Monday 25 November 2013

'Men Use Less Fuel Than Women' - Say Men


Men think they save more fuel than women drivers - proved wrong by scientists.  All British drivers urged to adopt 10 tips to save up to 10% on car fuel costs.



44% of men said they were better than their female partners at eco-driving whilst 28% of women believed they were better than their male partners.
20% of men but only 8% of women thought they 'were very good at saving fuel.'
These are the results of the WeLoveAnyCar.com eco-survey conducted on 19th November from surveys sent to 10,000 men and 10,000 women drivers.

Women Best Eco-Drivers

In scientific studies the world over it is actually women who are the planet's eco-drivers.
The 9th Intelligent Transport Systems Congress held in Dublin in June 2013 found 'men on average have higher acceleration patterns with higher fuel use and emission as compared to women'.
study at the University of Berkeley, published on 15th November, 2011 by Shaheen et al, found that that women were much more likely to follow eco-driving tips. When given advice, 65% of women adopted new eco-driving tips compared to just 35% of men.
So, men think they are more likely to be good eco-drivers but, as in many things in this world, women are actually getting on with it and are more willing to learn.

Stop Press...


Who is the better driver? Take our 1 minute confidential survey to win an iphone or £500. Click here.   

Top Ten Ways To Waste Fuel

Men Say They Save More Fuel - But Women Do
The University of Michigan published a study in August 2011 by academics Silvak & Schoettle, listing the top ten ways to waste fuel whilst driving. 
  • 1 Aggressive driving - up to 25% drop in fuel efficiency
  • 2 Driving at high speeds - 6% drop
  • 3 Choosing the wrong route (road type, grade, & congestion) - 6% drop
  • 4 Out of tune engine - 4% drop
  • 5 Poor tyres - 4% drop
  • 6 Using air conditioner - 4% drop
  • 7 Excessive idling - 2% drop
  • 8 Extra weight - 1.5% drop
  • 9 Wrong engine oil - 1.5%
  • 10 Under-inflated tyres - 1.5% drop

Save 10% On Your Fuel Costs


Experts, including those mentioned above, say that up to 10% of fuel costs can be saved by following these eco-driving tips. A WeLoveAnycar.com spokesman said of the eco-study, "The WeLoveAnyCar.com eco-survey found that over 95% of all respondents think fuel prices will increase in 2014. If the annual average cost of fuel is £1,300 that's £130 which could be saved by bill laden men AND women just by following these eco-saving tips each year."

Notes:
WeLoveAnyCar.com has 81,534 full car reviews on 2,072 models from 73 manufacturers as at 20th November 2013. All reviews were gathered in the last 11 months. 231,369 car owners either agreed or disagreed with a review made by a car owner of the same vehicle. The car review database is free for all to use and it is the largest collection of car owner reviews in the UK.
Respondents to the eco-survey were specifically asked their opinions and if they regularly drove with someone else and they were then asked what gender they were and the gender of the other driver. Only these answers were included to produce the results published regarding the gender split. Other figures are available. The results of opinions were different for those drivers travelling with the same gender. Approximately 10% of male drivers regularly travelled with another male and 14% of women travelled with other women. These were excluded in the results on the differences quoted above.
The report; 'Eco-driving: Factors that determine take-up of post-test training research published May 2011 by Vicky Campbell-Hall et al For The Department of Transport stated that 52 per cent of men compared with 36 per cent of women said they had 'actively' tried to drive more efficiently, supporting the WeLoveAnyCar.com eco-survey claims by men.
The average £ amount spent by car owners on fuel per year varies between studies. RAC and AA report higher figures that that quoted hence the savings are a conservative amount.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

'Worst' BMW Announced


BMW Baby Is Unloved and Not Recommended

15,240 BMW owners surveyed by WeLoveAnyCar.com reveals the best and the worst BMWs on British Roads.  With Snow coming to Britain, the BMW 1 Series is not recommended.



http://www.weloveanycar.com/gallery/photo/bmw-3-10868
Most Recommended BMW: 3 Series Diesel Coupe
BMW, one of the most desired car brands the world over, produce some of the most recommended and desired cars. 

