in the US, strategic and tactical approaches are taken into account in order to insure proper distribution throughout the industry. Distribution takes place within two interrelated segments. On the corporate market, the cars are distributed to airports and hotel surroundings. On the leisure segment, on the other hand, cars are distributed to agency owned facilities that are conveniently located within most major roads and metropolitan areas.
In the past, managers of rental car companies used to rely on gut-feelings or intuitive guesses to make decisions about how many cars to have in a particular fleet or the utilization level and performance standards of keeping certain cars in one fleet. With that methodology, it was very difficult to maintain a level of balance that would satisfy consumer demand and the desired level of profitability. The distribution process is fairly simple throughout the industry. To begin with, managers must determine the number of cars that must be on inventory on a daily basis. Because a very noticeable problem arises when too many or not enough cars are available, most car rental companies including Hertz, Enterprise and Avis, use a "pool” which is a group of independent rental facilities that share a fleet of vehicles. Basically, with the pools in place, rental locations operate more efficiently since they reduce the risk of low inventory if not eliminate rental car shortages.
Market Segmentation
Most companies throughout the chain make a profit based of the type of cars that are rented. The rental cars are categorized into economy, compact, intermediate, premium and luxury. Among the five categories, the economy sector yields the most profit. For instance, the economy segment by itself is responsible for 37.7 percent of the total market revenue in 2004. In addition, the compact segment accounted for 32.3 percent of overall revenue. The rest of the other categories covers the remaining 30 percent for the US segment.
Historical Levels of Profitability
The overall profitability of the car rental industry has been shrinking in recent years. Over the past five years, the industry has been struggling just like the rest of the travel industry. In fact, between the years 2001 and 2003 the US market has experienced a moderate reduction in the level of profitability. Specifically, revenue fell from $19.4 billion in 2000 to $18.2 billion in 2001. Subsequently, the overall industry revenue eroded further to $17.9 billion in 2002; an amount that is minimally higher than $17.7 billion which is the overall revenue for the year 1999. In 2003, the industry experienced a barely noticeable increase which brought profit to $18.2 billion. As a result of the economic downturn in recent years, some of the smaller players that were highly dependent on the airline industry have done a great deal of strategy realignments as a way of preparing their companies to cope with eventual economic adversities that may surround the industry. For the year 2004, on the other hand, the economic situation of most firms have gradually improved throughout the industry since most rental agencies have returned far greater profits relative to the anterior years. For instance, Enterprise realized revenues of $7.4 billion; Hertz returned revenues of $5.2 billion and Avis with $2.9 billion in revenue for the fiscal year of 2004. According to industry analysts, the rental car industry is expected to experience steady growth of 2.6 percent in revenue over the next several years which translates into an increase in profit.
Competitive Rivalry Among Sellers
There are many factors that drive competition within the car rental industry. Over the past few years, broadening fleet sizes and increasing profitability has been the focus of most companies within the car rental industry. Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the leaders have been growing both in sales and fleet sizes. In addition, competition intensifies as firms are constantly trying to improve their current conditions and offer more to consumers. Enterprise has nearly doubled its fleet size since 1993 to approximately 600,000 cars today. Because the industry operates on such narrow profit margins, price competition is not a factor; however, most companies are actively involved in creating values and providing a range of amenities from technological gadgets to even free rental to satisfy customers. Hertz, for example, integrates its Never-Lost GPS system within its cars. Enterprise, on the other hand, uses sophisticated yield management software to manage its fleets.
Finally, Avis uses its OnStar and Skynet system to better serve the consumer base and offers free weekend rental if a customer rents a car for five consecutive days Moreover, the consumer base of the rental car industry has relatively low to no switching cost. Conversely, rental agencies face high fixed operating costs including property rental, insurance and maintenance. Consequently, rental agencies are sensitively pricing there rental cars just to recover operating costs and adequately meet their customers demands. Furthermore, because the industry experienced slow growth in recent years due to economic stagnation that resulted in a massive decline in both corporate travel and the leisure sector, most companies including the industry leaders are aggressively trying to reposition their firms by gradually lessening the dependency level on the airline industry and regaining their footing in the leisure competitive arena.
