Starter car

My 17-year-old son passed his test very quickly and has saved up for a car. His maximum budget is £2,500. We have scoured local papers and local dealers but are a bit nervous about taking the plunge. Some...

Is the 1.4 Punto Evo powerful enough?

Is the 1.4-litre engine strong enough to shift the body in semi-auto form? Will the 16 valve do a lot better?

2’s company

My wife is looking to replace her Nissan Note after three years of reliable service. Her only problem with it is that she struggles with a lack of comfort over a 4-hour journey. Whilst this may be part...

An economical used car?

I currently own a 2005 2.0 TDCi Focus, I use the car for a 150 mile motorway speed round trip commute daily. I love the relaxing feel of putting the car in 6th and seeing the rev counter sit below 2000,...

Electric window bypass

I do not like electric windows but have had to buy a car with them in front. Is it possible to control them without the key in, with some sort of additional button or rewire job? It is infuriating...

Water leaking under car after driving

Just noticed a trickle of water appearing under car when I parked it. I had the air conditioning on during journey. Is this anything to do with this or is more serious?

Economy con

I read with interest comments on fuel consumption in your column. We have had a Golf Mk V Estate 2.0 TDI auto estate for over a year. It returns from about 50 to over 60 mpg, usually mid 50's. It is almost...

Do you find bright daytime running lights to be a distraction?

I am concerned that BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Ford appear to compete with each other to see who has the biggest and brightest daylight running lights. I find this very distracting at the moment when there...

Why has the Vauxhall Insignia, which suffers DMF and clutch faults, been selected as 'Car of the Year'?

Can anyone explain to me why the Insignia was awarded the 2009 "Car of the Year Award"? The more I read about faulty Vauxhall DMFs and clutches, the more I despair. A pity the senior management didn’t...

Good cheap used car for rough roads

I own a Mercedes ML 2004 and I want something smaller, preferably an estate or hatch back as I have 2 small dogs. I live down an unmade road with 2 cattle grids, so something with a bit more ground clearance...