The latest WeLoveAnyCar.com survey results announced today reveal that 15,240 BMW owners highly recommend some models but not all.

BMW owners were asked; 'Would you recommend your BMW?'  The poll, covering almost every BMW model on British roads, revealed the five least recommended BMW.







Least Recommended BMWs:

Overall the petrol driven BMWs tend to be less recommended than their diesel counterparts.  
The most recommended BMWs were
Overall the petrol driven BMWs tend to be less recommended than their diesel counterparts. 
BMW Baby Is Not A Snow Baby
With snow set to come to the UK this week, owners comments about the BMW 1 Series give a clue to why they are not as recommended as their bigger brothers:
 "Not at all good in the snow. I had to have 4 concrete blocks in the boot !!    The run flat tyres also eat tyres - very expensive!!"

 "Great to drive everybody else who travels in the car hates it. Very bumpy on English roads getting rid of the run flats improved things slightly…. Leave it at home in the snow even with snow chains"

 "The 118d has to be the worst car I have ever owned.  Do not rush into buying one.  You may regret it.  Go to Mercedes instead."

Good For 50 Weeks Of The Year

The Met Office states that, last year, there were 16.5 days where snow was on the ground.  So even rear wheel drivers of the highly rated BMW range get great driving - most of the year!

BMW offer their corporate customers (but not apparently their personal customers)  winter driving guides.  Search on for 'Winter Safety On The Road' in BMW's own site - click here.

Highly Rated BMWs

It is worth remembering that BMWs in general have some of the highest ratings overall.  The BMW 1 Series may be bottom of the ratings for BMW owners but still beat many of its competitors. BMW have recently announced a model upgrade for the 1 series and it will be interesting to monitor owner ratings.


The WeLoveAnycar.com Car Review site – Britain’s Biggest Car Information Resource
WeLoveAnycar.com is the UK’s largest car review site by number of reviews and votes on reviews. 

Overall there are some 81,500 car reviews where drivers rate their car on a number of factors including; economy, driving experience, comfort and if they would recommend their car.  Drivers can also add comments. Overall there are 240,000 'votes' cast by owners of the same vehicle on these reviews - do they 'agree or disagree' with the review of that specific vehicle.

In compiling the results above, only models where we have sufficient review information have been featured and this is usually over 100 reviews.  All reviews have been collected in the last 12 months.

BMW sells more rear wheel drive cars than most manufacturers but also supplies four wheel drive vehicles.  The comments above only correspond to rear wheel drive cars.

The WeLoveAnyCar.com Car Review is a closed survey which is by invitation only to known car owners.  In addition to the reviews, owners of the same car are asked if they ‘agree or disagree’ with the review they own or owned. 

Over 50% of all drivers still own their car at the time of the review and the remainder owned that make and model in the last 12 months.  Ratings between the two groups have been found to be statistically the same.

Image source: Sue Bakerhttp://www.weloveanycar.com/

Friday 15 November 2013

Top 10 Conversations Motorists Have With Their Dogs

WeLoveAnyCar.com found that 100% of drivers talk to their dogs in their cars in their canine survey conducted on 5th November. Next they asked, "What do you talk to your dog about in the car?"

 
 
In a survey of 2000 car owners, 100% of those that owned dogs revealed that they talked to their dogs! The next question WeLoveAnyCar.com asked was, what do you talk to your dog about?
Initial findings are:
  • 
    Image source: Volkswagen UK
    1 Are they happy? Drivers will ask Benji, Lassie and Spot if they are ok in 'their' seat.
  • 2 Destination. The motorist will tell their dog where they are going.
 
