Trending topics in December 2009
Questions from December 2009
Your correspondent, D.I., wanted advice for learning to drive a recently purchased Porsche Cayman safely on the road. You said that race tracks ARE a good place to learn. Back in 1976, even though I had...
My son recently bought an imported Toyota people carrier. The vehicle is shown as first registered (abroad) in 2000 but not registered in the UK until 2008. The DVLA has issued it with a date related...
Some while ago I believe you wrote that driving less than 6,000 miles per year did not warrant purchasing a diesel car. Could you please give me your reasons for stating this? I have a petrol engine Volvo...
My wife is a community midwife and drives a 12-year-old Toyota RAV-4. She loves the high driving position, ease of parking around town, spacious storage for equipment and reliability. However Toyota no...
My wife has severe osteoporosis and is now unable to drive. To help my wife's quality of life we require a vehicle that is easy to enter and most importantly has a soft, comfortable ride to overcome this...
I have been offered by a Mercedes dealer a July 2006 Smart Forfour 1.5 CDi Passion, 25,600 miles, used as a demonstrator and manager's car by them, for £5,495 including a new "supagard" coating and a one...
For the past 2 years I've been running a Volvo XC70. This car has given me all the comfort that I could wish for with its fantastic seats and long travel suspension. In addition, over the last winter the...
Twelve days after I had renewed my insurance in good time I was stopped by the police at eleven o'clock at night. After professing themselves satisfied at my answers to various questions, they asserted...
My wife, who is 79, regularly takes our neighbour, who is 93, to Tesco. Recently he forgot to display his blue badge and in spite of his showing it to the warden on return to the car, I have received a...
Can you recommend any paint treatments or companies that do it?
I was told by my Honda dealer that my Jazz will be made in Japan. It
Now appears that it will be made here. Do I need to be concerned about...
Your correspondent who was fined in a car park owned by a Tesco store for apparently not displaying a 'blue badge' should perhaps refer to the main branch of the one of the three Tesco stores in Dumfries,...
If an 11 year old car, worth say £200 or so, was damaged in an accident and would naturally be 'written off', would insurers pay out the £200 or £2,000 that the car would be ‘worth’ under the scrappage...
Please could you suggest answers to my needs? I shall be travelling all over Devon for my new job. I know and like the Toyota RAV-4 but would prefer something rather smaller. My base will be a place at...
In May 2009 I bought a Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 diesel from a VW main dealer. The car was first registered in August 2008 and had 14,000 miles on the clock. I was told by the salesman that the car had been...
I have owned a 2005 VW Touran 1.9TDI for about 3 years, with no problems so far. Fairly low mileage-about 33,000. The ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Program) warning light is now permanently on which means...
Can you advise me whether cruise control on a long motorway journey is more fuel-efficient than the right foot? I thought that as the fuel is being constantly monitored to maintain speed, then the computer...
Surprisingly, it looks as if my son's September 2003 BMW 320td ES Compact Auto could be written off following a slow speed shunt with a 4x4 equipped with heavy duty bull-bars. The BMW's done 48,000 miles,...
I am writing to ask for some advice regarding our brand new VW Polo that we bought 2 months ago as part of the scrappage scheme. I also
have an 05 plate Golf TDI with 100k miles and never any problems.
With...
Recently my wife and I were driving from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh to catch a plane from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik (one flight a week). To our dismay we hit a pothole that we could not avoid because of an...
I read ‘Autocar’ and, as a reasonable enthusiast with three cars, I take some interest in cars. I remember some time ago you did list small cars with REAL autos, but I cannot find any reference to this....
Some months ago you answered a readers enquiry about a car that was comfortable for sleeping in whilst touring but cheaper to run then a conventional type camper van. At the time I didn't need the information...
My Peugeot 406 HD90, now 5 years old is fitted with factory satnav. I have not used it a great deal locally but now, about to go away, I find it unreadable. The main dealer states that it has to be returned...
I purchased a new Citroen C4 Cool edition in July 2007. It was due its first service in July for 2 year's use or 20,000 miles. I had only done 10,000 miles but the service went ahead at a Citroen garage....
I am restricted due to a disability to driving automatics. I am looking for better mpg than is usual from the older automatics and am trying to locate all those cars with Direct Shift Gearboxes. Obviously...
My parents are in their 80s and need a car with easy access and high seats. Is there a car (2 doors and hatch) with wide doors and adjustable seat heights (father 5ft 10 and mother, a minute, 4ft 10) and...
