Subaru BRZ Driver Manages to Get Over $10,000 in Speeding Tickets in 11 Minutes

by Gabrielle DeSantis

You’d think with all of Australia’s vast expanse of endless roads, speeding would be something that was fairly harmless and enforced with leniency. Well, as the 23-year-old owner of this Subaru BRZ found out, that is not the case. In fact, it is so not the case that this driver ended up getting over $10,000 in speeding tickets in only 11 minutes. 

2018 Subaru BRZ | Subaru

A Subaru BRZ isn’t even that fast

According to The Drive, the Subaru BRZ driver was spotted by a police helicopter that watched him burn down the streets of Sydney. The BRZ is more in the Mazda Miata vein of cars; it is super nimble but not all that powerful. However, that didn’t stop the BRZ driver from getting the attention of the police chopper. 

The police helicopter followed and recorded the Subaru BRZ until the police on the ground could catch up with the speed demon. Once a squad car caught up to him and pulled him over, they took the driver’s information and noted that he was on a provisional license. Then the police let him go until the helicopter could examine the footage. 

After the police let the BRZ scoot on its way, the police reviewed the footage and found some heavy violations. The local police department later posted on Facebook about the incident saying, “Highway Patrol officers reviewed the PolAir (helicopter) recording and were able to ascertain the driver of the Subaru BRZ exceeded the speed by not more than 10 km/h once, more than 10 km/h once, more than 20 km/h six times, more than 30 km/h twice, and more than 45 km/h twice.”

How did the speeding tickets add up to so much? 

thermal image of a Subaru BRZ that's been pulled over
Image from the helicopter | New South Wales Police

After calculating all the fines for the violations, the New South Wales Police landed on a number. The police came out and said, “this would equate to $10,252 in monetary fines and a total of 50 demerit points in only 11 minutes of driving.”

According to The Drive, stacking fines like this is fairly common in Australia, but it is usually for more theatrical purposes. These exorbitant fines rarely actually get charged to a driver this way. In this case, the driver has actually been charged with “drive in a speed/manner dangerous to the public.”

How much can a speeding ticket cost? 

The maximum fine for the stated offense is only $2,200. However, the fines aren’t the only part of the deal. These charges can also come with a short stay in jail along with the fines, and by “short,” they mean up to nine months. There’s also a minimum disqualification period of 1 year for first-time offenders.

If a driver gets more charges of this nature, the penalties further, with a maximum fine of $3300 and potential jail time up to a full year. The minimum disqualification period also doubles and can extend out to a total of five years. 

I think it’s probably fair to say that the Australian police take speeding a bit more seriously than one might think. On top of police cars and helicopters, Australia is heavily ramping up its speed and red light cameras. For the time being, I’m sure Subaru BRZ driver will think twice about ripping around town again.

RELATED: 4-Cylinder Clash: 2022 Subaru BRZ vs. 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata

The post Subaru BRZ Driver Manages to Get Over $10,000 in Speeding Tickets in 11 Minutes appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

Don’t Need Your Car? Now Is a Great Time to Sell it

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Do you have an extra car sitting around that never gets driven? Or did the pandemic open up a work-from-home opportunity for you? In either case, you’ll be happy to know that it’s possibly a better time than ever to sell a used car.

It’s a seller’s market

A used car for sale parked on the street. | Getty Images

As Covid-19 restrictions are starting to let up, auto manufacturing has resumed and many dealers have opened back up. There’s a demand for new cars, just as before, but the recent global chip shortage created a shortage in the new-car supply, which resulted in higher prices.

According to Cars.com, their data shows that the new-car inventory dropped more than 15% between February and April. This decrease in supply and increase in demand caused buyers to flock toward buying used cars, which means that it is currently a seller’s market.

How much more money can you get for your car?

A customer shops for a used vehicle at a CarMax dealership
A customer shops for a used vehicle at a CarMax dealership. | Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

Before selling your car, it’s important to do as much research as possible in order to sell it for the best price possible. We recommend getting it appraised online at sites like Carvana, Vroom, and Carmax to get a good idea of your car’s trade-in offer. You can also lookup its value using KBB.com or Edmunds, but remember that those are merely guides and will show you a range of prices that you could sell your car for.

