Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

BMW 3 Series

Boosted by the 6th generation now in full gear, the BMW 3 Series sold 201,224 units in the whole of Europe over the Full Year 2013, earning it a 9th position overall. As I mentioned in my Europe Full Year 2013 Report, this is the first time the 3 Series finishes the year inside the European Top 10 since 2008. But let’s have a look further down to the track to really take stock of this performance. In fact, the 3 Series had not ranked that high in Europe since all the way back to  2001 when it was the 8th best-selling model on the continent.

Volume-wise, as you know if you are a regular BestSellingCarsBlog reader, the main word in Europe right now is frag-men-ta-tion! So absolutely all models see their volume decrease as a long-term trend, which is not to say they are any less successful. It’s just that there are more and more models available each year in Europe and as a logical result, volumes per model decrease. Case in point with the 3 Series which has now been split between 3 Series and 4 Series for the first time in the nameplate’s 38 year career.

However in spite of that, 2013 is the first year the 3 Series is back above 200,000 annual European sales since 2009. Prior to that, it spent 18 consecutive years at 200,000+ units per year, even crossing the 300,000 mark for 3 years in a row between 2000 and 2002, something only the VW Golf has managed in 2013! Different times indeed. Another record the BMW 3 Series has broken in 2013 is its monthly ranking, reaching #4 in August.

BMW 3 Series sales 1991-2013:

There is nothing worse than spending your hard earned money on a second hand car and finding out that it’s a lemon! The best way to avoid this happening is to make every effort to ensure that you do not let other people’s problem become your problem. Here are some ways of spotting that lemon before you get it home and need to start pouring money into it

Research

The fact of the matter is that it may actually not be a lemon, it might just be that the model of the car is a bit of a trouble maker. Doing your research extensively before you decide to purchase any car will assist you in making the right decision for you. Some make and models have defects that are just a natural part of the car and may make them susceptible to issues, so it pays to be informed.

Take a Mechanic

Your trusty mechanic will be your best defence against the attack of the lemon, so make sure you take him or her along with you to look at the car. If you don’t have a friend that is a mechanic then at least pay your regular mechanic to meet you there and check over the car for you. He/She will be able to tell you exactly what condition the car is in, by checking things that you may not know how to check.

Check All Panels Are Original

One way of knowing if the car has been in an accident is to check if all the panels on the car are the original ones. If you find that there are obvious places where the panels are not the same, it could indicate that the car has been in an accident, which means that you have no real idea about how bad the damage was. There could be internal damage that does not show up easily.

Check Inside

Apart from checking if everything inside is in order, that the seat belts are not frayed and that it is clean, you will also need to have a good smell of it. The smell of mildew present could indicate that it has been in a flood, which could mean that there are issue with the electrics or other things in the engine. If you suspect that it has water damage then you might want to get your mechanic to have a good look at the engine and look for any sign inside the bonnet.

Check Under the Hood

While the mechanic is looking under the hood he will be able to see if there are any marks where there has been water, or evidence of corrosion. Check the oil and see if there is any grit or particles in it. This could indicate that there is a small engine leak somewhere, which if not fixed could cause be very costly down the track. If you have accidentally bought a lemon and you aren’t in the best financial situation, you may be able to get a bad credit car loan so that you can buy another car that won’t end up financially ruining you.

2015 Honda Civic Type R

There are few hot hatches, other than the MK1 Golf GTI and Peugeot 205 GTI, that have captured the imagination quite like the Honda Civic Type R. Since the car was introduced in 1997, it has become a legend, commanding respect among car scenes around the world.

The first-generation Type R kick-started the Type R craze. Based on the EK9 chassis, this little beast had the highest power output of its capacity at the time. The 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine produced a solif 182 bhp, which is more than many hot hatches today. The second generation Type R, based on the EP3 chassis, is arguably the finest hot hatch of the past 15 years. Released in 2001 and produced until 2005, this car boasted a high-revving 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine that in European specification produced 200 bhp.

