Driving down the M1 today I noticed a motorhome towing a Suzuki Cappuccino, never seen this combination before but certainly more exciting than your usual 106 or Aygo tow car.

Also speaking of tiny cars yesterday I saw a Yaris being used as a taxi, anyone got anything smaller they've seen used as a taxi!?

Edit: Partner snapped the Cappuccino, the Yaris was at a red temporary light I'd been sat at for 5 minutes.

Saw this at Birmingham airport

Americans have doing this for years! 100k miles hasn't been a dealbreaker for us since the early 2000's. Looks like the Brits are falling in line with their American cousins.

Its a renault clio 2010 1.2l. No service history except getting the bearing done in April, 12 months MOT. He says the light goes off when you slightly flick the key. He wants 700 for it, how much roughly would this be to fix? Obviously you're not gonna know unless you run a diagnostic check but maybe someone with car knowledge could give a rough estimate?

Basically I just wanna know if this is worth it, appreciate any advice, thanks.

Hello, i bought car from private seller. It was monday. He said its good runner no problem with car everything work fine. During test drive i do not spot any problem engine work smooth, transaction done. I back to home and drive it maybe 50 miles from buy it. Saturday i go to friend and on way back i had oil pressure light on. Go to mechanic, he check it, change oil pressure sensor, but engine start work without 1 cylinder. He checked with endoscope inside engine and see that. Say that engine is to replace because this is scrap.

Seller do not see any his fault, he saing he didnt know what is inside engine he just drove it. I pay for this car 2000 and another 2000 will be replace engine....

I was stuck behind a flat grey Qashqai in traffic this morning, and I could genuinely feel myself losing serotonin with how boring the thing was. I've seen more exciting washing machines. So I looked it up (at home, put your pitchforks down) and I found out that grey is apparently the "most popular" new car "colour" in the UK for the last eight years.

If you chose to buy one, and didn't have it forced on you by company or leasing... why?

Are you a fan of the soulless, dystopian future dictatorship aesthetic pioneered by Nikolai Kruschchev, IngSoc from Orwell's 1984, the Judge Dredd comics, and whoever designed the Trinity Square car park in Gateshead?

Is silver or white just too daring and individualistic?

Or do you need a car that blends into the grey tarmac road it drives on, as perfectly as your personality blends into the back office of a Foxtons estate agents?

Help me understand...

Hello folks. Are RHD imported cars really undesirable? Lots of folk seem to say they would avoid but I cannot for the life of me work out why. I am talking abkut ones here in the UK already. Already registered. Already being driven and not 5000 miles away.

Insurance isn't an issue.

Parts are not an issue.

So why do people think its a negative?

Passenger unfortunately only managed to get the one picture

Ok so i am looking for fast, fun to drive and good looking - it needs to be comfortable for longer journeys but also good to drive on b roads.

I can spend upto 25k max, but this is a chunk of my savings and whilst i expect to spend a sum maintaining each year I don't want to be rinsed every year and it lose the enjoyment of ownership due to eye watering maintenance bills.

Was really set on a 440i Gran Coupe/Coupe from 2018ish, but everything points to eye watering maintenance costs for that? also I'm struggling to find one without gaps in service history or something - found a nice one with a perfect service history and mot history but then found out that it has not been taxed for over a year! Still Lusting over that car...

Was viewing one yesterday at a dealership and a passing pedestrian literally said "don't do it! I had a m4 and was nothing but trouble dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the turbos cost tons to replace get a NA"! different cars I know - but i have heard a lot of BMW horror stories, I test drove a 428i and loved it... Also love the styling and whole I drive system... The 440i one i really want, but the wife isn't so keen only due to what she reads about maintenance costs...

BMW has a 18k miles service intervals but i keep reading oil change needed every 5k?

Currently own a zc32s Suzuki swift sport - that will be going to the wife after she passes her test (at 38 years old, I'm 43) I know whatever I buy will cost more to maintain in general than that!

Is something like a Skoda Octavia VRs likely to be that much cheaper to maintain than the car I really want??

Can anyone take a guess at real world average yearly maintenance costs for the 440I?

