Used cars with low fuel consumption

We have owned a 1989 Volvo 740 estate from new and now want to buy a relatively new used car (or a very low priced new car) to replace it. The new car must have a low fuel consumption. Medium sized, well...

Should I change my car?

I have a Sept 2007 Mazda 6 2.0 diesel, which has been totally reliable and trouble free for 3.5 years. I have read your advice that diesels start costing money in years 4-6. What is likely to need doing...

Eco-tuning

I have received a flier for an ECU-remapping service claiming to improve fuel consumption by up to 20% - www.ecu-remapping-service.com. It is not cheap, about £250.00, but as I do 20,000 miles per year...

Chain or belt?

I have a Mazda3 2.0 sport petrol and I would like to know if this is chain or belt driven, as the mileage is 67,000.

Is there a training programme that will teach me to drive my new Mazda 6 confidently in snow and ice?

You advised me of problems with Saab diesel engines and also potential problems with the DPF on a 1-year-old ex-demonstrator Subaru Legacy. After more research I purchased a new Mazda 6 TS2 with the 2.2...

Blue about colour choices.

I am currently in the process of buying a new car. I note with some amazement that several manufacturers only offer one base (non-metallic) paint colour. This really means that the RRP is not the RRP...

Secondhand Audi TT a good bed?

My 23 year old son is thinking of buying a 2004 Audi TT 1.8T, with 58,000 miles on the clock, one lady owner for £7,995. Is this a good buy? What should he look out for and what would be a similar alternative?

Nothing but hot air

On a particularly hot day in July 2010, I noticed that the air conditioning in my Mazda6 MPS had stopped cooling. I rang my local Mazda main dealer who told me that I needed the system re-gassing. This...

Can you recommend an automatic petrol 5-door car for my wife?

My wife needs to change her car for an automatic. She has arthritis in her left knee and is finding it difficult to drive in stop-start traffic. The sort of spec would be: Polo or Fiesta-sized, 5-door,...

MX-5 with a noisy gearbox

I just purchased an six-speed MX-5 2.0 Sport, it's a 2007 model with 10,400 miles on the clock. I'm conscious of gearbox noise in first, second and third gears, particularly when the gearbox is hot and...