What should I buy instead of a Skoda Fabia?

My wife has a new Skoda Fabia SE estate with the 1.2TSI engine and 7 speed DSG on order with the local dealer and with a £2500 part exchange for her Citroen C3 (reg Sept 2007) with 39000 mileage. We are...

Which engine for a Jaguar XF?

I retired a few years ago. My working life has recently changed and in future I will average less than 10k miles p.a. mainly local trips but occasional 200/300 miles each way trips. My "S" Jaguar is showing...

When do I change the cam belt on my Signum?

What is the recommended interval to change the Cam belt on this Signum? Car is 5 years old and has done 80,000 miles. Just had service and MOT done and there was no mention of this work needing doing?

Petrol or SkyActiv diesel?

Motoring correspondents seem to prefer the new Skyactiv diesel to the petrol whereas a lot of my motoring includes short journeys. Is this new diesel technology any better at coping with short hops than...

Insurance company vague about my young son.

I have a 9 year old Ford Galaxy 1.9tdi which would be ideal for my son to learn to drive in when he turns 17 next July (it's large and slow). If I can't insure him on this car I would consider changing...

Do I respond to a request about my used car from Belgium?

I am advertising my car on a well known UK website and have received an enquiry from Belgium. I have been asked to email the vehicle VIN number. Is it safe to do so?

A cyclist is claiming against me for injury

About 2 years ago I was heading out of a cul-de-sac onto a dual carriageway. Just before the dual carriageway is a cycle path. A cyclist crossed his give way lines and went into the side of my car. The...

Changing to smaller wheels and winter tyres - what about my insurance?

I have a 2006 55 reg corsa sxi+ with 185 55 15 tyres fitted on standard sxi alloys. I have 4 175 65 14 snow tyres from my old corsa on 14inch steel wheels. Will I void my insurance if I fit them?

Is it possible to fit aftermarket bi-xenon headlights?

Ive bought a new beetle with standard headlights, is it possible to fir aftermarket Bi Zenon or anything that might improve the lights?

Micra fuelling problem

I have recently purchased a Nissan Micra 1.0L K11 model, which I have owned before (same model different car) and have noticed that even when empty, I can only get about 30/32 litres into the tank when...

C-Class or Mondeo?

I have a KIA Cee'd 2.0 diesel which I use to tow a caravan of less than 1,100 kgs MTPLM max. It is a task that it does satisfactorily, albeit only nine or ten times a year. My annual mileage is around...

Does an extra former keeper mean a problem?

Is the V5 record of a previous owner of my (still very low mileage Honda Jazz) car likely to affect its trade-in value to a dealer or private buyer?

Selling a used car with a new engine?

I wondered if you could give me some advice please regarding selling my Land Rover Discovery 3 (HSE, Auto, 7 Seat, 87k Miles, 07 plate, 1 Owner, VG Condition, FSH)? It suffered 'catastrophic engine failure'...

Which 4x4s have adaptive cruise?

Can you tell me which 4x4 have adaptive cruise control? Do any 4x4s have hybrid engines for UK use?

Large company car - but which one?

I have recently started my own company and the time has come to consider company vehicles. I am however getting stuck when it comes to finding something suitable. I am ideally looking for something Passat/...

Replacing an Audi Avant?

Have an old Audi Avant. I'm looking for a newer (12 months old perhaps) medium sized saloon/hatch. I want to avoid DSG gearboxes and electronic/ pedal handbrakes. I also want a car that has good visibility...

Slight error in advert - what are my rights?

At the end of July 2012 I purchased an approved used car. It was advertised online with a CO2 rating of 89g/km (I retained a screen grab of the advert). However the V5C that I've received shows a rating...

Car not fit for purpose

I am currently going through a bad experience with a car a purchased from a local dealer and has never been right. It is a 52 ('03) BMW 323ci msport, purchased for £3500 on the 25th April '12 (£3000...

Excess water coming from the exhaust of an 02 Opel Astra?

What does it mean when excess water is coming from the exhaust of an 02 Opel Astra?

Sloshing sound of water when driving after rain

After a rain storm when I drive there is a sound of sloshing water coming from the front drivers side wing. Any ideas?

Value my Corsa?

How much could I expect for a black 1.4 SXi Corsa (A/C) 5 door 59 reg with 38750 and full dealer SH? My dealer has offered £4000 cash is this a fair offer?

Interior light failure in a Punto

My interior light in my Fiat Punto 2002 doesn't work. Where will I locate the fuse for the light?

Improving the ride on a CR-V

I have a 2011 Honda CR-V EX on 18 inch wheels the ride is not as good as I had hoped. Would 17 inch wheels improve the ride and what tyres would you recommend for mostly road use?

Solution to flaky laquer?

The laquer on the roof of my metailic blue Coupe has begun to flake, the underlying blue paint is sound and rust free. The car has given me superb service since I bought it new and until the above problem...

Loss of power after having work done on my Focus

I am the owner of a Ford Focus TDCi 2006 plate. I have just recently (yesterday) had the dual mass flywheel and clutch replaced as well as the concentric slave cylinder. All was working fine until today...

Cracked glass roof on Evoque?