The Potential Entry of new Competitors
Entering the car rental industry puts new comers at a serious disadvantage. Over the past few years following the economic downturn of 2001, most major rental companies have started increasing their market shares in the vacation sector of the industry as a way of insuring stability and lowering the level of dependency between the airline and the car rental industry. While this trend has engendered long term success for the existing firms, it has heightened the competitive landscape for new comers. Because of the severity of competition, existing firms such as Enterprise, Hertz and Avis carefully monitor their competitive radars to anticipate Sharpe retaliatory strikes against new entrants. Another barrier to entry is created because of the saturation level of the industry.
For example, Enterprise has taken the first mover advantage with its 6000 facilities by saturating the leisure segment thereby placing not only high restrictions on the most common distribution channels, but also high resource requirements for new firms. Today, Enterprise has a rental location within 15 miles of 90 percent of the US population. Because of the network of dealers Enterprise has established around the nation, it has become relatively stable, more recession proof and most importantly, less reliant on the airline industry compared to its competitors. Hertz, on the other hand, is utilizing the full spectrum of its 7200 stores to secure its position in the marketplace. Basically, the emergence of most of the industry leaders into the leisure market not only drives rivalry, but also it varies directly with the level of complexity of entering the car rental industry.
The Threat of Substitute
There are many substitutes available for the car rental industry. From a technological standpoint, renting a car to go the distance for a meeting is a less attractive alternative as opposed to video conferencing, virtual teams and collaboration software with which a company can immediately setup a meeting with its employees from anywhere around the world at a cheaper cost. In addition, there are other alternatives including taking a cab which is a satisfactory substitute relative to quality and switching cost, but it may not be as attractively priced as a rental car for the course of a day or more. While public transportation is the most cost efficient of the alternatives, it is more costly in terms of the process and time it takes to reach one’s destination. Finally, because flying offers convenience, speed and performance, it is a very enticing substitute; however, it is an unattractive alternative in terms of price relative to renting a car. On the business segment, car rental agencies have more protection against substitutes since many companies have implemented travel policies that establish the parameters of when renting a car or using a substitute is the best course of action.
According to Tracy Esch, an Advantage director of marketing operations, her company rents cars up to a 200-mile trip before considering an alternative. Basically, the threat of substitute is reasonably low in the car rental industry since the effects the substitute products have do not pose a significant threat of profit erosion throughout the industry.
The Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Supplier power is low in the car rental industry. Because of the availability of substitutes and the level of competition, suppliers do not have a great deal of influence in the terms and conditions of supplying the rental cars. Because the rental cars are usually purchased in bulk, rental car agents have significant influence over the terms of the sale since they possess the ability to play one supplier against another to lower the sales price. Another factor that reduces supplier power is the absence of switching cost. That is, buyers are not affected from purchasing from one supplier over another and most importantly, changing to different supplier’s products is barely noticeable and does not affect consumer’s rental choices.
The Bargaining Power of Buyers
While the leisure sector has little or no power, the business segment possesses a significant amount of influence in the car rental industry. An interesting trend that is currently underway throughout the industry is forcing car rental companies to adapt to the needs of corporate travelers. This trend significantly reduces supplier power or the rental firms’ power and increases corporate buyer power since the business segment is excruciatingly price sensitive, well informed about the industry’s price structure, purchase in larger quantities and they use the internet to force lower prices. Vacation buyers, on the other hand, have less influence over the rental terms. Because vacationers are usually less price sensitive, purchase in lesser amounts or purchase more infrequently, they have weak bargaining power.
Five Forces
Today the car rental industry is facing a completely different environment than it did five years ago. Competitively speaking, the revolution of the five forces around the car rental industry exerts some strong economic pressure that has significantly tarnished the competitive attractiveness of the industry. As a result of the economic downturn in recent years, many companies went under namely Budget and the Vanguard Group because their business infrastructure succumbed to the untenability of the competitive environment. Today, very few firms including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis return a slightly above-average revenue compared to the rest of the industry. Realistically speaking, the car rental sector is not a very attractive industry because of the level of competition, the barriers to entry and the competitive pressure from the substitute firms.
