July 2017
I currently drive a 2.2l diesel Honda Civic which I love, but the time has come to switch it for something a bit bigger and I want to make the move to petrol but I'm confused! What size engine in a petrol car will give me similar oomph as my 2.2l diesel?!
I'm looking for an estate sized family car so probably a skoda Octavia/superb or mondeo or a civic estate. I'm open to suggestions for others though. Budget is around £15-16k and I commute 30 miles (roughly half on dual carriageway and half stop start city traffic) about twice a week, with another day or so traveling around the county (mix of motorway and country lanes), the rest of the time is just local driving - totals around 15-18,000 miles a year. Any suggestions or advice are very much welcome!! Thank you!! Read more
From the front it looks very unhappy! Read more
Great, fun, informative, enjoyable review - Thanks!
Fiesta sounds brilliant, can't afford one of course - it'll be a 3rd hand Kia for me....
My Honda Civic has 16" wheels however, I note that different models are supplied with other wheel sizes. I have four 17" wheels fitted with winter tyres that I used to change on other cars I've owned. Can I use these wheels and tyres without affecting the transmission, speedonetc? Read more
It all depends on how the wheels are built - the PCD stud pattern for the wheel itself might well mean that the wheel doesn't fit.
Even if they will fit, you may well find that the offset is incorrect for the car, compared to the other cars that you've been using them on in the past, meaning that the handling could be compromised to the point of being dangerous....
Could anyone in the know advise what the lowest PCP finance rates might be haggled from a Seat dealer, on either a new or demo car? Thx Read more
Apparently the lower your claimed earnings the better deal you get:
I'm intending to buy a March 2012 Corsa 1.4 SXi from auction - in the notes it states that the under bonnet insulation is missing - the other side of the bonnet is just painted metal with no insulation material. Am I right in thinking though that Corsas of this age were never fitted with any insulation material under the bonnet? If it is missing, is it likely to cost much to replace it?
Thanks in advance Read more
I agree with Andrew. On Peugeots it was standard, then around 2007 they only added it to higher spec models.
I'm thinking further back than that, Gibbo - about 1990. I seem to remember some 205s had noise absorbent on turbo diesels? The 205s I have at the moment, both Garroses, were near the top of the range but neither has any bonnet insulation.
Hi All.
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Not quite the same .Early e90 variants were fitted with 2x 15 amp fuses for the cdl system. These cars would suffer erratic fuse blown failure.The official mod was to uprate the fuses to 2x 20 amp to overcome this problem.,as found on later cars. Unlikely to be fire or hazard risk as the cdl is only a momentary function.
Hi all,
Just wondering if anybody could shed some light on what a DOE test is? My partner picked up their petrol Vauxhall Corsa from its annual service and MOT and paid £301 on the spot without thinking much of it.
Once home, we scrutinised the invoice a bit more and we've apparently paid £54 for a DOE test??? Does anyone know what a DOE test is and whether or not it is a necessary part of an annual service and MOT? We've never used this garage before and don't recall this added extra being imposed on us at other garages as part of an annual service and MOT. All the info we can find on the internet suggests it is something necessary for commercial vehicles in Ireland. To clarify, my parner's car is not a commercial vehicle and we are in England! Fair do's if it's something legit, I just can't help feeling we've been a little ripped off...
Breakdown of the invoice as follows:
Subtotal £206 (MOT and service)
VAT £41.20
DOE test £54
Amount to pay £301.20
Any insight gratefully received!
Thanks!
Read more
Ah, ok. So the £204 is just the service and the £54 is the MOT - makes sense now.
The other giveaway is that the 'DOE test' is charged after the VAT. The test is VAT-free (or the charge includes any VAT). And the amount is the maximum permissible.
After last years MOT fiasco I used a different local garage this year, they were very polite, not patronising and commented several times on how it was a pleasure to have tested my van because it is as clean underneath as it is on top.
Looks like they have just scored themselves 3 MOT's a year and any work that I can't be bothered to DIY.... Read more
The standard of MOT test is very inconsistent. Before the electronic system was in use that is today I had my car fail its MOT on a long list of issues and simply driven it a few streets away to another testing station where it passed with no advisory.
No two people judge wear and tear exactly the same. I have found that a garage that is more used to testing classic cars will be significantly more lenient with wear and tear items. Whilst a main dealer will often consider wear and tear items an issue if a part is not in nearly new condition....
I was chatting the other day and the subject of cars with rear sliding doors, e.g meriva, b-max came up. I know very little about them and said I'd post on here to get some opinions. The forum is my open university of motoring.
For me reviews, magazine or video, are not as useful as hearing what they are like in the real world.... Read more
Back in the 1960's I drove a Bedford CA van with sliding driver and passenger doors - on hot days I'd drive with them open, there was a substantial strap to hold them in that position. (cue shock horror from H & S!)
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Hello, looking to get a VW Tiguan, somewhere about 2013, dilemma is lots about at 12.500 pounds with average miles, likely needing cambelt and water pump soon, or is it better to get a one owner fleet car approaching 100k for about 8,500 to 9,000...belt done, new tyres, top spec, looking to keep a long time doing 10k per year. any opinions? Mike. Read more
Hello, looking to get a VW Tiguan, somewhere about 2013, dilemma is lots about at 12.500 pounds with average miles, likely needing cambelt and water pump soon, or is it better to get a one owner fleet car approaching 100k for about 8,500 to 9,000...belt done, new tyres, top spec, looking to keep a long time doing 10k per year. any opinions? Mike.
Yes, change of plan, get something that isn't diesel, isn't high mileage and that you can afford.
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