Trending topics in December 2013
Questions from December 2013
I have a job which requires 30,000 miles of driving per year. I have £11,000 to spend and have no family, so am considering the Honda CR-Z - with the hope that the hybrid would allow a reasonable return...
I am looking to buy a new car and am considering a hybrid. What’s your thoughts on the Toyota Auris HSD? Also, can you explain what a hybrid is?
I run a 2010 Volvo XC60 and find it hard to get any really truthful in-depth information relating to them. The problem I have is ether a misfire under load or a clutch band slipping in the auto gearbox....
This site is great and I believe real mpg database can really be helpful for people. Still, I think real mpg values can be made more accurate by separating city and highway traffic mpg values. For example...
I parked in a private car park today that was behind a shop, now closed. It is not a council car park. I paid £1 for an hour, but was seven mins late. I have since got a parking ticket. What do you think?...
I purchased a new Volkswagen Polo in 2010 and two years later the car failed to start on my drive and was taken by the dealer for tests. The car was returned after a week with no fault found.
One week...
Eight months ago I purchased an ex-demo Vauxhall Insignia SRi CDTi with an automatic gearbox. However, the gearbox has started feeling lumpy when I lift my foot off the accelerator and there’s a long wait...
My Mazda 6 had a service 9000 miles ago. Last week I opened the bonnet (to refill the washer bottle) and found that the filler cap was missing. Oil was everywhere and nothing is showing on the dipstick,...
I want to downgrade to a smaller car, but it must be able to fit my wife and three kids. What used car do you recommend I buy?
My diesel Jaguar S-Type has started blowing blue smoke from underneath the front passenger side. The problem only happens in the cold, any idea what it is?
My son bought a 2007 used Mercedes-Benz C220 CDi Sport from a main dealer in Aberdeen about six months ago. We have since discovered the car has barely any service history.
The first stamp in the book...
Two months ago my car broke down and needed to be towed home by the RAC. My local Ford dealer diagnosed the problem as a blown spark plug which had disintegrated and damaged the forth cylinder, requiring...
My daughter has seen a car for sale, but it's off the road and is not taxed or MoT'd. How can it be legally driven to the garage to be tested?
A couple of weeks ago my partner parked at a local retail park, where you can stay for two hours for free. This week she received a parking charge letter showing pictures of her arrival and departure from...
We plan to sell our 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan next year; the car has done 57,000 miles and is in an overall good condition, with a full service history. However, some months ago my wife reversed the car into...
I am thinking about buying a 2006 Citroen C2 with 55,000 miles on the clock. Do you have any tips as to what I should look out for?
I have owned a 2009 Vauxhall Insignia 1.8 Exclusiv (petrol) from new and have always had it serviced and MoT'd at my local dealership from where I bought the car. The car has covered 32,500 miles and I...
I'm on the lookout for either a Ford S-Max or Galaxy in Titanium trim, with a 2.0 petrol Ecoboost engine. I recently viewed a 2010 S-Max with 26,000 miles, on sale at a Ford dealer for £14,000. Although...
Can you tell me the best Places for a Mercedes-Benz key repair in Birmingham?
How can I get my car on SORN to a garage for a service? My car has been off the road and I want to sell it, but am reluctant to tax and insure it just to drive to the garage to get it checked over.
I'm thinking of buying a Vauxhall Insigina ecoFLEX. Can you tell me if it's any good?
The battery keeps draining on my daughter's FIAT 500 1.2 sport and the local dealership seems unable to pinpoint the problem . We have paid for a full diagnostic and exploratory work, but she is still...
I own a 2002 Honda S2000 which has been great fun but it must go. I like the look of a Honda Civic Type S (old style - 2005) for everyday use. What do you think?
I wonder if you agree with me that, especially as we are now doing away with tax discs being displayed in the screen, we should follow the lead of France and make it compulsory that any car on the road...
A family member bought a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 petrol Ecotec last year (2012 - 62 plate). Despite my reminders, she has failed to service the vehicle (now owned for 14 months) and, low and behold, on Saturday...
I have brought a used Audi TT from a main dealer. It was listed on the dealer website as having done 4600 miles, but when it was delivered it had actually done 13,600 miles. I bought the car as a distance...
