September 2004
The list of contending cars for next years "European car of the year" have been released:
Alfa Romeo GT
Audi A6
BMW 1-Serie
BMW 6-Serie
BMW X3
Chrysler 300 C
Citroën C4
Fiat Idea/Lancia Musa
Ford Focus
Honda FR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Cerato
Kia Picanto
Kia Sportage
Land Rover Discovery 3
Mercedes A-klasse
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes SLK
Mitsubishi Colt
Mitsubishi Grandis
Opel Astra
Opel Tigra TwinTop
Porsche 911
Peugeot 407
Renault Modus
Seat Altea
Skoda Octavia
smart forfour
Toyota Corolla Verso
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Caddy Combi
So which cars will be in the running ?
My guess is that the Renault Modus or Focus will win. Read more
With all the recent posts about Rover, I'm surprised to see nothing today about Clarkson's comments on Rover in the Sunday Times yesterday! Is 3500S on holiday?
My favorite was 'Rover 75 - a car named for the average age of the people who buy it'.
Considering the usual sorts of comments JC makes I expected something along the lines of - is the decline of Rover symbolic of Britain as a whole? Are we facing huge challenges but it might come good if only we could pull of some more inward investment deals? Are we due a great revival through timely ventures with rapidly expanding economies like India and China, or are we sinking fast soon to be a dead parot?
Read more
Are you the same puppetland who's been thrown off numerous MG websites for your rabid anti-MG views?
Hello
I have just noticed that on my MK5 Golf 3 month old, that the lights that illuminate the top of the switch where you put your lights on, (not the actual light knob) the back lght to the hazzard switch and the red ESP backlight dont work.
But when you start the car and put the lights on they illuminate for about 5 secs then go off? really confusing, all the other illuminations are fine and the Yellow part of the ESP to tell you its off works?!
If it was the bulbs then they would not have all gone together and they would not stay on for just 5 secs?
Really dont have a clue and dont want to waste a day off work with my car in the dealer, i;ve had a nokia car kit fitted a week ago and seems coincidental this happens now after that, but thats wired to the stereo and getss its power from there and surely all the other backlights would go?
Any help very much appreciated!
JOn Read more
My knowledge of the car kit installation is limited it was done by a mobile phone place so imagine it was done properly, i just assumed it got its power from there!
The more i think about it the more it sounds like the car kit, its just weird that they come on and stay on until you turn the engine on, i wonder if they have wired the ignition sence to the wrong wire or something?
Having recently decided against buying an estate (decided I wasn't far enougth into middle age), I decided a hatch would probably fit my needs. Recently I noticed a Seat Leon 1.9TDi Cupra. Car looked great and has decent performance. I also like the look of the new A3 5dr 'Sportcross' (cue marketing stradtegy). During a nose througth Whatcar, I had a look at the estimated servicing costs. Over three years the Audi is likely to cost £750. The Seat is estimated at a staggering £1130. Nearly £400 a year to service a diesel Seat? How correct is this figure and why is it so high. Read more
In my experience some Seat dealers are competent, friendly and helpful and others are completely useless, with nothing in between. Try another dealer.
I have to admit, I think these signs are really rather wet, even more so the 'Small Person on Board' sign in the back of a car which barged in front of me at a supermarket car park today.
What did give me a laugh, however, was the gargantuan sole occupant who emerged from the car. Read more
DDT?
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but has anyone used autocarsource to purchase a new car. If so what was your impression? Did everything go to plan?
Thanks, but I have a very good offer on a car £2,500 cheaper than through the showroom.
Cheers! Read more
Just wondering, can I transfer the key code radio from one Vauxhall car to another?
If so, which code do I use? Is it the one from the car the radio was removed from or the one its being place in?
Both cars are of the same age and we do have the key code for both vehicles.
Thanks Read more
Thanks JS, will have a go at swapping it over tonight.
As long as I can get the code entered and the radio works I am not really bothered if the display doesnt read which station its on etc. We are part-ex the car at a dealers anyway, but prefer not to let it go with the Sony unit that's in it now (but dont want to leave a hole in the dashboard either!!).
Changed the cam belt on my son's 1.6 Cavalier over the weekend. Had planned to do the water pump as well but found I couldn't release it from its housing. I tried turning it with the correct claw spanner but wound up bending that instead. Any backroomer offer any clue on loosening it before I start with the 18" pipe wrench and work my way to the 36"? Read more
Thanks for all your replies. I'm off to find my big hammer.
Opinions please on recent road accident scenario.
My daughter driving normally up A49 trunk road, just after dark.
Car crosses from right to left immediately in front of her causing her to brake sharply/attempt to steer around to avoid collision. The car is attempting to enter a farm drive access splay, full of parked cars due to social function, and fails, stopping with boot stuck out into A49. Daughter fails to clear vehicle and clips bumper of car. Very little damage to other vehicle, possibly new bumper (Honda Accord), her MK2 Golf £3-400 of damage.
What will insurance companies stance on this be ?
1) Daughter make full claim against other driver? On grounds the other driver did dangerous manouvre/obstucted highway etc.
2) Knock for knock, on grounds of blocking highway/daughter should have avoided hitting her
3) other driver makes claim against daughter for running into her whilst stopped on side of road ?
4) Some other permutation ?
Also bear in mind Golf probably worth less than cost of repairs, though otherwise excellent motor, and keen to keep it on the road!
Opinions please? Read more
Comments on tailgating dont apply as other vehicle crossed at 90 degrees to trafic flow!
My insurers are taking the view that this is a "No Fault" accident as the other car cut across the carriageway in front of my daughter from a minor road/field gate, into the farm entrance opposite.
Other party has still not admitted liability!
Authorised repairer wants c.£900 for repairs, and considers car "Beyond economic repair". I dont want to scrap the car and can get work done privately for half that amount.
Assuming that I am successful at making full recovery from third party (still not confirmed as they deny liability) can I insist that they pay full cost of my repairs, rather than accept a "write-off" value that may be only £2-300?
Both vehicles insured Fully Comp, mine with V. high excess due to daughters age, is this significant?
Many thanks for any replies
My Skoda octavia is set for variable servicing, which seems to come around at 13,000+ miles or so.
Given that i do a 10 mile commute twice a day at an average of 10-12 mph with loads of stop/starts, i usually change the oil myself after 6/7000 miles
last time I did this, the only oils available for a 90hp TDI on variable servicing were whatever the dealer sells and castrol longlife slx II - does anyone know of any other brands, and more importantly, does anyone know of the cheapest source for a brand that meets the spec ?
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Sept 2004 - 'Britain on the Move'
curious ? see www.mikes-walks.co.uk Read more
Mike,
on the right hand side at the bottom there is a pane marked "additional offers". Within this click on "approved oils". You need a log in to view the files though.
Once logged in, the link for the file for 50601 is:
erwin.volkswagen.de/erWinVW/archive/oil/step_50300...f
Joe
Kia Picanto <--- Amazing value for money
Alfa GT <--- Drop dead gorgeous
Peugeot 407 <--- Don't French or Italian cars always win this?