Is it true that diesel vehicles don't respond well to repeated short runs from cold?

I have advised my wife that for only about 5,000 miles per year she needs to stick to a petrol automatic SUV because it's cheaper and diesel engines do not like short runs from cold. She has looked for...

We've had to delay the part-exchange of our Yaris for a new Jazz by a month - is a £400 price increase excessive?

We recently went to our local Honda dealer, and negotiated the purchase of a Honda Jazz to replace our '08 plate Yaris (5-door, 1.3 petrol, 21,000 miles). We agreed a price, taking into account trading...

Which cars are in a low or exempt road tax bracket?

I want to change my big old car for something small and economical. There are so many to choose from, but what do you recommend? I want low tax group, low VED and good mpg. I do mostly rural driving, occasional...

Can you suggest a replacement for our Toyota RAV4 which has a better gearbox?

Just over seven years ago, when tossing up between a Freelander and RAV4 D-4D, I took your advice and bought the RAV4. It was excellent until it reached the 70,000 mile mark, when things began to go seriously...

Do you have an opinion on the CVT automatic gearbox used in the Nissan Juke?

I took your advice some time ago and purchased a Hyundai i10, and have since upgraded to the i20. Both cars I have been very pleased with. I am thinking about changing my i20 for a Nissan Juke with CVT...

Why is delivery of our new Nissan Qashqai being delayed by five months?

In April we ordered a Nissan Qashqai 2.0 140PS petrol Tekna Sport with 17-inch wheels and a CVT box here in Tenerife, and were quoted delivery in November 2010. Now we are advised by the dealer that it...

Thanks to Toyota and Steven Eagell Toyota for repairing a head gasket fault on my 2006 Toyota Avensis.

The engine of my Oct 2006 Toyota Avensis 2.0 diesel, with 86,500 miles, started losing water. The first time it happened I was on the road. The AA replenished the water but could find no leak. The car...

What sort of fuel economy can I expect from the Toyota Aygo and iQ?

I have a Peugeot 206 1.4 auto that normally gives me 40mpg, plus or minus about 2mpg. I am looking for better economy and the Toyota Aygo and iQ have combined figures in the sixties. But I have seen journalists...

Are any modern vehicles equipped with 'constant velocity' transmission systems?

I would appreciate your advice on a leftover from last century. Are there any new cars still around with 'constant velocity' transmissions, please? If not, when was the last such survivor?

How long are the batteries in my 2006 Toyota Prius likely to last?

I have a 2006 Toyota Prius with which I have been very pleased. It is approaching four years old, half the guaranteed battery life, and I wondered if you have any evidence of when Prius batteries tend...