 
  • 3 Traffic Conditions. Car owners will tell their dogs that there are; traffic jams, hold ups, good roads and other important travelling information.
  • 4 Other Drivers. Should another driver swerve in front, make a wrong move, do something dangerous or just plain silly like suddenly breaking then the dog may well be asked his opinion.
  • 5 Moaning. Dogs will be privy to moans about; the driver's partner, mother, kids, co-workers, relatives, friends and even lovers. (if dogs could talk!)
  • 6 Weather. Being British, the weather is always a subject of conversation especially if it is; too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry or if there is too much snow or sun.
  • 7 The car. At any slight malfunction of the car, the driver will discuss this with the dogs.
  • 8 Reward. In order to encourage good dog behaviour, drivers will indicate a potential reward such as a treat or a walk.
  • 9 Pedestrians. If drivers see; a jay walker, people crossing when they shouldn't, someone dressed strangely and especially if there is an attractive man/woman then the dog will be immediately informed.
  • 10 Apologise. If a driver makes a wrong turn, causes a snarl up, stalls the engine, is delayed or causes any other inconvenience then the dog will be placated with a "sorry."
 
100% of dog owning drivers admitted to talking to their dogs. However 3.8% said they only talked to their dogs when they travelled alone with their mutt or mutts.
The WeLoveAnyCar.com survey found the following dog happy drivers facts.
  • 50% have more than one dog
  • 12% take their dog for a drive every day and 78% ‘frequently’ over the week
  • 82% chose their car because it was suitable for the dog
  • 84% said their dogs travelled well
  • 4% took their dogs in the front seat
  • 29% in the back seats and rest in the estate or hatch back.
  • 60% claim to strap their dog in or hold put their dog in a carrier or cage.
  • 84.5% said “my car has to be right for my family and my dogs”
  • 72% said they “wouldn't buy a car if ‘it wasn't right for the dog”
WeLoveAnycar.com has over 81,441 car reviews. Another 240,000 people have added their opinions by voting on reviews they agreed or disagreed with. It seems that dogs also take the lead in the car buying decision:
“I use this car to carry my 2 large dogs, 2 large children, their friends, my husband etc. and it is very roomy." (in that order!) – Renault Espace review
“I loved the car but it just wasn't practical for my lifestyle anymore. Needed more room for 2 dogs!” – Volkswagen Golf review
 
Shaun & Emma, Filbert's owners, talked to him every day in their Audi. Filbert died recently - of natural causes - but the cabriolet couple miss his conversation.
“…recommend it as a good family car, and I can get my 5 dogs in the boot comfortably too." – Zafira review
“Only sold it to buy a 5 series as the 3 was too small for all my dogs. Otherwise great car.” – BMW 3 Series review
“Rear seat space is poor for humans but fine for my dogs.” – Honda CR-Z review
“...we chose the Meriva as it had a good low sill on the boot area and we have an elderly dog who can't jump high." – Meriva review
“...this is my second Alhambra and it is used to tow a caravan and transport six dogs (posh van with seats removed).” – Seat Alhambra review
“Love my Zafira and I can get 5 dogs in the back with the seats down :-)” – Zafira review
 
 
 

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Car Ads Questioned By Dog Owners - Who Talk To Their Dogs

Whilst car adverts feature dogs peering out of open car windows in their ads - most car owners wouldn't allow it. 


WeLoveAnyCar.com dog owners survey also finds motorists talk to their dog in the car and 72% seek canine approval on its replacement.


