Brisbane Car Brokers Blog

Eco Car Magazine – “Car of the Year 2010″.

The Hyundai I20 was conceived and styled in Russellsheim, Germany, giving this highly acclaimed vehicle it’s European looks & style.

The Hyundai I20 comes in three models – Active, Elite and Premium. All have a bunch of features, including air-conditioning in the glove box – for keeping your make-up or chocolates cool and fresh. For assistance with parking in those tight spots, the I20 comes with electric folding mirrors (when reversing), along with a full spare wheel and for added safety, ABS, EBD, ESC and dual airbags as standard.

Fuel economy is misery at 6.0L/100km (manual) or 6.4L/100km (automatic) for combined driving. The Hyundai I20 is a great replacement for the Getz, which is being phased out over the next twelve months.

Sale of the Hyundai I20 in the European market has gone gangbusters to the point where they have built another factory, simply to keep up with demand. This cool-looking hatch with one of the best warranties available, will be a winner on all fronts.

If you want to know more, contact Brisbane Car Brokers today. We will give you our best price up-front – No need to haggle with car yards!!

Zoom Zoom………. The New 2010 Mazda 3 Diesel is here!

The New Mazda has the edge over it’s Japanese rivals. The New 2.2 Litre Turbo Diesel is actually at the front of the European C-segment in power and torque. The diesel motor is Euro 4 compliant and the fuel economy is rated at 5.7L/100km (combined cycle).

It has excellent all-round visibility, with narrow A-pillars to provide a wider field of forward vision. Combine this with active front head restraints and six airbags and you have a complete safety package.

Zoom Zoom to Brisbane Car Brokers to get the best new & used Mazda 3 deal available. You will be surprised at the great price we can achieve for you!

Of current times, vehicle owners are trying to save money and look after the environment at the same time. As a part-time grey-haired nomad, Martin Corbett, Managing Director of Brisbane Car Brokers, thought he’d put pen to paper to let everybody know about a system he has personally investigated and recommended to his clients on several occasions.

• Diesel/LPG Conversion.

Injecting LPG into a diesel engine has been a practised idea since Adam was a boy. The main problem was that this delivery system was as old as the hills. But, as history has shown us progressively, technology has advanced significantly.

There are at least two systems Martin knows of that work fantastically. The first one incorporates a venturi, which is plumbed into the air intake line just before the turbo. The LPG is fed via a gas converter and througha computer-controlled stepper motor.

The second is a more up-to-date system that utilises sequential vapour injection, again computer-controlled. Both of the mentioned systems work on approximately 1/3 LPG mixed with 2/3 diesel.

By utilising these systems, the subsequent advantage for the environment is as follows; LPG injected into a diesel engine means that 95-98% diesel is burned and converted to energy, as compared to only a 70-80% conversion on a standard diesel engine. This near-total burn increases the power of the engine and improves the fuel consumption by at least 1/3. It also keeps the oil cleaner and omits less soot over time.

If you would like more information, check out www.dieselgasaustralia.com.au . This handy website explains the above-mentioned technologies, giving details and examples. Alternatively, Brisbane Car Brokers have previously used and highly recommend that you contact 1st Stop Mechanical & LPG in Darra, for all of your LPG enquiries and diversions.

If you want a tough on/off road utility, then look no further than Australia’s highest selling pick-up truck – the Toyota Hilux.

The new Toyota Hilux looks great and boasts powerful and class leading performance.

The Hilux is well-specced, well priced, drives fantastically and there is one to suit just about every purpose – for either work or recreational use.

There are fourteen 4×2 model variants and sixteen 4×4 model variants to choose from. There is also 4 engines choices – 4cyl 2.7L,  V6 4.0L Petrol, 3.0L Turbo Diesel or the thumping Supercharged V6 4.0L that boasts around 25% more power and an impressive fuel economy of 12.9L/100km.

The Hilux interior is one of comfort and security. The premium safety features include ABS, dual airbags, anti-intrusion beams and seatbelt pre-tensioner – to name just a few on offer.

If you are interested in a Hilux, talk to Brisbane Car Brokers about finding the best New or Used deal available – you might be surprised to find what a great price we can achieve for you!

Hyundai has built what is probably it’s best-looking small car to date : The I30.

And it is more than just good looks. The Hyundai I30 has all of the safety and comfort features you would expect of an expensive European car, with out the $30k+ price tag. It is now on par with the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3, matching and often exceeding it’s rivals in terms of standard equipment, engine output, fuel efficiency, ride and handling.

In fact, where efficiency is concerned, the I30 (when equipped with the smooth 1.6L turbo diesel) has efficiency similar to an expensive hybrid car – and the turbo diesel I30 CRDI has plenty of power!

For those who prefer petrol over diesel, the I30 is also available with a zippy 2.0L petrol engine.

Every model in the I30 range for 2010 has the ANCAPS highest safety rating (5 Star), with active stability control and 6 airbags (including window airbags protecting front and rear passengers).

This is a nice, solid-feeling car. Before you even drive it you can feel that the quality is higher than many cars in this price range – the doors close with a firm thump and the controls all work nicely. It has a quiet, comfortable ride and a decent, roomy interior with some great extras such as the USB/iPod-compatible stereo.

To top it off, the I30 comes with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty – beating most competitors hands-down.

What more could today’s value-seeking car buyers want? It is an incredible package that the competitors can’t really beat right now. It’s no wonder the I30 is one of our top-selling cars – In fact, we’ve been selling these to our families and friends!

