Trending topics in October 2014
Questions from October 2014
I have around £5000 to spend on a classic car, to be used at weekends and occasionally during the week. I'm thinking of an original Saab 900, hatch or convertible, BMW 3 series E30, VW Golf GTI Mk1 or...
What octane petrol should a new Golf with the 1.4 turbo engine use? My previous mkV 1.6 FSI had to run on 98 after burning out a nox sensor on 95/97. Is this still an issue on the new Golf?
The rear parking sensors rarely work on our 2007 Peugeot 307, is there a more cost effective place than the Peugeot dealership that we could go to to get these repaired?
I want to buy a small petrol hatchback with a chain driven camshaft, a full size alloy spare wheel and a decent toolkit with a spider wheel wrench and proper wheel jack. I do not want stop/start technology,...
I'm new to cars and am about to buy my first decent motor. I quite fancy a good looking convertible, as I love driving roof down in summer; however, I have a wife and two children and need more than two...
The driver's side indicators on my 2006 Ford Focus have started playing up - if I signal to go right, the lights flash at about three times the normal speed, as does the 'tick' noise! Oddly, left indicate...
I bought a a Fiat Stilo from a dealer about a month ago for a £1000. However, the gearbox has now packed up. Can you please tell me what my rights are ?
Should I add injector cleaning fluid to my 2007 BMW 525d diesel engine?
I'm currently using 225/45 R17 91W summer tyres on my BMW 320d. Can they safely be replaced with 225/45 R17 94V winter tyres? Will the higher load rating have a noticeable affect on ride quality? Is the...
I currently drive a Volkswagen Golf Plus and am looking to change it, but don't really want to spend the money commanded for a Golf SV. My challenge is that I am a very big guy with very large thighs and...
My sister’s 2005 Ford Focus 1.6 is getting very poor fuel economy, about 24mpg on short trips and about 29mpg on long trips. I have fitted new plugs, air filter, oil and oil filter. I’ve also checked the...
My Fiancee and I are looking to replace our 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLK and 2011 BMW 1 Series with a new or nearly new Jaguar XF 3.0 diesel. We are quite active - cycling, caving, flying, golf - and will need...
The heater in my Skoda Fabia won't work until about 20 miles into a trip. My local dealer has quoted £500 to replace it. Any suggestions?
I drive a Mazda RX-8 with 19-inch wheels. Should I get winter tyres for this car or is this a daft question?
I want to buy a Fiat 500, which must be both petrol and automatic. However, I am confused as to which engine I should get. I live in a hilly rural location and drive only about 6000 miles a year. Which...
My four month old Nissan GT-R has a gearbox fault and has been in twice for repairs with the dealer. Can I reject it and ask for a new car?
The time has come for us to change our Volvo XC70 diesel, which has not been as reliable as past Volvos. We would be looking at a two or three year old vehicle and it will be caged out to carry up to four...
We've thoroughly researched and briefly tested the following and can't split a decision between:
Toyota Verso 2.0D-4D 2012
Skoda Yeti 1.8TSI 4x4 2011
VW Touran 1.6 TDI 2012
We'd buy used at 2-3 yrs old,...
Honest John lists a car broker offering the Audi Q5 3.0 TDI Quattro S Line Plus 5dr S Tronic with the extras I want at around 42K. The same nearly model with similar extras registered in April 2014 is...
I am selling my 10 year old Peugeot 206 GTI and would like a car with a similar spec and acceleration. My local mechanic recommends a Honda Jazz for greater reliability, but I am worried that it won't...
My wife wants to replace her ageing Audi A3 automatic. She is dithering between a new Volkswagen Polo five-door Blue GT or a MINI Cooper five-door hatch, both automatic. Have you any reason to downplay...
I would like to tune my 2004 BMW X3 2.0 diesel, which currently has 150PS. The racing chip will increase torque from 330 to 412Nm and raise output to 192PS. Do you think this will work with the X3?
I'm about to buy a 2014 Vauxhall Insignia Elite, which comes with 245/45/R18 wheels as standard. I'd like to fit all-season tyres as I've used these before and I think they are great. Unfortunately I can't...
Earlier this year my partner and I both ordered what we thought were brand new Vauxhall Amperas for delivery in September (64 plate). When we got the cars home it became apparent that they were different....