You can even peruse the classifieds on Craigslist and check out CarGurus to see what other dealers and sellers are listing the same year, make, and model for. With all of that data, you should be able to get a good idea of how much you can list your car for to get the best offers from buyers.

To illustrate an example of how much cars are currently appreciating in value, the editors at Car.com gave the example of trading in their own 2017 Chrysler Pacifica with 47,000 miles on the odometer. In December of 2020, they received a Carmax offer of $18,000 and just four months later, the offer jumped to $23,000 when they appraised it again with 5,000 more theoretical miles on it. So, the vehicle pricing increase is real.

Getting the most money for your car

A customer inspects a pre-owned Hyundai while shopping for a used vehicle at a CarMax dealership.
A customer inspects a pre-owned Hyundai while shopping for a used vehicle at a CarMax dealership. | Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

If you do plan to sell your extra car, then be sure to clean it thoroughly and take good pictures of it. At this point, it could be a good idea to get it professionally detailed, if you have the time and money, as you’ll likely make that money back in the sale.

Also, you can either sell the car via a private party sale or sell it to a dealership or used car dealer like Carmax for an easier experience. However, just remember to shop around for appraisal quotes from at least a few different dealers to make sure you’re getting the most money for your car. It could take a little time and effort, but now is a great time to sell your unneeded car for quite possibly the highest amount it will ever be valued. Just like the stock market, the current car selling market is a “buy low, sell high” type of deal.

RELATED: Can You Negotiate a Car’s Price at Carvana?

The post Don’t Need Your Car? Now Is a Great Time to Sell it appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

There are Plenty of Jeep Wrangler Deals to Take Advantage of Right Now

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you need one of the best off-road rigs on the market, there’s almost no better choice than the Jeep Wrangler. The Wrangler provides enthusiasts with a bulletproof platform for everything from light off-road driving to full-on rock crawling. And now is a great time to score a good deal on one.

It’s hard to believe, considering the global chip shortage has caused new prices to shoot up. Also, given the popularity of the Jeep Wrangler, good deals can normally be tough to come by. However, according to Ari Janessian – an auto broker for Boston Automotive Consulting – there are plenty of Wrangler deals to wrangle up.

The Jeep Wrangler versus the competition

2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited | Jeep

One of the main reasons it could be a good time to buy a Jeep Wrangler is that there are more of them sitting at dealer lots than its closest competitors. According to Janessian, there are currently 7,843 Jeep Wranglers in inventory across the nation. Compare that sum to 1,390 Toyota 4 Runners, 437 Ford Broncos, and 409 Land Rover Defenders, and we can begin to see why Jeep dealers might be more willing to make a deal.

Among those available Wranglers, there are 5,259 Unlimited models, 1,824 base Wrangler, models, and 760 4xe models in inventory. Breaking it down even further, there are currently 538 Rubicon trim, 376 Sport trim, and 126 Willys trim levels currently on the ground. That all being said, Janessian urges buyers to aim for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD model for the best possible deal.

Getting a deal when financing a Wrangler

If you’re the type of car owner that likes to keep their cars forever, then financing Jeep Wrangler would be your best bet. For this month, here is a breakdown of the type discount and financing structure that Janessian came up with:

2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD
MSRP: $47,700
Target Price: $45,315
Rebate: $0
APR: 2.9%
Final: $45,315
Payment: $839/month plus tax

Taking a closer look at these numbers; the MSRP for this specific configuration of the Wrangler is $47,700. Janessian says that buyers should aim for a target selling price of $45,315, which is about a 5% discount. Normally, he would urge buyers to target a 9% discount, but times are a little tougher right now.

There aren’t any current manufacturer rebates for the Wrangler, however, there is a special APR of 2.9% for up to 60 months. All things considered, with a target price of $45,315 and the promotional APR, you would be looking at a monthly payment of $839 plus tax. If that payment sounds a little high, just remember that you’re getting one of the most well-equipped Wrangler trims for that money.

