While manufacturers have experimented with seating arrangements, the tried and tested two-three-two method seems to have won through as the preferred format. Fiat famously tried three-in-the-front on its quirky Multipla and while the model sold well, the idea was never adopted by the industry on a mass scale, or indeed by Fiat itself. In today’s age of sky high fuel prices and increasing road tax, people carriers are becoming more and more expensive to run.

Considering this, you need a really good reason to own a people carrier in this fragile economy;

Here are a few:

1. Ferrying the Kids Around

Nine out of Ten times, people carriers are purchased by people with lots of kids. There’s a good reason for this; they’re ideal for ferrying them (and their mates) back and forth from swimming, scouts, guitar lessons, football practice or whatever else it is your kids do.

1. Long Journeys

We all know that feeling of cabin fever associated with long drawn out journeys in a normal saloon or estate car. In comparison, lengthy commutes in a people carrier are a relative pleasure since there is plenty of room to stretch your legs.

1. Moving House

Sure you wont be able to fit your oak dinning table or cast iron king-sized bed in the back of your Grand Voyager, but you can fold the seats down and take your most treasured possessions that you don’t want those careless removal-men to take a chunk out of

1. Car Boot Sales

What better way to set out your stool than to have what is tantamount to a vast stock room behind your shop-front?! As you sell old china mugs and boxes of VHS films, simply replenish your market stand with more goods from the back of your people carrier!

1. DIY

Refurbishing your house? Need some new beams for the ceiling, there’s no way you can move them around in your car without making it look like something out of Whacky Racers and probably breaking the law, a people carrier on the other hand would have no problem, providing you fold the seats down!

Joe is a People carrier enthusiast who currently works for a company specialsing in New Ford Fiesta deals

The first step to getting a car warranty online is to carry out research on the available online car warranty companies. Once you identify at least three companies, before you even ask for a quotation, take the time and read their reviews and testimonials. You can also look at the company’s website and see how it looks. For instance, is it well organized with a good layout? Are there open communication lines between clients and the company? Are there any testimonials posted on the site? Also, find out how long the company has been in operation. If possible, stay away from companies that have just been established and have no track record. If you find that the company’s website is not well maintained or updated, this may not be a good sign either, so avoid such companies.

Once you are certain about the reputation of the companies that you selected, try and find out the types of warranties they have and what they entail. Find the warranty that matches your requirements and then ask for a quote. Compare the quotes from other companies to get the price that you are most comfortable with.

Remember, when getting a car warranty online; don’t base your decision entirely on the price. It is better to make a decision based on the warranty and the terms and conditions set by the company. Look at what incentives the company offers. For instance, some companies offer free roadside assistance for all their members. Other good companies allow you to take your car to any repair facility as opposed to specific predetermined facilities that may be far from where you are. If you use your car often for work or other reasons, go for a car warranty company that will offer you a replacement car whenever your car has to be at a repair facility for a couple of days. Some companies will pay for your car rental during the repair period. Consider all these factors instead of just going for the company that offers you the lowest quote. You may pay less money but then end up regretting your decision later.

Another tip that may help you when getting a car warranty online is to always go for a company that offers a money back guarantee. This will protect you if you make the wrong selection when getting your warranty. Some companies will offer you a full refund of your payments if you terminate your contract between 21-30 days due to dissatisfaction with the services offered. Ensure that you visit the company offices in person before making any payments, armed with the online quote that you received. Ensure that you get a good binding warranty on the company’s official letterhead. In addition, it should rubber stamped or signed by the company’s representative. It is not advisable to rely on the downloaded warranty since it may be outdated or the company may refuse to acknowledge it for one or more reasons.

Jon is a writer for www.ExtendedCarWarrantys.com where you can find more helpful tips for getting a good auto warranty online and protect yourself from expensive bills at the repair shop.

An extended warranty is not like most other services whereby you select the service with the lowest price only. Although price may be a factor in choosing the right extended warranty for your car, it should not the only consideration.

A good extended warranty car cover is determined based on how best it shields you from the costs of repairs and maintenance. A cheap warranty that excludes coverage for most causes of breakdown and repairs is not good for you, although it may not cost you much. A fairly expensive warranty that covers all the possible causes of breakdowns and repairs for your car may be better for you.

The balance between reasonable warranty coverage and fair warranty price is the norm here and the following are some tips on how you can buy extended warranty at the right price.

First, look for a good warranty company. Not all warranty companies qualify to be termed or categorized as good. Do not look only for the company which is established or large, but look for a company that will discuss with you what sort and extent of cover you need for your car. Do not rely entirely on the information posted on the company’s website, as you do not know the honesty and integrity of the author.