The fantastic thing about the Civic Type R is that it has always been a car best driven on the limit. To really get moving, you have to cane the accelerator and redline the engine. In a world fuelled with turbocharged diesels and petrol’s, the naturally aspirated guts of the Type R offer a natural driving experience and one that quite simply puts a smile on your face. The second-generation Type R was the last great model. When Honda released the third-gen version, based on the FD2 and FN2 chassis, it immediately fell afoul of reviewers. This car was fatter and heavier than the second-gen yet it only had 1 bhp more. It was a less involving driving experience and whilst the car was more practical and technologically capable, it lacked the sparkle of the older model.

Honda lost its mojo.

Now, though, it look as though they have it back and they have a chance to redeem themselves with the fourth generation Civic Type R that is slated for released at the end of this year or early-2015. The fourth-gen Type R will follow in the footsteps of other hot hatches like the Ford Focus ST, Vauxhall Astra GTC VXR, and Renault Megane RS. The Type R will have a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that will produce at least 276 bhp and over 230 lb /ft of torque – that’s considerably more than any other Type R produced.

Vertu Honda believe Honda is on the right track “Turbocharged petrol engines offer fantastic real-world appeal and are much more engaging than naturally aspirated one’s. There’s no denying the charm of an old school VTEC, but buyers need to bear in mind that this next-generation model will be more economical than ever before, much faster, but just as reliable.”

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/85808564/

Every prospective car buyer is always faced with an age old question: should you buy new or used? Consumers have varying preferences and budgets that it’s pretty much impossible to have a definitive answer that will suit everybody. Buying new or used vehicles have their respective advantages so here’s a list of differences that will hopefully lead you to make a more informed choice before purchasing your next car.

New

You Won’t Have to Do as Much Work Opting for a used car takes a lot more research and inquiry than going for a new one. It involves countless hours spent online looking for the best deals, paying visits to various private sellers, and dropping by numerous used vehicle lots to inspect the vehicles as you can never be too sure about the condition of used vehicles. With a brand new car, all you need to do is to seek the services of trusted dealerships such as DVG where you benefit from having a sales representative providing you with as much information as you need.

No History Whatsoever With a brand new vehicle, you won’t have to worry about its history—whether it was appropriately cared for by its previous owners, the number of trips it made to the repair shop, or if it has some sort of problem that can’t be immediately observed.  Even though plenty of used car retailers and private sellers normally provide documentation of an automobile’s history; you can never be 100% sure that certain mishaps may be left out of the records. Simply put, you’ll be spending on peace of mind as well by going for a new ride.

Warranty With a new car, you can always be assured that if anything goes wrong in the early parts of your ownership, you can always rely on the manufacturer’s warranty. With used cars, having a warranty that’s still valid can sometimes be a rare luxury.

Features If you’re the type who regularly upgrades your phones to keep up with the most up-to-date technology, then you’ll perhaps have the same mindset when it comes to automobiles. New vehicles naturally come with the latest in automotive technology, allowing you to enjoy the benefits the cutting-edge comfort, efficiency, and safety features.

Used

Price This is obviously the main reason why used vehicles are attractive to a large number of people.  A new car depreciates as soon as it leaves the dealership (this isn’t the case with a used automobile). Furthermore, a new automobile loses nearly half its market value after the first year alone. Thus, by going for used, you won’t be paying for the full price that would be immediately shaved by depreciation anyway. On top of that, if ever you decide to sell a car that you purchased new, it’s almost a guarantee that you won’t be able to recoup your investment on it. That’s not necessarily true when selling used vehicles.

Insurance You’ll be able to save even more on used vehicles because you won’t have to fork out as much cash for insurance. The cheaper and older your ride is, the less that you’d have to pay for its coverage. Here’s a handy site to help you determine how much you’ll be spending on insurance for a particular make and model. Hopefully, the points above will come in handy should you ever consider buying a new or used vehicle. Whether you’re buying brand new or used, be sure to be as diligent as possible when you research your purchase.

