₦airaland Forum

Thanks! i finally picked a tok.

How much will be necessary?

I need a brand new car. My budget is within 4-5m. Realy do not need any Koria made car but would have prefer Japanese made. Would love 2009- 2015 model year make. Have a family of 4 together with children. Can anyone advice?

DIRECTOR-General, National Automotive Council, NAC, Mr Aminu Jalal, said that Nigerians spend about  N600 billion annually on  import of vehicles. Jalal informed  that about 50,000 new and 150,000 used vehicles were imported into the country yearly.

“Nigerians spend an average of N400 billion on importing passenger cars. By the time you add trucks and other vehicles, the amount Nigerians spend on imported vehicles will be running to N600 billion annually. The market is there.

With this market, automotive companies will be willing to invest in the country, but the constraint is the inauspicious import duty which made the vehicles to be cheap.

“Our current policy structure encourages importation and discourages production. That is why we are trying to reverse it to something similar to what is obtainable in India and some other countries where it is easier to set up manufacturing plants than importing vehicles,” he stated.

Jalal said that the proposed  launching of Made-in-Nigeria vehicles in 2017 was no longer realistic due to unfavourable policy  that encouraged vehicle importation to the detriment of production. The Director-General  explained that the plan was initiated when  import duty was 30 per cent, but had now crashed to 10 per cent.

He described  the situation as unfavourable for investment, adding  that to produce vehicles locally did not mean that the vehicles would be 100 per cent made in Nigeria. “Our approach to a Nigerian vehicle is that the vehicle that is being assembled will have up to 60 or 70 per cent local content; then you can call it a Nigerian vehicle. Now to achieve that, you must first attract investors into the sector. The easiest way to do that is by putting in place the tariff that will discourage importation and encourage production of vehicles,” he said.

According to him, countries all over the world always give their companies a lot of protection, noting that South Africa’s import duty is very high to protect their indigenous companies. He said India made its duty as high as 300 per cent before reducing it to 91 per cent after the industry stabilised.

“Nigeria’s import duty is 10 per cent for commercial vehicles and 20 per cent for cars.  Right now CKD is imported at  five per cent. When the duty was introduced in 2005, many companies closed down. Until we change this tariff structure, forget about Made-in-Nigeria vehicle; nobody will invest in the sector,” Jalal said.

The name CR-V stands for Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, which describes this car perfectly. It's a compact 5-seater SUV that combines fuel economy and utility in a well-rounded package. The 2007-2011 Honda CR-V is only available with a 4-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. It comes as a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive system automatically sends power to the rear wheels when the loss of traction is detected. The interior is comfortable and offers plenty of storage space. Rear seats slide back and forth and can be folded forward for extra cargo room. Driver's place is well thought-out, with easy to use controls and sharp gauges. Is the CR-V reliable? How long can it last? What are the common problems? We have done our research to answer these questions, read further.
Model line-up: The CR-V comes in base LX, mid-level EX with available moonroof and top-of-the-line EX-L with heated leather seats and optional Navigation. For the 2011 model year, the SE trim level was added. The SE adds steering wheel audio controls and 6-disc audio system to the base LX model.

Owner reviews: We have researched hundreds of owner's reviews. Many CR-V owners list safety, comfortable and practical interior, front visibility, audio system, dashboard design and storage space among favorite features. Good fuel economy, styling, easy handling and dependability are also often mentioned. We found that many owners use their CR-Vs for long trips and camping. The most common dislike is the road noise. Many owners also commented that the OEM tires wear fast (between 15K and 25K miles). The lack of optional V6 is another common comment. Several owners had problems with the air conditioner that required an expensive repair, but overall, the vast majority of owner reviews are positive.

Engine: The CR-V comes with only one engine choice: the 2.4L 4-cylinder i-VTEC, model K24. It's a very reliable motor. With good maintenance it can easily last for over 200K miles. This engine has a timing chain instead of a timing belt. A timing chain doesn't need to be replaced in regular intervals.

