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As the population in Australia gets older, the problem of renting a car both in Australia and overseas becomes more of an issue. Most car companies will have some kind of restriction if the older generation is looking to rent a vehicle. Whilst you may think that as someone that has been driving for 50 years or more, car rental companies can see you as a major risk to their asset

The Senior Driver Surcharge is payable by senior drivers over &/or between a specific age. This depends on country and/or car rental company. It is just the same as our car insurance companies here in Australia charge a higher premium if you have a driver aged 21 years on the insurance.

The reason why it is charged is because the car rental company sees senior drivers as high risk and they get charged a premium to have senior drivers covered by their insurance company. However, other car rental companies just restrict the driving age so they don’t have to get additional insurance.

To give you a few examples on how it differs between suppliers, let’s take a look at Car Rental in Ireland. One car rental company has a maximum age of 74 years with no surcharge payable. Another car rental company charges a EUR29 incl Tax /day fee for drivers aged between 70-74 years. And, a third car rental company doesn’t charge a surcharge but they require additional documentation from driver’s aged between 76-79 years, as follows -

1) Note from their Insurers stating that they have not been involved in any accidents within the past 5 years.

2) Note from their doctor stating that they are in full health.

When booking your car rental, it is advisable to always be truthful of the age/s of all drivers and ask the car rental company if there are any additional conditions for senior driver’s. Failure to do so may result in you using public transport to get around on your holiday.

Car Rental brokers, such as DriveAway Holidays will be able to advise quickly as to which company is going to be able to accomodate the older driver.

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Purchasing a new car is a good experience but sometimes they may be stressful. You should be very careful while selecting a new car. Every manufacturer of car provides a test drive in India, which gives some idea about car style, performance, comfort and other factors associated with the car and complete drive impression. But sometimes buyer feels uncomfortable to take a test drive of some unfamiliar car. This reason may keep the driver under pressure and cannot actually concentrate on the test drive of new cars in India. Especially, the first time car purchaser may face some trouble test driving a new car. Nothing can be done about it but there are some important tips that may help you in this matter. First of all you should be well prepared before you do any test drive. You should always know what you are searching for in a car. As purchasing a new car is not what usually does, so well prepared about the questions that you will be asked from car dealer. Make it sure that you are having a valid driving license with you before you drive a new car in India. Be careful when you drive. Try to take a slow drive and check all type of convenience, comfort and performance of the car.

A sales person or company staff will always escort the test drive. This is to check any risks of car theft or car accidents. The person will also explain with the car characteristics like comfort, technical detail and convenience features. The sale person sometimes provides pre-determined test drive ways like highway, city, hills, twisty roads and tariff. That will show the original picture about car performance other important features to the buyer. During the test drive, sales person use to take the wheel first providing you important details of new car and this is the time to concentrate on his driving, familiarize yourself with the car features like climate, control settings, seats and stereo controls. And this is also the best opportunity to explain all your doubts about the car, as when you take drive; you would have to focus on your driving skills rather asking questions.

It is always said to be exciting to drive a new car in India. You should not begin driving the car randomly; first familiarize yourself with necessary adjustments like comfort, seating and safety. Place the mirror, steering wheel to your level of comfort. You should drive carefully, concentrate on performance, braking, acceleration and ensure that there is clear visibility. Try to put extra attention to blind spots when backing or parking. You should be meticulous while taking a test drive of new car in India as this is time to detect any technical problems in the car. Once you are done with the test drive, do not just leave away. Check the vehicle for both interior and exterior. Examine legroom, rear seats and the boot space. Also check if the seats can be removed or reconfigured. Test the audio system, instrumentation and safety measures.

You have diligently inspected the outside of this used car you are considering, and everything appears to be in working, acceptable condition. But this is the decisive moment; will this car perform as well as it should?

•    The interior and instrument panel (dash board).

Does everything work?

->    Adjust the mirror, start the engine, turn everything on, and off, are there any things that don’t work at all?
->    Are there any strange noises or smells coming from anywhere inside the car while the engine is on?
->    A used car that has been sitting, un-started for a while, might have trouble starting, but that should take care of its self when you restart it.

Are you comfortable?

->    Do you think that you could be comfortable in this used car?
->    Is the driver’s seat adjustable to your size, can you reach the pedals easily, can the mirrors give you 100% visibility?
->    Do the seat belts work, all of them?

•    Start your engine, ready, set, and drive!

Are there any potential engine issues?

->    Listen carefully to the sounds. Make note of any rattling, knocking, grinding, or high-pitched whining noises, or any kind of noise that just doesn’t sound good. Engine or other problems that have reached the point where they can be heard, are probably past the point of easy repair.
->    If the car wants to pull to one side or the other, either when you are driving on a straight road way, climbing, or coming down a hill, or if the used car tries to pull against you when you are making a turn, that means that there is a problem. It could be minor, or severe, and it could be in any part of the car, the tires, the engine, the brakes, or the frame.
->    Does the used car accelerate smoothly, from a stop, or when climbing a hill? Engine or transmission damage will cause the car to lose acceleration power.
->    Is there any difficulty when shifting gears? If there is, then it could either be a problem in the transmission, or the engine.
->    Are all the lights in working condition? Head, tail, and turn signal lights?
->    There should be no major amount of or colored smoke coming from the muffler or tail pipe, or from under the hood for that matter.
->    Does the car ride smoothly, no bumps or thumps? If you are bouncing in your seat, chances are that there are suspension concerns.
->    When making a turn, do all four tires turn as they should? Axle damage could be the culprit if they do not.
->    Does the car come to a complete stop, without jerking or rolling, when you apply the brakes?
->    When you park the car back at the used car sellers house, or car lot, does the engine turn off without any sputtering, or coughing, or smoke? If it doesn’t, then just leave it there, and don’t drive home in it. There are plenty of other used cars for sale; you can find one that does not need major repairs.

http://www.juble.com/articles/a290-definite-details-to-consider-during-a-test-drive-of-a-used-car.-.html