Leasing a Wrangler will net a lower monthly payment

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler easily navigates a sand dune and is great for beach adventures
2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 | Stellantis

If you would rather keep your car temporarily, then you can always look into leasing a Jeep Wrangler instead. The same price amounts would remain for Janessian’s lease structure:

2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD
MSRP: $47,700
Target Price: $45,315
Rebate: $0
Residual: 63%
Money Factor: 0.0020 (4.8% APR)
Payment: $574/month plus tax

Taking a closer look at these numbers, we can see that the MSRP and target selling prices are the same, as is the absent rebate. However, the residual value after three years for the Wrangler is 63%, which is really good. Also, the Jeep typically has a money factor of 0.0020, which is equivalent to a 4.8% APR finance rate. After all of the numbers are crunched, then you can look forward to a lower monthly payment of $574, plus tax.

Your taxes, fees, and discounts can vary

While the aforementioned number and deal structures are possible, just remember that the taxes, fees, and the number of discounts can vary by region. This negotiation guide is meant to be for nationwide deals, but the numbers can differ depending on the dealership and on a monthly basis.

RELATED: Is the Jeep Wrangler Really the Best 4×4 SUV You Can Buy?

The post There are Plenty of Jeep Wrangler Deals to Take Advantage of Right Now appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

Lexus Infotainment Gets a Long-Overdue Refresh

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It’s no secret that both Lexus’ infotainment and Toyota’s are in desperate need of a refresh. With the Japanese brand’s premium division debuting their new NX crossover, a new infotainment system has been revealed as well. Hopes are high for the new unit. The old one was consistently touted as a weak point in the otherwise excellent vehicles it could be found in. The same can be said for parent company Toyota, whose infotainment systems are also in desperate need of a refresh.

Lexus infotainment needed the change

Lexus Interface in the new NX | Lexus

The performance of the old Lexus infotainment system is certainly what dated it the most. Commands in the old unit were processed by a mousepad of sorts. Users execute commands by dragging their fingers across the pad, which quickly became tiresome and inaccurate to use. Later, updates allowed the pad to be circumvented by a touchscreen, which was admittedly a welcome change.

Unfortunately, the screen suffered from the same issues as Toyota’s infotainment. It was slow to respond, often leading users like myself to push the button multiple times before a command was recognized. This was often worsened by the fact that doing so would trigger a second unwanted command input. Suffice to say, the old system needed to go; and props to both Toyota and Lexus for recognizing that and striving to make improvements.

Lexus Interface will great new features

Lexus' infotainment-compatible smartphone app used to open the doors on an NX model
Phone-powered keyless entry | Lexus

And improvements they did make. The new system looks extremely promising. First, the pair of Japanese brands began by addressing a major issue facing newer screens in cars: glare. Per Lexus, the new system will have a glare-reducing screen. Let’s hope it also helps to hide fingerprints. Moreover, the system promises to be far more responsive. This and the abandonment of the mousepad are far and away the best takeaways from the new system.

But, the Japanese company is also adapting some typically bleeding-edge tech. For the first time in Lexus models, you’ll be able to use your phone to interface with the vehicle. Your new Lexus will have the ability to be locked and unlocked from your smartphone. Additionally, you’ll be able to start and stop the vehicle with it too. There will also be a new virtual assistant available. The Japanese brands aren’t the first to try this tech, but if anyone can make it a mainstream success, it’s Lexus.

Lexus’ infotainment might mean changes for Toyota too

A silver Lexus NX 300 at an auto show
The 2020 Lexus NX | Raymond Boyd via Getty Images

All this new tech is fantastic. Even in the tech-saturated auto market we have today, it’s great to see manufacturers still pushing the envelope. Both Toyota and Lexus are known for their innovation, and this exciting new infotainment system is a great example. With any luck, we’ll see some of this tech trickle down to Toyota models. Toyota has already announced a refresh of the infotainment in the new Tundra, and you can bet there’ll be some great Lexus tech sprinkled in.

RELATED: Genesis Is Taking the Luxury Market by Storm

The post Lexus Infotainment Gets a Long-Overdue Refresh appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by