Car adverts abound with deliberately cute looking pooches peering out of open windows with wind blowing their ears sideways whilst the driver speeds along.
The WeLoveAnyCar.com dog owners survey found that 62% would ‘never’ let their dogs hang out of cars whilst on the move and disapprove of the practice. 22% would only allow their dogs to peer out of open windows if restrained or held by another passenger.
The government and the RSPCA clearly advise dog owners to take care when transporting their dogs and all recommend a dog is restrained in some way – something car advertisers need to take note of when designing their dog friendly adverts.
The now famous Volkswagen dog ( #woofwagen ) adverts show dogs peering out of windows and close analysis shows all are restrained but this may not immediately be clear.
A spokesman for WeLoveAnycar.com - the biggest car review site in Britain, said, “Award winning adverts featuring dogs have won the hearts and minds of the public. But car and dog owners are not looking for accolades; just a safe car for their family and that clearly includes the family dog."

Dog Happy Drivers - A Breed Apart

This lovely pooch is safe, strapped in
and the car is parked.  His name is
Filbert. Sadly Filbert has passed into
the great kennel in the sky - but he
did this naturally.  Much beloved dog
of Shaun and Emma 
In a survey of 2000 car owners, those that owned dogs were found to be a breed apart when it comes to their dogs and advertisers are spot on in singling them out for attention. 
  • 50% have more than one dog
  • Dogs travel frequently – 12% every day and 78% ‘frequently’ over the week
  • 82% chose their car because it was suitable for the dog
  • 84% said their dogs traveled well
  • Only 4% took their dogs in the front seat - 29% in the back seats and rest in the estate or hatch back.
  • 60% claim to strap their dog in or hold put their dog in a carrier or cage.
  • 84.5% said “my car has to be right for my family and my dogs”
  • 72% said they “wouldn't buy a car if ‘it wasn't right for the dog”

Dog Owners Talk To Their Dogs


On a lighter note, 96.2% of owners talk to their dog in the car – often sharing their opinions of other drivers' abilities. The remainder will only talk to their dog if no one else is in the car. That means that ALL dog owners talk to their dogs on the move.

Car Reviewers Put Their Dogs First


WeLoveAnycar.com has over 81,441 car reviews. Another 240,000 people have added their opinions by voting on reviews they agreed or disagreed with. Yet it is perhaps the comments in the car review survey which illustrate how dogs really do take the lead in the car buying decision:
“I use this car to carry my 2 large dogs, 2 large children, their friends, my husband etc etc and it is very roomy." (in that order!) – Renault Espace review
“I loved the car but it just wasn't practical for my lifestyle anymore. Needed more room for 2 dogs!” Volkswagen Golf review
“…recommend it as a good family car, and i can get my 5 dogs in the boot comfortably too." Zafira review
“Only sold it to buy a 5 series as the 3 was too small for all my dogs. Otherwise great car.” BMW 3 Series review
“Rear seat space is poor for humans but fine for my dogs.” Honda CR-Z review
“...we chose the Meriva as it had a good low sill on the boot area and we have an elderly dog who can't jump high." Meriva review
“...this is my second Alhambra and it is used to tow a caravan and transport six dogs (posh van with seats removed).” Seat Alhambra review
“Love my Zafira and I can get 5 dogs in the back with the seats down :-)” Zafira review
Notes:
WeLoveAnycar.com is the UK's largest car review site and combines the opinions of over 240,000 car owners. Reviews are by invitation only to known car owners. 50% of all cars reviews are made by current owners, with the remainder being submitted by people who owned that make and model recently. This mix is to ensure balanced reviews are provided.
WeLoveAnycar.com recognises the care and responsibility taken by car advertisers who feature animals in their adverts.
The dog survey is ongoing and was initiated on 5th November. The survey was only sent to known car owners.

Friday 8 November 2013

Which Audi Is Best? Which Audi Is Worst? What Audi Do You Drive?



Which Audi Is Best?
Which Audi Is Worst?


What Audi Do You Drive?

Without doubt the Audi marque is one of the most desired worldwide.  10,152 Audi car owners voted and reviewed their cars in the UK's largest car review survey conducted by WeLoveAnyCar.com. All owners who were involved rated the Audi they owned on a number of factors in a score from 1-5, with 5 being best.  

