Motor Vehicle Tips

The African car market has just met the newest Volvo entry level model - the Volvo S40 2.0.  According to Volvo vehicles, this new automobile has been made just right in order to pique the interests of the young ones in the market who are out searching for the right kind of automobile that they could own. 

Priced at just R215,000 in the continent of Africa, it sure would be a good buy for most young buyers.  And this price has actually gotten the Volvo S40 2.0 model quite a big quantity of recognition from the South African Guild of Motoring writers last year, 2005.  And the excellent value proved to be a massive factor for the organization that it gave the car of the Year award for that year to the Volvo S40 2.0. 

The Volvo most recent model to hit the African automobile market has subjected to changes so as to make it more engaging for the market.  Although it does not come prepared with a package of Volvo V90 parts that would also be great replacements for the parts of this vehicle, the features for this automobile are quite extraordinary.  The Volvo S40 2.0 offers standard gear like a rain sensor, mist lights, an electronic climate control system, and a trip PC.  People who need entertainment while traveling would surely enjoy the standard Performance sound system.  One can also find the wheel dotted with control buttons for numerous functions.  The rear view mirror which has an auto-dim feature has now been made to be much wider. 

And with Volvo being known much for its vehicles that are very much inclined towards providing the right kind and the correct quantity of safety for its passengers and owners, the Volvo S40 2.0 holds the Whiplash Protection System, or WHIPS.  It also offers some full-length curtain airbags which have been specifically designed in order to protect the car’s passengers during side impacts.

If you can have any car in the world, what would it be? Visit thesupercars.org for information and specs on the greatest cars in the world, also take a look at Volvo 940 for sale.

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This is a bargain compared to the usual suspects namely the M5 and the RS6.Entry level model costs about $10 000 less that the M5 and almost $30 000 cheaper than the RS6. If only buyers could realise this as value for money.

Jaguar was in desperate need of putting out a car that would not just be competitive with others in the class, but that was capable of outshining them in terms or power and value.  In recent years Jaguar has been beaten up badly by Audi and BMW, so bad that the Jaguar name was in danger of not quite having the same meaning that it used to.  With the new XF, Jaguar has made a loud statement that they are no longer going to be pushed around by others in this class.

Under the Hood

This is where the biggest news comes; the brand new supercharged V8 is all about power, and with tons of low end torque this beast is capable of comfortably and quietly rocketing from zero to sixty in less than five seconds.  In fact that was a chief complaint of many of the test drivers – that the supercharged engine was too quiet for their liking in a car in this class.You will have to watch your speed limit as the engine is too quiet to give any hints of hard work.  The powerhouse 5.0 V8 reaches its top speed at 155 mph. The true top speed with no electronic limits is close to 190 mph.

The acceleration is fast and smooth, with no jerking as the six speeds are navigated, making the driving experience a pleasure at any speed.

The performance and control of the new XF are quite a bit better than BMW’s pricier M5, it drives better in almost all day to day situations including reduced speed, heavy traffic and stop start – in fact the only thing that it doesn’t have on its more expensive classmate is a whole lot of unnecessary technological gadgetry.

Jaguar has replanted itself back among the leaders in class with the new XF – its super clean, super elegant and super powerful – all while coming in with a price tag that’s way below the competition.

Hands up. Who given the current financial troubles, would not consider downscaling to the XF from the M5's and the RS6's?Very few. Where the Jag gets it almost spot on is pricing. However the main point still remains that those fortunate enough will want to go for all the bells and whistles.  If you need a car overloaded with extra gadgets (and you have zero concerns with price tag), then the Beamer might be the car for you, but if your only concerns lie in the power and performance of your new automobile than you can’t go wrong with the new Jaguar XF.

vw golf | renault clio | audi a4

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Lexus is a name that is very easy on the tongue and seems that it took some long and hard effort to coin it. It sounds perfect and perhaps too perfect to the point of being unable to evoke real driver emotion.

The IS 250 range is the entry level model which hopes to compete directly against the German offerings BWM 3 series, Mercedes C class and Audi A4. Although the IS has been around since 1998 and is only in its second generation, it has done a steady job technically and does not lag behind the big three.

All in all there are three main choices for the IS range namely IS250 (153 KW) , IS 220d (130 KW) and the IS350(228 kW). Sports version IS-F which is a 311 KW V8 as well as a drop-top models IS250/350C complete the line up.

South Africa has at present only the IS range with pricing starting at R328 900.00 (manual) with the  most expensive model being R410 700.00 (SE auto). In general the IS250 is a good car and technically perfect as it was indented but for some reason the human elements seem to have been left behind.

Lets begin with the engine sizes for the car. The entry R328 900.00 price is arguably okay for a 153kw engine but how would Lexus justify paying R420 000 for exactly the same engine?

Furthermore the difference to put it in very simple terms between the models costing R330 000.00 and R420 000.00 is really just extras for comfort and convenience. These are better headlamps, Electronic Multi Vision display with dvd navigation, seat heating, park distance control, Mark Levinson digital surround audio system, memory for seats and steering configuration. Consumers should be give a wider choice of engines besides just the extras?

Besides the odd(in my opinion) pricing arrangement, the rear seats are also a little too cramped. In fact some owners of the car feel the IS range is overall noticeably smaller than its German competitors.

And how about the design. IS 250 very much bears similar looks to the Mazda 6 , infact one can say the Mazda was insipired by Lexus. That is where the IS’s appeal wears off a little bit. If the car was launched without the L badge it would be a little difficult to identify it as a competitor to the 3 series or C-class never mind as a Lexus. The car looks too sporty and with very little hints towards elegance and seriousness.

No one disputes that the car is of great build quality and realibility and looks sportish enough. Normally people would expect at least a power increase if paying close R100 000 more on the base model. It is taken for granted that a mid-sedan priced at R430 000 should have huge interior space. And finally people expect a car at this price range to look the part without needing its badge.

There is not that much wrong with the IS range from an engineering perspective. The car just fails a bit to connect with buyers.

Tips and Articles Audi A4, BMW 3 series, Entry Level Model, German Competitors, Good Car, Human Elements, Infact, Is350, Kw, Leaxus IS 250, Left Behind, Lexus, Lexus Is 250, Mark Levinson, Mazda 6, Mercedes C Class, Multi Vision, Park Distance Control, Second Generation, Sedans., Steady Job, System Memory, Top Models