Ask Honest John

Most recently answered reliability questions
Hi John, I'm thinking of buying a Citroen Saxo VTR 1.6 on a 2000 plate from a dealer with 78,000 miles. The price is £1495. Is this a fair price for the car? Can you tell me any bad points to look for?
I am looking at buying a BMW E36 323i or 328i Touring. What are the bad points and what do I have to watch for?
Six years ago I bought, on your recommendation, a Daihatsu Sirion F-Speed. Yesterday, after six years of uneventful motoring, I part exchanged it for an Hyundai i10. All I have bought for the Daihatsu...
I'm looking for a reliable diesel for £1000. Which is the best to go for? I need something that does roughly 50mpg and doesn't brake down very often, if not at all, as I travel a lot.
I'm in the process of choosing my new car. I definitely want a four-wheel drive because I like to drive to the mountains in wintertime. My primary concern is great handling of the car for fast cornering....
I need an estate car with good reliability, and I want an automatic with reasonable economy. I have about £10,000 plus my trade-in. I am thinking of a used Passat, Mazda 6 or Volvo V70 and I know from...
My mother-in-law (who is nearly 80) wants to replace and update her car. She currently has a 1.2 petrol Corsa which is many years old, and wants to stay with this size of car. Economy & reliability are...
I'm buying a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI sport and have read your review of it. I am a little concerned about the oil pump failure you mention. I have asked the dealer to check it, as the car has done...
i am currently looking for a new car and came across a 2003 Ford Focus 1.8 TDDI Zetec three-door with 92,000 miles. The asking price is around £2800. Is this a reasonable price and are there any problems...
The lease on my company car comes to an end in November and, due to the poor choice on offer, I am coming out of the lease option and taking a cash allowance with which I intend to buy a car. I have a...