Visit your nearest independent business advisor like BBB for more information on warranty companies. Select that warranty company which has a good history and profile of settling claims promptly and efficiently. A company ranked ‘F’ in this aspect by BBB is not a good choice for you.

Secondly, do not just consider the warranty options from a single warranty company. Since you want purchase a good – if not the best – warranty for your car at a fair price, compare warranties from different companies.

Thirdly, if you purchase a brand new car, it is advisable and good to buy an extended warranty only after the expiry of the manufacturer’s bumper-to-bumper warranty. The bumper-to-bumper warranty provided by the manufacturer covers your car for between 1 and 3 years and purchasing an extended warranty during this period is just incurring unnecessary costs.

During the period of bumper-to-bumper warranty from the manufacturer, you can learn all that is required of your car and you can decide to retain it for longer or to sell it immediately after the expiry of such a warranty. If, based on your study, it is a good car for you, then you need to purchase an extended warranty; if it is not, then there is no need to purchase a warranty.

If, during the bumper-to-bumper warranty period, the car had no frequent breakdowns or need for repairs, then it would be expected to continue as such for some period of time, if maintained well.

Warranty companies will also charge less if the car did not have frequent break downs and repairs during the bumper-to-bumper warranty period, and you may provide them with such a report so as to negotiate a fair price with them.

Jon is a writer for www.extendedcarwarantys.com, where you can other helpful tips on auto warranties and cars in general.

The only exception is that a new car has absolutely no mileage on it. This brings up the issue of how to best run in a new car. New ones need to be treated gently. Some people think that because it’s new, they can treat it haphazardly because it’s so strong, having just come from the factory.

But the opposite is really true. While used cars have already been run in at the beginning of their life cycle, new cars have not. One of the best ways to break in a new car is to let it idle at least five minutes before driving it away.

This will allow all the major systems such as the cooling and brake systems to fully warm up. Just like an athlete needs to warm up before he competes at full pace, so does a new car. Very little has been broken in yet, even if some testing was indeed done at the manufacturer’s factory.

Another tip is to never go over 55 miles per hour for the first 3,000 miles. Keeping the speed at this pace helps all of the many parts operate better. It allows the car to get used all the internal mechanical complexities of functioning.

By doing this, a car’s engine, transmission, differential, and other major parts will last you much longer. Getting regular oil changes will help assure the longevity of your new car as well. On a used car, manufacturers and auto mechanics recommend changing the oil and filter every 3,000 miles.

But on a new car, the oil should be changed every 1,000 miles for the first 5,000 miles. This is so because a new engine collects a lot of new dirt and grease and other contaminants until its run in adequately. The frequent oil change intervals help ensure that the most expensive part of the car, the engine, will become very durable.

The average new car is kept nine years. That doesn’t mean how long it lasts, but rather how long it’s owned by the initial buyer/owner. But for a new car to last even longer, it’s important to keep an eye out on other major systems. This includes the cooling system and entire transmission system.

Coolant and transmission fluid should be changed after the first 10,000 miles to ensure the longest lasting, best performing car possible.

Tony writes articles on personal finance, the insurance market, motoring and home improvement.

UPDATE

It seems that Fiat are not giving cash but are taking an equity share in return for providing technology to Chrysler. That makes more sense. It will be interesting to see how Americans react to Fiat, after a 25 year gap.

Pack a roll of toilet paper or enough wipes just in case a side of the road stop is necessary.

Bring nappy bags just in case you find out if your child/ren get car sickness.

Pack a bag of your child’s favourite toys. Preferably not hard objects just in case they throw them (speaking from experience here).

Baby Car Organisesr are great so you don’t have to keep reaching behind you to get things.  Like this one  or  this one.

Portable DVD player is essential (remembering spare batteries). Multiple units if there is more than one child or you can get the ones with multiple screens.

Portable game consoles for older children.

Selection of your child’s favourite music to sign along too. Either on the car’s audio system or an individual audio system with headphones.

Arrange the car trip around the child’s nap time.

Break up the car travel in a day. Don’t try to do a 10 hour stint with child/ren in the car.

Everyone’s favourite driving game – Eye Spy with my little eye, something beginning with…

Apply sun-cream to your children’s faces, arms & legs. Sunshades on the windows if you have them.

And most of all – start the day happy and open minded because you don’t know what that car trip will finish up like when you have kids in the car.

About the Author:
Brona writes for  DriveAway Holidays  and  DriveAway Holidays Blog

Going dieting

It popped in to my mind, as people are saying that GM (Government motors) are going to go in to a deal with Fiat. It can’t be any worse than the wreck the company has been turned in to by poor management and car design, and Fiat have picked up their game a lot in the last few years.

A bit of European finesse and engineering skills could yet save this failing car company.