Showing all posts tagged family car

In cars

5 Ways To Budget For A New Car

Author RosselPosted on 1 Comment

If you’ve ever dreamed of a 7 seat car for your family you know they’re not cheap. This means that you have to plan carefully to ensure that you can pay for it in full or afford a monthly loan payment. What are some tips that you can use to budget for your next vehicle?

family car

Plan On Trading In Your Current Vehicle

Your current vehicle could be worth a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars. The value of the car that you drive now can help you create a plan to purchase your next car. If you have a car that is worth a lot of money at the moment, you may want to plan on buying a car now to take advantage of the excellent trade in value that you car has.

Start Investing Today To Buy Your Car Tomorrow

If you put $10,000 into an investment account today, you can have $11,000 next year. You then invest the money again to create an even larger return on your initial investment. Eventually, you will generate enough interest to be able to make your car payment each month. This allows you to buy a car without having to use any of your savings to pay for it.

Get A Second Job To Save Money For Your Car

It may be a good idea to get a second job to help you pay for your next car. The money that you bring in can be put exclusively toward the cost of your new car without ruining the rest of your budget.

Cut Other Expenses To Free Up Extra Money

You could transfer your credit card balance to a card with a lower interest rate. That alone could save you hundreds of dollars a month. That money can then be used to make a car payment. Getting a roommate to share your apartment can be an easy way to lower expenses as well.

Negotiate A Good Deal On Your Next Car

Whenever you shop for a car, you should pay less than the sticker price. If you have a down payment, you may be able to negotiate an even lower payment each month because the dealer will get more of their money upfront. Since you are doing them a favor, the dealer may be willing to do you a favor by giving you a better deal. If you can cut an extra 10 percent from the cost of the car, you can get your car that much faster.

Budgeting for your next car doesn’t need to be complicated. Investment interest or getting a second job can make it easier to pay for a car while getting a good deal on the price of your car can make it easier to pay for as well. As long as you prepare ahead of time, you should have no problem getting the car you want at a decent price.

Author Bio: Jack has been a mechanic for 10 years and is a complete rev head. He has 5 cars to his name, and his past time hobbies include redoing old cars, travelling, going to car shows and writing blogs about cars.

In family, family adventure

Toyota RAV4: Built for Busy Families

Author RosselPosted on Leave a comment

Looking for a car to drive your growing brood to and from school and just about anywhere in the city? You might want to check out Toyota RAV4 offers from car dealers. Being the first compact crossover SUV, the RAV4 has everything you love about SUVs but has better fuel economy and easier manoeuvrability. Although RAV4 stands for “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive”, it comes in either All Wheel Drive(AWD) or Two Wheel Drive(2WD). Depending on your choice of model, the RAV4 can come with a 2.2L turbo diesel engine, a 2.0L petrol engine, or a 2.5L petrol engine.

Toyota RAV4

It may not be the handsomest of all compact crossovers but the RAV4’s sleek design makes it very aerodynamic. Standard features in all RAV4 models include 17” wheels, LED Daylight Running Lamps, roof rails, cruise control, and electric power steering. All models are also equipped with wrap around 6-speaker audio system, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free mobile calls and audio streaming.

What makes the RAV4 an ideal family car is its spacious interior. It has more than 500 liters of cargo space in the luggage area and plenty of storage spaces throughout the vehicle. Glove compartment, cutouts in the doors, cup holders, and netted pockets on seatbacks all provide extra storage spaces.

Those with babies and toddlers would love that the rear passenger seats can hold two rear facing car seats while still providing those seated in the front ample leg room. Moreover, there’s plenty of space in the cargo area to hold strollers and baby bags with still plenty of room left for groceries and shopping bags. Does your family love to go camping, biking, or hiking together? The RAV4 has roof rails where you can fit accessories to enable you to carry bikes, skis, surfboards or whatever gear on top.

Safety is also a major consideration for family cars. The RAV4 rates high in safety with its extensive range of safety features all tested to be working optimally. All RAV4 models have Anti-skid Braking Systems (ABS), Brake Assist (BA) for emergency braking, Vehicle Stability Control for full steering control even on slippery or uneven roads, Traction Control to minimize wheel-spin, and Rear Parking Sensors. The RAV4 has a rigid body structure that was designed to protect those inside during collisions. It is also equipped with airbags in critical areas including front and side airbags for driver and front passenger and second row curtain shield airbags.

With its spacious interior, extensive safety features, easy manoeuvrability, and better fuel economy, the RAV4 is indeed a great car for the family.

