June 2020
I have a 2012 Ford Focus 1.6 petrol with very little milleage (30k miles) as it mainly gets used on the weekends.
I was looking at the service book and there is no mention of when the cam belt needs to be replaced (or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place) and last time it was serviced (last year) this was not mentioned as something that needed doing. ... Read more
With my recent used car Mercedes were pushing star guard. I have turned it down,, wise decision or not? Read more
I opted for a coat of protection on my current motor. The original quote was north of £400 and I refused but the Mrs said it would be a good idea so I agreed (saves nagging) and got the price down to £100 (how much margin is in these things).
Anyway, with light usage (<8000 miles over the last 16 months) the paint under the door handle is scuffed and I don't use a key or wear rings. ...
Hello, my first post though I have lurked a while on this excellent forum!
I am searching for a replacement for my Mk1 Focus (terminally rusty). Pondering all sorts of options - this is actually the first time I'll be buying a car (lived in London and Manchester for years so hired or borrowed my partner's car when I needed to drive) and I inherited the Focus from my father. The Suzuki Vitara has caught my attention as a practical, not too blingy, vehicle from a manufacturer with a good reputation for reliability, plus there are three independent Suzuki dealers in my area so I could take my pick for servicing. ... Read more
Excellent news Tina, thanks for the update and enjoy the Civic!
Hi All,
Posting on the forum to hope this can help many VW Group customers.... Read more
Hi All
My sister is in need of a car budget around £3k... Read more
I have a 2010 Auris, 1.33 engine. Nice relaxing, reliable car to drive and quite comfortable
Likewise with mine from same year, very reliable for a 40 mile daily commute for last 5 years. However mine also suffers from the oil burning problem. This must be piston rings or tappets or something very expensive if you paying normal labour costs. So I keep checking the oil and topping it up....
Hey ??,
So I’m looking to buy a 2015 1.4Tsi MK7 Golf.
I’ve noticed some have annual tax of £30 and other have annual tax of £125. I know this is due to one have Co2 of 120 and the other being 123.
But why do the exact same cars have different Co2 output? Is one engine newer than the other? Read more
Trying to make sense of HMGs VED regime....aww bless.. Like a lot of things it "passeth all understanding".
Thought it was simply down to emissions of the car?...
I’m hoping someone may be aware of the issue I’m currently facing with the fans on my MK 6 VW Golf. On the occasion that I’m heading out for a longer journey (anything more than an hour), the fans start to play up. The symptoms include; fan speed dial working and changing normally - you can hear the fan speed increase and decrease but the sound is muffled with a minimal amount of air passing through the vents on the highest speed. On one occasion, while travelling at 70mph, the fans on speed 4 directed at the windscreen, not even a light tissue was blown away from the vent. This is frustrating when it’s roasting hot or cold and raining. The issue only presents itself on longer journeys and can be remedied by switching the car off for 1 or 2 hours. On short journeys I have no issues - the car will heat up or cool down as quickly as I need it too. I’ve had the car at the garage but with the issue being intermittent, it’s hard to diagnose - there was work done on the car at the cost of around £250 but this still didn’t remedy the issue. Looking forward to hearing any thoughts on this. Read more
Aircon icing explanation would seem to only be applicable if the problem only manifested when the aircon was in operation, which I understood was not the case?
Alternative (simplistic) theory, without the benefit of any specific knowledge of this system:...
I don't want a new car until next year, but it's fun to start looking around and making a shortlist.
For my needs (about 12,000 miles a year, lots of fairly short 8-10-mile round trips, mostly up and down hills, and about twice a month a 200-mile round trip) it seems that a hybrid or PHEV would be ideal.... Read more
What I always find odd is how some people can almost fall into a car and find a comforable seating position in no time, even when they aren't a regular driver, and others, like me, have to fiddle for ages before getting something that suits.
The last time I had a problem finding a comfortable driving position was in a 1998 Peugeot 206. Exactly the same issue as the Corolla, aching right foot after a very short distance, did not buy it....
What to buy?
My wife has been a big Honda loyalist for years - three Shuttles and then a Stream, but now that's beyond economic repair. We really like the engines and reliability. The options for our rather niche requirements seem to be Toyota Verso or possibly a Ford S-Max. (I am not bothering to consider the Zafira.) Otherwise it's only a Mitsubishi Grandis which is rather old, or indeed an imported Honda, like an Odyssey (which drives very well.) She wants something roomy but not enormous, ie. not a Previa/Estima or similar. Parking sensors/camera are a must! Any thoughts advice or warnings?? Read more
Good choice, as you realised all along. Good luck with it.
Thank you. I am just a little nervous about burning oil because my older Auris (1.3 petrol) suffers from this problem. The clue is the black soot on the inside of the exhaust pipe - it pushes out oily crud when starting from cold. This is a known problem with the petrol Auris and I wonder if it's also known with the petrol Verso?
Went twice to the local Merc dealers here in sunny Basingstoke to see if I could do a deal on one of their used cars. Despite several staff wondering around doing very little not one even acknowledged I was there! No 'someone will be with you shortly' or the like, just totally ignored. A salesman was dealing with another guy for about ten minutes and I waited patiently for them to finish expecting he would deal with me next, no, he just scurried off into his office without a glance and sat doing nothing at his desk. Is it me? Read more
I had a go in a 2.0 Corolla a couple of weeks ago - I must do a brief report in case people are interested. Platinum Toyota at Trowbridge couldn't have been more helpful, even though I said I wasn't likely to change cars until next year, but just wanted to start a shortlist. I would want the estate, but was happy to drive the hatchback as long as it was a 2.0.
I want an estate this time simply for convenience. Tried a couple before but found them very boomy at speed (both Mk 2 Focus's) and in both instances simply bought a Focus hatch. With the Corolla that is not an option since the boot on the hatch is pathetic (smaller than the Fabia) and with the estate you get a space saver as standard....
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In normal times one might decide whether the cost of insurance, VED and maintenance is a lot more than an occasional taxi. But when public transport is a hazard it may be better to keep a car handy.