Advice on buying a taxi?

I'm looking for a new taxi for myself. Either a 2012 Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI or Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI. Which one is better and economical?

When is the best time of the year to buy a new car?

Is now just before Christmas a good time to buy a new car or is it better to wait till January or for the new March registration rush?

Winter tyres advice

I am a Vredstein winter tyre convert, have always used them and trust their handling especially driving in the Alps. My present Vredsteins are worn. I cannot source 235/60 R18 Vredstein extreme S anywhere...

Buying a used Jaguar XF

I'm planning to buy an approved used Jaguar XF (2013 reg).I prefer the looks and power of the V6 diesel S(275PS).Do you thing it will suffer more problems than the 240PS in the future? I will probably...

Fiesta or Yaris - which one do you recommend?

I am looking at buying the Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec Powershift 105PS with Fordsync Bluetooth USB and rear parking sensors - the ford dealership want £9,995 and won't budge on price. I am concerned about...

Suzuki Vitara BoosterJet or Skoda Yeti?

I have recently been considering an automatic 4WD Yeti and would appreciate info on the type of auto transmission available with the new Vitara BoosterJet engine?

Is this a fair offer?

I bought a Skoda Fabia in August but in early November it burst into flames. The Skoda investigation was inconclusive about the cause as there is so little left of the car. However, Skoda did consent...

Audi misfiring and spluttering - what's the cause?

This morning I pulled up on the grass outside my house to take something heavy out the car, when pulling off I accidently drove over a concrete stump which pulled out the ground and dragged under the car,...

How to tell winter tyres from summer tyres?

I recently bought an old Citroen Berlingo Multispace as a temporary workhorse. I think it has mixed summer and winter tyres on it. How do you tell the difference between the two from the side wall information?

A3 Cabriolet or BMW 2 Series Convertible - what would you recommend?

Hoping to buy nearly new Audi A3 Cabriolet or BMW 2 Series, up to 6000 miles. Always had manual cars before, but leaning towards automatic, now sure on which engine size and fuel type. Seem to be more...

Where is the heater plug module on a Mondeo?

I cant find the heater plug module on my Ford Mondeo. I have removed the under tray and looked all around starter motor area. Any ideas?

Nissan Micra CVT gearbox issues - a common problem?

We bought a Nissan Micra CVT in March 2011 it has done 44,000 miles. It is my wife's pride and joy and was her first brand new car, we are advised that it needs a new gear box. Have you had similar complaints...

Looking for a diesel with good economy - suggestions?

I am looking for 2.0 diesel car with good MPG and comfort . And how bad is BMW rear wheel drive during winter times?

Large all season tyres - what's out there?

Buying a Grand Cherokee 2014 Overland on 265/50 R20 wheels. Have been looking for all season tyres with snowflake symbol but Michelin, Goodyear and Vredestein don't seem to do that size. Any suggestions...

Excessive Audi A3 1.8 TFSI oil consumption

My daughter has an 2010 Audi A3 1.8 petrol. About 2 years ago she took to Audi Leeds to complain about excessive oil consumption which they said they had dealt with. The problem has now returned so that...

Honda Jazz CVT - starter clutch or a torque converter?

Honda Jazz CVT 2015 (1.3) - Does this new CVT transmission has a starter clutch or a torque converter? Honda World website shows torque converter equipped CVT. Is this also applicable to Jazz CVT in UK?

Bought new Fiat 500X - engine management light came on?

First day of ownership of new Fiat 500X the engine management light came on. Took to local dealer in Newcastle under Lyme. They said car only had quarter litre of oil in . On return we found they had done...

Toyota Yaris semi automatic not selecting gear?

I bought a Yaris a few weeks ago. The car was running okay but now it has flashing light on dash board and is not selecting gear when engine running. But when the engine is off it will select normal?

Any point in keeping the miles down on a classis Renault?

I have a Renault 19 1993 RT with 39,000 miles on the clock. I love driving the car, but will the car ever truly be a classic? It is the saloon version so quite rare these days, the garage which services...

Looking for a comfortable car, what would you recommend

I have a back problem and keep getting into trouble on our bad roads. I'm looking for something with a better ride than my Renault Modus if possible without going to too big a car.

Why is the 2015 BMW 320iSE hard to drive in stop start traffic?

I am the proud owner of a new 2015 model BMW 320i SE manual. I am very surprised at how notchy the gearchange is when selecting 1st, 2nd and reverse gears. The clutch action is also heavier than other...

Buying a medium-sized family car - what would you recommend for £7.5k?

