Category: Blog

The quick response is “no”! Although there isn’t a specific ban on manual transmissions per se, all petrol and diesel vehicles will be subject to a ban starting in 2030. That automatically eliminates manual cars because all electric vehicles are automatic. The restriction only affects the sale of brand-new petrol and diesel vehicles; existing vehicles can still be driven. Therefore, manual cars won’t vanish overnight.

It’s possible that we’ve stopped buying manual cars before the ban takes effect because the popularity of electric cars is already on the rise.

Even though you may still buy a manual car, manufacturers are making it harder to do so. For the first time ever, automatic transmissions outsold manual ones in 2020. Many companies are ahead of the curve and completely eliminating manuals.

Due to the lower cost of production, manual cars may still be available from affordable brands.

Let’s start with the fact that a service is not the same as your MOT. An MOT is a legal requirement. An MOT is a technical inspection looking at the safety of your car, it does not look at general wear and tear. This is where you need a service. In your car manual, your car manufacturer will have outlined checks that need to be done during the life of your car. 

There are three types of service. Interim, Full and Major

During an interim service, a mechanic will

• Replace the oil and air filter
• Check your car’s fluid levels (brake fluid, power steering fluid, engine oil. Antifreeze, screenwash and coolant), topping up where necessary
• Check your brake pads and handbrake
• Check your windscreen wipers, radiator and spark plugs

If you have an electric/hybrid vehicle, then the checks will be different. 

The 2022 K5 brochure boast that it will completely transform your driving experience with its driver-orientated cockpit, advanced technology and turbocharged engine. 

Its sleek body design and sporty front grill make this a car that will turn heads.  It is currently available in 8 colours 8 colour seat trims, so there is currently not a great amount of personalisation available.

 The car features an all-weather drive option which improves the car’s traction giving you peace of mind if the weather changes dramatically mid-journey.

A 10.25-inch touchscreen puts you in total control of the cars functions and navigation with 5 USB ports available to keep you connected with access to your music whilst charging your phone.

Kia has an amazing 10 year or 100,000 miles warranty on all their cars, meaning you can be safe in the knowledge that any issues will be fixed for many years to come.

Manual vehicles have always been the most popular choice in the UK, but in recent years, there has been a slight increase in interest for automatic vehicles and automatic only licenses. The biggest reason for Manuals being the most popular, seems to strictly be price based, not the ease of use, as automatics are obviously the more effortless option.

When purchasing a vehicle, automatic versions of a model are typically £1,000 more than manuals. Additionally, on average automatic owners pay around £94.07 more on insurance per year. Those with a full license also tend to pay less on insurance, than those driving on an automatic only license.

So, upon purchasing a new vehicle, you will typically pay 5% more for an automatic and have to pay insurance that will typically be around 20% more than a manual vehicle. This difference is believed to be because of a higher level of technology that is put into automatic vehicles.

As a combustion engine is absent in fully electric cars, they require a different set of maintenance requirements and presumably fewer maintenance expenses. The items that would likely need maintenance, now and then are:

• Tyres
• Brakes
• Lights
• Wipers
• Tracking
• Suspension
• Cabin air filter
• High-efficiency particulate filter
• Brake fluid
• Air conditioning
• Winter care

Even these items, at least for Teslas are said to be non-essential, even for maintaining the warranty. Additionally, brakes on an electric car typically last longer as well, due to regenerative braking that is used to top up the batteries. This saves on brake disc and pad use.

The other area of mention is the EV battery life and how long they hold up. Tesla electric cars have an eight year or 100,000-mile battery warranty and at least the Model 3 claims a minimum of 70 percent battery retention for that same amount of time. In comparison, Nissan Leaf owners that have owned the car nearly 10 years, report more than 90 percent battery capacity retention.

Hybrid cars made their debut, in the UK, 20 years ago and yet you would still be in the majority of people who have never driven one. With legislation slowly cracking down on fuel emissions, some people are starting to wonder if now is the time to possibly switch to a hybrid. Here are a few things to help you figure out if a Hybrid is right for you…

There are two types of Hybrids, plug-in and range-extender. They basically are self-explanatory, the plug-ins need exactly that to charge the electric engine and during travel, if the battery runs out, the vehicle switches to the combustion engine. The range-extender uses the combustion engine to charge the electric battery when it runs low, instead of being used to drive the car, so you can travel further on electric power. Either way to save money and fuel, Hybrids are best suited to Urban environments or people who typically travel short distances on a daily basis.

Some key pros and cons:

Pros:
• Minimal tax bills
• Most qualify to be free of the congestion charge
• No fuel costs, if driven only on electric power

Cons:
• More expensive than most combustion engine vehicles
• Charging times
• Limited electric range

Damage to your car will be covered by your insurance. This makes sure you can get anything you need to sorted out and will cover you for accidents (as long as you have fully comprehensive insurance and not just 3rd party). If damage occurs to your car, or you damage someone else’s, you need to think and talk carefully about whether you will claim on your insurance or not. Here are some of the things to think about: How much would the damage cost to repair? If it is something small like a broken windscreen wiper or a wing mirror issue, you may want to pay for it yourself. This will prevent premium being put up due to a claim. Is the damage to your car? If not, you are obliged to cover damage you have caused to another vehicle. Is the car on a finance contract? If so, you will probably have to put all repairs through insurance.

An automatic car can be a great option for many drivers. It can be easier to drive one in some ways as you won’t have to control the gears yourself, giving you less to think about whilst driving. This means that it could be a good option for someone who is a nervous driver or who is struggling to learn to drive. It may even give some people with certain disabilities the option to drive a car. If you are thinking about getting an automatic car, try taking one for a test drive. This will give you a good idea of whether you like driving an automatic. As a compromise, you might want to get a car that is semi automatic. This gives you the option to put the car into automatic mode or to drive it as a manual car, depending on the situation. This can be good if you are sharing a car with someone who prefers manual.

Winter tyres can be an excellent way to help you with your driving during the colder weather. However, many people question whether it is really worth it. Winter tyres can be an additional cost when owning and running a car is already pricey, and it might all seem like it’s just a little bit too much effort. Here are some of the things to think about when deciding what you should do: Do you live in a particularly cold area? If you live somewhere in the UK which is particularly prone to low temperatures, you might benefit from winter tyres more than others. You will get lots of use out of them if it’s regularly below 0°. Are the roads gritted regularly? It’s likely that the roads will be gritted more often in towns and cities where there is heavier traffic. If you live further out in the countryside, winter tyres could serve you well on narrow country roads. Do you have appropriate storage? Winter tyres can’t be used all year round as they will wear out more quickly in the summer. It’s easiest if you have a shed or garage where you can store the tyres whilst you’re not […]

Certainly the technology is already there, and a lot of it is creeping into your car without you really noticing it. Lane departure warning has been with us for years, so it’s no stretch to teach the car to steer you away from danger. Autonomous parking can take any fiddly manoeuvres right out of your hands. Most major manufacturers now have tested mules that can talk to each other and interact. You may have heard of the Google car – it’s a rapidly developing domain. Slowly the car is taking over more and more of our driving, until ultimately we will drive no more, except for entertainment, confined to enthusiasts on tracks. If you don’t control the car, you could simply order it to collect and deposit you at will, and pay on demand. As all the cars interact, you would always know exactly how long it would take you to get anywhere, because your journey would be planned with every other car in mind.