Are Hybrid Cars Big Savers?

There is a general notion among many people that hybrid cars save a lot of money, that they are fuel efficient and that they are the right answer to the current spiraling energy prices.

Hybrid cars became the focus of attention over the last few years due to rising oil prices. Automobile manufactures and others are constantly trying to evolve new technologies and new automobiles in order to overcome the energy scarcity.

Development of hybrid cars is one of the several strategies which auto manufactures have been experimenting with.

Market also seems to have responded well to the concept of hybrid cars. The demand for such cars has been growing over the years.

What differentiates hybrid vehicles is that they have a rechargeable energy storage system for increasing fuel efficiency than what is available in conventional vehicles.


Most important hybrid vehicle manufacturers at present are Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault and Toyota. In fact, Toyota has been the highest producer of these types of vehicles recently.

The general belief is that these cars save energy and money for an owner. Several critics have opined that they may be energy efficient, but at current prices they will not save money for their owners.

Cost benefit analysis reveals that the prices of hybrid cars are more than the savings that they may generate over their lives. However, in case, oil prices go sufficiently high, then hybrid cars can have a positive cost benefit ratio.

At present there are two scenarios. First, hybrid cars are energy efficient and these help conserve energy at national level. However, at the current prices, they are not economical for an individual in the long run.

Hybrid vehicles have nonetheless caught up with the public, with the result that their production and sales have zoomed over the last few years. With increased stress on energy conservation and rising prices, the future of hybrids seems to be only upwards.

How I Fixed My Used Car

I recently bought a used car. It had many problems. The three major problems were i) the driver side door lock was not working, ii) the speedometer was out of order, and iii) break was not working properly.

I know many mechanics. The first mechanic took 2 days to fix the break. I asked him to fix the other things. But he seemed to be taking his own time. In fact he could not understand how to fix other problems especially the speedometer and the door lock.

I was told that fixing the above two problems is hard. The door may not be fixed at all without replacing the entire locking system for all the doors. That was scary.

I went to an electric mechanic to talk to him about the speedometer. He refused to be of any help. While driving around, my wife saw one sign board of a Honda mechanic. And we made a dash to him. He immediately agreed to fix the speedometer.

We were lucky that he had just got a used sensor from somewhere. He replaced the sensor and lo the speedometer got working at $70. Had I believed the first mechanic, I would have been in trouble.

Impressed by his work, I asked this Honda mechanic to fix my other problems. He changed one pipe which was easy. He expressed his inability to fix the door lock. He suggested to change all cylinders or put on a remote access system on the door. Both were expensive and disheartening. The door lock itself was irreparable, he reported.

Without any hope I asked some other mechanics. Everyone was of the same opinion. Finally I landed up with one mechanic whom I knew for long and I was avoiding him as he was a little expensive.

I called this mechanic on phone and asked him if he could fix my door lock, but with least hope. He suggested to take the car to him. Anyway I went to him. On arrival, he told me that he will fix the lock at $80. Finally he agreed at $60. I did not believe he will be able to repair it. I was really surprised when after 20 minutes of work, my lock was working.

Then I had to change the tires. This mechanic was not having used tires of my size. So I went to another place and got two tires changed. I was surprised that I had 2 different tire sizes on my car. He put on 2 used tires.

When I went to my earlier mechanic, He asked me why I had put on winter tires? Oh gosh how I missed to see that? I called the tire guy. He refused and said that I was at fault and he can do nothing except to charge me extra.

The moral of the story is that if you got a problem with your car, do not rely on the opinion of just one mechanic. Visit as many of them as possible. Some one will fix your problem. Also be careful while changing the parts like tires. Put on all season tires.

How To Sort Out Issues With A Used Car

Past two weeks have been very tough for me because of a used car that I happened to buy. My ordeal started when I got rid of my old Carola. It served me well and faithfully.

After Carola I bought Chrysler Intrepid. I do not know much about cars. When my mechanic saw my new car, he just got angry. His outright remark was that Intrepid is the worst car in North America.

I shortly found it out. My steering was not working properly and with a 3.5 L engine, it was drinking expensive gas. Just after three weeks I sold it at a loss.

Not having much money and having remained without a car for about 2 weeks, I decided to buy a very inexpensive car for the time being and then go far a newer one when my finances improved.

The lady who sold me this inexpensive car (Honda Accord), told me all good stories about it. My troubles started when I brought it home.

First, the door key on the driver side did not work. So I had to use the other door. Battery was dead. Engine and some other lights were blinking. Exhaust started making noise. I found lot of dirt underneath seats. Breaks were loose. Front tires were almost dead. Engine rubber pipe had thinned out.

Radio was not working. Air conditioning was dead. I trusted the lady and I had to pay for it. Now for the last two weeks I have been trying to fix one thing or the other at great cost and expense of time. What I believed to be an inexpensive car has become quite the opposite.

I accept my fault. My ignorance about cars and credulousness put me in great trouble. Moral. Don't trust others easily. Take time to examine in detail if you are buying a used car. Take the help of a mechanic. Be prepared for surprises.