This post was made in collaboration with DVG

Renault KWID

If you are a regular reader of BestSellingCarsBlog, you will know by now that India is fast becoming a very important market for Renault. Sales of the French manufacturer were up a whopping 83% in 2013 in the country to 64,368 units doubling its market share from one year to another mostly because of the success of the Duster SUV. So it didn’t really come as a surprise to see that Renault just unveiled a multi-purpose, concept vehicle for the Indian market at the Dehli Auto Expo: the Renault KWID. With chunky wheels and a robust design, the KWID gives the appearance of an off-roader in spite of its two-wheel drive transmission. A little bit like the super successful Duster…

What did come as a surprise was that the Renault KWID comes with what the company is calling the Flying Companion, a drone that can be controlled by a tablet mounted on the car’s dash. I’ll ask this first and we’ll talk about this later, but if the drone crashes, this expensive equipment may need cover just like your car will, thankfully companies like Express Insurance offer gadget Insurance and if this drone technology was to fly off, do not be surprised to see this as an insurance option!

Renault KWID

The drone, the company said, has two modes of operation: the manual mode, where a passenger (hopefully) can remote-control the drone, and a pre-programmed flying sequence using GPS location. “The Flying Companion can be used for a variety of purposes, including scouting traffic, taking landscape pictures and detecting obstacles on the road ahead,” Renault said.

The drone would be taking off from the rotating rear portion of the off-road vehicle’s roof. And I have to say as far as I am concerned, this is a case of ‘why did no one else think of this before?’ Drones have made headlines for a few years now, first in war environment, then in the gossip magazines as they were used (illegally?) by paparazzo to take pictures of Paris Hilton’s ‘private’ party in St Tropez. So to get a drone with your car only seems like a logical progression. Well… Yes but no.

Scouting traffic, taking landscape pictures and detecting obstacles on the road ahead? Surely the car itself can do that and you’d hope that the driver and passenger would want to stop and enjoy the landscape themselves before they can take pictures. But pictures from afar of the car while you’re driving it with a big smile, heck a little wave to the camera? Now you’re talking.

But fast-forward 10 years and all cars come with a drone. Say. Would they be able to communicate with each other so they don’t crash at every intersection? Or will the drone learn and stay close to the car, a little bit like a ‘guardian angel’ floating above your vehicle and warning you of any dangers you could not see from your driving position? A drone as a guardian angel. I think I like the idea.

Renault KWID

This is not where the Renault KWID’s little quirks stop. The inside of the car is rather unconventional. The driver is seated in the centre rather than one side of the vehicle, with room for one passenger on either side. The driver’s seat is pushed forward for better arm and shoulder room. This arrangement, Renault said, meets international driving demands, able to be driven in both left- and right-handed driving conditions. The rear seat has enough space for two passengers.

The interior design is inspired by a snug bird’s nest. The solid white seats are wrapped in a net-like elastomer material that provides cushioning, and rear air conditioning provides coolness in warm climates. Meanwhile, two wing doors keep the size down. Interestingly, the KWID is also Z.E ready, which means it provides a platform to receive batteries for electric use, and comes with a charging plug behind the main Renault logo in the front grille. Powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine, the compact off-road concept is paired to dual-clutch transmission for low fuel-consumption. Finally, the vertically-mounted TFT touchscreen display acts as the dashboard and also provides access to connected services.

Next month, the Sydney Motorsport Park is to be taken over by bawdy British humour and the sound of crunching wheels as the Top Gear Sydney Festival returns to the city. Conducting a consort of steal-on-wheels and motor-minded celebs, last year Jeremey Clarkson hosted the first ever Top Gear Sydney Festival, which was a roaring success, attracting over 40 000 petrol-heads to the park.

Despite Clarkson’s vow never to return to Australia – cried out after being chased by paparazzi down the city quay-side – the controversial presenter is returning to host the festival with James May and The Stig, alongside Aussies Shane Jacobson and Steve Pizatti.

