During these tough financial times, everyone is looking to save money. Motorists are especially looking for new ways to save their wallet. Here are 1o tips to that could save you up to £500 a year:

1. Make fuel last longer - Avoid letting the engine warm up before driving – it’s a big waste of fuel. Drive gently for the first few minutes until the engine warms.Try and keep your fuel level at around halfway and clear clutter from inside your car – a heavy car will burn more fuel.
2. Cut Insurance Costs - Call as many car insurance companies as possible. Play companies off against each other when shopping around and quote prices from rival companies to drive costs down.
3. Pay Less for Tax - Buy annually rather than every six months and save up to £40.And if you drive a car which runs on alternative fuel (anything other than petrol or diesel), you’ll save at least £20 per tax band.
4. Check Your Car - Check your car’s tyre pressure is correct – the recommended pressure can found in your vehicle handbook. This can increase fuel efficiency by up to ten per cent.Open the bonnet and ensure the oil and fluid levels are topped up. Consider replacing your battery if it has been run down, or fails to start the car quickly. Remember, if a battery continually runs down, it could be worth having the car’s alternator - which charges the battery - checked.
5. Go green - Use these driving techniques to stretch your fuel even further:• Stay in the left lane on motorways where possible – doing 56mph uses 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph
   • Avoid harsh braking and accelerating – keep speed changes gradual
   • Change gear at around 2,000rpm in a diesel car or around 2,500rpm in a petrol car to put less strain on your engine and use less fuel

6.  Wash your car - Cleaning your car yourself could add hundreds of pounds to your car’s value and saves money on a garage car wash.Buy an all-in-one cleaning kit with car shampoo, polish, a sponge and a leather chamois. Use a bucket of water to rinse – this uses less water and saves money if you’re on a water metre.

7. Get the most money for your car - Set your price correctly – too low and you could lose hundreds of pounds. You’re likely to get a better deal if you clean and repair your car before selling.Place an advert for three weeks online and three weeks in the magazine to save £14.67 and advertise to the most buyers.

8.  Get your next car for less - Haggling could cut hundreds of pounds off the price of a used car.Ask how much the seller realistically expects to get for the car – as soon as they give you a price, look them in the eye, make an offer and say no more. Move to shake their hand to seal the deal.

9. Find a cheap loan - Search around for the best-priced loan before buying a car - you could save thousands of pounds in interest.
10. Save money on car parts - Save money and be kind to the environment by buying used car parts online.This can be cheaper – and greener – than buying new parts. All used parts are checked to see if they’re in good working order before they’re sold.

For more tips on saving money, please visit our page on Economic Driving, to help you get the best from your car.

Cars today are built differently then they were in our grandfather’s day.  Today they are an engineering masterpiece of at least 15,000 different parts and moving pieces.  They still use the standard combustion engine, have four rubber tires and metal bodies, but of course the design of the vehicle’s body have changed considerably.  All vehicles need energy to run and they may still use gasoline or diesel fuel, and of course oil to keep all the parts lubricated and moving smoothly.

There are cars today that run on a combination of gasoline and electricity.  These hybrid vehicles work in tandem, running on electric until the special battery winds down and then switching over to gasoline as the battery charges back up.  Hybrids are helping to keep the pollution level down, but they are still expensive to buy and the way the vehicles are made makes them heavy.  Some countries offer owners of hybrid vehicles tax breaks for purchasing them.

Another alternative power source for vehicles that is being tested is fuel cells.  These are composite membranes, wires, and a box that is combined together to hold fresh supplies of hydrogen.  It mixes with oxygen with the aid of a catalyst to make the chemical energy that drives the motor.  The only by-product of fuel cell energy is water.  While fuel cells may be the most economically sound energy for a vehicle, it is still only in prototype and testing stages.

The iconic Fiat 500 supermini which was launched earlier this year has just been crowned Best City Car in the 2008 Auto Express. The success of the Fiat 500 follows on from the consecutive 4 year run of its stable mate the Fiat Panda bringing to an end what can only be described as a remarkable run.

The Fiat 500, in a similar vein to the Mini, captures the spirit of a legend without coming across as forced or tacky.  Its low prices go hand in hand with the great looking exterior and interior styling to create an irresistible package. This remarkable retro style motor car is only in the early stages of alternative production models will many more versions waiting in the wings. An ultra efficient two cylinder engine, launch an estate version to rival the Mini Clubman as well as a 500 convertible.

Currently the Fiat 500 is available with a choice of three frugal, ultra-low emissions, Euro 5-ready engines: 69 bhp 1.2-litre and 100 bhp 1.4-litre petrol, or 75 bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel, the new Fiat 500 can be ordered in three different trim versions Pop, Sport and Lounge.