Which is more economical - the Ford 1.4i engine or the Vauxhall 1.4i?

I am getting rid of my Vauxhall Corsa 1.4i 16v as it's 12 years old. I wondered if the Vauxhall 1.4i 16v or Ford 1.4i 16v is more economical as I’d rather get a 1.4-litre than a 1.2-litre car.

Why do supermarkets enforce car parking regulations when they put off customers?

Some years ago I was "stung" for parking overtime in a Morrisons Supermarket car park run by another company. It was in the evening and the park was less than half-full. I complained to the supermarket,...

Are company car drivers taxed unfairly?

I am very concerned about the amount of car tax that company car drivers are having to pay. I have read this tax is to encourage companies to buy cheaper and more fuel-efficient cars but it's not the company...

I am being harassed by Town and City Parking over a car that I don't own - what should I do?

You say that Parking Eye is the company about whom you receive the most complaints. How about TCP (Town and City) Parking? These people are based in Perth and they bombard me on a daily basis. Today,...

Is it worth using Shell V-Power?

We decided to take your advice and use Shell V-Power in place of supermarket fuel. When we started the trial, a petrol station attendant enthusiastically told us he had made an overall saving of 8 per...

Does Audi get things wrong from time to time?

In your reply to a question about Audi regarding oil consumption of one litre per 1,000 miles, I forgot to ask you if I can tell Audi that a well known car journalist told me, “if German car manufacturers...

Can I recommend Timpsons for supplying replacement car keys?

This may by now be old news but just in case. In May 2007 I was down to one remaining key for my year 2000 Yaris Verso. You ran various articles about ways to obtain duplicates but none I could find at...

Received a parking charge for a hire car I'd returned a week earlier - what redress do I have?

Today I received a parking charge from Parking Eye. The date of the 'offence' was 19 May 2012 but the car was a loan car that I had borrowed from Stoneacre Ford on 11 May 2012 for one day only. I can only...

Can Parking Eye actually enforce their 'fines' in a court of law?

I too got a notification from Parking Eye, the usual £90 or £45 if paid in 15 days. I did some research and found that the best advice is to ignore the second and third letters. The third one is quite...

Thanks for recommending Event Tyres to quickly supply a tyre for our BMW.

I just wanted to thank you for all your help and let you know the outcome of our tyre saga. Following your email, we contacted Event Tyres on Thursday 14 June. They said they could deliver the requested...

Is the Volkswagen Eos a good purchase?

My wife and I wish to purchase a hard top convertible. We presently own a five-year-old BMW 3 Series with 38,000 on the clock. We think the Volkswagen Eos looks promising, but do you have any advice or...

Do Fiat 500s suffer from road noise?

My wife has decided it is time she would like to trade in her 2003 Toyota Yaris 1.0. After much deliberation we looked at a Fiat 500, which she likes the styling and shape of very much. The build quality...

How can I prevent my leg aching during long drives?

I drive a 2001 Honda CR-V. After driving for a while, I begin to get pain in the back of my right leg, right up to the hip, which can eventually become really painful. The same used to happen when I was...

Is the new Ford Focus three-cylinder engine suitable for long distance driving?

I have read all the very high praise lavished on the new Ford three cylinder engine. In your opinion would the new Focus 1.0 125ps be a suitable car for me to travel 550 miles each week, mainly on motorways?...

How did Parking Eye get my personal details from the DVLA?

A couple of years ago I was working for a contractor serving Tesco. I turned up at a branch, parked, went to the security office and signed in with my name, car registration and employer details, did a...

Can I carry a spare tyre in my Toyota RAV-4?

I have just bought a Toyota RAV-4. It has no spare tyre, just a can of goo to inject. However, after inspecting the bay under the floor where the goo and pump are stored, it seems that it measures up large...

Where can I get a replacement car key?

Where can I get replacement car keys at a reasonable price?

Where can I sell my Jaguar?

I am 73. I have been driving since I was 17 and in those years I have had many cars. However, I've never sold a car on the open market. When I had a new car the old one was either traded in or given back...

Unusual rear tyre wear on my Skoda Octavia - is this a fault?

I bought a new Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDI CR 18 months ago. I'm very happy except that for the last 6000 miles or so there has been a steady increase in road noise from the rear tyres. I had the tyres...

Discoloured fabric and faulty airbag light in my MINI convertible - who can repair these?

I have two problems with my 2006 MINI convertible. Firstly, it has developed white mould spots on the inside of the roof over the winter. The fabric on the outside is also quite faded and there is some...

Overstayed in a car park and got a fine - should I pay?

My wife parked her car in a shopping centre in Lincoln which serves many large shops. She was there for four hours and discovered a parking fine of £70 for overstaying. She was not aware that there was...

Where can I get a tracker fitted to my Jaguar?

I have a 2004 Jaguar XKR Coupe which I have owned for seven years and now most insurance companies insist that my vehicle needs a Tracker Device fitted before they are willing to offer me comprehensive...

DMF replacement rip-off

I think readers should be aware of what I consider to be a very questionable practice by my local Vauxhall dealer. I received a quote of £1310 to replace the DMF which included a new clutch. Warranty...

New Mazda6 likely to have DPF issues?

I have owned a 2002 model Mazda 6 2.0 litre diesel for 96,000 miles. Never any trouble. I commute to work and use the car for business so almost every week I spend at least 2 hours on a motorway. So,...

petrol in a diesel car

I have inadvertently put just 15 litres of unleaded into a diesel car and having realised my error did not drive the car. Although no damage was done to the car the cost of the rectification was £560...

