'Why Is No-one At Jaguar Shouting About Their World-class Cars'

Car company slogans, taglines, catchphrases - call them what you will - nobody pays any attention to them, right? At least they don’t when a firm such as Mazda devotes all of five minutes and a budget of a fiver, if that, coming up with a line as meaningless as “Zoom-Zoom”. Then there’s Cadillac’s “the new standard for the world” cry, which is much better, but plain wrong. “Below standard” would be more accurate. At Britain’s best-loved company, Jaguar, there’s much pain on the financial, employment, production, sales, and other fronts just now. And, with this in mind, the firm is resorting to TV advertising to deliver its latest, desperately simple message: Search Jaguar Offers. The chant is boring but strangely effective, because - for the first time ever - I found myself immediately following the instructions by searching on my phone. Sadly - and crazily on the part of Brit-based, Indian-owned Jag - the deals were largely underwhelming. Truth is, it’s got far more cars than customers, so I was expecting mega-discounts, zero-per-cent finance and similar temptations.

But all I found was mention of deposit contributions (on their own, not enough) plus interest rates of 5.9 per cent (far too high). If loss-making Jaguar is to achieve the improved health it so desperately needs, it has to hammer home the sermon that its cars are world-class premium products. And some are insanely good value. Be my guest, pay well over £30,000 for a high-spec SUV from the likes of Hyundai, Kia, Skoda or Volkswagen. But, if you do, you’ll be stuck in mainstream territory, instead of upgrading yourself to the premium league your budget allows you to enter. It’s a similar story with the larger F-Pace, 2017’s World Car of the Year, which can still be yours for less than £40,000 (or £300-plus monthly), making it a real bargain. This is a big, proper Jag for high-spec Mitsubishi money, for heaven’s sake. Looking at one of Jag’s most obvious premium rivals - Porsche - I’m part horrified, part delighted that an E-Pace AND an F-Pace (each with lowish specs) can be had for around the same price as a mid-spec Porsche Cayenne. With all this in mind, I have no hesitation in saying Jaguar is armed with one of the finest, most internationally recognised, best-designed SUV ranges in the world. And, in terms of value for money, it’s not one of the best. You, dear car buyer with £30k-£40k burning a hole in your pocket, don’t know how fortunate you are to be in the market for such Jags at such comparatively affordable prices. But why is it left to me to tell you all this? Why aren’t Jaguar and its highly paid advertising agency doing the same? Enjoyed reading Mike's latest column?

Travel TipsHeaded to Coachella for the first time and hoping to make the most of your once in a lifetime music festival experience? Here are 8 tips all first time Coachella visitors need to follow to have the best time ever. Travel TipsPossibly more than many other cities in the world, Rome is a mix of old and new, it is a city that flaunts its history. It is one of the living and breathing city, ie it’s always crowded, dirty, noisy, and is a little rough around the edges. It’s also beautiful and its narrow side streets are very romantic and magical, so despite its shortfalls. Travel TipsManchester offers a lot of things to see that there will be no boring moment. If you are visiting Manchester for a few days or have made it your home, you will have something for your taste. The modern restaurants, bars, and pubs are growing at the fast pace that one can’t keep up while the historic memories of the place are still preserved and remembered.

Travel TipsGoing on a trip requires a lot of preparation and thought, but people always seem to be too busy with packing and personal preparation. They tend to neglect the one thing that has the power to ensure their safety and comfort. Of course, we’re talking about the car. Travel TipsTenerife is renowned for its beautiful weather all year long, and that is why so many individuals are migrating to the gorgeous Spanish island to live the easy life. Although sipping on cocktails at the beach and soaking up sunshine all year long may sound like the perfect life, this island offers so much more. Travel TipsTechnology has played a significant role in making travels a lot better. It came as a boon to all the travel lovers. As now they can explore any region or city without the fear of getting lost or feeling unsafe. Every experienced traveler can tell you the importance of the travel gears and gadgets.