The festival, taking place on the 8th and 9th March, will showcase the best of British and Australian cars, as well as the eccentricities and daring that fans of the show have come to expect. Last year the festival-goers were treated to Red Bull F1 racers Mark Webber, Jamie Whincup and Casey Stoner squaring-off in the Aussie Speed Showdown, a race between Clarkson in a Nissan GTR and the Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke, and the infamous Car vs Plane race.

What to look forward to

Much of the 2014 festival is still under wraps, but organisers are promising that it is to be bigger and bolder than last year. As on the show, the festival will give fans the chance to watch daredevils push motors to their limits, show off their skills on four-wheels, and write-off vehicles in the most flamboyant manner possible.

The most exciting fixture this year looks to be the appearance of Daniel Ricciardo, the former Aussie Formula 1 driver who will be taking a spin of the lap in his Infiniti Red Bull. There will also be a celebration of racing icon Ayrton Senna featuring the MP4/4 that he raced in the 1968 Formula One World Championships. Also billed is the ambiguous Toyota Landcruiser Challenge and the Subaru WRX Experience.

Like last year, there will be helicopters offering joyrides and transfers to the festival for visitors from afar. For those wanting to keep wheels on the road, there are limousine services available between the city and airport which can be booked here. At the festival, when taking a breather from the fumes and adrenalin, you can look into the Top Gear VIP Terrace, a new feature this year, offering a birds-eye view of the festival and access to the Pit Lane rooftop.

Graham Smith Graham is a Brit living Down Under, fuelling his passion for thrills with dirt track racing and mountain biking in Lysterfield Park

VW Golf

This post is brought to you by AA cars.

UK car magazine What Car? recently announced their 2013 choices for the best used cars in the country. In the Small Cars category, the 2007 Vauxhall Corsa wins in the under £5000 category while the 2010 Audi A1 wins the over £5000 segment. This will end up being Vauxhall’s only model win this year, but not the brand’s only win overall… More on this shortly. One notch up, the 2010 VW Golf is the overall winner in the family car category, with the 2007 Ford Focus taking home the under £6000 category. The Focus doubles up, winning the under £6000 Estate car category but leaving the overall Estate car crown to the 2009 Mazda 6.

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

As far as MPVs are concerned, Ford shines once again, with the 2009 S-Max taking home the overall category while the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso dominating the under £6000 MPV category. Regarding SUVs, What Car has chosen the locally produced 2007 Nissan Qashqai, with the 2010 Hyundai ix35 winning the over £8000 SUV category. BMW and Jaguar top the executive and luxury category, with the 2007 3 Series winning the overall title and the 2009 XF taking home the over £10000 category. Finally, when fun cars are involved, What Car advises to choose the 2009 Renault Clio RenaultSport as the overall winner, while the 2009 Porsche Boxster tops the over £10000 category.

Renault Clio RenaultSport

All in all, What Car decided to give the manufacturer award to Vauxhall. The criteria for this category is to “recognise a carmaker committed to making the buying process as easy as possible, while offering a choice of cars at sensible prices”. According to What Car, Vauxhall offered all of the above, starting with its impressive model range: The Corsa, Astra, Insignia and Zafira sell in huge numbers as new cars, which means there are loads around. They also depreciate quickly, which is just what used buyers want. The overall model winner is not a Vauxhall though: it’s the 2010 VW Golf!

Discover a wide range of used cars at AA cars.

Need for Speed

Let’s change the subject a little today and have a look at the best-selling car video games of all time, based on Wikipedia figures. Are you into racing video games? Which ones do you prefer? What do you think of this list? Do you agree? Do you think some of these games are over-rated? Do you have faves that are not on the list? Share your point of view with BSCB’s readers by commenting on this article. You can also check out other video games from this source.

1. Grand Theft Auto: 150 million copies

First launched in October 1997, Grand Theft Auto is an open world action-adventure video game series including 10 stand-alone games and 2 expansion packs for the original game and 2 for the 9th. It is the most successful video game the United Kingdom has ever produced, and the video game that has grossed the most amount of money on its first day of release ever: Grand Theft Auto V banked over $1 billion in sales thanks to 15 million units sold within 24 hours of launch!