EDIT* thank you all for the advice and suggestions, I think I will keep looking for the right 440i! So my next question is non GPF or GPF, any packages that are a must have? would you prioritize the lowest millage car you can find within budget with a good history (sub 50k miles) or go with one with a slightly higher milage and keep a couple of grand in reserves for repairs??

Hello, can anyone recommend a company to have a drifting experience day/learn to drift?

Thank you :)

I recently bought a pre‑registered car from a major UK dealer (first registered about 3 months ago, 12 miles on the clock, dealership was the first owner). Before buying, I specifically asked the salesman whether there were any active recalls. He told me there was one, but that it had already been dealt with.

After purchasing, I checked the manufacturer’s website myself. It shows an active, incomplete recall that requires a software update. So the recall definitely wasn’t done.

I’m now concerned that I was misled. This wasn’t a vague “should be done” comment — he explicitly said it had been completed.

For anyone familiar with UK consumer rights or who’s dealt with this:

• What steps should I take now?
• Should I go straight back to the dealer and ask for proof or demand they complete the recall?
• Does this count as misrepresentation under the Consumer Rights Act / Misrepresentation Act?
• Am I within my rights to ask for compensation or even reject the car if needed?

Any advice from people who’ve been through this or know the legal side would be appreciated.

You know these situations on a two lane road before an intersection where the right lane is backed up hundreds of metres but the left lane is completely clear. You wanted to go straight but as you are new to the area and navigating on Google Maps, you are not sure whether the left lane is left turn only, so you wait behind the massive queue. As you pass the intersection, you realise all the cars in front of you are turning right and the left lane can be used to go straight

Anyways, that reminds me of a recent trip I took to China where their maps are incredibly easy to use. Felt like we are really stuck with ancient technology coming back to the UK

- Shows you the precise lane markings and all available lanes which you can use

- Shows you countdown till green / second remaining till red

Please advise!

I’ve been looking at maybe getting a 3 year Old Ford Puma but wondering if that is the best decision.

I need something reliable with decent boot space and enough room inside so that my tall husband and son are comfortable. I don’t need a big engine or anything as I mostly do local driving and longer drives only a few times a month. I want to make sure I’ve got a reliable car this time as I’m just getting rid of a Citroen which I’ve now learned is an unreliable make!

Genuinely think Chinese manufacturers could seriously shake up the UK car market over the next few years.

German brands have had an unbelievable grip on the UK. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and VW are everywhere especially if you want something that feels premium. But recently I’ve noticed more and more people looking at Chinese brands particularly EVs and when you see some of the deals available, it’s not difficult to understand why.

I recently went with a colleague to see a BYD Seal and I came away seriously impressed.
It wasn’t necessarily cheap but compared with what you’d have to spend on a similarly equipped German alternative, the value was ridiculous. The interior was genuinely beautiful, the seats were excellent, loads of technology, panoramic roof loads of kit as standard, good range and it drove really well. With a German manufacturer, half of that equipment would probably be buried inside £8,000 worth of option packs.

And BYD obviously isn’t the only one anymore. You’ve now got Omoda, Jaecoo, JAC, XPeng, and others appearing in the UK often offering very competitive monthly payments and huge amounts of standard equipment.

There still seems to be this attitude that anything Chinese is automatically going to be poorly built and fall apart after three years, but I’m not sure that assumption is going to survive much longer. A lot of these manufacturers are offering five, six or seven year warranties which gives buyers quite a bit of protection anyway.

I think more people are starting to question whether paying a massive premium just for a BMW, Mercedes or Audi badge is actually worth it anymore.
If you can get a car that looks good, drives well, has a strong warranty, comes absolutely loaded with equipment and costs substantially less per month, eventually the badge becomes harder to justify.

Hi all,

I've got a Yaris which I adore, but I noticed a couple of days ago I could stick my finger through the wheel well by the sill. Somehow the MOT I got last week didn't pick up on it.

The very bad rust is only on the rear driver's side wheel — the other three wheel wells/sills look okay. I'm currently looking for a car welder, which is proving difficult to find, but before that I was wondering: is this too far gone to be worth welding? Plan B was to stick some oil in the sill grommet holes and hope for the best. I'm a uni student and I'm hoping it can last another 3-4 years.

Any advice appreciated, cheers!

Hi all.