Audi R8 Review
R8 - Most Exciting To Drive - Most Petrol Needed
Audi came in the top of the overall manufacturers list - that's no surprise, but when you look at how Audi reviewers rated each individual Audi model there were some key points made.  

Clearly there are some big differences between the models when taking into account owners' opinions of how economical Audi's were, how exciting their Audi was to drive, reliability and - most important - would they recommend their particular Audi model? Finally all these scores were added up to give an overall score.

Take a look at the tables below.  We've combined all the derivatives to give an easy look up.  However it is worth noting that:
  • The A7 was most recommended 
  • The R8 (not unexpectedly) was judged the most exciting to drive 
  • The Q5 was rated the most comfortable
  • The petrol driven R8, with its massive engine, came last for economy
  • Overall, the highest overall score was the A5 diesel.  


Audi Rates Better Than Most 
The WeLoveAnyCar.com Audit review has 3,865 individual car reviews and another 10.152 votes were cast by proven and verified Audi owners (of the exact same model.)  This makes the results some of the most robust not just in the UK but worldwide.

The WeLoveAnyCar.com car review includes all makes and models. Some Audi models were too old or where we didn't have enough reviews to rely on have been excluded.  However, you can check by visiting the review site here

Remember, even the lowest ranked Audi often beats the competition.  

So,What Audi Do You Drive?

Audi Model
Recommended

A7 Diesel Review
4.70
A8 review
4.65
TT Diesel Review
4.64
R8 review
4.58
A5 Cabriolet review
4.58
Q5 Review
4.57
A5 Diesel Review
4.56
A3 Diesel Cabriolet
4.55
A6 review
4.54
TT review
4.53
A3 Diesel review
4.50
A4 Avant review
4.47
A6 Avant Diesel review
4.47
A4 Diesel review
4.44
A5 Coupe Diesel review
4.41
A6 Diesel Saloon review
4.40
Q5 Diesel review
4.40
4.37
A6 Avant review
4.36
A4 Diesel Avant review
4.35
A4 Cabriolet review
4.34
A8 Diesel review
4.33
A4 review
4.31
A5 Coupe review
4.27
Q7 Diesel review
4.26
A1 review
4.18
A1 Diesel review
4.08
A4 Diesel Cabriolet 
4.05
A5 Diesel Cabriolet 
4.05





Audi Model
Exciting?

Q5 Review
4.71
R8 review
4.67
A5 Diesel Review
4.46
TT review
4.44
A6 Avant review
4.40
A6 review
4.29
A5 Cabriolet review
4.29
TT Diesel Review
4.29
A8 review
4.28
A4 Cabriolet review
4.25
A3 Diesel Cabriolet 
4.24
Q7 Diesel review
4.20
A4 Avant review
4.09
A8 Diesel review
4.09
A3 Diesel review
4.05
A4 Diesel review
4.01
A3 review
4.01
A4 Diesel Cabriolet
4.00
A6 Avant Diesel review
3.98
A4 review
3.98
Q5 Diesel review
3.96
A5 Coupe review
3.93
A4 Diesel Avant review
3.93
A6 Diesel Saloon review
3.92
A5 Coupe Diesel review
3.88
A1 review
3.86
A7 Diesel Review
3.80
A5 Diesel Cabriolet review
3.73
A1 Diesel review
3.67




Audi Model
Comfort

Q5 Review
4.86
A7 Diesel Review
4.80
A8 review
4.75
A6 review
4.67
A6 Avant review
4.56
A6 Avant Diesel review
4.54
A6 Diesel Saloon review
4.53
Q7 Diesel review
4.52
A8 Diesel review
4.48
A5 Diesel Review
4.40
A4 Cabriolet review
4.35
A4 Diesel review
4.32
A5 Coupe Diesel review
4.29
A4 review
4.29
A4 Avant review
4.29
Q5 Diesel review
4.28
A3 Diesel Cabriolet Review
4.27
A5 Cabriolet review
4.24
TT Diesel Review
4.21
A3 Diesel review
4.20
A5 Coupe review
4.20
A4 Diesel Avant review
4.19
A4 Diesel Cabriolet review
4.14
A3 review
4.14
TT review
4.12
A1 Diesel review
4.00
R8 review
4.00
A5 Diesel Cabriolet review
3.95
A1 review
3.82