2. Need for Speed: 150 million copies

Launched in December 1994, Need for Speed is a series of racing video games published by Electronic Arts, and has been developed by multiple companies in the past such as Criterion Games and currently Ghost Games with the games being released on multiple platforms.

3. Mario Kart: 80 million copies

Unveiled in August 1992, Mario Kart is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed and published by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from their trademark Super Mario series of adventure-style video games. The series has spawned seven main games and three arcade games.

Gran Turismo 6

4. Gran Turismo: 70 million copies

Originally launched fore Christmas 1997, Gran Turismo, Italian for “Grand Tourer” or “Grand Touring”, abbreviated GT, is a series of racing video games produced by Kazunori Yamauchi for the Sony PlayStation gaming systems by Polyphony Digital.

5. Driver: 18 million copies

Launched in June 1999, Driver is a series of mission-based driving video games for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Mobile Phone and PC. Developed byReflections Interactive in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, it was originally published by GT Interactive, later by Atari, and currently by Ubisoft.

Burnout Revenge

6. Burnout: 15 million copies

Launched in November 2001, Burnout is a series of high-speed racing games for game consoles. The game series was developed by Criterion Games, published by Acclaim and later Electronic Arts.

7. Colin McRae Rally: 10 million copies

Launched in 1998, Colin McRae Rally is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters. The series is named after the late World Rally Championship driver Colin McRae, who provided technical advice during development.

8. EA Sports NASCAR Series: 9 million copies

EA Sports NASCAR series was a series of NASCAR video games published by EA Sports. The series began with NASCAR 98 and NASCAR 99 in 1997 and 1998 respectively. EA Sports then released NASCAR Thunder 2002 in 2001, and ever since then, Jeff Gordon (2002), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (2003), and Tony Stewart (2004) were on the cover. AfterNASCAR Kart Racing was released in 2009 for Wii, EA’s contract with NASCAR expired.

9. Cars: 8 million copies

Cars is a video game based on the Disney/Pixarfilm, Cars, serving as a non-canon sequel to it. The video game was released on 6th June 2006, only 3 days before the movie’s US release. The movie ended up grossing $244 million in the US and $462 million worldwide, making it one of the less successful Pixarfilm movies launched. Its sequel, Cars 2, was released in June 2011 and grossed $191 million in the US but $560 million worldwide, a 21% improvement on the first iteration which is a very rare feat in Hollywood.

10. Project Gotham Racing: 7 million copies

Project Gotham Racing is a franchise of racing video games developed by Bizarre Creations and is published by Microsoft Game Studios. This series is exclusive to the Xbox andXbox 360 consoles only. This series of racing games consists of 4 games so far.

Even though they are heaps of fun, purchasing each and every new iteration of these video games will set you back thousands of dollars! So why not checking out these free games?

Source: Wikipedia

Honda Civic Tourer

Since the Honda Civic was launched back in 1972, worldwide sales have reached more than 16,500,000, and with the new Tourer set to arrive in UK dealerships soon, that figure is expected to rise considerably. The latest edition to the beloved Civic range, the Tourer proved extremely popular when it was débuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Combining sleek, sporty looks with practicalities like plenty of space, it builds on the existing features of the award-winning Civic hatchback with a new, more sophisticated appearance.

So what is it about the Honda Civic Tourer that could make it a best-seller? With the compact estate market growing steadily, it made sense for Honda to add a wagon body style to the Civic range; but it’s got a lot more going for it than that.

Space One of the biggest selling points of the Civic Tourer is that there is a massive 624 litres of space with the rear seats folded up, and when the back seats are folded back flat, the huge boot expands to allow for 1,668 litres of storage.

Design To balance out all of that practicality, the Honda Civic Tourer has an aerodynamic body and a low, wide stance to give it a sporty look, and in comparison to the Skoda Octavia estate and Volkswagen Golf estate, it’s far more interesting to look at than its rivals.

