Ask Honest John

Most recently answered reliability questions
James May's eulogistic comments about the late-lamented Renault 4 in July 9 Telegraph Motoring raised many nostalgic memories about this excellent little car, of which we owned five different examples...
Just bought my wife a Fiat Grande Punto 57 plate, first reg Dec 2007 and it's an auto which you can also use as a manual (like a mini tiptronic). Its done 29,00 miles. Wife loves it, nice to drive etc....
To counterbalance the negative feedback on VW I am pleased to report that I am a happy owner of a VW Passat. I bought my first Passat, a V5 automatic, in 2002. This I traded in against my current car,...
Looking to buy a small, 5-door used car. Up to £3,500. High mileage not a problem as will only do about 5,000 miles p.a. Runaround for wife. Small engine is a must so economical. Any ideas?
Can anyone explain to me why the Insignia was awarded the 2009 "Car of the Year Award"? The more I read about faulty Vauxhall DMFs and clutches, the more I despair. A pity the senior management didn’t...
I've seen your reviews of the diesel engines in Saab 9-3s, which you refer to as "one of the worst diesel engine installations of recent years", but should I be similarly wary of the petrol engined versions?...
I am looking to buy an estate car that is 4x4 and diesel, I have somewhere between £10000 and £13000 to spend. I seem to be looking at either a Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer or Outback or Skoda Octavia Estate...
I do 36,000 miles a year commuting (95% motorway) and have been running a 2007 1.4 diesel Fiesta to keep fuel costs low. I've already had to replace the EGR valve and there are signs of further trouble...
I rather fancy an XF Jag. All the information on your site and elsewhere seems to concentrate on the diesel version. As I only potter around doing, say, 5000 miles a year, a diesel seems a bit problematic....
I have had my own company for 20 years now and have always run BMW company cars for my reps, from 318is to recent 320ds. I have 20 reps and, one by one over the last two years, they have been choosing...