Strategic Group Mapping
As a moderately concentrated sector, there is a clear hierarchy in the car rental industry. From an economic standpoint, disparities exist from a number of dimensions including revenue, fleet size and the market size each firm holds in the market place. For instance, Enterprise dominates the industry with a fleet size of approximately 600,000 vehicles along with its market size and its level of profitability. Hertz comes in second position with its number of market shares and fleet volume. In addition, Avis ranks third on the map. Avis is among one of the companies that is having issues recovering its revenue margins from prior to the economic downturn. For instance, in 2000 Avis returned revenues of approximately $4.23 billion. Over the course of the next several years following 2000, the revenue of Avis has been significantly lower than that of 2000. As a way of reducing uncertainty most companies are gradually lessening the level of dependency on the airline industry and emerging the leisure market. This trend may not be in the best interest of Hertz since its business strategy is intricately linked to the airports.
Key Success Factors
There are many key success factors that drive profitability throughout the car rental industry. Capacity utilization is one of the factors that determines success in the industry. Because rental firms experience loss of revenue when there are either too few or too many cars sitting in their lots, it is of paramount importance to efficiently manage the fleets. This success factor represents a big strength for the industry since it lowers if not completely eliminates the possibly of running short on rental cars. Efficient distribution is another factor that keeps the industry profitable. Despite the positive relationship between fleet sizes and the level of profitability, firms are constantly growing their fleet sizes because of the competitive forces that surround the industry. In addition, convenience is one of the crucial attributes by which consumers select rental firms. That is, car rental consumers are more prone to renting cars from firms that have convenient rental and drop off locations. Another key success factor that is common among competing firms is the integration of technology in their business processes. Through technology, for instance, the car rental companies create ways to meet consumer demand by making renting a car a very agreeable ordeal by adding the convenience of online rental among other alternatives. Furthermore, firms have integrated navigation systems along with roadside assistance to offer customers the piece of mind when renting cars.
Industry Attractiveness
There are many factors that impact the attractiveness of the car rental industry. Because the industry is moderately concentrated, it puts new market entrants at a disadvantage. That is, its low concentration represents a natural barrier to entering the industry as it allows existing firm to anticipate sharp retaliations against new entrants. Because of the risks associated with entering the industry among other factors, it is not a very attractive sector of the marketplace. From a competitive standpoint, the leisure market is 90 percent saturated because of the active efforts of Enterprise to dominate this sector of the market. On the other hand, the airport terminals are heavily guarded by Hertz. Realistically speaking, entry in the industry offers low profitability relative to the costs and risks associated. For most consumers, the main determining factors of choosing one company over another are price and convenience. Because of this reason, rental firms are very circumspect about setting their rates and that generally force even the industry major players in the position of offering more to the consumers for less just to remain competitive. Hertz, for example, offers wireless internet to its customers just to add more convenience to their travel plans. Avis on the other hand, offers free weekend specials if a customer rents a car for five consecutive weekdays. Based on the impact of the five forces, the car rental sector is not a very attractive industry to potential new market entrants.
Conclusion
The rental car industry is in a state of recovery. Although it may seem like the industry is performing well financially, it is nonetheless gradually regaining its footing relative to its actual economic position within the last five years. As a way of insuring profitability, besides seeking market shares and stability, most companies throughout the chain have a common goal that deals with lowering the level of dependency on the airline industry and moving toward the leisure segment. This state of motion has engendered some fierce competition among industry competitors as they attempt to defend their market shares. From a futuristic perspective, the better days of the car rental industry have yet to come. As the level of profitability increases, I believe that most of the industry leaders including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis will be bounded by the economic and competitive barriers of mobility of their strategic groups and new comers will have a better chance of infiltrating and realizing success in the car rental industry.
Sources
“Passenger Car Rental.” Encyclopedia of Global Industries. Dec. 2004. Gale group. 02 Feb 2005. http://galenet.galegroup.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/servlet/BCRC.
“Car & Truck Rental.” Hoover's AB&D Company. Jan. 2005 . Hoovers. 04 Feb 2005. http://premium.hoovers.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/subscribe/ind/factsheet.xhtm. “
Rental car foes war on each other's turf.” The Associate Press. Fall 2004. The Enquirer. 08 March 2005. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/10/11/biz_rentalcars111.html.
“United States - Car Rental.” Data Monitor Industry Market Research. Nov. 2004. Gale. 12 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/sessions?products=BNI.
“A synthesis of tactical fleet planning models for the car rental industry.” IIE Transactions. Sept. 2003. Gale. 12 March 2005. http://www.fleet-central.com/arn/01stat3.cfm.
