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Matt

My wife has back problems and finds many car seats uncomfortable. The best so far is my Renault Vel Satis Initiale with fantastic, fully electric seats. She used to have a Suzuki Wagon R which she found comfortable despite the seats not being height adjustable. She also liked the space and practicality. However the ride was harsh, the clutch very fierce, which made smooth driving a problem and the fuel consumption was disappointing – averaging around 38mpg.

We replaced that 2 years ago with a low mileage 2002 Honda Jazz SE automatic. Lovely car – light and easy to drive, beautifully built, equally spacious and practical and far more economical – around 45 -50 mpg. However the front seats are not comfortable over any distance. My wife can just about cope with the driver’s seat, which has height adjustment, if she uses an orthopaedic wedge cushion, but the passenger seat is uncomfortable for anything but the shortest drives. The relationship between the seat squab height and angle with the floor just is not right.

So we are looking ahead to a new replacement. It must as economical and practical as the Jazz, preferably automatic – could be diesel but there are few small diesel autos – and needs to have height adjustable seats for both driver and passenger. This seems almost impossible to find. We tried a Skoda Roomster but its engines are surprisingly rough and the auto is not economical enough. She did not find the older, tall Mazda 2 comfortable. We want something that’s around 2-3 years old that has suffered the worst of its depreciation and want to pay around £4-5k over the value of the Jazz (2002, 25000 miles) . Any suggestions?

Thanks

Kevin Miller, UK

Kevin,

This is a little trick of the trade. If you are looking for a car that will suit someone with a minor physical disadvantage, visit www.motability.co.uk

The cars in the motability scheme will have highly adjustable driving positions and easy-access. The site information will tell you specifically about the seat model-by-model.

Then, having seen the car you want you can buy in the normal way. So if you pick the Vauxhall Zafira (which I think will meet your criteria very well) you can then check the price guide and discover that you can afford an average mileage 1.9 CDTi from 2005/6.

We just found out we are expecting our first child and this coupled with the rising petrol prices has prompted us to sell our gas guzzling Audi S4. We love our cars but want something that it more fuel economic, safe and family friendly but not a completely devoid of fun, can you help? Our budget is £15,000 and we are happy look at second hand options.

Liam Barry, Luton, UK

Dear Liam,

Whilst I am sure you are confident you will be the exception, once your heir and successor arrives, from what I have seen of my friend’s experiences you will be so short on sleep you really won’t care what you are driving as long as it starts.

My friend, who also loves his cars, had a beautiful 2003 BMW M3 Cabrio before his first child arrived. Clinging to the idea that he too would keep some life balance he bought a diesel Audi A4 (which was shrewd). Two years and a second child in, he couldn’t care less what he drives and last time I saw him, he was in a Focus on an 03 plate. He also looked wrecked.

As you have just had an Audi, you could go for a BMW 320d. Its very popular with company drivers though so average mileage is very high (nearly double that of a petrol 2.0 litre). I would look at the petrol equivalent. You will have to buy a year older car (2004), but it will have about 10,000 miles less on the clock. The 3-Series really does handle well and a 2.0 litre engine is not slow, so that’s my advice. Alternatively the Saab 9-3 is a very close rival and much better value.

I am just about to purchase an Audi TT convertible and its mileage is 56,000 miles. I understand that the cam belt should be changed at around 60,000 miles is this correct and could you give me some idea as to the cost of renewing a cam belt.

Thomas Mills, Porthcawl, South Wales

Thomas,

On most TT engines the cam belt should be changed within 80,000 miles, but some garages recommend changing sooner (e.g. 60,000 miles). Especially on the 1.8 Turbo engine. Changing the cam belt will be around £250 if you shop about. Forget to change it or go right to the limit and when it fails it can write the engine off. Making your £10,000 - £11,000 TT (that’s what you should be paying for a car with that mileage) good for, well, nothing.

You have just avoided one of the most eye-watering bills of your life. Please tell all your friends that you owe everything to Car Clinic.

I have a 3yr old Honda FRV. I have recently had the AA out to it twice, when the battery became drained whilst I was sat waiting in the vehicle, engine off. I took it to the Honda garage and they have told me if I am sat in the car, I need to take the key out of the ignition or the power would drain. I explained that whilst waiting in the car I do sometimes listen to the radio and was further advised that if I want to do this I should do so with the engine running. Very Green-minded of them. The garage say this is due to the sophisticated electronic systems in the car, that whilst I am sat in it I am sending a message to the car to be ready to go. All I want to do is sit and wait for the kids to come out of school with the radio on, or be able to operate the electric windows. The Honda dealer says this problem is common with some Honda makes. Honda Customer Care are unaware, but investigating. Have you heard of any other vehicles with similar problems?

Pamela Dore, Abingdon, UK

Hi Pamela,

Car manufacturers are in a sort of Space race. They want to see who can load their car up with the most totally unnecessary gadgets.

Its like when the Americans spent millions on developing a space pen that can write in 0 gravity (ink won’t come out of a conventional bic when there is no gravity). It was totally unnecessary of course; the Russians just took a pencil.

Honda have told me that this the norm with their cars. So I daresay there are other cars with this sort of issue, but it can’t be that common. For a key transmitter and radio to be draining a car battery they must use a phenomenal amount of current. I would be worried that your transmitter is going to distract aircraft overhead its that strong.

Ford cars are intelligent enough (since Focus) to close systems down that are not essential if it detects the battery is going flat. So perhaps you should swap the FR-V for a Kuga or a C-Max?

