I had been paying the same amount on my car insurance for as long as I can remember and had been with the same company. I never questioned the amount I was paying and simply assumed it would be similar enough across the board from company to company. I then started to wonder if I could find a cheaper premium for my car, as my car isn’t worth much and I felt I was paying too much for what the car is worth. To see what was out there I put in my details in the “insurance section”  of the cars site to get some competitive quotes.

The process

I’m not sure how people managed to find competitive quotes in years past but these days it couldn’t be easier. You see a lot of adverts these days, to simply SMS the word “Save” to a certain number to get a quote and many websites offering a quoting service. What’s nice about these services is that they offer you a number of quotes from varying insurance companies, so it’s clear as day for you to see how the quotes differ in price etc.

I clicked on the link for “Car insurance” in the top line of links on the Cars.co.za main page. From there I was presented with a form to fill in. You need to enter your name and surname etc and some contact details including a cell number and email address. It’s all self-explanatory and obvious enough. Once the form was filled in, I simply clicked on “Submit” and that was that.

Timing of the calls

I will however exclude the names of the various insurance companies, as the point of this blog entry is to explain my experience rather than punt certain companies and give negative views on others.

It took about 10 seconds from the point I clicked on the submit button till my phone rang. The response time was amazing and with any kind of sales or marketing, the first person to pitch their sale has a massive advantage. However, the whole point of finding a competitive quote is in the number of quotes you get so I wasn’t going to simply stick with the first salesman that called.

The other quotes I received weren’t even on the same day though; I got called again the following morning and the morning after that. You can’t help but feel a negative impression towards the companies that take so long to respond to the quote especially compared to the call I received instantly.

The service

The sales people who called me were all good, not amazing or terrible but good enough. Any particulars of the quote that I didn’t understand were explained and we carried on.

The one company however didn’t even bother to call and simply sent an email. The email was just text saying that they were responding to the quote and that I should reply with the relevant information they required to give me the quote. This is terrible service as far as I’m concerned. I had to re-write out their questions and then type out the answers, this took long and felt like a waste of time.

As a potential customer I feel like the company should be the one doing the work and bending over backwards in order to sign up a new client, I wasn’t impressed by the email at all. Funnily enough I haven’t even received a reply from them after I sent them the email, so I have no idea if their quote was any good or not.

* Continues in part 2!

Extreme, exclusive, refined. Meet the Alfa Romeo 8C spider, the car everyone wants. No fewer than 1800 orders rained in, on spec, as soon as it arrived. In Alfa Romeo we were forced to make a painful decision and establish that 80 cars will be sent to Italy, 100 to Germany, 40 to United States, 40 to the United Kingdom, 50 to Japan and the remainder to Russia, the Arab Emirates and Asia.

The Alfa Romeo 8C Spider is a gem of style, technology and performance: a road car that peforms like a racing car. The 450 HP 4.7 litre, eigh cylinder engine can reach a top speed of 292 kilometres per hour and accelerate from zero to one hundred in 3.7 seconds. Other exclusive details include a steel frame and carbon body.

On the road price: EUR 213,250.

Source: Alfa Romeo

Munich/Hinwil. Yesterday (Thursday), BMW AG reached an agreement with Peter Sauber regarding the sale of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. The contract is subject to the condition that the team has a starting place for the 2010 Formula 1 season.

Dr Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG with responsibility for Development, stated this morning: “We are very happy with this solution. This fulfils the most important requirement for a successful future for the team. Our relationship with Peter Sauber has always been excellent and marked by absolute respect. We would like to express our thanks to Peter Sauber and the whole team for the excellent cooperation during the recent four years.”

Peter Sauber added: “”I am very relieved that we have found this solution. It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces. I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula One, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams. Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful.”

Source: BMW

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Nov. 24, 2009) – Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced the lease of an X-TRAIL Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) to Sacramento Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Inc. Nissan, which began development of fuel cell vehicle technology in 1996, has previously used FCVs in demonstration fleets in Japan and in California through the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), but this is Nissan’s first commercial FCV lease in North America. The Sacramento Coca-Cola lease is for one year, with an option for two additional years.

“Sacramento already has the beginning of a hydrogen infrastructure in place, and Sacramento Coca-Cola has a track record of utilizing low emissions cars, so the two companies share a green philosophy as well as a common love of things ‘zero’,” said Eric Noziere, vice president, Corporate Planning, NNA

The zero emissions X-TRAIL FCV is being used by the bottler for sales calls and public events in the Sacramento area in promotion of its Coca-Cola Zero® soft drink. “This is a big step in furthering our commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Bob Brown, executive vice president of Sacramento Coca-Cola. “We are really excited about the promise of fuel cell technology.”