In family adventure

Best Car Entertainment Systems for Kids

Author RosselPosted on Leave a comment

If you’re planning a road trip with the whole family these holidays, there’s one question you’ll be dreading already… “Are we there yet?” Fear not, with the advancements of in-car entertainment systems, the kids will be occupied from when you first leave home to when you pull in at your destination. Here are a couple of the best ways to keep the kids happy throughout your whole road trip.

car entertainment system for kids

Futuris Fully Integrated Car Entertainment System

This tidy package is a fully integrated system which supports multiple formats including MP3, CD, DVD, VCD and external drive video games. Seamlessly utilising your cars sound system, the system employs advanced anti-shock buffer memory and tri-audio technology which ensures top quality sound no matter how tough the trip.

With safety in mind, the system has no protruding or removable parts. It can be fitted in either factory or after-market headrests, and has a remote and wireless headphones. Futuris claim that this is the safest design on the market, and it meets all Australian seat safety standards with ease.

7 inch full adjustable screens and 480 x 234 pixel resolution ensure a clear and vibrant picture every time. The system has a wireless Infra-Red transmitter, 3.5mm auxiliary input jack and a 3.5mm wired headphone jack. There is also the option to have a dual unit, which offers the ability to watch two different movies at the same time as well as the seeing the same movie across both screens if preferred.

Visualogic RoadTrip Universal Dual Headrest DVD System

The Visualogic system similar to the Futuris in that it features two screens within the headrest for the backseat passengers. This is where the similarity ends though, as the RoadTrip system is a far simpler version.

This system is completely independent from the rest of the car audio, and can even be installed in cars without an FM radio. It is easy to install, and be done at home without professional assistance. The 7 inch screen come already mounted, all you have to do is replace your factory headrests with the Visualogic ones. It has a DVD drive and an SD card, as well as an FM transmitter and AV outputs. It comes with wireless headphones and a remote.

While this system is a lot simpler than the Futuris, the video quality is not as clear, and it is not as versatile. The RoadTrip is a great budget option for those who want a simple system to both install and operate.

Alpine PKG-RSE2 Overhead DVD Player

Rather than separate screens within the headrests, some people prefer the sleek look of a drop down DVD player, like the Alpine system featured here. The stunningly crisp 10.2 inch widescreen display ensures startling picture clarity, and has a high brightness function for improved daylight viewing.

A key feature of this Alpine system is the ability to choose to use your complete car stereo for the sound, or alternatively send it through the wireless headphones. This allows your kids to be listening to their favourite movie while you relax up front to your favourite driving music. The remote that is included with the system will also give you control over almost any other Alpine audio device in your car.

A handy pause/play button is placed near the driver, so at any time you can ensure that you have your passenger’s full attention! The Alpine system also includes a video game console connector for when the kids have gone through the family movie collection.

There are car entertainment systems that are great for every family, and every budget. If you’re looking to upgrade your family car, it can pay to look for models which already have these systems installed. Sites such as Cars4Sale Australia  have detailed listings which will allow you to see exactly what’s included in terms of audio and visual entertainment. Whether it’s an interstate adventure or simply a trip to the shops, you won’t regret investing in a great in car entertainment system!

Written by Alex K.

Alex is a motor enthusiast. He has recently bought a Skyline GTT. Alex loves cruising on the seaside roads in the weekend near his home in Noosa, Queensland.

Image Credit:
Digitalart – Free Digital Photos.Net

In family, tips

Things to Consider When Choosing a Family Car

Author RosselPosted on Leave a comment

Buying a car can seem like a daunting task most especially if it is for your family. Aside from a lot of information you need to understand such as processing, down payment, car financing and APR, there are other things you need to consider that are far more important. Remember that you’re not just on your own. The whole family will travel with you most of the time if not everyday.

Safety Features
Safety always comes first. Make sure that there are seatbelts for everyone. If you have toddlers or baby, LATCH ( Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) is an important thing to look at . This improvement is now an standardized system for carseat safety and convenience. Be certain that your child’s carseat can be properly installed with LATCH. Air bags are also to be considered. It will reduce the impact and injuries if ever accidents happen.

Number of Family Members
You may have one child for now but soon your family will grow. Make sure that there will be enough seat for everyone and space for other important things you’ll need. Travelling on a jam-packed car is so uncomfortable and can give you body aches. You might also want to consider a car with few extra seats for extended family members and friends.

Roof Bars/Racks
Now that you have a family, you’ll be crazy over vacation for sure so you’ll need more than just a snowboard rack. You’ll need roof bars for your luggages, tents and your children’s bike. 🙂

Extras
You might want a car with television screen and DVD players. This is to keep your kids entertained during long trips. I don’t usually encourage television for kids but a long car ride is not fun.

Back seat organizer is also a good option to hold essentials such as your kids’ favorite toys, coloring books, crayons, etc., so everything would be in arm’s reach. It also protects seats back from kicking.

Now that you got ideas what to buy, what are you waiting for? Visit the nearest car dealer in your area and have fun travelling with your family.