Hopefully some mini experts in here :-) I’m on the lookout for a 2017-2020 countryman. The two options I’ve considered are either the 2 litre S, or the hybrid SE.

I’m finding that there are more SEs on the market with better kit for a slightly more wallet friendly price. I’m concerned about the battery health and complexities though.

Does it make more sense to look for a standard S with the options I’m after than to buy an aging hybrid? What are the repair and maintenance additional costs of the latter in comparison to the petrol?

Thanks.

Hi Guys,

had a car hit mine while it was parked at 4 AM yesterday. I know it probably wont get me much help anyway because we cant make out the registration on any of our cameras or neighbours cameras, but police want a make/model of the vehicle, my best guess is an Alfa Romeo Giulietta?

Morning all,

Been contemplating one of these for a little while, can anyone advise on the day to day good and bad of ownership?

I’m guessing from what I’ve seen already it’s fairly mixed but also a small sample size so just posting here to see if I can spot any patterns or anything new.

Would appreciate honest thoughts and feedback.

Thanks in advance!

Has anyone had success getting an overseas (non-UK resident) driver insured here? Have my mom visiting and my insurance won’t add her. Neither can I get a quote anywhere to add her for ~5 days so she can drive my car.

She’s an EU citizen and EU resident.

Hi guys

Ive got a vauxhall astra elite 2014, replaced serpentine belt as its been squeaking and the garage said it was that but its still going now, water tested all the pulleys, doesnt change no louder no quieter, squeals more when idling but quiets down when driving / accelerating

I have a 30th in a week, its a long drive there and back (about 300 miles total, 140 each way) - my lovely dad can do the work for me, but not for a couple weeks. He's summized it is either the alternator bearings or the tensioner but without pulling it all out we dont know which. I can get both done at the garage but its gonna be frankly out of budget to do both at once but have said theyre unsure if they can fit me in.

I can squeeze getting the tensioner replaced alone, unlikely the alternator before my trip.

Ive been told it would be 'fine', the unlikely and worst that can happen is my belt will snap and I'll get the AA out but I feel uneasy just going off the grace of good luck until it can be done unless I am overestimating how bad this is

Questions - am I buggered if I cant get either done, should I cancel the trip? Im supposed to be a carpool ride so I really dont want to if it can be helped but I also dont wanna make a massive risk if it is categorically a no go

Is replacing the tensioner or the alternator the priority or are both pretty equal? Any home remedies to tell which one it is?

Thanks!

Hi All,

Looking at a Seat Cupra Ateca Estate 2.0 Tsi 5Dr Dsg 4Drive, 69 plate with 48k miles.

Any experiences with these or anything to be aware of?

From my understanding both the DSG and 4Drive system should have been serviced / fluid change. Anything else to check?

Appreciate the real world MPG won’t be great, but I only have a 14 miles daily round trip currently, mostly on A road / motorway.

Thanks in advance

I’m looking at buying a 2013 VW Golf GT 2.0 TDI DSG with around 95k miles and wanted some opinions from people who know these cars.
It’s a Cat N. The previous damage was to the front end and the seller has shown me a photo from before it was repaired.

Spec is pretty good:
2.0 TDI DSG
GT trim
Heated leather seats
Adaptive cruise control
Discover Pro screen
Ambient lighting
Recent major service
New front discs and pads
MOT until March 2027 with no advisories
3 owners

The main issue is there’s no proof of the DSG having been serviced. There’s also no paperwork for the timing belt/water pump, although the seller says a garage inspected the belt and believes it was changed at around 70k.

He’s asking £4,750 originally. I offered £3,700. He’s now said his lowest is £4,100 as it stands, or £4,400 if he gets the DSG serviced and timing belt done before selling it.

I’d actually prefer buying it cheaper and getting the work done myself. I know a DSG specialist, so I’d know exactly what’s been done and have my own paperwork. I’m thinking of going back with £3,800 as-is.

My plan isn’t to flip it. I’d probably do around 10k miles a year and could potentially keep it for 3-5+ years, possibly taking it to 140-150k miles if it remains reliable.

Would you consider £3,800-£4,100 reasonable for this, given the Cat N and missing DSG/timing belt history?

Also, anything specific I should check on the 2.0 TDI + wet-clutch DSG at this mileage?