A Honda CR-V was what I had in mind at the time. The Honda is relatively pricey to insure, as it turns out. The kids have got loads of room it in and belting them in is a doddle. The boot is huge. The back seats fold 40/20/40 (wrong-sided 60/40 seats are a bugbear of mine). And it drives nicely, with hefty, reassuring control weights, a nice snicketty gearchange and a modicum of driver engagement. Hands up: it is a pretty dull car for a road tester to own, but it’s the right one for me at the moment. And when anyone gets sniffy about it, I just tell them it’s got an engine from the best-selling sports car on the planet. I love it when cars get passed around within the family, which sounds like exactly what has happened with John’s Astra. And much as I’d say his lad did well to get £1000 out of his old man for it, it sounds like a healthy, dependable sort. These are cars that seem to age quickly to begin with but then often stay solid and robust for much longer than you might expect. I remember them handling pretty tidily, too. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA. Never driven a hot hatch that sounded better.

Using Hypnosis To Treat COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, occurs as a result damage to lung tissue. Asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are all forms of COPD. Patients with COPD must stop smoking to make their life livable. This article reviews the best methods of accomplishing this objective. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a long-term health problem that occurs because of damage to lung tissue. This term is used to identify three lung problems categorized as COPD. These include emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis. Asthma develops when the body perceives something in the environment, like pet dander, tobacco smoke, or dust, as dangerous. The body activates the immune system to release biochemicals known as histamines. These proteins produce inflammation in lung tissues so the body can fight invaders. This tightens lung tissues and weakens breathing. People can be diagnosed with asthma at any stage of life. A key way family members and friends can assist a person with asthma is to stop smoking cigarettes, because secondhand smoke is deadly. If someone just diagnosed with asthma smokes, he or she ought to stop smoking as soon as possible.

Physicians also classify chronic bronchitis as a type of COPD. This health problem develops in people who have smoked for a number of years. Cigarette smoke results in chemicals and bacteria becoming trapped in the airways. This bacteria cause recurrent inflammation of the bronchi, or airway tubes, of the lungs. This disease irritates and stiffens these passages. People who have this condition have difficulty exercising or taking deep breaths. Since their airways are damaged and irritated, they develop shortness of breath with just a little exertion. Frequently, if these people quit smoking, many of their problems will diminish. The final lung condition categorized as COPD is emphysema. A persons lungs have air sacs at the very ends of the bronchial tubes. These sacs, or alveoli, inflate and deflate when an individual inhales and exhales. Persons who have emphysema develop shortness of breath and cannot breathe deeply or exhale entirely because air stays trapped in these sacs. If these people are able to learn ways to stop smoking, these symptoms sometimes get better. Medicines and lung exercises can help people with COPD.

In spite of these therapies, however, these people still demonstrate significant levels of anxiety. Having COPD is like being underwater and holding your breath. Even though you want to stay under longer, you need to breathe – immediately! Therefore, you swim toward the surface and take a deep breath. Those who have COPD, however cannot swim to the surface and take a deep breath. Several stop smoking programs treat clients who have COPD. The majority of COPD patients understand that smoking worsens their breathing difficulties. The majority have been smoking for decades, however, which can make consciously quitting very difficult. Many stop smoking programs have been developed. Most coach people to utilize conscious effort to quit smoking. Since the habit of smoking is deeply ingrained in a persons unconscious, rarely do those who stop smoking through these approaches stay quit without making changes at the unconscious level. Furthermore, the majority of these programs focus on a smoker's physical addiction to nicotine, which addresses only about one-tenth of the smoking addiction. Numerous stop smoking programs advertise that they assist persons to relax better. The best use Ericksonian hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP.