I'm considering buying a Mazda CX-5, which I’ll drive for 8000 miles per year. You say the diesels should not be subjected to short runs if at all possible, but what is a short run?
My pattern of motoring...
We stopped in a service area on the autobahn near Ulm last week. When we returned to our car after tea a police car was obstructing our exit. The policeman said the slight window tints on the front doors...
I saw a vehicle advertised on Autotrader by a private individual. Having entered into negotiation with him we agreed a price. I subsequently sold my car to finance the purchase and hired one as an interim...
I'm interested in buying an in-car video camera and tried to find some information about it on your website. Can you please let me know where I can find it? Is there one you would recommend for ease of...
I'm looking for a small economical car. I wondered what your thoughts were on the Suzuki Alto as I can get a brand new one for £5000 (trading in my 11-year-old Peugeot 206) at my local garage and wondered...
I have just received a letter from Volkswagen inviting me to extend the warranty on my 2009/59 Golf Estate 1.9 TDI, now at 46,000 miles. I note under the items covered that the clutch (DMF?) is not covered....
I have a 2010 Mercedes-Benz B180, bought 18 months ago when an automatic gearbox was dictated for health reasons. I need to change to a small 4WD as I live in the New Forest, so roads are narrow and edges...
I own a 2007 BMW 330d SE Touring, purchased new. Since the warranty expired I have had my servicing done independently. In July the ABS warning lights came on the dash. A diagnostic check at an independent...
I lost my car insurance certificate recently. I phoned Esure and asked if they could provide a duplicate. I was informed that to send a replacement would cost me £26 which would be taken from my debit...
I have had several near misses recently, none of them my fault, so I was wondering about getting a dashboard camera. What is the law regarding them? Apparently they can’t intrude more than 4cms into the...
My 2005 Volkswagen Touran developed an intermittent but persistent fault with the automatic gearbox. The car would randomly drop into limp home mode (third gear). On the dash all the gear lights were flashing....
I currently own an Audi S2 coupe quattro with a 2.2 turbo-charged engine. The car was first registered on 3 May 1991 and has been owned by me since first registration. The current mileage is just over...
I hired a Fiesta in Spain. I received a full tank of petrol and was told to return the car empty. I was charged 87.17 Euros for the petrol that in Spain at the time was about 1.47 Euros/litre. Given that...
Having purchased five Jaguar vehicles, all brand new, in the past five years, my last is an XJ obtained in October 2012. The car is suffering an oil leak. The dealer asked to keep the car for several days...
I am thinking of buying a 2012 KIA Cee'd 1, 1.6 diesel manual. My mileage is approx 8000 - 10,000 miles per year, roughly 50/50 short journeys and motorway. I have been told if once a week I do 50-60 mph...
I was most interested to read your advice to a BMW E53 X5 owner, suggesting having the engine inlet manifold swirl flaps removed. Because of a repetitive computer warning, my own 45,000 mile BMW 330d had...
The car market across Europe is struggling, yet when we go into the various dealerships in our area, all we get is total disinterest and told that the list price is the price. It is only if there is a...
I have seen you write about the merits of the Peugeot 2008, but it isn't possible to get Grip Control with the automatic version. The new Suzuki S-Cross has ALLGRIP and CVT in the 1.6 version. Are there...
I recently bought a 2006 Zafira 1.6, fully serviced. It idles perfectly and runs smoothly. I filled half a tank and at the first notch on the gauge it had done 50 miles, which meant with a total of four...
In February 2011 my wife purchased a 2005 Jaguar X-Type 2.0 D SE. The car had been a category D write-off (front end damage), but had been nicely repaired. She liked this car so much that she intended...
My 20-year old Mitsubishi 1.8i Space Runner automatic goes on and on like a faithful servant, but I fear replacement time will come next year. I wouldn't buy a diesel because of pollution but I am attracted...
I feel it's time to replace my 2007 Volkswagen Golf Plus DSG diesel. I've been very happy with it but am considering a change. What would you recommend of a similar size in a petrol engine? It will be...
Having now retired I shall be looking for a secondhand car that will carry four people and luggage occasionally but is not in the big car league. I require low tax and insurance if possible and a minimum...
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