Audi Model
Reliability

R8 review
4.83
A7 Diesel Review
4.80
A1 review
4.68
A5 Diesel Review
4.63
A5 Cabriolet review
4.58
A6 review
4.58
Q5 Review
4.57
Q5 Diesel review
4.55
A3 Diesel Cabriolet Review
4.55
TT Diesel Review
4.54
A5 Coupe Diesel review
4.53
A8 review
4.53
A4 Avant review
4.51
A4 Diesel review
4.49
A6 Avant review
4.48
A3 Diesel review
4.46
A6 Diesel Saloon review
4.45
A6 Avant Diesel review
4.44
A3 review
4.44
TT review
4.43
A5 Coupe review
4.40
A4 Diesel Avant review
4.37
A4 review
4.37
A5 Diesel Cabriolet review
4.36
A4 Cabriolet review
4.30
A1 Diesel review
4.25
Q7 Diesel review
4.25
A8 Diesel review
4.24
A4 Diesel Cabriolet review
4.11




Audi Model
Economy


A1 Diesel review
4.42
TT Diesel Review
4.36
A4 Diesel review
4.26
A3 Diesel review
4.25
A3 Diesel Cabriolet Review
4.09
A5 Diesel Cabriolet review
4.09
A5 Diesel Review
4.07
A4 Diesel Avant review
4.04
A6 Diesel Saloon review
4.01
A7 Diesel Review
4.00
A6 Avant Diesel review
3.89
A8 Diesel review
3.86
A1 review
3.75
A4 Diesel Cabriolet review
3.72
A5 Coupe Diesel review
3.71
Q5 Diesel review
3.53
A3 review
3.36
A5 Coupe review
3.27
A4 review
3.23
A5 Cabriolet review
3.21
A4 Avant review
3.18
TT review
3.14
A4 Cabriolet review
3.12
Q7 Diesel review
3.08
A6 review
3.04
A8 review
2.85
Q5 Review
2.71
A6 Avant review
2.52
R8 review
2.50




Audi Model
Overall

A5 Diesel Review
4.47
TT Diesel Review
4.46
A7 Diesel Review
4.45
A3 Diesel Cabriolet Review
4.39
Q5 Review
4.38
A4 Diesel review
4.35
A3 Diesel review
4.34
A6 Diesel Saloon review
4.31
A6 Avant Diesel review
4.30
A8 review
4.30
A6 review
4.29
A8 Diesel review
4.27
A5 Cabriolet review
4.25
TT review
4.23
A4 Diesel Avant review
4.23
R8 review
4.22
A5 Coupe Diesel review
4.22
Q5 Diesel review
4.19
A4 Avant review
4.18
A1 Diesel review
4.18
A4 Cabriolet review
4.16
A6 Avant review
4.15
Q7 Diesel review
4.15
A3 review
4.14
A4 review
4.13
A1 review
4.11
A5 Coupe review
4.09
A4 Diesel Cabriolet review
4.07
A5 Diesel Cabriolet review
4.06

Notes.  Car reviews in the WeLoveAnyCar.com can only be made by invitation where owners have previously registered that they own that make and model.  Votes are only made by owners of the exact same model - the voters indicating whether they 'agreed' or 'disagreed' with the review posted on the car review database.  With regard to Audi, 10,152 known owners voted and 89% agreed with the review made by another car owner.  The reviews posted by Audi owners belong to them and are their copywrite. WeLoveAnyCar.com have worldwide exclusive rights to their use.  WeLoveAnyCar.com issues this for information and guidence.