Polarity responses often happen with traditional hypnotherapy and direct post-hypnotic suggestions. Ericksonian hypnotherapy employs metaphors that communicate suggested thoughts for peace to the unconscious to assist people to conquer the tendency to behave in a manner contrary to the suggested actions. Often, people who learn to relax through the use of the NLP Flash technique can control stress and anxiety attacks more effectively. Therefore, they breathe better. Ericksonian Hypnotherapy offers an exciting different way to help people learn how to quit smoking. Trained individuals who practice Ericksonian Hypnosis understand that the problem is rooted in the unconscious. For this reason, they aid people at this level, through stop smoking hypnosis. Contrary to the techniques used by traditional approaches, hypnosis to quit smoking centers on stress reduction, psychological dependency, and the habit, which altogether total nine-tenths of a persons smoking addiction. With Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP, COPD patients can live a better life. These therapies teach people who have breathing difficulties to control anxiety. They also help remove unconscious associations between nicotine and the environment. This stops nicotine cravings. These approaches offer hope for persons who have COPD. Summary: Three chronic lung conditions are categorized as COPD. These include asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Reducing anxiety that occurs because of breathing problems and finding ways to quit smoking are two of the best ways to help people who have COPD live better lives. Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP strategies help patients to control anxiety and stop smoking.

Car Depreciation: The Cars That Hold Their Value Best

When you buy a new car, you don't need a calculator to know that depreciation will set in as soon as you drive it off a dealer's forecourt. In fact, if you're buying a car on finance, then depreciation is an important factor, because the amount of money the car is worth at the end of the finance agreement determines how much you pay per month. In simple terms, depreciation is the amount of money that a car loses over its lifetime. Place new car depreciation in a graph, and the line will start at a high point and slowly fall over time. What you want is for the line to stay as high as possible for as long as possible, so that the amount of money you lose once you do come to sell is low. Unless you're buying a desirable classic or a limited-run performance car from an established manufacturer, then the car you buy will suffer from depreciation. It's just a fact of life, as a car that has been used by a previous owner isn't as attractive as a brand-new one.

However, there are cars out there that limit your losses, and we've listed the best performers below. There are companies that work out a car's depreciation using a number of factors, but they will usually work out a car's value after three years. This irons out any initial spikes in desirability as a new car comes to market, and gives a good indication of how much a car will be worth over the lifetime of a finance deal. A car's depreciation is worked out as a percentage of its new price, while car valuation firms have reams of data that allow them to set a depreciation percentage for individual models. This data is shared with manufacturers to help them determine how much buyers will pay on a monthly basis when taking out finance on a brand-new car. The main factor that determines a car's depreciation rate is its demand. If a car is in high demand, then that will help keep used values high, as buyers are willing to pay extra to get behind the wheel of a popular model.

Take a look at the SUVs and 4x4s for sale in the UK, and you'll see how depreciation works. Compare an SUV with a hatchback or a saloon from the same manufacturer on a like-for-like basis, and you'll see that the SUV usually has retained a higher percentage of its original value. That's because buyers are attracted by the rugged looks and tall driving position that an SUV or crossover offers. It's not just SUVs that are the best cars for avoiding depreciation, you can also cut your losses by choosing a desirable sports car, although the market can be a little more fickle with these machines. If you're flush with cash, then a high-end sports car or supercar can also be considered, although if you're looking to buy one of these, then depreciation is unlikely to be a deciding factor when parting with your cash. For our list of the best cars for depreciation for sale in the UK, we've given an average of the entire model range after three years and 60,000 miles. So while these scores are already good, they could be even better if you pick the slowest depreciating model in the line-up.

Once considered the ugly duckling of the Porsche range, the Panamera can now lay claim to being the slowest car in the line-up when it comes to depreciation. A score of 63.4 per cent on an average list price of around £93,254 means a loss of £34,642 after three years and 60,000 miles. What's even more impressive is that this score is for an executive model in a class that doesn't normally excel for depreciation. But clearly the Panamera's combination of rapid performance, sharp handling, practicality and the attractive low running costs of the plug-in hybrid models clearly puts it a step ahead of its rivals. One area of the new car market that consistently performs well is the camper van sector, and the VW California is the best performer of all. The California is based on the VW T6 Transporter van, so it comes with modern engines and a car-like driving experience, which further adds to its appeal.