My brother in law has an Evoque fitted with the optional glass roof. Recently it cracked for no apparent reason. Is there a known problem with Evoque glass roofs?

Where do we stand with this parking charge?

My mum, who is 75 and a bona fide holder of a disabled badge, forget to display it on a short visit to as car park and received a ticket for parking in a disabled bay. There was no ticket on the car when...

Car not available for a test drive?

My wife was interested in buying a Hyundai i20 with automatic transmission, but we could not find any garage able to provide one to try out. I phoned Hyundai but they couldn't help find a car. It was...

Buying a smallish auto petrol MPV or SUV?

I'm writing on behalf of my Aunty who is going to change her 6 year old diesel C-Max and is looking for a new car. She is looking for a petrol (less than 4k mpa) auto small/ medium MPV or SUV with ease...

Buying and registering a car in England for use in Italy?

Knowing that I am in the market for a small car here in Italy, a friend has told me of her colleague here in Italy who has bought a left hand-drive, UK registered Ford Ka off eBay for £900. This has been...

Belt or chain on my CR-V?

I too once had a BMW Isetta. Mine had four wheels but the back two were close together which made it very difficult to avoid the potholes in unsurfaced roads. I now own an 02 reg Honda CRV. Can you...

What upright cars are there?

Am looking for a car with upright seating and need some advice. I want something similar to Ford C-Max.

Changing the cam belt on a SEAT Ibiza?

Service book recommends inspection at 4yrs/60,000 miles then yearly inspections. No time limit for changing. Car does mainly short journeys, max 3000 miles per year. Concerned that no time limit for...

Worrying Ford Focus noises

I am new to cars and I am having two noise related issues in my Ford Focus Lx 1.6 (Petrol 2007). I bought it as a used car with warranty in January 2012. A full service has been done in June 2012. 3 weeks...

Buying new tyres for a Freelander

You have previously recommended Pirelli Scorpion ATRs for a 4x4. However, I find that these are not available for my Freelander which requires 235/65 R17 108V. What would your current recommendation be...

What type of car is the safest?

I have been looking at a number of articles/videos on what the safest type of car is and some say you can't beat the laws of physics so they recommend a big heavy car, others say that new modern cars have...

Which MPV?

I need to buy a used family car or MPV that seats 2 adults and 2 kids - 7 seats would be nice for odd occasions but a 500+ litre boot is a must for bikes, tents and general family clobber. I do a very...

Protecting steel wheels in winter

I have bought 4 new manufacturer steel wheels on which I will fit winter tyres. I will not use plastic wheel trims. Do I need to have the wheels painted again - the paint finish they came in seems very...

Which car for a treacherous coastal commute?

I am looking for a nearly new small to medium sized automatic for a daily commute of about 55 miles each way along a hilly coastal road - often in very poor weather conditions. Safety, reliability and...

Do I need winter tyres for my trip to France?

I might be driving my car to the French Alps in a few weeks and I'm wondering if I need to buy 4 winter tyres? Also will I need new rims for them? Temperatures reach anywhere between -4 and -20!

Which engine for a recent Audi TT?

I`m on the point of buying a nearly new Audi TT coupe , but cant decide bewteen a 2.0 TFSI sport or the TDI quattro sport . Which is going to be the most reliable over 5 or 6 years . Does either have...

Stop-start effect on turbos in automatics

I'm waiting on delivery of a new 328i touring automatic in the next couple of weeks. It's my first automatic BMW and my first with stop-start technology ... so quite a bit of learning to do! I had a 330d...

3 Series or Jag XF?

Thinking of retiring and buying a new 328i Tourer or XF Jaguar. Mileage likely to be less than 10,000 PA Which is best and what about residuals after 3-5 years? Is petrol the best option ?

Which first car?

I am about to do my driving test and hopefully will pass this time round. I am a mum of 3 (7, 5 & 3months). I need a cheap reliable run around with a budget of £2-3k. My husband says I should buy a Ford...

Which engine for an i40 Tourer

Considering purchasing an i40 and unsure which engine to get. Extra space required for growing family. I want to ensure best value and cheapest running costs so was wondering if you could suggest a specific...

What's the 1.0 EcoBoost really like?

There's lots being said about the Ecoboost 1.0 and I wanted to know what REAL WORLD MPG figures it is achieving? I have heard figures as low as 25mpg but in fairness that was a bunch of journos...

MR2 or MGF?

I have the chance to buy either a 2004 Toyota MR2 with 80000 miles on the clock and good bodywork but no full service history or a 2005 MG TF 135 with 43000 miles on the clock, one owner, full service...

Do I need to keep this level of oil changes up?

We have a Corolla and a Jimny both bought new and now 8 years old. They do 6000 miles each p.a. I change the oil twice a year on both with Total 5w/30 fully synthetic oil. Am I wasting money doing these...

Does this deal sound dodgy?

My partner and I are buying a car from a garage in Derby, and have paid a £500 deposit by credit card. The car belongs to the garage owners wife, but is being sold through the garage. The car has £3300...

Problematic motorway cruising in a Vectra

When driving on the motorway at about 70 mph the engine management light comes on and the engine loses power. It doesn't do it when driving around town but there is a big loss in power and is using a lot...