My neighbour, a taxi driver, needed a newer used car. A local dealer had nothing suitable on his stocks but said that his wife was selling her car. My neighbour went to view the car at his house. He liked...
I am concerned about the previous ownership of my car after reading a recent newspaper report (Daily Telegraph article by Jon Swaine 15th September 2009). I assume that you are aware of this article? In...
Please would you clarify the gearbox difference (if any) between a Toyota Verso Petrol 1.8 litre (called Multidrive S) and a Toyota Verso 2.2 Diesel Automatic. I have spoken to a Toyota Dealer who assures...
I have been reading your column for many years and have noted the frequency with which the problem of poor quality European components crops up, particularly with respect to front suspension and speed...
We want to replace our from new 'T' reg automatic Rover 400 because of rust spots - roof, wheel arches and bonnet. Our daughter has mobility difficulties and we need to carry a wheelchair from time to...
I have just taken delivery of a new Toyota Yaris and I cannot make my mobile (Vodafone 625) work with the Bluetooth. I think it is a compatibility problem? I have asked Toyota to supply a list of compatible...
My VW Passat V5 is registered Dec 1999. It's a V registration. I have had it for 7 years now. I bought it in 1992 and it had 2 previous owners and 10000 miles on the clock. Apparently it had a bump in...
A question you were asked the other day was: Could a man drive his wife's car after her insurance policy lapsed, using his own policy which allowed him to drive any car not owned or hired to him. You said...
I am about to purchase my 8th Volvo and it will be my first diesel powered car. The model is a V50 2.0D with Powershift transmission. I drive between 18,000 and 20,000 miles of mixed motoring per annum....
I have read your column for some years to gain some insight into the motor world. I just thought that I might amuse you, and possibly your readers with my new car purchase. I am approaching the magic 60...
We live overseas, but intend coming to UK (mainly Scotland) each summer for 3-4 months and possibly a further 2 weeks later in the year. A car is essential, but is there a more cost effective way other...
There seems to have been a lot of hype over the new Golf R. Probably justified hype. However, with a starter price of £28,930, it will be at least £3,000 more than a discounted Audi S3, which was itself...
I would be grateful for your thoughts on the following. I have a 2004 Corolla Verso. It had a main dealer service and oil change at 90,000 miles 7 weeks ago and 2,000 miles ago. Today, after driving locally...
My parents (73 yrs and 69 yrs) would like to buy a small automatic diesel car or small 4wd with up to £7,500. They used to have a Suzuki Vitara (diesel auto) - something perhaps a little smaller would...
Is there a good reason why cars do not have a grab handle above the drivers door? I've moved one such handle from the rear of my Colt to the drivers side as the fittings were already in place but am unable...
I read with interest your reply to BP in Saturday's Telegraph. Are you suggesting for Swindon production of the Honda Jazz there is a possibility that they might change the auto in the Jazz from I-Shift...
Your reader who was recently found liable for the fines of the driver of his previous car, even though he had written to the DVLA advising them of the sale, might find it useful to try the DVLA's website...
We decided that our 04 VW Golf needed replacing whilst it still had some value, but VW was not able to offer a reasonable deal, so I remembered your recommendations of Hyundai. It was easy for me to remember...
I've bought another vehicle, and need to sell the old one, but I need temporary insurance to cover taking the prospective buyers for a test drive, etc. It will not be used on a daily basis, merely for...
I had an Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport on a company car scheme through Leaseplan. At the end of 3 problem-free years, it was available to buy for what seemed a very reasonable price considering it had only done...
I have a BMW 335i with 255/40 (rear) and 225/45 (front) run-flats. Both sets are original fit and have 23k miles on them. I still have 4mm plus on the rears and 5mm plus on fronts. I will change the rears...
I have just bought a second -hand 08 reg. Nissan Note from a branch of Evans Halshaw. After it had been to various branches of the company, and having completed all the paperwork and paid for it etc I...
Are Turbo-Chargers in petrol engines anymore reliable than those fitted in diesel engines?
I currently own a 2005 SAAB 9-5 saloon 2.2 TID Auto. It has just over 43,000 miles on the clock and has been reasonably reliable, except for the boot release that failed twice. Would you be kind enough...
We are reducing our two cars to one. I have a BMW 1 Series, three years old; my wife a Peugeot 205, five years old. Can you advise of any car about the size of the 205, but of the same quality of the BMW....
Elsewhere on 
