Fastest Selling Cars - Hybrid popularity grows

The growing appeal of hybrid power is reflected by the presence of three hybrids in the top 10 of Glass’s league of fastest selling used cars for September. They are led by Toyota’s Prius, which holds the top spot for the second month in a row. In third place is the Honda Insight, while Glass’s believes that the Lexus RX has reached its position at number eight largely through sales of the hybrid version.

Glass’s league of fastest selling used cars – best performing

Manufacturer	Model	Average selling time (days)
Toyota	Prius	24.6
Land Rover	Evoque	26.3
Honda	Insight	26.8
Vauxhall	Meriva	27.1
Hyundai	i10	28.8
Audi	A1	30.2
Vauxhall	Zafira	31.1
Lexus	RX	31.2
Volkswagen	Sharan	31.3
Mazda	CX-5	31.3

Glass’s Head of Valuations, Rupert Pontin, says: “It will be interesting to see whether this situation continues over the coming months. The success of the Prius certainly highlights the value-for-money status of this model and reiterates the importance of low running costs to second-hand car buyers.”

Rupert notes that the buying patterns of cost-conscious families, out in force this September, has placed two family-friendly Vauxhall MPVs in the top 10. He feels that the Zafira and Meriva now represent excellent value for money. He is also pleased to see the Mazda CX-5, which he describes as “competent and often underrated”, in 10^th place. “Retail buyers have at last seen the appeal of this crossover SUV but generally speaking these are in short supply.”

Buyers spent an average of £16,511 on this month’s top 10 fastest selling used cars, and just £10,717 on the 10 slowest sellers.

For the first time in many months, Merdedes-Benz had no products in the bottom 10 sellers, and in fact none in the bottom 20. Rupert Pontin wonders if that could be indicative of the current feel-good factor for this brand.

Glass’s league of fastest selling used cars – worst performing

Manufacturer	Model	Average selling time (days)
Renault	Kangoo	61.6
Rover	45	65.2
Mitsubishi	Mirage	65.6
Nissan	Leaf	65.9
Skoda	Rapid Spaceback	67.3
MINI	Mini Paceman	68.1
Subaru	Outback	68.3
Seat	Toledo	71.3
Subaru	Legacy	72.0
Renault	Scenic	83.8

Three upper medium models languish in the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th places from bottom, namely the Subaru Legacy, Seat Toledo and Subaru Outback. “This perhaps signifies the apathy from the retail buyer for this sector of the market,” Rupert suggests. One big surprise among the slowest sellers is Renault’s Kangoo, which has historically proven to be desirable due to its spacious design and individual appearance coupled with a competitive price.

The slowest seller of all is the Renault Scenic, which has been gradually moving towards this position. Rupert concludes: “Despite great interior space, a high driving position and potentially economical engines, poor reliability and build quality have driven this model to the bottom spot.”

By: Unknown On 16:59

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BMW i3 vs Volkswagen e-Golf – Comparison

Auto Express UK test drives and compares the BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf.

The e-Golf is VW’s first bet for the electric market and will launch this fall. The i3 is the only one of the three electric vehicles to be considered a premium product and has recently launched in the United States.

The e-Golf and Leaf follow a conventional design with seating five passengers and a look and feel that resembles a “regular” vehicle. BMW gave the i3 a more futuristic look and a departure from the classic BMW design, a move that is equally loved and hated by the media and consumers.

The e-Golf’s 114 bhp electric motor delivers all 270 Nm of torque from standstill. The 0 to 62 mph is 10.4 sec and 85mph top speed. Far more telling is the 4.2 sec time from 0-37mph, which is even faster than the Golf GTI hot hatch.

The BMW i3 is the first of the BMW i vehicles constructed from the ground up primarily of carbon fibre to enter the U.S. market. With 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque hybrid-synchronous electric motor, the fully electric BMW i3 is electrified by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery, good for 80-100 miles of emission-free driving. Agile and engaging to drive, the BMW i3 is ideally suited for dense urban areas. The BMW i3 has a base MSRP of $41,350 and the range-extender model will have a starting MSRP of $45,200.

I3

With innovative engineering and the use of advanced composite materials, the i3 is a ground breaking electric car that’s fast, good to drive and practical. But beyond the technology, the funky cabin and futuristic looks give it the desirability factor EVs have traditionally lacked. If you can cope with the range limitations, then it’s a very tempting proposition. And it just edges victory over the worthy but less exciting VW.

Volkswagen E-Golf

The e-Golf is another excellent electric car from Volkswagen. It’s a well engineered and good-to-drive EV, with a similar real-world range to the i3. The Golf won’t turn as many heads as the i3, but its traditional image is a plus for some. However, it trails the BMW on performance, plus the ride is firm and the handling slightly blunted. More importantly, it lacks the all-round desirability of its futuristic rival.

By: Unknown On 11:30

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Top 5 Car Advertisements!

Companies from around the world spend billions of their hard-earned money on TV advertisements, and us car companies are not excluded from this. Whilst some of thede adverts can be a tad boring, there’s always a few that will stand out and make us laugh or inspire and amaze us. For us petrol-heads, some remind us of why it is hat we love cars so much.

For your entertainment, we have complied a list of 5 of the most impressive, clever and exciting TV adverts from the world of motoring. 

Lets start with number 5!

5. Shell/Ferrari Formula 1

Whist it may only be advertising a type of petrol that Shell produce, it succeeds in igniting in all of us the fantasy that we too can drive a race car if we purchase Shells fuel. Whilst the product itself may not be terrible exciting, the footage that comes along with is defiantly is:

4. ‘The Cog’ by Honda

Released in 2003 to advertise the Honda Accord, this 2 minute advert took 606 takes and 4 days of filming! It also cost £1,000,000 to produce and was premiered in an advert break during the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. See why it took so many attempts to get it perfect:

3. The Volkswagen Golf GTI

This advertisement from the world of motoring is an oldie but a goodie. Whilst it may not feture the special effects or examples of physical prowess as some car adverts do, it succeeds in conveying a clever marketing message whilst being very clever and entertaining at the same time.
 

2. Volvo meets JCVD

This is an advert that went viral a little while back, but it is still just as impressive now as it was back then. Made by Volvo in order to demonstrate the stability and precision of Volvo Dynamic Steering, it features tough-guy Jean- Claude Van Damme performing while he calls “the most epic of splits”. If you haven’t seen it already, prepare to have your jaw hit the floor.

  1. BMW M4 and the ‘Ultimate Racetrack’

This video, created by BMW Canada, was only released to the world a few months ago. Since then, it has already caused a bit of a stir on the internet. It shows us the newly released BMW M4 tearing around a racetrack on the desk of a naval aircraft carrier, albeit with the help of a little GGI trickery. Nevertheless, the howling engine note, sideways drifting action, and quick-fire gearshifts make for a great watch!

By: Unknown On 15:00

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BMW vs Volkswagen Video

Check out Chris Harris as he puts the BMW and Volkswagen head to head.

The Golf R is powered by a EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This will produce 290 brake horsepower.

Both vehicles aim to produce in the neighborhood of 300 horsepower, with the BMW taking the edge with 320 hp. However, the Golf R gets standard all-wheel drive, which is an option on the M235i.

Check out the video yourself and see what you think:

By: Unknown On 16:53

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