“Corporate travel plans moving to Web.” Crain's Chicago Business. Apr. 2001. ProQuest. 12 March 2005. http://www.proquest.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
"Tracy Esch." “Car rental market leaders make rebound .” Business Travel News. May 2002. Gale. 12 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Avis Equips Rental Car with Satcomms 1999.” Newsbytes News Network. Oct. 1999. Gale. 12 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Car Rental In the United States.” Data Monitor Industry Market Research. Nov. 2004 . Gale. 13 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Global - Car Rental.” Data Monitor Industry Market Research. Nov. 2004 . Gale. 13 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Corporate and Travel Trends.” Travel Trade Gazette. Nov. 2003 . ProQuest. 14 March 2005. http://www.proquest.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Car rental market leaders make rebound.” Business Travel News. May. 2002 . Gale. 14 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Car rental market leaders make rebound.” Business Travel News. May. 2002 . Gale. 14 March 2005. http://search.rdsinc.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu.
“Ovation Travel.” Wall Street Transcript. May. 2002 . LexisNexis. 14 March 2004. http://www.lexisnexis.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/cis.
“Avis Offers New Deal for Free Weekends.” Newswire. Feb. 2004 . LexisNexis. 15 March 2004. http://www.lexisnexis.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/cis.
Rodrigue Monestime has authored several articles. He holds a BS in Business Administration with high concentration in Management Information System (MIS). He is the founder of BizVita.com, a site designed for busy professionals with an all-in-one approach to the daily facts of the global business environment.
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The car rental industry is a multi-billion dollar sector of the US economy. The US segment of the industry averages about $18.5 billion in revenue a year. Today, there are approximately 1.9 million rental vehicles that service the US segment of the market. In addition, there are many rental agencies besides the industry leaders that subdivide the total revenue, namely Dollar Thrifty, Budget and Vanguard. Unlike other mature service industries, the rental car industry is highly consolidated which naturally puts potential new comers at a cost-disadvantage since they face high input costs with reduced possibility of economies of scale. Moreover, most of the profit is generated by a few firms including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. For the fiscal year of 2004, Enterprise generated $7.4 billion in total revenue. Hertz came in second position with about $5.2 billion and Avis with $2.97 in revenue.
Level of Integration
The rental car industry faces a completely different environment than it did five years ago. According to Business Travel News, vehicles are being rented until they have accumulated 20,000 to 30,000 miles until they are relegated to the used car industry whereas the turn-around mileage was 12,000 to 15,000 miles five years ago. Because of slow industry growth and narrow profit margin, there is no imminent threat to backward integration within the industry. In fact, among the industry players only Hertz is vertically integrated through Ford.
Scope of Competition
There are many factors that shape the competitive landscape of the car rental industry. Competition comes from two main sources throughout the chain. On the vacation consumer’s end of the spectrum, competition is fierce not only because the market is saturated and well guarded by industry leader Enterprise, but competitors operate at a cost disadvantage along with smaller market shares since Enterprise has established a network of dealers over 90 percent the leisure segment. On the corporate segment, on the other hand, competition is very strong at the airports since that segment is under tight supervision by Hertz. Because the industry underwent a massive economic downfall in recent years, it has upgraded the scale of competition within most of the companies that survived. Competitively speaking, the rental car industry is a war-zone as most rental agencies including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the major players engage in a battle of the fittest.
Growth
Over the past five years, most firms have been working towards enhancing their fleet sizes and increasing the level of profitability. Enterprise currently the company with the largest fleet in the US has added 75,000 vehicles to its fleet since 2002 which help increase its number of facilities to 170 at the airports. Hertz, on the other hand, has added 25,000 vehicles and broadened its international presence in 150 counties as opposed to 140 in 2002. In addition, Avis has increased its fleet from 210,000 in 2002 to 220,000 despite recent economic adversities. Over the years following the economic downturn, although most companies throughout the industry were struggling, Enterprise among the industry leaders had been growing steadily. For example, annual sales reached $6.3 in 2001, $6.5 in 2002, $6.9 in 2003 and $7.4 billion in 2004 which translated into a growth rate of 7.2 percent a year for the past four years. Since 2002, the industry has started to regain its footing in the sector as overall sales grew from $17.9 billion to $18.2 billion in 2003. According to industry analysts, the better days of the rental car industry have yet to come. Over the course of the next several years, the industry is expected to experience accelerated growth valued at $20.89 billion each year following 2008 "which equates to a CAGR of 2.7 % [increase] in the 2003-2008 period.”
