Could you recommend a more economical replacement for my wife's Subaru Forester?

My wife is using a Subaru Forester XT 2.5 auto which we bought in 2009. I anticipated that the annual mileage would be around 6000, but in fact it's double that due to two 30 or 40 mile round trips per...

Are Nankang tyres as fitted to my Mercedes-Benz E220 equivalent to the Michelins usually fitted?

I am looking to buy an E220 Mercedes-Benz saloon and the garage has put four new tyres on. They are NANKANG ULTRA SPORT NS-11 225/55 R16 95V. The garage assure me that these tyres meet the specification...

The oil in my Mercedes-Benz C200CDI is black after just 1500 miles. Does it need changing?

You repeatedly recommend to change the engine oil more frequently, ie every six months. On your website under 'Running in a diesel' you say "Leave factory fill of oil for the first year or 10,000 miles."...

Can you recommend a specialist to look at my Mercedes-Benz E-Class's air conditioning?

The dashboard controls on my Mercedes-Benz bear no relation to what the heater/cooler/fan unit is actually doing. The car is a 2003 E320 CDI with supposedly upgraded air controls, with independent digital...

Life sentences

On a couple of occasions recently you have said that the design life of today's cars is 7 years. I find this a bit depressing having run a Mercedes 190D for a dozen years after buying it at 35,000 miles,...

Should I repair my Mercedes-Benz SLK's engine management fault before selling?

I've owned my 03-plate Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 Kompressor for five years. It was supplied by a Mercedes-Benz dealer but I have chosen to have it serviced by a non-franchised company with Mercedes-Benz experience....

Is it still worthwhile importing luxury cars from Europe into the UK?

Some years ago I saved a considerable sum by importing a highly specced Mercedes-Benz from Holland. I am now looking at buying the new S-Class with the new diesel engine and wondered whether it was still...

What's happened to my Mercedes-Benz E280's rear suspension?

I was driving my 56 plate face lift Mercedes-Benz E280 CDI Avantgarde estate today when the back wheels started to bounce. I pulled over and found the body had almost dropped onto the back wheels, with...

Are there any cars that are designed to last more than 12 years without rusting?

In the past I have owned a Volkswagen Polo and a Golf. The cars lasted 17 years and 14 years and were still good roadworthy cars when I sold them. I was shocked when I read your comments about modern cars...

What's clonking at the front of my 2005 Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

I have an 2005 Mercedes-Benz A180CDi which has done 40,000 miles. The offside front suspension clatters over bumps and makes a single 'clonk' when first setting off. The clattering noise varies quite a...