The Best Car Finance Blog In The World

Guess which is the most expensive toll road in the world? I’ll give you a little clue – it’s the M6. Correct, the M6 relief road which charges drivers £5 each way is indeed the most expensive in the world. Now I must say I have been on it and for the cost of a fiver it’s a dream to drive on especially as you just know that cars are moving at about 2 miles per hour on the main M6 whilst I’m cruising at, um, 70mph. The Read more »

Now here’s a funny story! There has been a lot of  criticism over the way that companies encourage their staff to use their own car (known as the grey fleet) for business use. There are many health and safety implications but the criticism has been aimed at companies that don’t vet the vehicles that are being used and are taking a cavalier attitude towards the environment and the way that they are happy for their Read more »

Vehicle tracking is often seen as a bad thing by drivers who have them fitted in their vehicles as they tell their boss or the transport manager where they are at all times. However, the tracking device fitted in the van of an employee of Fords of Sidmouth, may have saved him from a prosecution and a fine. Another driver reported the van for speeding and running into him causing damage to his car. However, Read more »

Good news for those living near or travelling down the A13 in East London. Transport for London have introduced, for the first time in the UK, average speed cameras on a road with multiple entry and exit points. 84 cameras based at 37 locations will ensure that you don’t escape by monitoring the speed of vehicles. Sledgehammers and nuts spring to mind, maybe someone should check the accident and fatality stats for the stretch of road in question under the Freedom of Information Act? As I don’t go there I won’t bother of course! By Graham Hill

The pilot hard shoulder running programme that was started on the M42 has now been extended, a month sooner than expected. The new section, open from the 9^th December, is on a seven mile stretch of the UK’s busiest motorway, the M6, running between junctions 4 and 5. This stretch of the hard shoulder is opened up to traffic during busy periods and will have the first ‘through junction running’ allowing Read more »

Lex Autolease have carried out a study on 21,000 vehicles used for business with some startling results. Driver negligence has not only pushed up maintenance and repair bills but also resulted in fines for drivers and even loss of licences. The biggest cost burdens have been misfuelling, windscreen damage, illegal tyres and vehicle downtime. Average cost to replace a windscreen is Read more »

 Contract hire is still by far the most popular method used to finance vehicles according to members of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. Contract hire of cars has remained pretty static over the last 5 years, consistently hovering around 1.3 million mark. LCV’s (vans) have dropped slightly over the years from 180,000 to 176,000. Contract purchase and personal contract purchase have both dipped over the last year. So it seems that businesses and consumers continue to understand the benefits of contract hire, long may it continue. By Graham Hill

Trying to get more drivers off the roads and onto public transport won’t work if we continue to be charged ridiculous fares on the trains. A recent study revealed that UK rail travellers pay more than anywhere else in Europe. I bought a return ticket to London today and it cost just under £40 to take a round trip of about 70 miles, it’s ridiculous. By Graham Hill

In times of recession is there any good news? Yes there is. According to the Department for Transport there are fewer cars using the roads resulting in quicker and safer journeys. According to the DfT motorists travelled 3.1 billion less miles last year which has got to be good on so many fronts, fewer accidents, less CO2 in the atmosphere, less wear and tear on our roads, less of our precious fuel used. The number of Read more »

If you like to drive a prestige car and have thought that owning is a much better option consider the Bentley GT Coupe owner whose car is now depreciating at £500 more per week more than it did 12 months ago which means, according to trade newspaper Fleet News that it has depreciated by more than £67,000 in its first year, that’s a staggering 56% off its new price of £120,000. Who said that owning a car is the best option?? By Graham Hill