Are dealer-only oils any different from those publicly available?

I just received my car back from its first dealer service and saw I had been charged £60 for 3 litres of Castrol magnatec 5w30 c2 oil. I showed how I could but the same grade myself for less than half...

Should I pay for a worn steering part after 38k miles?

After 38,000 miles and 3.5 years my Toyota dealer has had to replace the "Top intermediate shaft" on my Prius because of knocking from the steering (cost of £181 parts and £90 labour). I spoke to their...

Company car options - hybrid?

I am in the process of choosing a company car and am attracted by the low Benefit in Kind rates for the Peugeot 508 RX4 and Citroen DS5 hybrids, both of which are within budget. I will drive 12,000 miles...

Buying a new small car for £10k - what do you recommend?

I urgently need to buy a small car. I need four or five doors, great safety and great mpg and either a five or seven year warranty. Price hopefully below or around £10,000. Can you help?

Downsizing from two cars - what should we buy?

Our Yaris Verso auto is getting long in the tooth and we're thinking of downsizing to one vehicle. Our other car, a Kia Cee'd SW auto is perhaps a bit light for towing our 1295kg caravan, although it is...

Best used small car for £6k?

My sister currently has a 2006 Fiat Punto 1.3 diesel that is getting a little unreliable and costly to run. She covers 12,000 miles a year and would like to replace the car with £6000 to spend. Which vehicles...

Which is the best MPV for 3 kids?

We have two small boys (three and five five years old) and have another on the way. Obviously, we want to buy a car that can carry three baby chairs in the back. What cars should I consider? I prefer automatic...

Toyota Yaris MMT - is this a sensor problem?

My daughter has a 2009 Yaris with the automated manual box. She usually changes gear with paddleshift to avoid the well documented jerky progress with these transmissions. Last week the engine management...

Which tyres for our Honda Jazz and Toyota Avensis?

We run two cars, a Jazz and an Avensis. Both have tyres that have reached 3mm depth so need replacing. In the past, you have recommended Michelin Energy Savers for the Jazz. Is this recommendation still...

Which small reliable cars offer a good safety rating?

What other used models the same size as a Yaris, with a good safety rating are worth looking at? Or are they much of a muchness at this size car? We certainly don't want larger than Yaris size.