I've seen a car advertised via a well known classifieds website. The price is attractive. Very attractive. The seller says her job has moved to USA and she is in New York, hence the reason for the sale,...
I bought a new Qashqai 1.6 diesel here in Cyprus in May 2014. I have taken it back to the dealer three times now due to 'System failure' message appearing in regards to the Start/stop' system.
The dealer...
I want to replace the runflat tyres on my MINI Cooper Convertible 2010 with non-runflats to save money and improve driving comfort.
1. Is this possible or is the MINI designed only to run with runflats?...
I'm thinking of buying a 2014 Suzuki Kizashi for £14,999 from my local dealer. I'll only do 5000 miles and it will replace my old Vauxhall Vectra. My wife has a bad back and at five feet tall getting into...
I have been advised that my two year old Subaru Forester's two year service that the brake discs and pads are in need of renewing as the discs are pitted. I have never had this problem with other motors....
I have owned my 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sport Coupe 220 diesel since new. It has now done 95,000 miles and has been regularly serviced and immaculately maintained.
However, for the past few months,...
It is time to replace the Michelin Energy Saver 205 55 R16 91V tyres on my Volkswagen Golf. Factory fitted from new, they have done 34,000 miles. Can you recommend anything better? I would consider an...
I am trying to arrive at a shortlist for a change of car. I am currently considering a Volkswagen Golf GTI; Golf R and BMW 328i.
It's not much of a problem to arrange a short, salesman-accompanied test...
I'm going to be a mum for the first time in early 2015 and my husband and I need to upgrade our car. I'm looking for something that can easily get a pram and shopping/luggage in the boot, but don't want...
My son owns a Golf GTI Mk3 that was recently involved in a traffic accident. They exchanged insurance details and the process began resulting in my son’s vehicle being assessed for the damage and the engineer...
My neighbour and I share a crossover which leads into our individual driveways. His visitors insist on parking their vehicles (large SUVs) on the crossover in front of his driveway. This makes it difficult...
When do new Euro 6 emissions regulations come into force; I have read both January 2015 and September 2015?
I have a Ford Focus 1.6 petrol (2001) and have recently been experiencing starting problems with it. I assumed it was starter motor, but now I'm not so sure as it started first time the following day,...
We currently own a Toyota RAV4 and Audi A4. We need to sell both and get a family sized car, which has occasional 4x4 ability (prefer two-wheel drive which switches to 4x4 if needed).
We'd like a diesel...
If my car is deemed to be written off following an accident, not my fault, can I buy it back?
About 11 years ago I exported my second-hand car to Croatia. I now want to return to the UK. Can I drive my car back to the UK legally?
We have a Vauxhall Zafira 2.0 DTI Life (2004) however recently when I was under the vehicle I noticed a lot of black sludge on the under-engine cover. Upon closer inspection from the engine bay, there...
I own a 56 plate Civic Sport 2.2 diesel. It has done 65k and has been totally reliable so far. It has been regularly serviced since new and there is a good Honda independent garage near me that I use....
I bought my daughter a used Vauxhall Corsa (2009l) eight weeks ago. This week it broke down with a clutch problem, which we consequently discovered was a burnt out clutch. We spoke to the dealer who told...
Please can you advise the most suitable car for me. I am hoping for reliability in a car for 10 years driving around 8000 miles per annum. A fairly small hatchback would suit and I want a car with a comfortable...
I have about £14,000 to spend on a stylish coupe. I like the Peugeot RCZ, Audi TT and Toyota GT86. Practicality is not an issue. Which would you recommend and why?
I recently drove a Toyota Corolla as a hire car in Ireland. It is was great - exactly what I would want to replace my Avensis with when the time comes, but Toyota don't sell in in the UK.
What would...
An elderly neighbour has offered to sell me his 2011 Toyota Urban Cruiser AWD 1.4 deisel. He doesn't drive it anymore and the mileage is only 12,000 and he wants £9000. It is in showroom condition and...
In considering a purchase of a new Volvo V40 the standard wheel/tyre is a 16-inch alloys (called Matres) with 205/55 tyres. A paying option (assumed to be an improvement) is to select the 17-inch alloys...
Please could you recommend one of the following two new cars for us:
Audi A3 1.4 ACT 150 SE auto or Mazda3 2.2d SE-L auto?
Which one would be more reliable and happier to own over the next 10 years? Our...
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