Fuel Economy: Honda CR-V is one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs with all-wheel drive. The 2011 AWD Honda CR-V is rated at 21/27 MPG (11.2/8.7 L/100km) city/highway, or up to 382 miles (615 km) to a tank.

How well does the used Honda CR-V hold its value?

Honda CR-V depreciation chart
Honda CR-V depreciation chart
We looked at the US retail prices. The biggest drop in value happens after the second year of ownership. The second drop comes after the fourth year. After that, the CR-V holds its value well.

Pros: Styling, easy handling, comfortable interior, flat floor, plenty of storage space, safety features, decent fuel economy, reliability.

Cons: Road noise, firm ride, tires wear fast, thick rear pillars limit rear visibility, no center console storage.
NHTSA crash tests: Frontal
Driver Frontal
Pass. Side
Driver Side
Pass.
2007-2010 CR-V 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star
New NHTSA tests: Overall Frontal
Crash Side
Crash Rollover
2011 CR-V 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star
Safety: Honda CR-V has disc brakes on all 4 wheels. Antilock brakes and stability control with traction control are standard. Front, side and side curtain airbags, as well as active driver and front passenger head restraints are also standard.

Overall: The CR-V is one of the best small SUVs on the used car market. The 2007 CR-V has a few more potential problems, but overall it's a very reliable vehicle. Consumer reports rates the 2007-2011 Honda CR-V above average for reliability and has awarded it with the "Good Bet" mark. The only problem area mentioned is the Climate System. Of course, used car buyers should check the service history to make sure that the vehicle has been maintained regularly and have the pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.

Similar vehicles: Ford Escape is less expensive and it's the only small SUV that still looks like a truck. It also comes with an optional V6, however, it's less reliable. Toyota RAV4 is less roomy, but it has softer and quieter ride. Nissan Rogue offers better city fuel economy thanks to its continuously variable transmission, but it's also less reliable and offers less cargo space. Subaru Outback has a more capable AWD system. Mazda CX-7 is sportier, but its AWD version only comes with the troublesome turbocharged engine.

Honda CR-V common problems:
The OEM tires wearing prematurely is a common issue. Some owners report longer tire life after switching to better tires (e.g. Michelin).
Tire pressure (TPMS) sensors can fail. ($120-$250 to replace). Aftermarket sensors are sold online for $20-$60 each.
Faulty door lock actuators are mentioned often ($190-$260 repair).
A sticking A/C compressor clutch relay can cause the A/C to stop working intermittently. The relay can be purchased from a Honda dealer for about $15. It is installed in the fuse box under the hood. The A/C compressor magnetic clutch can also fail causing the same issue ($400-500 repair). Several owners mentioned that Honda has extended the warranty on A/C compressor clutch issues. There are also a few reports about the A/C compressor needed to be replaced. This repair is more expensive.
A failing starter motor may cause an intermittent no-start issue.
Growling or groaning noise from the rear end at slow-speed turns can be caused by worn-out fluid in the rear differential. The Honda TSB recommends replacing the rear differential fluid, and burnishing the rear differential clutches.
Loose catalytic converter heat shields can cause rattles coming from under the car. The repair is not expensive. Overall, the majority of the Honda CR-V owners report very few problems with their vehicles.

What to look for when buying a used Honda CR-V: It's important to check the service history. If oil changes were not done in regular intervals, the engine may have excessive wear and consume oil.
When inspecting the car on the lot: Check the tire condition. Are the tires of a well known brand? Are there any signs of uneven wear? See if all the door locks and the air conditioner work. Are there any warning lights staying on? The low tire pressure warning light may indicate under inflated tires or a bad TPMS sensor.
During a test-drive: Look for vibration and humming or rumbling noise (possible cupped tires or bad wheel bearing). Read more: How to inspect and test drive a used car.

