Flat-tyre gets you nowhere

I have a BMW 525d, which was supplied with runflat tyres as standard. I am not impressed with claims by the manufacturer that they are fitted for safety reasons. Has anyone carried out independent tests...

Sitting vroom

We are currently running a 2001/51 Nissan Primera and thinking of downsizing. Purely an armchair exercise so far, but as a result of reading your articles, a Nissan Note, KIA Cee’d and Hyundai i30 are...

Revolvo?

My daughter returns from a lengthy stay in Bangkok with her family, as her husband now has a job in Luton. He will have a company car and she needs one for herself. She has 3 boys, 10, 7 and 8 months....

Thai-ing the knot

I emailed you last year about a car for my Thai wife and settled on a Jazz, but then delayed due to the economic situation. Now I’m glad that we did because, having read your excellent report on the new...

Widow seeking date

My next-door neighbour, a widow, wants to buy a new Supemini. She is worried that a car may have been stored for a year or more, possibly in the open. I seem to remember that, in your column, there is...

In capacity

When seeking car insurance quotes I have encountered significant difficulties relating to the exact description and engine capacity of my car and wondered if you can provide any clarification and / or...

Car o’ van?

Can you explain why a VW Caravelle falls into a Car taxation bracket and therefore high VED banding when they are a derivative of the Transporter that is a PLG class and has the much lower road tax. Incidentally...

Passage Peuged

A few months back my neighbour asked me if I would be willing to store his teenage son's car in my side passage. I spoke to my neighbour on the other side, with whom I jointly own the passage, she said...

More work and no play

I had a problem with my car. On the garage receipt was noted, “This vehicle has a faulty gearbox which has caused front oil seal failure. Although the seal has been replaced the gearbox repair has been...

E-numbers

We are looking to buy a 2002/52 Mercedes E270 CDI Classic with 62,000 miles, or we have sourced an 04 E270 CDI Elegance. Do we need to look for any particular faults with these models? We have been told...

NOX what it seemed

I wonder if you could reply to this snag we have, please. Two weeks ago we helped our son out to buy a used 2004/54 VW Golf 1.6FSI, 33,000 miles on the clock, great condition, FSH, bought from a non VAG...

Week argument

Having been made redundant last month, my company car has to go back when I start another job. I have very fortunately found an office job with no car for the 13 week initial trial. My question to you...

Higher cars

I own a 2000X Toyota Corolla automatic and need to change it for a similar car with higher seating as I am elderly. My present car has a large boot space that accommodates my golf clubs and trolley easily....

Pillar talk

I am the proud owner of a 2-year-old Morgan Plus 4, which I am generally very pleased with. Recently (within the 24 month warranty period) the car has needed replacement king pins and bushes which, according...

Edge fund

I'm a 47-year-old man with up to £4,000 to invest in a used car. I'm looking for a car with a sporty edge to it. Which top 5 used cars would you recommend to this brief?

Cit run

I'm looking to replace my Saxo Furio and think that this may be the last car I will be able to afford, so it must be reliable, cheap to maintain and insure, with inexpensive spare parts. I would like a...

Done all cambelt

I read with interest your reply to AP on the subject of cambelts. You said that Ford/PSA diesels were "good for 60,000 miles". I have a Berlingo with the 2-litre HDI engine and the handbook says change...

Axle springer

I would like to raise a very serious issue over the safety of coil springs Last week, I was driving home from work at about 4 pm in my 46,000 mile 2004 reg car. I had gone about 1 mile (almost entirely...

No hybing place

I am very pleased with the automatic Skoda Roomster I run, apart from that my wife feels ill when she sits in the back. Maybe it is my driving, but she did not have the same problem in my previous car,...

Carp on footprint

The Road Tax for a Honda Jazz I-Shift is currently £120 reducing to £90 next year. A few months ago in your column you indicated that you thought the Road Tax for the Honda Jazz I-Shift might be re-classified...

Distract curse

As an engineer and a regular reader of your splendid column, I was interested by two recent correspondents, who presented opposing views regarding road speed, safety and the law, to do a little research...

Ringer man galled

I've been duped in to buying a stolen car, which I have no doubt will be taken away by the police and returned to the owner and I'll be out of pocket by £11,500. The seller has now disappeared so I can't...

Passed perfect

Many thanks your very swift reassurances as to the legality of nearside overtaking, albeit in very specific circumstances. You have clarified the situation to my enormous relief though I have to admit,...

Under cover operations

I have a question about servicing and warranties. My 18-month-old car has a three-year warranty, of which the final year is a dealer rather than manufacturer warranty. If I take the car to an independent...

His and hearse

Last July, on our way to a funeral (me on crutches, he the named driver of my little Arosa), we got stuck in a traffic jam in Sudbury. We found a route round on the map and set of via an industrial estate....

