If you’re a motorist living in the UK, you’ll know that driving can be an incredibly expensive aspect of life. The economic climate of the country is currently in a state of recession and prices aren’t getting any cheaper.
Unfortunately driving is essential for the vast majority of us. We need a vehicle to drive to work, to take the kids to school, to visit different places around the country, and even to do the week’s food shopping from the local supermarket.
It is not a viable option for most people to stop driving altogether, but believe it or not there are many ways in which you can cut the costs and increase your disposable income. Here are our top five tips for saving money through driving.
Downsize
This may seem like an obvious piece of information, but one of the simple things you can do is actually buy a smaller or cheaper vehicle. You won’t just be saving money through the initial outlay of the vehicle; you’ll also save through several other costs such as insurance. Trade in that Ferrari for a Ford Mondeo. Moreover, the price of car parts will be less too.
Fuel Economy
The cost of fuel is forever rising, and if you’re a high mileage driver you probably spend thousands of pounds every year on the stuff. To save money, compare the fuel economy of similar models and choose one which gets more miles to the gallon.
Reliability Is The Key
Before you buy the cheapest vehicle on the market, spend a little time researching the reliability of different companies. A car which seems too cheap to be true probably is, and it could end up costing you a lot more money through MOT and servicing costs.
Green Is Cheaper
You may or may not know that the amount of road tax you pay is determined directly by the level of CO2 per kilometre which is emitted by your vehicle. As a general rule, larger engines will produce more pollution. To save money, don’t purchase something as large and powerful as a Range Rover – try a Seat Leon for example.
Walk Once In A While
Remember that the shortest trips are actually the ones which burn the most fuel in relation to the distance you cover. This is because a large amount of fuel is required to start the engine, so if you only live around the corner from your local shop then why not walk and get some fresh air?!
Land Rover is set to introduce an electric version of the Land Rover Defender at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. It is being used as more of a demonstration than anything as part of a Land Rover research campaign to find out whether or not there is a future for electric off-roaders.
To power the beast that is the Defender, Land Rover has used a 94bhp electric motor which offers 243lb-ft of torque and is powered by a 300-volt lithium-ion battery. Land Rover has claimed a range of over 50 miles and a battery life of up to 8 hours of off road, low speed use. A full charge will take around four hours with a fast charger or 10 hours without.
They have already put the electric defender through a number of gruelling tests to prove that it is a capable off roader though they are not currently planning to put the electric Defender into production, so the Nissan Leaf needn’t tremble too much.
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