Maintenance: Honda CR-V has Maintenance Minder system, that calculates engine oil life and other regular maintenance items based on the mileage and operating conditions. Once the required maintenance is done, the Maintenance Minder needs to be reset. The resetting procedure can be found in the owner's manual, see the link below. According to the US owner's manuals, for the 2007-2009 models, Honda recommends using the 5W-20 grade of oil, while for the 2010-2011 CR-V, the 0W-20 is the preferred oil grade.

Resources: Honda Owners - access you owner's manual and warranty information, learn more about pairing a phone via Bluetooth, view recalls and more.
Honda eStore - shop for bike racks, kayak attachments, trailer hitches, back-up sensors and other accessories, as well as Honda parts.
This site has many interesting DIY guides with photos. This forum has some info on common complaints and other topics. We also found plenty of information at CRVownersclub.com

Common problems: The RAV4 common problems are mostly minor. There is a notable amount of complaints about leaking water pump (part of the engine cooling system). Replacing the water pump in a 4-cylinder engine could cost from $400 to $650. Judging by the Consumer Reports ratings, some of the 2006-2008 RAV4 were affected. A clunking or knocking noise when turning the steering wheel left or right could be caused by a worn intermediate steering shaft. The repair is not very expensive. Failed ignition coils are quite common too.

What to look for when buying a used Toyota RAV4: Check used car history records to avoid cars that were in accidents or had some other issue reported in the past: How to check used car history.
Make sure there are no whining or humming noises from the drivetrain when driving; this would indicate a problem. Watch for knocking, clunking or rattling noise from the steering when driving over small bumps or rough road. When the car is parked, try to shake the steering left and right; there should be no clunking noises. Check for leaks. Check the engine oil level; low oil level could be an indication that the engine burns oil. If any of the warning lights come on after the engine is started, this indicates a problem. Some of the issues causing the "Check Engine" light to come on could be quite expensive to repair. For example, some of the issues with an evaporative system could require a replacement of the charcoal canister; which is a few hundred dollar repair. Read more what to look for when buying a used car. Before buying a used RAV4, have it inspected by your mechanic.

Source: http://www.samarins.com

May God deliver his people from unfortunate incident as this!

Special from the beginning – the BMW i8 – a marvel in automotive manufacturing and technology – finally hits the market in a color that buyers have been asking for since the Fall of 2014.

Black. “Not just any black because that would have been an academic exercise” says Chris Marino, General Sales Manager of Century West BMW. “The Frozen Black Protonic Edition i8 is immaculate.”

Marino would know.



On countless occasions, BMWBLOG has been privy to the many unique iterations of design Marino has showcased at Century West BMW in Los Angeles. In the case of the Frozen Black Protonic Edition, like the Protonic Red Edition that preceded it, the Black Edition’s variances are skin-deep: exclusive badging, dark NESO seats with anthracite and yellow contrast stitching, grey seat-belts, embossed-i8 emblem in the seat headrests and some other design nuances. Replete with the Style 470 wheel, the Frozen Black Edition looks magnificent. Due to limited production, many dealerships won’t receive a single i8-Edition vehicle. While production numbers aren’t official, it is believed that less than 100 of any edition-i8 will be produced.



“We’ve sold three of the Protonic Red cars, consumers have wanted a unique color for the i8 and the red-edition answered that call,” says Marino. How long will the black-editions stay in showrooms? Judging by consumer interest in black for an i8, not for long. Marino will only tell us that their car, pictured here, is probably spoken for.

“A female-celebrity has already contacted us regarding the purchase and we believe she will be buying the car.” Marino is quick to point out that the ecological premise that the i8 offers, has a high take-rate in Los Angeles.

“People here – and plenty not affiliated with the entertainment industry – can really get with the amazing and green performance of the i8. The ecological aspects of the i8 aren’t really discussed, but it is a story that needs to be told.”


Marino is referring to the estimated 76 MPGe the i8 scores, all the while hustling its lightweight 1,539 kg body to 60 miles an hour in a mere 4.4 seconds. Commonly understood as being the recipient of more power in the future, the existing i8 continues to make a case for the employment of technological advances by BMW that aren’t at the sake of looks, power and character.

Source: http://www.bmwblog.com