Distribution
Over the past few years the rental car industry has made a great deal of progress to facilitate it distribution processes. Today, there are approximately 19,000 rental locations yielding about 1.9 million rental cars in the US. Because of the increasingly abundant number of car rental locations in the US, strategic and tactical approaches are taken into account in order to insure proper distribution throughout the industry. Distribution takes place within two interrelated segments. On the corporate market, the cars are distributed to airports and hotel surroundings. On the leisure segment, on the other hand, cars are distributed to agency owned facilities that are conveniently located within most major roads and metropolitan areas.
In the past, managers of rental car companies used to rely on gut-feelings or intuitive guesses to make decisions about how many cars to have in a particular fleet or the utilization level and performance standards of keeping certain cars in one fleet. With that methodology, it was very difficult to maintain a level of balance that would satisfy consumer demand and the desired level of profitability. The distribution process is fairly simple throughout the industry. To begin with, managers must determine the number of cars that must be on inventory on a daily basis. Because a very noticeable problem arises when too many or not enough cars are available, most car rental companies including Hertz, Enterprise and Avis, use a "pool” which is a group of independent rental facilities that share a fleet of vehicles. Basically, with the pools in place, rental locations operate more efficiently since they reduce the risk of low inventory if not eliminate rental car shortages.
Market Segmentation
Most companies throughout the chain make a profit based of the type of cars that are rented. The rental cars are categorized into economy, compact, intermediate, premium and luxury. Among the five categories, the economy sector yields the most profit. For instance, the economy segment by itself is responsible for 37.7 percent of the total market revenue in 2004. In addition, the compact segment accounted for 32.3 percent of overall revenue. The rest of the other categories covers the remaining 30 percent for the US segment.
Historical Levels of Profitability
The overall profitability of the car rental industry has been shrinking in recent years. Over the past five years, the industry has been struggling just like the rest of the travel industry. In fact, between the years 2001 and 2003 the US market has experienced a moderate reduction in the level of profitability. Specifically, revenue fell from $19.4 billion in 2000 to $18.2 billion in 2001. Subsequently, the overall industry revenue eroded further to $17.9 billion in 2002; an amount that is minimally higher than $17.7 billion which is the overall revenue for the year 1999. In 2003, the industry experienced a barely noticeable increase which brought profit to $18.2 billion. As a result of the economic downturn in recent years, some of the smaller players that were highly dependent on the airline industry have done a great deal of strategy realignments as a way of preparing their companies to cope with eventual economic adversities that may surround the industry. For the year 2004, on the other hand, the economic situation of most firms have gradually improved throughout the industry since most rental agencies have returned far greater profits relative to the anterior years. For instance, Enterprise realized revenues of $7.4 billion; Hertz returned revenues of $5.2 billion and Avis with $2.9 billion in revenue for the fiscal year of 2004. According to industry analysts, the rental car industry is expected to experience steady growth of 2.6 percent in revenue over the next several years which translates into an increase in profit.
Competitive Rivalry Among Sellers
There are many factors that drive competition within the car rental industry. Over the past few years, broadening fleet sizes and increasing profitability has been the focus of most companies within the car rental industry. Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the leaders have been growing both in sales and fleet sizes. In addition, competition intensifies as firms are constantly trying to improve their current conditions and offer more to consumers. Enterprise has nearly doubled its fleet size since 1993 to approximately 600,000 cars today. Because the industry operates on such narrow profit margins, price competition is not a factor; however, most companies are actively involved in creating values and providing a range of amenities from technological gadgets to even free rental to satisfy customers. Hertz, for example, integrates its Never-Lost GPS system within its cars. Enterprise, on the other hand, uses sophisticated yield management software to manage its fleets.
