Are car drag coefficients a con?

Not so long ago manufacturers use to quote drag coefficients to demonstrate how aerodynamic their cars were. A good example was the Citroen XM, the front end came down below my knees. Now the majority...

Can you recommend an efficient small car?

I have a SEAT Ibiza, which I love and thought was environmentally friendly but now I need to change it as I mostly make long journeys between Nottingham and just inside the north circular in London. I...

Which is more important for a high mileage car, efficiency or reliability?

I travel 130 miles per day, 5 days a week, and I'm currently in a Honda Jazz getting around 48mpg. I'm looking at getting a new car soon, and had considered getting a Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic for...

Why are air intakes for cars set so low when flood damage can occur?

With the dramatic increase in flooding, and many people with wrecked engines, I wonder what your view is regarding trying to encourage car manufacturers to start putting engine air intakes at a much higher...

Are daytime running lights a waste of energy?

I understand that there are approximately 35 million vehicles registered in the UK. If we therefore assume that 1 million of them have unnecessarily deployed side and dipped headlights at any one time,...

Looking for a wheelchair-friendly small car with a hoist - any suggestions?

We need to replace our Honda Insight Motability car with something which has the capacity to transport a wheelchair 1150mm long, 710mm wide and 650mm high. We would need a hoist fitted to lift the wheelchair....

Petrol or diesel - which warms up quickest?

I want to buy a new car that will be mainly used for journeys of about 10 miles each way with the occasional longer journey of 150 miles each way. Should I buy a petrol or diesel engined car as I want...

Real MPG in my Focus is far lower than the manufacturer's quoted figure - why?

I bought a new Focus hatchback 1.0 EcoBoost 125 last week, lured by the 55mpg advertised by Ford and enthusiastically endorsed and claimed by the salesman. I can't get more than 43mpg, and that's on a...

CLK240 or CLK320?

I am handing back my BMW Z4 company car and opting out of the scheme. I have decided that the CLK convertible meets my brief (2004 model onwards) and for £7K - £8K there are some good examples. Simple...