Buying a Used Car -II

One has to be careful while buying an old car. One should know a little bit of mechanics also. The usual things that one should check are the type of transmission, the engine size, mileage, condition of the body, tires, exhaust system, alignment, condition of seats, availability of air conditioning, air bags, power locks, power seats etc.

It is hard to find a vehicle that matches all the desired features. And when there is a tight budget as well, there is usually a chance of give and take.

Obviously, price is one of the main factors. One has to compare prices of the same vehicle at different places. Generally cars offered for sale by owners will be cheaper than those being sold by car dealers.

The sources of used autos are newspapers, auto magazines, EBay, other online websites, posters, used car dealers, friends and colleagues, TV, radio, liquidators, car mechanics etc.

While buying, one should also be careful because this is an unregulated market, with no warranties, lack of full details about a car, blind spots etc. One may find a gem some time and may also get a junk.

Many times it may be better to buy a car through a used auto dealer because the dealer may take the responsibility, may be more open and professional, may reveal more, may be more cautious, and provide complete service. All this depends upon the level of comfort that one will have while buying an older vehicle.

Buying a Used Car - I

It can be a nightmare, especially if one has a budget.

Why one should buy a used car? Obviously because one cannot afford to buy a new car. Buying either a used or a new car is complicated because of the wide variety of automobiles and models in the market. If one has a fixed budget, it may be hard to get a car of one’s choice.

Generally the factors that should be considered while buying a car are the price, the make and model of the car, the condition, the mileage, repairs required, safety and emission testing etc. There could be many other factors that one has to consider while purchasing a car.

A used car can be purchased from a used car dealer, directly from car owners, from brokers or from government sources. There are many seized cars available from public agencies as well.

There are some varieties of cars which are in high demand. This is especially so with some Japanese cars. These cars are in high demand and have a good resale value.

In fact resale value should have a higher weight age while buying a second car. This is because if one does not like a previously owned car, one should be able to resell it without much loss of value.

Friend in Auto Mechanic

I think auto mechanics have not got the level of recognition that they deserve. If we think about it closely, we can see how vital they are for our comforts and safety. A little attention from them can save one a lot of trouble.

We suspect auto mechanics more than respecting them. Although they are indispensable, many people do not have positive feelings about them. Reason being a sort of doubt and suspicion about their work.

So may people have the notion that a car mechanic inflates repair charges in various ways and is not truthful. Car mechanics are believed to unnecessarily replace auto parts and do not take pains to repair damaged parts. Mechanics are said mostly to insist on replacing broken parts rather than repairing them.

Some of them are not supposed to be sufficiently qualified to repair most types of cars. Many times different mechanics have varying points of view on the same problem. Of course there are mechanical aids now available, even then human judgment cannot be altogether ruled away.

Despite the above, we cannot afford without an auto mechanic. He takes the role of a friend, an adviser and a person of the last resort. He makes our travel safe and easy. Whenever we have a car problem, we think of him. If we want to buy a new automobile, we take his advice.

Many times we are caught up in very complicated situations. A car mechanic comes to our rescue at that time. Being a specialist in his field, he provides us with so many tips which help us to escape from many troubles. He educates about the condition of our autos and so we are forewarned.

I think one should always find a good mechanic and stick with him. In my case I had to try many mechanics till finally I reached the one I have now. It was not easy. There was a lot of heartburn. But now I have developed some sort of understanding with my mechanic and this gives me some mental peace.

How to Save On Rising Gasoline Prices

Gasoline is going up and up. Just over the last two years, they have risen by about 50 percent. It is taking out a bigger portion out of a person’s pocket now. People have no choice but to buy whatever the price. After all they have to go on their jobs, for shopping, picnics, functions and running around for other necessities of life.

While one can manage without a vehicle in a big city like Toronto or New York because of easy transport facilities, the availability of one’s own transport in other places is necessary. Possession of a vehicle has become a necessity for a large number of people.

Whatever the reason, people have to keep on buying gasoline prices. However, while maintaining driving habits, one can follow certain practices in order to mitigate the harmful affects of pinching gasoline prices.

One major factor can be the car engine. The size of a car engine can affect the gasoline bill more than 50 percent either way. For example, till recently I had been driving Toyota Corolla with an engine of less than 2 L. When I replaced it by a Chrysler Intrepid, my gasoline consumption almost doubled. The reason – my new car engine was 3.5 L.

So one should pay close attention to the engine size of a car. Toyota cars have smaller engine sizes and so they consume less gas.

The weight of the car also matters. Less the weight that a car has to carry, less the gas consumption. Less weight can also be the result of smaller and well inflated tires, removal of all unnecessary things from the car and also by removing heavy seats.

Other factors for consideration are controlling the speed, less application of breaks, using more of neutral, avoiding rapid pushing of gas pedal, reducing idling time and putting the vehicle off etc. There are also times like Sunday and Thursday nights when gas prices are cheap. Some gas stations, like no brand ones, also sell at less prices. One should look out for these.