Nissan’s comprehensive fuel cell research and development program is part of a range of eco-friendly technologies – including FCVs, electric vehicles, hybrid and improved internal combustion engines – being pursued under the Nissan Green Program 2010, a plan focused on developing new technologies, products and services leading to real-world reductions in CO2 emissions, cleaner emissions and expanded recycling of resources.

The Nissan X-TRAIL FCV is based on the X-TRAIL SUV, which is available in Mexico, Japan and Europe. It is fitted with a Nissan-developed compact fuel cell stack, a compact Lithium-ion battery and a high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinder. Performance is close to that of a similarly sized internal combustion engine-based vehicle. Versions of this generation X-TRAIL FCV are capable of speeds in excess of 95 miles per hour, with a cruising range of up to 300 miles.

Source: Nissan

Continuing from (Part 1)

Via Michelin

http://www.viamichelin.com

In my opinion this is the premier site before heading on a trip, as it is the most comprehensive and informative of all the sites. It contains a lot of information and works for any country in the world. When I was traveling in Europe last year, we used this site to see where we would be going and to find directions and it works great. Even if you just want to brush up on your geography, there is a large interactive maps section as well.

Getting started

To check a route though, first enter the departure and destination details in the top left section of the page. In the example I used, I left the street names blank and simply entered Pretoria as the departure city and Port Elizabeth as the destination city, obviously with specifying ‘South Africa’ from the drop down box. As an interesting side note, you can ask the site to plot a route for you from one country to another. The page then calculates the route and shows the findings. You are initially presented with a small map and various details, including the specific directions you will need to follow.

Results returned

The blue circles with the numbers inside are then also represented on the map, showing how the trip would pan out along the way. When entering your destination and departure locations, you can also specify if you would like the site to calculate the quickest route, viaMichelin’s recommended route, the scenic route and other options.

Added to the information shown is the time the trip would take, the distance from departure to destination and finally the cost of the trip. The cost is based off the current petrol price, but is unfortunately listed in Euros. The cost of the trip also excludes toll gates as the site seems unable to determine the toll gate costs for South Africa. I assume for Europe the toll prices will be listed. If you need the current toll prices for a trip from Johannesburg to Durban, check back to this blog post.

While the image of the map might seem identical to the one presented from Travelmath, the map on viaMichelin is completely interactive. You can re-plot your route as you go and make changes as you see fit.

Extra information

Further adding to the wealth of information provided by the site is the option to find car rental and hotel accommodation once you have reached your destination.

The site has a database of hotels in any destination. Each links to a page providing information about the specific hotel. There is a small write-up on the hotel as well as a number of pictures showing the hotel from the outside and some of the rooms. To the right of that is a zoomed in map showing the street that the hotel is located on and the surrounding area so you can find the place.

I have only listed a few basic areas of the site, it is truly huge and as comprehensive as can be. You can check on the weather of a specific area, lots of tourist spots and information and restaurants, to name but a few. Spend some time on the site and get a feel of everything it has to offer.

Next time your going on a trip, give these websites a look-through first, you will be surprised at how informative and helpful they can be and how much time they can potentially save you.

Munich. The world debut of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan once again marks the epitome of aesthetic design and supreme driving pleasure in the upper midrange segment. Through its sporting and elegant looks, driving dynamics typical of the brand, outstanding efficiency as well as innovative comfort and safety features, the sixth generation of BMW’s executive express convincingly reflects the supreme standard of the world’s most successful manufacturer of premium cars throughout the entire process of development.

Design: charismatic, elegant, sporting.

With the longest wheelbase in the segment, a long and sleek engine compartment lid, short overhangs front and rear and a coupé-like, graceful roofline, the new BMW 5 Series Sedan stands out clearly from the competition.

Overall, the aesthetic looks of the car are clearly determined by perfectly balanced proportions. Design features typical of the brand are to be found both at the front with its BMW kidney grille inclined slightly forward and on the strikingly chiselled engine compartment lid, in the stylish and elegant side view of the car, and on the muscular rear end.

Within the interior modern function and a superior ambience come together in perfect harmony, unmistakable style and clear orientation to the driver in the cockpit guaranteeing a truly unique driving and travelling experience.

The new BMW 5 Series Sedan is making its debut with one eight-cylinder and three six-cylinder petrol engines as well as two six-cylinder diesels.

The range is rounded off by a four-cylinder turbodiesel with an aluminium crankcase and common-rail direct injection. Maximum output in this case of 135 kW/184 hp makes the BMW 520d fitted as standard with Auto Start Stop the new efficiency benchmark in its segment. Average fuel consumption in the EU5 test cycle is just 5.0 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 56.5 mpg imp), the CO2 emission rating is 132 g/km (provisional figures).

The top-of-the-range BMW 550i comes with an eight-cylinder boasting BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and High Precision Injection for maximum output of 300 kW/407 hp.