5 to 10 years ago, small car buyers looked at the Hyundai brand with caution. Some people were under the impression that “Korean cars are cheap for a reason”. Over the past few years, Hyundai have been releasing consistently better vehicles, and the new I30 helps place Hyundai as a serious competitor with the top import and Australian car makers in terms of features, quality and value.

If you are interested in an I30, talk to us about finding the best deal available – you might be surprised to find this great car at such a great price.

In today’s economic environment, more used car buyers are searching the local newspapers or the internet to find and purchase their next used car. Private car sales can save you money, but there are also more risks involved.

Here are some tips for you to consider before you decide to hand over your hard earned money -

1. Arrange an inspection by an independent Qld Transport Authorised Inspection Station (they are regulated to ensure the used car is roadworthy) – there is no warranty with private sales!!
2. All used cars being advertised with registration MUST have a Safety Certificate displayed at the the time of inspection. Don’t accept seller stories that they will do it after you leave a deposit (this is an illegal practice).
3. Check that the seller’s name (on their Driver’s License) matches the name on the registration papers to confirm that they own the car (prevents fraud).
4. Ask the seller for a REVS certificate to show that there is no financial encumbrance on the used car.

Another suggestion before paying for the used car is to contact Qld Transport and pay for a Written Off Vehicle Repairable (WOVR) report. This is to ensure that the used car has not been classified by the insurance companies as “Written Off Repairable”. This happens after floods and/or after car accidents where the insurance companies find it more economical to pay their clients out rather than repair the damaged car. The insurance companies then auction the damaged cars to the public and trade knowing they will be repaired and re-sold, especially late model cars (new car warranty is normally void on these cars).

Buying a car from a Car Broker (who must have a Motor Dealer’s License), gives you the greatest protection. The licensed Car Brokers are regulated by state laws and must give certain guarantees that do not apply to private sellers, including warranty.

For further information, go to www.brisbanecarbrokers.com.au for that peace of mind buying.

With Christmas just around the corner, families are thinking and planning what to do and where to go.

At this time of the year we start receiving telephone enquiries from people thinking about towing boats, camper trailers and caravans.  Most callers want to upgrade their current used car, but the problem is that they have not decided what they are going to have to tow, therefore they do not know what the weight, length or height of the towed vehicle is.  I advise these people to research and make a decision on what they are going to tow, and then we can discuss the new or used car.  Why purchase a new or used car that has a recommended towing capacity of 2 tonne to tow a caravan that has an ATM of 2.4 tonne?

The first thing that you need to consider is that in 1998, national regulations for vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of less than 4,500kg was introduced.  It basically states that either the maximum capacity of the towing apparatus (tow bar or hitch) or the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations on maximum towing mass (i.e fully loaded caravan)apply – whichever is the lesser.  This applies because some new or used cars vehicles can have various rated tow bars/hitch’s fitted.

Most vehicle manufacturers specify maximum towing mass and maximum ball weight.  The ideal weight for this is considered to be about 10% of the fully loaded weight of the towed vehicle.  It is important to know that some new or used cars, mostly those imported from Europe or Japan, sometimes have a stated maximum ball weight that is considerably less than 10% of the maximum towing mass.

After deciding what trailer/caravan to buy, then you have to consider whether you tow it with a sedan or a 4WD?  If you are venturing off-road, then the decision is easy – a 4WD. If not, then a modern 2WD sedan is just as capable of towing a caravan or camper trailer.  You must remember that you cannot exceed the manufacturers towing recommendations.

The next question is whether to purchase a manual or automatic?  This is often a personal preference, but some manufacturers recommend an automatic transmission for towing larger vans/trailers.  The main advantage is that it allows the driver to concentrate on the road conditions without having to worry about what gear they should be using.  Some manufacturers will recommend an extra oil cooler to be fitted to an automatic vehicle also.  The benefits of a manual gearbox is that it makes the uphill and undulating terrain easier to negotiate.

Your used car is worth what someone will pay for it TODAY

We receive requests daily from people wanting to sell their cars and wanting a valuation.

Most people jump on the Internet and go to the Red Book or the Glass’s Guide for an indication. The Glass’s Guide is usually used by finance and insurance companies to establish the market value.

These are historical guides only; all prices are based on what has happened in the past and on the average price Australia wide. Therefore, what a used car is worth in Brisbane will be different to Perth. The funny thing about these guides is, if you look at a certain used car value in both guides, you will find that both have different values.

These guides also don’t reflect the current market trends. With the price of fuel going through the roof, all large V8 prices have dropped substantially. This has also affected the pricing of 4WD petrol and diesel variants.

Small, automatic, 4 cylinder cars are holding their prices far better than 12 months ago – some makes are more expensive 1 year old than they are brand new. These days you really have to do your homework!

If you ask NRMA, RACV or RACQ for a value, they will give you whichever book value they have. Ask you mechanic and he will suggest what’s best for him to work on,  not what’s best for you.

The best way to sell your car is privately. But remember, you must be cheaper than the dealers because they spend money preparing the car, and by law, must give warranties – which as a private seller, you do not need to provide.

People looking at buying privately; remember that the person trying to sell their pride and joy will inflate their pricing to allow negotiation. You will receive no warranty and remember to always ask for a REVS Certificate to ensure there is no financial burden on the car. Remember that buying privately is like buying from the auctions – “Buyer Beware”. You purchase the used car as is – All shine & warts!