Finally, Avis uses its OnStar and Skynet system to better serve the consumer base and offers free weekend rental if a customer rents a car for five consecutive days Moreover, the consumer base of the rental car industry has relatively low to no switching cost. Conversely, rental agencies face high fixed operating costs including property rental, insurance and maintenance. Consequently, rental agencies are sensitively pricing there rental cars just to recover operating costs and adequately meet their customers demands. Furthermore, because the industry experienced slow growth in recent years due to economic stagnation that resulted in a massive decline in both corporate travel and the leisure sector, most companies including the industry leaders are aggressively trying to reposition their firms by gradually lessening the dependency level on the airline industry and regaining their footing in the leisure competitive arena.
The Potential Entry of new Competitors
Entering the car rental industry puts new comers at a serious disadvantage. Over the past few years following the economic downturn of 2001, most major rental companies have started increasing their market shares in the vacation sector of the industry as a way of insuring stability and lowering the level of dependency between the airline and the car rental industry. While this trend has engendered long term success for the existing firms, it has heightened the competitive landscape for new comers. Because of the severity of competition, existing firms such as Enterprise, Hertz and Avis carefully monitor their competitive radars to anticipate Sharpe retaliatory strikes against new entrants. Another barrier to entry is created because of the saturation level of the industry.
For example, Enterprise has taken the first mover advantage with its 6000 facilities by saturating the leisure segment thereby placing not only high restrictions on the most common distribution channels, but also high resource requirements for new firms. Today, Enterprise has a rental location within 15 miles of 90 percent of the US population. Because of the network of dealers Enterprise has established around the nation, it has become relatively stable, more recession proof and most importantly, less reliant on the airline industry compared to its competitors. Hertz, on the other hand, is utilizing the full spectrum of its 7200 stores to secure its position in the marketplace. Basically, the emergence of most of the industry leaders into the leisure market not only drives rivalry, but also it varies directly with the level of complexity of entering the car rental industry.
The Threat of Substitute
There are many substitutes available for the car rental industry. From a technological standpoint, renting a car to go the distance for a meeting is a less attractive alternative as opposed to video conferencing, virtual teams and collaboration software with which a company can immediately setup a meeting with its employees from anywhere around the world at a cheaper cost. In addition, there are other alternatives including taking a cab which is a satisfactory substitute relative to quality and switching cost, but it may not be as attractively priced as a rental car for the course of a day or more. While public transportation is the most cost efficient of the alternatives, it is more costly in terms of the process and time it takes to reach one’s destination. Finally, because flying offers convenience, speed and performance, it is a very enticing substitute; however, it is an unattractive alternative in terms of price relative to renting a car. On the business segment, car rental agencies have more protection against substitutes since many companies have implemented travel policies that establish the parameters of when renting a car or using a substitute is the best course of action.
According to Tracy Esch, an Advantage director of marketing operations, her company rents cars up to a 200-mile trip before considering an alternative. Basically, the threat of substitute is reasonably low in the car rental industry since the effects the substitute products have do not pose a significant threat of profit erosion throughout the industry.
The Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Supplier power is low in the car rental industry. Because of the availability of substitutes and the level of competition, suppliers do not have a great deal of influence in the terms and conditions of supplying the rental cars. Because the rental cars are usually purchased in bulk, rental car agents have significant influence over the terms of the sale since they possess the ability to play one supplier against another to lower the sales price. Another factor that reduces supplier power is the absence of switching cost. That is, buyers are not affected from purchasing from one supplier over another and most importantly, changing to different supplier’s products is barely noticeable and does not affect consumer’s rental choices.
The Bargaining Power of Buyers
While the leisure sector has little or no power, the business segment possesses a significant amount of influence in the car rental industry. An interesting trend that is currently underway throughout the industry is forcing car rental companies to adapt to the needs of corporate travelers. This trend significantly reduces supplier power or the rental firms’ power and increases corporate buyer power since the business segment is excruciatingly price sensitive, well informed about the industry’s price structure, purchase in larger quantities and they use the internet to force lower prices. Vacation buyers, on the other hand, have less influence over the rental terms. Because vacationers are usually less price sensitive, purchase in lesser amounts or purchase more infrequently, they have weak bargaining power.
