Category Archives: Updates

Toyota Land Cruiser

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Toyota Land Cruiser

There are times, not often, when I tend to look for things that are practically impossible to find. Things like ‘the best car in the world’. It is not possibly for me to say that this car is the best, or that car is the best – how could I? I have not tested the top cars in the world (not all of them, not yet :P ), but a man can form an opinion, man, a man can form an opinion.

And so I have formed an opinion. It is that the Toyota Land Cruiser is the best car in the world.

I know, I know, it is a big statement and certainly does not sound like a responsible one. It sounds like when you ask a kid about his favorite car, and without blinking, the kid jibes, ‘Porsche’ or ‘Ferrari’. I don’t think the Toyota Land Cruiser is the fastest, most fuel economical nor the most beautiful car I have ever seen. No, in fact, some models of the Land Cruiser I find quite ugly. I don’t find the Land Cruiser to be the ‘hottest’ car or anything, but I do believe it is the best car your money can buy.

Why Land Cruiser

I can vouch for the following:

  • The car will take you anywhere a car can possibly go – off road prowess of the Land Cruiser is almost legendary.
  • It is the most comfortable – especially the driver and passenger seats. I have traveled in a Toyota Prado, a Land Cruiser and a Toyota Hilux Double Cabin (the much revered daala) – and all in the same day – the Land Cruiser was the most comfortable ride by far.
  • Fuel Economy is above average – 5 Kilometers to a litre for such a beast are – relatively, at least – OK.
  • The Land Cruiser handling is superb, compared to something like a Prado.
  • You feel secure when in a Cruiser – somehow more secure than in a Prado.

Seriously, I have yet to review a Land Cruiser here on CarAdvice.pk, and I – God willing – shortly will review it, but I have enjoyed every bit of this car whenever I have had the chance. This car just – on the whole – beats every other car.

God willing, if I ever change my car, it will be for this. (I will have to perhaps rob the nearest bank to acheive this feat, but a man can dream, right?)

What do you guys think?

The New Fiat 500C

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Imagine a car like this making its way into Pakistan. At first, you’d thing that it is a concept car. You’d be wrong. The Fiat website says that the car can be released any time now.

From 1.2L to 1.4Litres, this car competes with the Mini Cooper. Perhaps they will bring the Fiat to Pakistan as well, like they brought the Cooper.

Just. Check. It. Out.

On Your Cars…Get Set GO!!!

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Readers… loosen your seat belts, hold on and don’t turn off your browser because we’re not going to anywhere else for any updates about cars, car technologies, car reviews, auto industry, racing events and lots of stuff especially related to Pakistan. This is Usman… Usman Butt and it’s my first post at CarAdvice.pk. I was wandering for some pictures and information on Honda City 2009 model and found in here. CarAdvice.pk sounds interesting to me and obviously for those who are interested in cars and want to remain updated about any activity in the auto industry of Pakistan whether there is a launch of any new model or there is any auto racing event across the country or the comparison of two cars and even reviews.

You can say all that stuff was enough to inspire me and to avail the offer by the admin, and I’m gonna make my contribution for this particular blog from now onward… Hopefully, you’ll enjoy your stay here and find good information, all you need to do is, type any query that you want to know about cars in the top right corner search space and make a horn(hit enter) paa…paa :D – there you GO!!!!!!!!!!!

Car Leasing Rates – ouch!

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Just got some updates from the bank that I lease my car from i.e. Faysal Bank.

The current rate for leasing cars is a whopping TWENTY SEVEN percent. Yes, 27%! I personally find it unbelievable and when I showed my surprise, the gentleman from Faysal Bank assured me that this is very competitive and this rate includes the insurance.

“Many banks will not tell you about the insurance rate. Our financing is calculated at about 21% if we do not tell you the insurance. But we do tell you the insurance, to remove any misunderstandings in the future”

That is pretty decent of them, no doubt. But 27%, that is just way too expensive to lease out a car. But these are the time when a 1300 CC costs 13 lacs, who am I to blow against the wind. :/

More information on Car leasing in Pakistan at our Car Leasing page (link on the top of the page as well).