Comfort As well as being extremely comfortable, there are three driving modes to choose from, so if you find the steering too light and responsive in the Comfort and Normal modes, you can switch to Dynamic to add some artificial weighting. A world first, the Active Damper System adjusts the rear suspension damping based on the car’s load, meaning that overall, it’s a calm, smooth drive, especially with the diesel, which is expected to make up 80% of Tourer sales.

Specs Whether you go for the 118bhp 1.6 i-DTEC turbodiesel engine or the 140bhp i-VTEC petrol engine, you’ll be getting a slick, six-speed manual gearbox, though there’s also the option of a five-speed torque converter with the petrol car. Although the diesel is around £1,000 more expensive, it’s 60% more fuel-efficient and emits less CO2, so it can save you money in the long-run. With the entry-level S, you’ll get digital radio, Bluetooth and 16-inch alloys, and for another £1,600 the SE Plus brings 17 inch alloys and parking sensors. With orders for the new Honda Civic Tourer currently being taken, only time will be able to tell how the figures are shaping up, but considering Civic compact sales grew by almost 6% to 336,180 in the United States last year, Honda’s growth is expected to be significant, as it was a combination of the Civic, the Accord and the CVR which made up nearly half of all Honda sales in America in 2013 (not including the Acura luxury brand).

Vauxhall Adam Slam interior

When you think of luxury interiors, your thoughts might turn to Rolls Royce, Jaguar, or perhaps to James Bond’s well-equipped Aston Martin. But there are plenty of more affordable, practical cars that offer a comfortable and enjoyable experience for driver and passengers alike.

Creature comforts

Everyone is different, and so everyone has different criteria for what constitutes a great interior. Taller drivers appreciate lots of leg room, as well as head room. If you find yourself acting as a chauffeur for groups of friends, you’ll want enough space in the back to accommodate three adults comfortably, and ideally a proper belt in the middle of the back seat, not just a waist strap. For a small car with a surprisingly spacious interior, try the MINI Cooper or the Mazda5.

For older drivers and those with physical problems, the height of luxury might be a car that is easy to enter and exit without effort or pain. The Suzuki Splash and Honda Jazz fit the bill, as do Ford’s B-Max and larger C-Max people carrier.

However, everyone can agree on the comfort of soft seating, upholstered in classic leather or more modern fabrics. Heated seats make things even cosier, especially when these can be independently controlled by each occupant.

Go go gadget

For technophiles, there can be nothing better than a car fully loaded with gadgets. Why bother with plugging in your sat-nav every journey, when many modern cars, from the BMW 3 Series to the Ford Fiesta, have one built in?

Screens on the backs of the front seats which can play DVDs or computer games are ideal for keeping children, not to mention adults, quiet in the back, especially if they can be controlled separately so passengers have a choice of entertainment. Aftermarket kits are available, but they’re available as an option on Audi’s SQ5 and many other cars.

Green machines

Electric cars and other new, environmentally friendly designs often pride themselves on having a futuristic look, bristling with innovative features. This extends to the inside of the car as well as the exterior. Vauxhall’s Ampera boasts a high definition display screen, reversing camera, and keyless entry. The Renault Zoe also has a smart display with a touchscreen, although most of the interior is identical to the Clio’s.

Small but perfectly formed

The best cars for cheap learner driver insurance tend to be smaller, with a lower powered engine. There are still a decent number of cars in this class offering a luxurious travel experience, however. Try the MINI Cooper with its huge central speedometer, or the new Fiat 500 with its gorgeous, colour-matched retro interior.

It’s the little things

Sometimes, it’s the smallest details that give the most pleasure. The Vauxhall ADAM, winner of the award for best interior design in a production car at the Automotive Interiors Expo 2013, features a host of configurable options, from the colour of the trim and steering-wheel to the shape of the pedals. You can even pick multi-coloured interior lighting. Necessary? No. Fun? You bet.