Should I buy G3 Glasscoat for my new car?

I am looking at buying a Toyota Yaris 6 months old from my local Toyota dealer - they are advising me to take the paint protection - does this really work?

Shall I get an automatic C4 Grand Picasso?

Which is better, the auto or the manual in the C4 Grand Picasso?

Banging Fiesta suspension

My back wheel on the driver's side - there is a banging sound coming from it, checked spring etc. but can't see anything wrong. Seems to be worse when on a uneven road. Car is an 02 Fiesta.

aerosol tyre sealant

The new Boxster comes without even a half size spare wheel and only the dreaded aerosol can of foam to use in an emergency. I plan to drive in out of the way areas in northern Spain and Portugal and may...

Car smells of petrol?

I can smell petrol inside my car when driving. Not overfilled the car and not spilt fuel. Can smell it when I get in the car in the morning and very strong when driving - not all the time but every few...

Third party insurance cheaper?

My wife drives 5000 miles a year in 12 year old Daewoo Nubira which is in good condition with 60k miles on the clock, she has 4 years no claims and I am a named driver (9 yrs no claims). We have insured...

Changing from an old S60 to a CR-V?

looking at p/t ex my 9 yr Volvo S60 run for the past 8 years for a one to two year old 4x4. I am drawn to the Honda CR-V but why do you recommend the diesel version after all your negatives in the Daily...

Is Texaco premium fuel any good?

I asked some months ago about the advantages of Shell/BP Premium Diesel and I followed your advice and use premium. One of my nearby Shell filling stations has changed to Texaco and Texaco Premium has...

Pay and display ticket stolen from my motorbike?

I recently parked my bike on a pay and display car park in Matlock Bath. I bought a ticket and before I displayed it I recorded the serial number etc on a piece of paper. I returned an hour later (and...

Reliable Broker to purchase a New Kia Venga?

I am having difficulty finding a broker through whom to purchase a Kia Venga 3, 1.6 petrol. drivethedeal.com do not handle Kia. Do you have any recommendations for a good outfit that does?

Complying with overseas forces rules

I am posted to Germany and as a non-temporary visitor, apparently I must change headlights to comply with British Forces Germany rules (not German law). This is to prevent dazzling other drivers when driving...

Should I change to a new car?

I hope you find this interesting and can help me understand my own numbers. I currently have 2003 Renault Scenic 1.6v Fidji, I've driven it since new and bought it off a friend at the end of 3 year lease...

Vignette fine in Austria

I recently hired a car in Munich, Germany and was staying in Mayrhofen Austria. I travelled 2,600km on Austrian/German/Italian roads in 7 days, I paid 8 euros for vignette into Austria. They have fined...

Removing or repairing a Clifford alarm

I've got a Mk4 Golf with a Clifford alarm on. The booklet just calls it a Model 2. It was working fine but today, the keyfob unlocks and locks the doors but it doesn't disable the immobiliser so the...

All weather tyres - what do you suggest?

What all weather tyres would you recommend for a 2.0-litre Frd C-Max on a 56-plate? We only do about 8000 miles per annum so do not think it economical to buy winter tyres.

Stalling Almera at low revs

I have a 1996 Nissan Almera 1.4 GL which has served me well for many years. It has now done 151,000 miles. Recently it has started to stall at low revs when the engine has warmed up. This usually happens...

Bought a Ford Galaxy from Addison Lee in London

Just letting you know how impressed I was with the level of help and service I received from Addison Lee Car Sales in London when I bought one of their vehicles last month. The rate turnover of cars...

Do superchargers get as hot as turbos?

Does your advice on turbo charged engines also apply to super charged engines? I am referring to leaving them idle for 10 seconds before driving off and leaving the engine idle for 30 to 120 seconds after...

A6 or XC90?

I have narrowed down my choices to the Audi A6 3L Quattro (2005/2006) or Volvo XC90 2.4D (2005/2006). We live in a rural area in France which has 6 to 8 weeks of snow and ice so need an AWD car but also...

Three back seats for £2000

I am looking for a second car for my wife. She wants a small - medium car but wants to fit 3 car seats at the back (2 boosters and 1 group 1) the boot has to be big enough for a small stroller. Our budget...

Replacing an old Peugeot 405?

Wish to replace 405TD estate. Must have similar comfort seats & ride. Prefer diesel & model which can be maintained by experienced mechanic. Minimal computer reliance preferred, so this possibly means...

Electrical issues after leaving a car for 10 weeks

My car (E39 BMW 5 Series) was parked up for about 10 weeks. Before I stopped driving it there were no problems. Now my indicators work outside the car but nothing showing on the dashboard or ticking noise....

What tyres should I fit?

When I bought my car, it had 3 different makes of tyre, sized 205/60/R15 91V. The rear ones are Enduro Runways (done 30k miles on them and still loads of tread. The front ones (Kumho and Fortuna) now need...

How does the warranty work for alloy wheels?

I own a 2010 Mercedes C350 CDI with AMG wheels which are coroding under warranty from the centre out. But Mercedes only offer the option of replacing 3 of the wheels if I pay for one at £700 each because...

Using the right oil to prolong DPF life

Please can you advise your readers to make sure the correct spec oil is being used in thier cars. I have a shiny 2012 Subaru Outback [Diesel]. Both the main dealer and the UK agents were unsure about...