P.S. If you, the reader, works at a bank and would like to give me information regarding your bank’s current rates and addresses etc, do so please in the comments section.

Banks adopt stringent policy on auto loans

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We had it coming, didn’t we?

Didn’t we all complain that there are too many cars on the road? Didn’t some of us actually said that wait till people start defaulting? But no one could have expected the inflation to hit those debtors and give us some ridiculous statistics to look at. For example: Two years ago, around February, the number of cars being leased out by banks was sixty percent higher than what it is now. Yes, your read that right, SIXTY percent. Six. Zero. No doubt, the increase in the prices of cars have played a role, but so has a few other factors. which has lead to the banks playing tough.

Not so long ago, banks that lease cars would do it quite liberally. Auto financing was their flagship product and it was pushed without end. If you did not have the bank statement filed with your car loan application, no problems, they’d get it later (if that). No CNIC photocopy in hand at the moment? Sure, drop it later. And on and on. The banks looked the other way to get the loan out of their door and beefing up their ‘sales’. But now, the banks are stringent as they know now what pundits warned them about then.

Now all the paperwork has to be in order.

  • pay slip (or proof of business income)
  • CNIC copy
  • bank statement
  • references
  • credit information bureau report (generated against your CNIC from the State Bank of Pakistan, that details all of your loans taken and your performance in paying them back – no doubt, a powerful indicator of your ability to repay loans)

But that is not all. When the times were good (read: slack), you could get away with paying only 15 percent as down-payment. Now the down-payment has to be at least 30 percent.

The car leasing rates are such that depending on the tenure of your loan and the bank you end up choosing, your car lease can be anywhere between 18% and 21%. This has an obvious affect on your monthly payment. For example, a Mehran, with 30% down, has a monthly payment that comes to about PKR 12.500/- That is a lot to pay per month for such a car.

The car industry is definitely up against some serious challenges, given that now the banks are actually playing their part by being by-the-book.

I remember the first car I leased out, I only signed on a few papers and went ahead and got the car (I believe I gave the bank statement and proof of business after one year – the bank was being audited I believe :) ) …

Happy planet, happy people

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Cars (and vehicles in general) are rightly considered to be one of the biggest constributors to global warming and a general decline in the environment. The fuel that they burn leaves gases that harm the planet (including us!).

The above is a fact that no sane person can deny*. Hence the build up of interest in greener cars. Thanks to advocates like Al Gore, people are warming up (no pun intended) to the idea of global warming being a menace created by humans and most importantly, a meance that can be controlled. One of the most powerful moments in Al Gore’s award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth is when he compares the rising auto industry of Japan to the dwindling auto industry of North America. Japanese are way, way ahead in terms of producing cars that not only are easy on the environment, but serve a growing and close-knit market of self-aware, caring individuals.

Toyota has been making Prius since forever it seems! Honda has caught up with their Honda FCX Clarity.

Honda’s FCX Clarity (set to be released in the US Both cars are more pleasing to the eye, and both car companies are from Japan. The eco-aware North American and European consumers are left with little choice but to go for the Japanese cars. Of course, nothing wrong with that. US Presedient Elect Obama’s car is a hybrid and environment is on his agenda.

It will be interesting to see how these two companies inspire (out of sheer business competition, if nothing else) other car companies to start producing responsible cars. It now makes business sense to go green and this early in the game, will almost always prove to be a unique selling point.

Know more

  • Check out more details on Honda FCX Clarity (LINK)
  • You may read up more on Honda FCX’s technology news (LINK)
  • Check out the new Honda hybrid set to be released in 2009 (LINK)

*The exact implications of global warming, also implied in Al Gore’s documentary, are still debated. An instance of such debate can be found in Michael Crichton novel ‘State of Fear’ where the pro global warming argument is debated against.

Car rentals in Pakistan

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Are you looking to rent a car in Pakistan?

You may be a person intending to visit the country of Pakistan, you may be looking to rent out something that car take your 11 other friends to the northern areas or you may want to rent a high end car just to get that itch out! :)

Some of the global brands of car rental like Hertz and Avis are already operating in Pakistan. If you are looking to hire a car anywhere in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad, I suggest you give these international brands a try. But there is, umm, a problem.

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