Five Forces
Today the car rental industry is facing a completely different environment than it did five years ago. Competitively speaking, the revolution of the five forces around the car rental industry exerts some strong economic pressure that has significantly tarnished the competitive attractiveness of the industry. As a result of the economic downturn in recent years, many companies went under namely Budget and the Vanguard Group because their business infrastructure succumbed to the untenability of the competitive environment. Today, very few firms including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis return a slightly above-average revenue compared to the rest of the industry. Realistically speaking, the car rental sector is not a very attractive industry because of the level of competition, the barriers to entry and the competitive pressure from the substitute firms.
Strategic Group Mapping
As a moderately concentrated sector, there is a clear hierarchy in the car rental industry. From an economic standpoint, disparities exist from a number of dimensions including revenue, fleet size and the market size each firm holds in the market place. For instance, Enterprise dominates the industry with a fleet size of approximately 600,000 vehicles along with its market size and its level of profitability. Hertz comes in second position with its number of market shares and fleet volume. In addition, Avis ranks third on the map. Avis is among one of the companies that is having issues recovering its revenue margins from prior to the economic downturn. For instance, in 2000 Avis returned revenues of approximately $4.23 billion. Over the course of the next several years following 2000, the revenue of Avis has been significantly lower than that of 2000. As a way of reducing uncertainty most companies are gradually lessening the level of dependency on the airline industry and emerging the leisure market. This trend may not be in the best interest of Hertz since its business strategy is intricately linked to the airports.
Key Success Factors
There are many key success factors that drive profitability throughout the car rental industry. Capacity utilization is one of the factors that determines success in the industry. Because rental firms experience loss of revenue when there are either too few or too many cars sitting in their lots, it is of paramount importance to efficiently manage the fleets. This success factor represents a big strength for the industry since it lowers if not completely eliminates the possibly of running short on rental cars. Efficient distribution is another factor that keeps the industry profitable. Despite the positive relationship between fleet sizes and the level of profitability, firms are constantly growing their fleet sizes because of the competitive forces that surround the industry. In addition, convenience is one of the crucial attributes by which consumers select rental firms. That is, car rental consumers are more prone to renting cars from firms that have convenient rental and drop off locations. Another key success factor that is common among competing firms is the integration of technology in their business processes. Through technology, for instance, the car rental companies create ways to meet consumer demand by making renting a car a very agreeable ordeal by adding the convenience of online rental among other alternatives. Furthermore, firms have integrated navigation systems along with roadside assistance to offer customers the piece of mind when renting cars.
Industry Attractiveness
There are many factors that impact the attractiveness of the car rental industry. Because the industry is moderately concentrated, it puts new market entrants at a disadvantage. That is, its low concentration represents a natural barrier to entering the industry as it allows existing firm to anticipate sharp retaliations against new entrants. Because of the risks associated with entering the industry among other factors, it is not a very attractive sector of the marketplace. From a competitive standpoint, the leisure market is 90 percent saturated because of the active efforts of Enterprise to dominate this sector of the market. On the other hand, the airport terminals are heavily guarded by Hertz. Realistically speaking, entry in the industry offers low profitability relative to the costs and risks associated. For most consumers, the main determining factors of choosing one company over another are price and convenience. Because of this reason, rental firms are very circumspect about setting their rates and that generally force even the industry major players in the position of offering more to the consumers for less just to remain competitive. Hertz, for example, offers wireless internet to its customers just to add more convenience to their travel plans. Avis on the other hand, offers free weekend specials if a customer rents a car for five consecutive weekdays. Based on the impact of the five forces, the car rental sector is not a very attractive industry to potential new market entrants.
Conclusion
The rental car industry is in a state of recovery. Although it may seem like the industry is performing well financially, it is nonetheless gradually regaining its footing relative to its actual economic position within the last five years. As a way of insuring profitability, besides seeking market shares and stability, most companies throughout the chain have a common goal that deals with lowering the level of dependency on the airline industry and moving toward the leisure segment. This state of motion has engendered some fierce competition among industry competitors as they attempt to defend their market shares. From a futuristic perspective, the better days of the car rental industry have yet to come. As the level of profitability increases, I believe that most of the industry leaders including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis will be bounded by the economic and competitive barriers of mobility of their strategic groups and new comers will have a better chance of infiltrating and realizing success in the car rental industry.
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Rodrigue Monestime has authored several articles. He holds a BS in Business Administration with high concentration in Management Information System (MIS). He is the founder of BizVita.com, a site designed for busy professionals with an all-in-one approach to the daily facts of the global business environment.
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