Quite a few posts on the CRV & new car deals threads, have said it has been difficult to get a deal. I have just bought a brand new CRV from an Honda dealer and got what i think is a good deal. I used the HJ system of going well armed with as much info as you can. You know the score how much is your part ex going to realise and also what the opening bid for the car you want is set at. Use the net and whatever means you have. I found out about 3 dealers were on good targets and had achieved the first ones set. Now Honda set new incentives and double the discount. So thats how they reach the target by volume sales. I got over £1500 more than i expected for my Octavia estate and to make the deal even sweeter nearly £5000 of the CRV. I also took Honda finance at a great rate and i am also getting cashback. I got them to throw the elegance carpet mats in and gave them the order. You may ask who is this dealer. It is Westgate Honda Grimsby. The salesman i dealt with is called Ian and he informs me the deal is on until the end of the month. What is more he says he can do £3 grand off the civic , i dont know if that is good though at this time of writing. So Honda are doing deals , thought you should all know this. I don't think there is a better deal anywhere in the country at the moment. Read more

In an article in the Times this morning we learn that alcohol-related deaths in Britain have more than doubled, from fewer than 4,000 a year to more than 8,700.

We also learn that Gordon Brown is ?lukewarm? on proposals to introduce a minimum pricing strategy to curb alcohol, even though he knows, because the Chief Medical Officer has told him, that the statistics show overwhelmingly that putting up prices would dramatically cut the number of alcohol-related deaths.

We know also that the government is considering cutting the speed limit on thousands of rural roads to 50mph because research has shown that the change would save up to 250 lives a year.

Funny old world.
Read more

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7945395.stm
(video news)

The economic downturn is turning some ordinary motorists into mechanics with one garage in Norfolk actively encouraging people to service their own cars.
Mark Worthington reports from Watton near Thetford.

Sounds like a great idea to me, probably a health and safety risk assessment nightmare! Read more

Have finally given up two wheels at 85 and purchased a Tippi Trike its only 49cc but will get me about locally,I was under the immpresion that it was not a requirement to wear a crash helmet however a friend says he thinks the two rear wheels have to be a certain distance apart for this to apply,I cannot find anything on the DVLA website,is there anyone who can put me right on this.

ndbw Read more

I recently got a new Rio 1.5l Turbo diesel and was wondering if this was a 'normal' part of everything bedding in.

When climbing any steep-ish hills on the motorway I get a hot metallic smell coming into the car.
The smell would appear be stronger if the engine has to work harder (say puting my foot down when going uphill to maintain 70mph).

upon further investigation, I stopped and checked where in the engine bay this smell was coming from and its definitely the turbo unit.
The turbo unit is on the far side of the engine not far from where the air intakes are for the internal passenger compartment (air for hot / cold and aircon).

Since :-

1. its my first diesel engined car
and
2. its my first turbo car

Is this normal or am I being stupid ? Read more