Will a MINI Countryman diesel be ok for 7000 miles a year?

I'm thinking of buying a MINI D4 Countryman (and spare winter wheels/tyres) as I live in the Scottish Highlands, but most journeys will be only 15-20 miles each way and 6-7000 miles a year. Will this keep...

Should my daughter buy a Kia Cerato or Citroen Picasso?

My daughter has just started teaching in Manchester, a daily return trip of 75 miles per day, 70 miles of which is motorway driving. We would like to replace her 1995 306 Peugeot XLD, which has just had...

Is my Citroen Picasso supposed to be so slow?

I've bought a Citroen Picasso 1.6HDI for taxi driving. I've been driving it for a week now and noticed that it seems to lack power when accelerating. I had it loaded with four passengers and luggage and...

Should I buy my company Ford Focus 1.6 and does it have a DPF?

I retire in October and I'm considering buying my company car, a 57-reg Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI 90ps which has done 45,000 miles (I'm currently getting 64.8 mpg). Does it have a diesel particulate filter?...

Does my 2006 Audi 3.0 V6 have a DPF?

I have a 2006 Audi 3.0 V6 TDI. Does this engine have a particulate filter? At the last service the garage used long life oil and said it would not need another service for 24 months. I don't do a high...

Does my Ford Focus have a DPF?

I have noticed from some of your articles that diesel particulate filters are likely to cause problems, especially in low mileage vehicles used for short journeys. I have a Ford Focus 1.6 LX TDCI registered...

Is our BMW 530 DSE suitable for use as our only car, including short shopping trips?

I am considering going from a two-car family to one car as my wife and I seldom use both cars together. Our mileage has dropped substantially from when the cars were bought and we now only do 6000 miles...

Does my Peugeot 407 really need diesel fuel additive?

In my 2006 Peugeot 407 SW SE, diesel fuel additive should be checked at 70,000 miles and running out can lead to massive bills. Mine required three litres of additive at 65,000 miles at a cost of £75....

Does the Ford Kuga diesel have an Eolys-treated DPF system?

I am interested in a Ford Kuga Diesel, but have read that it may have an Eolys additive system on it. Going on various friends' bad experiences with this sort of set-up, I absolutely will not buy a diesel...

At what point do short journeys negatively affect diesel particulate filters?

You often talk about the relationship between short journeys from cold in diesel engine cars and the premature failure of diesel particulate filters. In this context what do you class as a short journey?...