Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/487054
XII maltatoday, Sunday, 29 March 2015 Motoring MoToring Buying a used car Buying a used car is a great way of cutting the cost of your driving as most new cars lose around 40% of their value in the first year. But there are risks so it's impor- tant to take your time rather than rush into any deal, and to buy as far as possible with your head rather than your heart. Clocking Clocking is the illegal practice of winding back the odometer on a high–mileage car to increase its ap- parent value and asking price. Every 1,000 miles removed increases the value substantially. Car cloning Sometimes one car is given the identity of another by replacing the number plates with those from an almost identical vehicle - same make, model and colour. Budget carefully Get insurance quotes and check car tax rates before signing on the bottom line, and remember to factor in the cost of any work that might be needed too. If you're going to borrow money to buy the car it's a good idea to get loan quotes before you go out to view any cars. That way you'll know what you can afford and will be able to tell whether any finance a dealer offers you is good value or not. Do your homework Check price guides and compare similar cars in the classifieds so you know as much as you can about the value of different cars to avoid being overcharged. Websites and model-specific forum sites can be a useful source of information on 'common' faults and 'what to look for' tips but bear in mind that the few who've had a poor experience are likely to be more out- spoken than satisfied customers. Don't view a car in the rain, in poor light or at night You won't be able to check the condition of the car properly if it's wet – water hides scratches, dents and other problems. Make sure you can see the vehicle clearly and from all angles. Ask about service history Most cars require some work dur- ing the year so the owners of a car a few years old should have amassed quite a sheaf of garage bills for work or parts as well as previous VRT certificates, and records of regular servicing. If there's no history then ask why. Does it look like there might be a persistent fault that still may not have been fixed? Does the history tell a consistent story? Buyer beware Be wary of anything that seems like a real bargain, or has a very low mileage for its age. There are bargains to be had but in general, if a deal looks too good to be true then it most likely is. Handbook Make sure the handbook is in the car as they can be expensive to replace if not. Look to see how the security system works – and check that it does – and find out what keys were provided when the car was new. Modern car keys can cost €100+ to replace so if you need more than one key and there's only one avail- able you'll need to bear that cost in mind. Coloured 'master' keys pro- vided by some manufacturers to programme new spare keys for the car are even more expensive to replace. There's no legal requirement but cars are generally sold new with at least one spare key. If there's not a spare now ask why not. Test Drive The test drive is your only opportunity to check the car's general mechanical condition and to find our for sure that it meets all your needs: Is the driving position comfort- able? Can you reach/operate all the controls easily? Do the child seats fit? Hyundai kicks off one-month campaign with Vibe FM Morning breakfast shows can be very rewarding. A recent poll held in the UK had established that people are happiest when they listen to ra- dio compared to other forms of me- dia such as TV and the internet. This is why as part of its market- ing campaign to promote the newly launched New Generation Hyundai i20, Hyundai has embarked on a one-month long campaign on one of Malta's most followed breakfast shows – The Morning Vibe – with DJs Abel, JD and Martina. The competition will be reward- ing a lucky winner every week with a €300 transferable voucher that may be redeemed on a brand new Hyundai i20 and a final fourth win- ner will get a €500 cash prize. To participate, listeners of The All New Morning Vibe show need to listen out to a daily message recorded from the new Hyundai i-20's GPS and which gives dif- ferent directions everyday leading to a secret loca- tion on Fridays. Every Friday listeners have to head to the destination to meet the Vibe FM crew in the all new Hyundai i-20 to become finalists. "Breakfast radio shows are very important and the happier they are, the better because they trigger moods positive enough to carry people throughout the rest of the day. The new generation Hy- undai i20 is all about great positive feelings. It is an uplifting model that is doing very well and we wanted to feature it in one of Malta's happiest radio shows," said Francesca Mamo, Managing Director of Meridien Enterprises, local importers of Hyundai. Where the previous-generation i20 sold over 400,000 units in Europe since 2008, the new-genera- tion i20, Hyundai aims to sell 100,000 units annually by attracting younger customers and aiming for its European B-segment to grow 14% to 3.25 million sales by 2017. The New Generation i20 has been designed and developed in Europe, and three key attributes in particular underline how it meets the needs of European consumers: class-leading interior space, high- technology and comfort-enhanc- ing features, and clean, refined design. The New Generation i20 remains true to the principles of delivering value beyond expecta- tions. Longer, lower and wider than the previous model, New Genera- tion i20 is defined by elegant lines and a sculptured profile giving it a bold and sophisticated appear- ance. Some of its standard features include a newly designed hex- agonal grille, stylish bi-function headlamps with LED daytime run- ning lights, class-leading interior space, front and rear parking assist, heated steering wheel, static bend- ing headlamps, automatic defog system, lane departure warning system and panoramic sunroof. The New Generation i20 also comes with Five Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty, as standard.