Lorry lead

Could you recommend a suitable second-hand basic, reliable twin-cab 4x4 for my school cadet force? It will be used as a safety vehicle when out in the field, so good cross-country performance is essential,...

Swirl guides

We recently emailed you regarding our 2004 BMW 320d that suffered a catastrophic engine failure when a swirl flap in the inlet manifold broke off and entered the engine. The car has full BMW service history...

Raised expectation

My wife and I are looking for a 4WD style family car in a diesel powered 2WD format. Having seen the Nissan Qashqai + 2, which I particularly like due to the sizeable boot, are there any other cars which...

Lane strain

Is there some reason apart from simple stupidity that causes a significant minority of British motorists to hog the middle and outer lanes of the three lanes generally available on, for example the M6?...

Africar

My daughter is starting a three-year posting in Pretoria (South Africa) in early June and has special rates to purchase a vehicle. She is keen to explore some of the wildlife in the area and is interested...

Big bang theories

My son had a tyre blowout two weeks ago in his 5-year-old SAAB, causing him to swerve into the barrier of a dual carriageway. His tyres had been checked just ten days before by a local tyre company and...

Off’d Corsa

We have a 1995 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 auto 5-door that has done 44,500 miles, mostly on journeys of a mile or less in our local urban area. This could well be a good time to buy a new one, which, at our age,...

Fuel of my future

I am not sure whether to buy a used Audi 2.0 litre 140 TDI or a 2.0 TFSI, around 70k miles. I am aware that the diesel will give more mpg but as I will not be doing much mileage, I wondered what your views...

Hard shouldered

I have a BMW E91 3-Series 2.5 Tourer with runflat tyres. After 16,000 miles the fronts are coming close to need replacing. I have found the present Bridgestone tyres seem to transmit even minor bumps in...

Surprice surprice

Is it just my imagination – or are used prices really firming up? I’ve been keeping an eye on Skoda Roomsters with a mind to purchase when my funds are high enough. My target was to get a low mileage 1.9...

Usedless

Do you happen to know if there are any UK-style "car supermarkets" in Italy?

Moby trick?

I qualify for Mobility and would like your advice. Up until now I have always claimed the allowance and purchased a used vehicle approx 3 years old, such as a basic Ford Focus, and paid my own insurance...

Photocard finishers

I have been reading your column with interest regarding the renewal of 'credit card driving licenses'. Like you, my wife and I were sent renewal forms and paid our £17.50 each and they were received within...

Service with a guile

Some garages are offering vehicle servicing prepayment plans as a means of spreading the costs of vehicle servicing by enticing you to sign up for a once off or for monthly pre-payments. I investigated...

Almera mater

Thank you for your advice. In the end I have bought a Nissan Almera 1.5S. Please let me know your views on this.

Hope dashed

My wife has a Ford Focus and the dashboard has just failed - speedo, temp gauge, fuel gauge etc. A local auto electrician has advised that this is a known Ford fault and there was a recall sometime back...

Motor boater

I have recently bought a Left Hand Drive, (UK plates) FIAT Barchetta and am planning on driving it down to the coast of Spain and leaving it down there for the foreseeable future? I have found an insurance...

Wheel them in

I don't know if you have any ideas, but I am looking for a vehicle that I can have modified to take a wheelchair-bound person, which I guess principally means having a lot of height. I have seen such a...

Golf cause

Multiple queries: Current views on recent build quality of Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar? I have a 2002 Celica Premium Sport Pack. If it was still made I would have another. I have around £30k and am considering...

Rusting on its laurels

I remember some discussion in your column of the tendency of a certain era of Mercedes to be extremely rust prone. In our extended family we have an 18 year old Volvo 760 estate, a 14 year old Peugeot...

Economical…..

I purchased a demonstrator Mercedes A180CDI auto with 9,500 miles in late June from a main dealer and have put on a further 6,000 miles. The fuel economy has always been disappointing, averaging 41.2mpg,...

….with the truth

Seeing you refer to the Hyundai i20 returning "more than 50mpg" I wondered if it has the same 1,248cc engine as our recently purchased i10. Our only disappointment with this excellent little car is the...

Speed Awareness Curse

Like your recent correspondent I too have been offered a Speed Awareness course for doing 38mph on a recently reduced speed section of dual carriageway. The offer has been made by our euphemistically named...

Un-full-filled

A couple of colleagues reckon that there is a wide variation in the margin of error allowed in the despatching of pump fuel. One colleague reckons that he does not get as much Shell per litre as he does...

Rack and ruin

I own a 2002, 8,000 mile 3 door Honda Civic 1.4 Vision (bought privately from a "one lady owner). It’s fully serviced, timing belt changed etc., and body in perfect condition). The electric power assistance...