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Archive for February, 2010

Car Lease Specials: Mazda Wins Which? 2008 Best Car Manufacturer Award

Mazda bagged the best car maker award in Which? an awardgiving body that recognizes the companies and individuals for their exemplary service to consumers. Mazdas UK managing director Rob Lindley received the award from Sir Stirling Moss OBE the racing legend in a ceremony held at the British Museum.

Mazda elbowed out Toyota last years winner along with the worlds leading car makers: BMW Audi Lexus and Honda.

Mr. Lindley has this to say for Mazda during the awarding ceremony: Winning this influential accolade is testimony to the achievements of the entire Mazda teamfrom designers and product developers to dealers and service personnel.

We achieved record sales volumes in the UK last year and the arrival of several exciting new models means we now have the strength and breadth in our range to build on that success. In a highly competitive market the Which? award underlines the progress we have made in creating a brand and product range that consumers can trust.

Which? Awards gave this as a summation of how Mazda faired with the other car manufacturing companies: Blend of excellent value for money reliability and innovation. A major advantage is that nearly all Mazda offerings are interesting to drive. Theres something for everyone in the Mazda range.

The Mazda3 medium cars and Mazda MX5 sports cars are comfortable Best Buys the good?looking Mazda3 stands out from humdrum medium cars. It still looks fresh and stylish despite being older than many popular rivals.

For many the evergreen Mazda MX5 is the cheapest way into an entertaining sporty runner. Introduced in 1990 this motoring gem is the worlds bestselling sports car. The latest version lives up to its billing with engaging handling powerful refined engines and a folding hardtop roof option.

Its been a good year for new launches too the allnew Mazda2 supermini and Mazda6 family car have impressed us and are sure to become firm favourites with drivers. Each would be a strong contender on a shortlist. The Mazda2 and Mazda6 do well in our road tests and safetywise they represent a major step forward for the Japanese carmaker. The Mazda2 scored five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests and we expect the Mazda6 to do the same.

Sources: http://www.contracthireandleasing.com

More car lease specials information can be found at the Car Leasing Secrets website.

About the writer:  Daniel Lamb is an avid fan of prototype vehicles and likes to read about the latest cars in the market. Find out more about best car lease deals on Car Leasing Secrets

Car Insurance Prices Dipfinally!

Believe it or not but car insurance prices have lowered slightly over the final quarter of 2007. Car Insurance prices have been notoriously high especially for younger or new drivers for a long time but a report made by Experian the Global Information service has found that the average cost of car insurance has dipped in the period covering October to December.

Dont expect major savings though the drop was only a meagre 0.3 compared to the summer. This is however still a welcome change with house prices and interest rates increasing its a welcome break that at least something has lowered no matter how insignificant.

The drop is the first in over three years the last drop being in 2005. The numbers told a different story in the first half of 2007 with prices rising but towards the end of the year they levelled out and right at the end of the year they were down.

The drop may not last for long though the insurance industry is normally a few months behind current events and with the colder Christmas months just behind us this is likely to effect car insurance quotes in the coming months. Accidents are more likely over the Christmas period with icy conditions and people more susceptible to driving under the influence after a festive bout of merrymaking. The industry still hasnt adjusted from the floods in August which may complicate matters further.

For those nearing the time for renewing their car insurance it may be worth checking if you can get a better deal elsewhere with various car insurance quotes online. Check with your provider before committing as you may be able to make some savings elsewhere.

About the writer:  Andy Adams is an experienced UK writer working with Car Insurance

Car Insurance: Make Sure The Big Freeze Doesnt Cost You Dearly

This winter has certainly been cold with record temperatures being reported in areas of the country. These temperatures would certainly be more at home in the Polar regions as many areas in southern England going well in to the minus figures this all means that not only do we need to take more care on the road when driving but also when were off the road.

The roads can sometimes be terribly troublesome if youre not careful during winter months the chances youll suffer braking problems are almost a dead cert with ice and slush dragging our stopping distances out further than normal. Try to avoid driving as fast in the snow and ice as it will make stopping much harder should you be in traffic.

Sometimes you can tell of the impending freeze when you see grit trucks out on the roads in the evening but if you drive on smaller roads and backstreets then theres a chance that they wont be gritted and so can become virtual ice rinks in the morning.

The car thieves absolutely love this time of year as for the small price of getting up a few hours earlier they can catch all the workers preparing to drive to work. Many of us me included are guilty of leaving our car running to get the fan heaters on and warm the engine up before setting off. Youd be surprised how quickly it takes for a criminal to steal your car if you leave your keys in the ignition and they see the exhaust billowing smoke.

The trouble is that if your car is stolen then by leaving your car unattended with the keys in the ignition then your car insurance provider will not cover your loss insurers assume you exercise proper caution with your car and treat these matters with the view that you have been reckless with the security of your vehicle and will render your insurance void.

As well as accidents and thefts theres one other problem with driving in the winter months theres always the possibility that if we get a lot of snow that some motorists become stuck or stranded. If this happens then hopefully youll have your phone to call for assistance or perhaps there has been an accident and youre stuck in traffic.

If youre stuck in this situation then you dont want to freeze to death and obviously dont want to waste your fuel by keeping the engine running so you should have some way of keeping warm whether its a blanket or pocket hand warmers if you are driving long distances or in areas where snow is forecast its best to always have a winter survival kit of warm clothing some food provisions and perhaps a flask of tea or coffee. You never know if youll be stuck in your car for many hours and so if the worst comes to the worst youre best being prepared!

Its true that the winter period has the highest amount of car insurance claims mainly due to careless driving in the ice and snow and car insurance quotes reflect this but if you exercise some extra caution and are fully roadaware then you should be able to make it through the colder month without a mishap.

About the writer:  Andy Adams is an IT worker and experienced writer