Exploring Factors That Influence Battery Consumption

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are becoming increasingly popular, showing annual sales growth, yet adoption is still limited. Maximizing distance driven between charges can improve user perceptions and usability of BEVs. Therefore, the ability to identify factors that influence a BEV's state of charge (SOC) in a naturalistic, experimental environment contribute to accomplishing transit sustainability. This study explores whether BEV drivers’ use of five different energy regenerative braking modes, in conjunction with other potential influencing factors (e.g., trunk load), make a significant difference on the SOC. Using a randomized 3-factor factorial design, two drivers traveled the same path 20 times each, exceeding 160 miles each, for over 320 total miles of experimentation in a 2015 Volkswagen (VW) e-Golf. Significant differences were found between regenerative braking settings and the 3-way interactions between driver, load, and setting. Additional analysis suggests that only two regenerative braking settings (i.e., low regenerative braking and high regenerative braking) are actually required in addition to traditional braking, as the SOC does not change between all four regenerative braking settings. Furthermore, a posteriori, it was found that external temperature played a significant role in the SOC. Future research should focus on empirically detailing these differences between BEV drivers and SOC, validating and improving theoretically or simulation derived contexts. Ultimately, in an effort to transition society to a BEV future, this research seeks to harness patterns that affect a BEV’s range, in order to maximize traveling distance between charges, to help reduce the threshold of user adoption.

An electric car with an estimated driving range of 83 miles, the 2015 Volkswagen eGolf is able to handle the average daily commute and then some. FOLLOW DAILY NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK. 33,000. Before you let your jaw drop all of the way to the ground, let’s break this down. 2,500 in rebate cash into your pocket. As a result, the eGolf ends up costing less than an equivalently optioned Golf 1.8T or TDI, and it costs less to “feed.” There is, however, the matter of upgrading your home with a 240-volt charging system. You'll need this if you want to reduce what could otherwise be a 20-hour wait time when plugging the car in to the same wall jack you use to juice your smartphone. With the charging system upgrade, it takes just four hours. If you’re out and about and your eGolf needs a shot of energy, a ChargePoint smartphone app can direct you to any of 18,000 charging stations around the country.

The dealership where you bought it should have one, too. If you’ve waited too long, Volkswagen’s eGolf roadside assistance program will pay to have your eGolf towed to the nearest charging station as long as the car’s battery ran out of charge within 100 miles of your home. As far as matters of practicality are concerned, the eGolf holds the same number of people and the same amount of cargo as a standard Golf. Plus, using the Car-Net smartphone app designed specifically for this model, the eGolf’s owner can activate charging, check battery level, or even heat or cool the car’s interior from a remote location. Here’s one more thing that separates the Volkswagen eGolf from many electric cars. It is on sale in far more U.S. READ MORE ABOUT ALL OF THE VW MODELS. The Volkswagen eGolf is new for 2015, an electric car with 83 miles of range and which can be recharged in about four hours using an upgraded 240-volt home charging station. 2,000 from the original price and serving as the lease special. This is not the only electric vehicle for sale, but it sure is an impressive piece of work. Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share it using the "Join the Conversation" buttons below, and thank you for visiting Daily News Autos.

The Kona Electric comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The e-Golf’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner. The Kona Electric comes with free roadside assistance for 5 years unlimited miles. Hyundai will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump-start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Volkswagen doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the e-Golf. Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona Electric 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the e-Golf. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the e-Golf ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles. There are over 28 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kona Electric’s warranty. J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles.

J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 24th, below the industry average. J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 6th in reliability, above the industry average. From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ April 2018 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 6 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen. The Kona Electric’s electric motor produces 67 more horsepower (201 vs. 46 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq Electric gets better fuel mileage than the e-Golf (132 city/108 hwy vs. The Kona Electric’s maximum EPA estimated driving range is 250 miles on a full charge, twice as far as the e-Golf’s 125 mile range.