Innovative driver assistance systems with BMW ConnectedDrive.

The driver assistance systems offered for the first time in the context of BMW ConnectedDrive include a Parking Assistant, Surround View, collision warning with application of the brakes in conjunction with Active Cruise Control plus Stop & Go, and a new Speed Limit Device. Further features also available are Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Info, a Head-Up Display, BMW Night Vision with detection of individual persons, and a back-up camera.

Source: BMW

In previous years when South African’s decided to go on a trek through the country it was something of a shot in the dark, as there were many unknown factors and uncertainties associated with the trip. From not knowing if there was accommodation in a specific area, driving for miles without a petrol station in sight and getting completely lost. These days however with the advent of GPS, satellite tracking and in-car navigation things are a lot easier.

Besides these in-car gadgets there are some very useful websites that can make the planning of your trip that much easier. So before you set off, give these sites a look and see exactly what you have in-store on the road ahead.

Travelmath ( www.travelmath.com/driving-distance )

This site is good to start off with as its relatively simple and to the point. You get 2 fields where you enter where you are going from and to. In the dropdown box you then specify if you want to calculate the driving distance, the flying distance or some various other options. That’s essentially all you need enter, you will then be presented with a map of the country you are going to be traveling in and the desired route.

In the example I used, I entered in Johannesburg and Cape Town and was presented with this image.

And the travel distance the site produces is: 1398km. As you can see from the image you can then zoom-in at various parts of the map to see the bigger picture and names of certain areas that you will be passing on your route. As I said this is quite a simplified site and good for just getting a general idea of the route you will be going.

The Automobile Association of South Africa

The AA ( http://www.aa.co.za )

The AA has a nice advisory section on their site, listing things like toll road fees and fuel price fluctuation etc. The most useful section however is their ‘Road condition report‘  which is quite an intensive listing on the state of various roads and any additional notes and hazards that could be occurring.

My biggest gripe with this section is that in order to access it, you first need to register on the AA site. This is free but it still takes time and you need to authorize your account via email etc which is added hassle that I don’t think needs to be there.

My second biggest gripe is that instead of displaying the details in a web-based format that can provide links between the various sections, it simply opens a PDF document in a new window and all the information is listed in one massive form. You can still click on ‘Johannesburg’ and it will take you to that section but I feel like with such a massive amount of information, it needs to be completely sectioned off and linked.

On to the good stuff. The document is very thorough and detailed, with every major highway listed. If there is nothing wrong with a particular road and all is going swimmingly, then it will still list it and simply display: “The road is in fair to good condition”. However, if the road is not in working order, for whatever reason, then it will be listed and the listing is quite comprehensive indeed. From: “Potholes in the road”, “Strong wind experienced”, “Animals on the road” to “Lane closures do to construction”.

It is a very useful site and can save you a lot of time by giving it a quick read through before a long trip or even a short trip.

There is a lot more information to be found on the AA site, so take a look around and see what useful information you can find.

Part 2 coming soon!

Come January 2010, the Opel Corsa gets a complete re-make, with major engineering changes so numerous that the super-mini family is reshaped. A re-vamped powertrain line-up, chassis improvements and a steering recalibration will give the Corsa better performance and greater fuel economy – as well as superb passenger comfort, excellent handling and exciting driving dynamics.

The Corsa stays faithful to its exciting design, with sporty contours and one of the roomiest and most flattering interiors in its class. It also features innovative technologies that remain exceptional in the small car segment. These include the halogen AFL curve and cornering lights, a heated steering wheel and the integrated bicycle carrier system FlexFix which is unique to Opel. The Corsa, which accounts for some 30 percent of Opel/Vauxhall total sales, is available in two distinctly different variants: the coupé-like three-door and the family friendly five-door model.

Much lower fuel consumption and increased output in the gasoline engine line-up

The Opel Corsa boasts a new gasoline engine line-up that fully complies with Euro 5 standards. All engines have been re-worked to offer more torque while featuring up to 13 per cent lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.  Both the 1.2- and 1.4-liter Twinport variants are each available in two versions with different outputs. Every country selects and offers customers the variants that suit the needs of their region. Some may decide to go for optimal fuel efficiency; other may want to balance it with more performance.

The most popular gasoline powertrains (the 1.0 to 1.4 liter with manual and Easytronic transmissions) now have fuel consumptions between 5.0 and 5.5 liter/100 km, with maximum CO2 emissions of only 129 g/km

Steering

Opel has optimized the steering on all Corsa models. The software controls for the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) have been re-tuned and the engineers have installed a new yoke liner in the steering gear for reduced friction. Overall, these measures provide improved feedback and precision with increased on-center feel and stronger return to the middle position after a curve or any input given to the steering for lane changes. Corrective maneuvers result in improved straight-ahead stability.

Source: Opel