September 2021
If only more would follow their example. Perhaps Toyota could launch Daihatsu as their budget brand.
www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/dacia-keep-car...s Read more
Hi,
My daughter, who is not a confident driver, is looking for a replacement car as her current one is about to go to the scrapyard in the sky.... Read more
Hyundai i10 1.2 is good. Better performance and better kit and won't be much more insurance wise than the 1.0 ltr. Daughter has has has a Seat Mii last few years and nice to drive and an ideal first car. The Skoda citigo blue colour edition is still an eye catcher. Driven all three and more enjoyable than a fiesta 1.25. Small alloys means cheap premium brand tyres. Also parts are cheap.
Hey all! I’m calling all first generation Auris owners out there, please!!! (Past and present)
My poor old Avensis is dying and it’s time to replace him. I’m looking into either a 2006 Corolla or a 2007+ Auris. My budget is less than £2,000 thanks to Covid decimating my finances.
According to reviews, both motoring writers and users, the Auris is a potentially problematic car ... oil guzzling, parts failing catastrophes. How true is this? I’ve owned 2 Corollas in the past and they were amazing. My elderly Mum’s 2001 estate Corolla built in Japan is like new. Never a problem in 20 years of runabout motoring. So I know of the Corolla’s awesome reputation for reliability. But what of the Auris/2007 Corolla? Is it really a lemon?
I’m asking because I don’t want to spend the money and then be lumbered with expensive repair bills within months of buying it. I’ve expanded my search to Auris because there’s more of them for sale so a wider choice. Maybe Corolla owners don’t want to part with their beloved cars but Auris owners can’t wait to get rid of them? Who to believe? Did Toyota finally build a lemon? Are they a chore to drive, with zero motoring enjoyment as user reviews say they are?
So stressful!!!!!!!! (Why did my Avensis have to get sick????) Read more
If all things were equal and I found a Corolla and Auris in identical condition with similar history and mileage I’d have the Corolla all day long. It was a better built car with fewer electronics to cause grief. The paint quality was superior to the Auris which seems to suffer badly in our damp climate from lacquer peel but like the Corolla they resist rot very well. I dislike the Auris to look at also, it looks like a modern take on the Austin Allegro. But I still wouldn’t walk past a tidy Auris to buy a less cared for Corolla.
I wrote my car off back in July this year and when the insurance companies engineers have inspected the car it has turned out one of the previous owners fitted a "performance" K&N air filter.
So when I came to insure the car I didn't declare the modification because I had no knowledge of it and I'm not a mechanic or engineer and I wouldn't exactly check an air filter before insuring a car, also the dealership who sold me the car didn't advise me of any modifications.... Read more
What was the outcome please.
I've allways thought winter tyres are a waste of money in this country for low mileage drivers who don't go out on the zero to three days a year when the roads are snowy and hardly ever stray from salted roads. However, many years ago I bought an old set of wheels - £60 from ebay- for SWMBO's Focus for ease of swapping her summers for winters. But for myself, frequently needing to drive on non-main roads and uncleared residential streets, an Audi with a large engine and heavy autobox over the front driven wheels clawed me out of all snowy challenges.
I humming noise coming from the front left wheel. I have changed the bearing and put a new ball joint and linkage in but still getting the noise. Any suggestions please would be appreciated
... Read more
As said by xileno, I experienced the same with a previous Audi, but thankfully arrived at the correct diagnosis (reverberation from worn/damaged wire bracing mesh within tyre) before needless replacement of bearing treatment.
Looking at buying a Leaf from a dealership at the other end of the country and can't travel to pick it up, so doing as a distance sale. Obviously this comes with pros and cons that I've carefully considered.
I intend to mitigate some cons by getting a competant pre-purchase inspection on the vehicle - but have read some comments online about AA/RAC inspections being a total waste of time and carried out by staff who commonly miss issues. Given it's an EV and so there are other priorities to inspect vs. an ICE vehicle, this is a concern.
So two questions:
1) What are your experiences of using AA/RAC/other organisations with pre-purchase inspections?
2) Are there reputable EV-specialists that could come and do this inspection instead? Read more
Hi,
If the car is under 3 years old and has been serviced correctly, then you have little to worry about.
The UK wide manufacturer warranty can still be applied.
Do EV cars have a battery function like IPhones which tells you the battery’s health?
If so, it will be worth asking for this information.
I am not sure what the cut off would be, but assuming anything less than 80% battery health would be a reason to avoid as EV car as that means you have lost a 1/5th or more of its manufacturer charge potential.
Also ask the dealer questions in writing such as has the car been in an accident? Has it had any body repairs? What are the tyre tread depths?
So I have a 1 liter petrol Dacia Logan MCV. It's a very slow car,. I'm happy with it and it does what I need though.
I mostly dive on the moterway, usually within the speed limit. I sometimes creep over but not by much! ... Read more
I get the feeling that the "best or new tyres on the back" advice started with rear wheel drive cars before front wheel drive became the majority.
Lets face it, the rear tyres on a FWD car just stop the back dragging on the ground, not much else, the back end is a bit like a trailer, it just follows the front around....
Latest use for stolen Catalytic Converters
www.reuters.com/world/africa/car-exhaust-drug-craz.../ Read more
It seems that there is no limit to human stupidity.
The word used for narcotics in French newspapers and news reports is "stupefiants"...
Just wondering if this is happening now that petrol is “scarce” the Government can claim a green success ? Read more
Those genuinely wealthy, successful or powerful typically have no need of visible ostentation to demonstrate to others their sense of self.worth. They drive 12 year old Volvos, wear threadbare Barbour jackets when out in the countryside, and have a house full of well worn quality furniture and carpets.
Visible affluence is an afflication in those often insecure individuals who need the reassurance of owenership and glitz....
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I had the pleasure of sitting in a new Sandero today. A lass at work turned up with a new 1.0 TCe Comfort and I have to say that I was impressed. The price tag at around £13k is no longer the bargain it was but it’s a much nicer wee car to sit in than the first gen. I’d still favour a used Mazda 2 for that money though, it’ll still be running sweetly when the Dacia is falling to pieces but at £10k (ish) the lower spec 1.0 TCe Essential does make a great deal of sense new. It's comfortable and a decent size, the non-turbo 1.0 below that I’d expect to struggle too much with just 67bhp.