I'm looking for a second hand, medium-sized family car for a budget of around £7500. I plan to use an auction broker to find a good used example (2/3 years old) once I've chosen the model I'd like. My...

BMW 5 Series vs Audi A6

I am trying to look at which is the better car to buy. I do a mix of driving (motorway and urban) and around 10,000 miles a year.

Buying a first time car - what would you recommend?

I am a 21 y/o paramedic in SE London. Looking to buy a car for traffic driving (12 miles daily) and occasional motorway use. Three years no claims as a named driver. Something small nippy and stylish....

Buying SEAT Leon FR 1.8 - problems with timing chains?

I am interested in a one year old Seat Leon 1.8 FR petrol. Have the widely reported oil consumption and timing chain problems with VWG TSI engines, been banished from this version of the engine? Would...

Running in and service regime on a new Skoda Superb?

I am soon to take delivery of a New Skoda Superb 1.4 TSI (125ps). I hope to keep the car for as long as possible (doing about 16k annual mileage), and was wondering about running in, and service regimes....

VED tax

In September we bought a new car for my wife and I took over her old car. The tax on this car was due to expire on 30th. I thought it would be easiest if the change of keeper co-incited with the tax renewal,...

Change or keep current Focus?

I own a 2012 (62) Ford Focus Zetec S 1.6 TDCi which is my third Focus to date. I appreciate a lot of this is personal opinion but would value your take on whether or not to keep the current car which...

Insurance excess mitigation on hire cars?

I have use of a hire car after a minor ‘no fault’ incident. The hire company damage excess being £300 (reflecting that of my own policy) regardless of how any damage is caused. I have rightly but begrudgingly...

Skoda Octavia vRS timing chain failure - where do we stand?

My stepson's Octavia vRS has recently suffered a catastrophic timing chain failure. We are awaiting a full garage report but they have confirmed the problem and that a new engine will be required. Their...

Are you still a big fan of the Fiat 500 as a current owner?

I am considering a second car for shorter city based journeys, tested a Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge and found it very enjoyable. There is a January 2012 model available for £7195. Good condition, one previous...

Ford Powershift gearbox fault - unacceptable issue?

We have a 60 reg S-MAX with the power shift box. We bought it second hand from a large non-Ford dealer. When the car was 3 1/2 years old but with only 21,000 miles on the clock, in November last year,...

Automatic Transmissions

Hello again John You have helped me many times re PROPER! auto boxes on cars I have bought. Can I ask you this please? Am looking at Mercedes 1.5 B160 Automatic about 2010/11 and the review says watch...

Water leak into rear footwell of Citigo - what's causing it?

My Skoda Citigo at three years old is getting flooded in well of rear seat behind the driver right hand drive about 4 inches deep, this soaked through to drivers carpet or floor. Seats not wet, and no...

Mitsubishi Colt gearbox problem - any solution?

My Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 diesel semi automatic has a problem. All appears normal when the engine is pulling but when decelerating on the overun, the transmission becomes quite jerky perhaps through about...

DSG gearbox in new Skoda Superb - good idea?

I'm thinking of buying a Skoda Superb and wondering if there is still a problem with the DSG gearbox. I have seen reports that even though new cars have been brought to the Volkswagen plant to be fixed...

Volkswagen 2.0 TDI fuel consumption increase - what's causing it?

I own a 2009 Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI BlueMotion and recently I realised that the fuel consumption has increased considerably. I used to do 49 mpg easily and now I struggle to do 42mpg. Last week the...

Porsche service history missing - what can I do?

I bought a used Porsche 911 (2009) via part exchange from a dealer recently, it was advertised as having a full Porsche service history. At the time of the purchase the dealer couldn't locate the service...

Ongoing issues with a Vauxhall Corsa that dealer can't solve?

I had my Vauxhall Corsa in a main dealer because of intermittent starting problems. The first time it said the glow plugs were faulty and a new fuel filter was required. A day later it failed to start....

Goodwill payment six months out of warranty - expecting too much?

My ASX was bought at 3 months old and has been serviced at a Mitsubishi dealership each year since. The car is now three years and six months old. The petrol tank is leaking from the seam and has some...

AutoAid recovery man misdiagnosed problem - so I drove and damaged car?

I had a semi breakdown the other day - a wheel started to make a strange noise and the brakes felt a bit dodgy plus the car started to smoke slightly. And the brake disks and wheels got hot. At first I...

Rejecting a faulty new car - what are my rights?

I bought an Audi A5 from Macclesfield Audi on the 21st of November, after a week I got a 'gearbox malfunction' warning while driving, the message also stated the car was okay to drive with reduced capabilities....