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• Citroen C1 (2005 - ) - Have you driven one? 1 Jun 2008 (Forum)
  I wonder if the better equipped models deal with these issues (well some of the them)? Overall, a five door automatic version would suit me quite well if it had a/c, radio controls on the steering wheel, you could get into the boot without requiring the key and I could get comfortable more quickly.
• New car for Mother-in-Law 14 May 2008 (Forum)
  Hi, The time's come for the Mother-in-Law to get rid of her ageing Corsa, and she'd like me to find her a replacement. Criteria are (not very exciting I'm afraid) * Automatic * Easy to drive and park, she's a fairly tentative driver * Compact, but enough space to carry her 3 young grandchildren, so 3 proper rear seatbelts very handy, and 5 doors * Easy to get in and out of, she's not very nimble these days * Low-maintenance, reliable, hassle-free * She does a few motorway miles, so must be able to cope out of town The following do not matter!
• Cumbria to Kent, not a usual BR thread 25 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  Lake District to Kent and back on a single tank of fuel -- not bad for a (very) large car with an automatic gearbox and a high average speed. MTC
• Legacy Turbos - Buying/Running 19 Mar 2007 (Forum)
  (C) How does one spot a "thrashed one" - they cosmetic condition looks fantastic, and I know the legacies are supposed to be very robust, so would presumably wear well even if they were driven hard. (D) Most are automatics (which is what I'd go for) but does the auto-box handle the power, or will an auto-box rebuild not be far-away ? (E) What is the insurance situation like ? I'm a 35yo single male, living on the edge of SW London/Surrey, thankfully have a lower-risk suburban Surrey postcode - are we talking £1000 a year premiums ?
• Snow Chains and Hire Cars 8 Jan 2007 (Forum)
  I pointed out that as chains are obligatory in mountain areas and other car hire companies I have used in skiiing areas provide them automatically I shouldn't have to ask in a skiing area in January for equipment that can be expected to be needed to make the car legal to drive nor make a special check to see that they have been provided.
• Diesel/auto estate -suggestions please! 3 Jun 2006 (Forum)
  Needs to be an estate, and probably on the large side, I checked out kerbweights/towing limits of primera/avensis size cars and they are approaching 100% of the caravan max weight - Caravan Club recommend only towing 85% of weight of car, and def. not more than 100% of car weight. Car needs to be automatic as my mother often uses my vehicle, and she will only drive auto, and I do a huge amount of town driving as well. and prob diesel too as I am spending far too much on petrol even in my little corolla at the moment.
• Change Volvo for A-Class 23 Jun 2004 (Forum)
  Alternatively, I could take over my wife's CR-V and get her a Hyundai Trajet - lots of good deals around at present and they do a diesel automatic - once the baby arrives and we go to London to visit family with the kitchen sink in the boot. The CR-V is three years old and has only 9,000 miles; we bought it last November with less than 4,000 miles.
• More like this please 23 Oct 2003 (Forum)
  In total 49 vehicles were stopped, 10 people were issued fixed penalty tickets for £200 for driving without insurance and 10 for other matters. Around 30 officers were involved in the operation, which used automatic number plate recognition technology to match number plates to central police records in seconds, allowing officers to pull aside offenders. Customs and Excise and Magistrates Court Service officers were also present and collected unpaid fines from offenders.
• Grannie's Clutch Judder 25 May 2002 (Forum)
  Graham wants to keep the car for a few more years but is getting tired of messing about with the clutch cable. At one time, when the car was a couple of years old, he asked if it could be converted to automatic transmission but we decided against that on cost grounds. Today he asked if it could be converted to hydraulic clutch operation but I felt that this would be quite difficult. I suggested avoiding the sharp bend by splitting the cable in two and having a bell-crank at the point of the bend, but on second thoughts, this would also be difficult and time-consuming.
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  Can you recommend an electric SUV? 4 May 2022 (Ask HJ)
  I am contemplating changing my large automatic SUV vehicle to an electric or plug-in hybrid. I don’t quite understand the cost of charging compared to...
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  Can you recommend a compact and comfortable car to replace my Mazda 3? 17 Jan 2022 (Ask HJ)
  Four years ago, HonestJohn.co.uk recommended a Mazda 3 for me. I very much like it: it's comfortable, got good performance, and is very economical. However,...
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  I want a stress-free alternative to all the Japanese/Korean cars I've owned. What do you suggest? 22 May 2020 (Ask HJ)
  I'm starting to get bored of all the fantastically reliable Japanese/Koreans cars which have shuffled me from A-B for decades. I'm finally willing to...
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  How can I keep my car secure from keyless theft? 12 Aug 2019 (Ask HJ)
  I have a 2018 BMW 420i with Comfort Access. I keep my key in a Faraday bag/pouch at least 10 metres from the car. I asked BMW what my options are to reduce...
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  Why is the ride unsettled in my 1990 Saab 900? 4 Jun 2018 (Ask HJ)
  I have recently purchased a 1990 Saab 900 auto. It has travelled 126,000 miles.The full service history does not show any replacement of suspension parts....
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  Buying a new small car - what would you recommend? 13 Apr 2017 (Ask HJ)
  I want to buy a small car that will fit three kids in the back. It has to have decent performance and lots of gadgets - climate control and parking sensors...
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  Audi Q5 gearbox failed after 24k miles 20 Sep 2016 (Ask HJ)
  I've owned an 2009 Audi Q5 since new. It has covered 26,000 miles and serviced by our local main dealer to schedule. In late 2015, we noticed issues with...
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  Need a seven-seater for towing - any suggestions? 13 Apr 2015 (Ask HJ)
  My son in-law has decided to get rid of his 2007 Ford Galaxy diesel with 96,000 on the clock, before any DPF, DMF, belts or clutch needs changing. He...
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  Buying a new car - what would you recommend? 27 Jul 2014 (Ask HJ)
  I am looking for a new car. The car I need has to have quite specific requirements (not least because I have significant back problems). I intend buying...
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  I need an all-wheel drive car for work as a GP 27 Nov 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I am a GP and I work in the Chiltern area, around Goring and Woodco. We get snow that affects everyone getting around about 3 days a year however when...
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  Why are independent garages able to work on modern cars when they lack the specialist experience? 28 Sep 2013 (Ask HJ)
  Your correspondent in ‘Drain on Resources’ appears to be too simplistic in his views on independent garages and his preference to franchised dealerships....