Hi, my daughter is 17 in November. We had planned to purchase her a nearly new small car. However, I am trying to work out whether that makes financial sense, versus adding her to my wife's insurance. My wife currently has a 1.6 Megane which we plan to change soon to a 1.4d Fiesta. Can you lay out the pros and cons, and how to go about minimising cost.

Many thanks

Ian Wilkinson, Reading UK

Well Ian,

If you don’t buy a car, the saving on capital outlay rather trumps any clever angles I might suggest you work on insurance and choice of car.

Plus, your daughter’s cheapest way to insurance is to be a second driver on one of your cars.

So if you buy your daughter a car, as well as the lumpy up front spend (or finance repayments) the insurance will be more.

That said, if you can afford it, you will be a much more popular dad if you buy your daughter a car. I am sure your daughter is working very hard at school or college, so if you possibly can, this is what I recommend you do.

If your daughter takes an advanced driving course that can help reduce the premium. As can letting her use the garage and leaving your car outside! You also need to get her something with a really tiny engine. Ideal first cars, that you may not think of include the SmartforTwo, Kia Picanto and Suzuki Splash.

I regularly need to drive about 450k (260 miles) between Ankara and Istanbul in one sitting. The route is motorway, usually empty, fast (no speed cameras or police) but sometimes badly surfaced. It has plenty of long straights but also many twisty mountain bits up to altitudes of around 4000 ft.

My current 2.0 hatchback (2003 Ford Focus ZX3) is a US import and uses a full tank of fuel to do the trip over about 3 1/2 hours. It also feels very unsettled and wallowy in the corners and under-steers and aquaplanes badly in the wet.

I'd like to get something that handles a lot better and can do the trip in an equal time with a bit less fuel use (or at least leaving me with a bit left in the tank for the next day).

Hot hatches, sports saloons and SUVs may fit my needs. Two-seater sports cars won't unfortunately.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks,

Name and address withheld

Hi,

What you really need is a helicopter. I understand the Bell 206 LongRanger III is highly thought of.

Assuming that half a million pounds is out of your budget you should probably look at (in ascending order of cost) a Suzuki SX4, Subaru Forrester or Honda CR-V.

I don’t know what mpg you get from the US Import, but it will be within a little bit of 30 (that we get on Euro cars). All of the above will match or beat that. They are all equally able at motorway cruising and have four-wheel drive which will make the big difference to you in the mountainous bit.

I recently took the SX4 around the Milbrook proving ground’s hill course – it gives you a lot of feedback and a lot of traction. It builds such confidence that it’s amazing how quickly you end up taking corners with sheer drops on the other side.

How does the Land Rover Discovery II Td5 engine work? Will you recommend I buy a Discovery with this engine since most reviews show negative report of users.

Sammy Dany, Accra, Ghana

Hi Sammy,

How does it work? Well, I imagine that diesel is injected, it then explodes (that’s the combustion bit), which pushes the piston up, which turns the driveshaft, which turns the wheels.

That’s not what you mean is it? OK.

That generation of Discovery is a bit unreliable. Turbos fail, often because the sump has lost its oil. That’s a new engine plus £800 for the turbo. If the engine is OK things like failing engine harness will give a misfire, costing another £800 to fix, and windscreens leak and so on…

But don’t be put off too easily. Download a buyer’s guide and find a pristine example (I drove past one in Suffolk for just £7,000 last week) and you’ll be laughing… it’s still a great 4x4.

Is €3,900 too much to pay for a Fiat Brava '01 1.2l petrol, 39,000miles

Barry McGrath, Tipperary, Ireland

Barry,

Yes. They are having a laugh at your expense.

Whilst it is low mileage for that model, (average on a 1.2 engine Brava is 60,000) that car is worth €2,500 (£2,000). €3,000 if it is absolutely perfect and on sale at a garage.

And even then, a very slightly older Ford Focus is a better car at the same price.

I am planning to buy a used car for my family, we are 5 (myself, wife, daughter & my parents). Since my parents are older, I am looking for a good size family car which should give a comfortable ride to my parents who would be sitting on the back seats. Apart from this criteria, the chosen car should return a descent mileage (considering fule is getting dearer day by day). My budget is meagre £3,000.Could you suggest me any cars which would fit into my these criteria?

Mayur Shah, Crawley, UK

Hello Mayur,

Aim for a year 2000 2.0P or 2.2D Renault Espace with 67,000 average miles on the clock. That will give MPGs around the 30 mark like a Ford Focus and is a huge amount of car for the money.

Also consider a Ford Galaxy from 2000, the diesel gives 44 combined mpg but mileages are higher so its more likely to give trouble. Sadly the Seat Alhambra, a copy of this car, is if anything, higher mileage and more expensive to repair. The VW Sharans – even with the same engine – are lower mileage but just out of your budget. So stick to the Ford.

Dear Matt,

I'm looking at buying a second-hand coupe or convertible and have (with much effort) whittled down my choice to four cars - based on price, running costs, power, handling and looks - in that particular order!

I currently drive a 2004 Celica (140bhp) so I want to buy something with a little more oomph. I would like to buy something like a VX220 or Elise but they are, at least at the moment, far too impractical. Also something like a Integra Type R would be great but as far as I can tell they're all grey imports and I don't know how practical it would be in terms of servicing and repairs. I did also consider the 'fake' Nissan Skyline GT (i.e. the Infinity G35 coupe) but that too is an import and I can't find any UK reviews of the car.

My choices are: Nissan 350Z, BMW Z3 (2.5 convertible), Alfa Romeo Brera, Alfa GT (the base petrol or diesel models for both Alfas). I realise that the two Alfas are probably not much faster, if not the same 0-60 time as my Celica but they do look fantastic! Although going for a diesel would take some convincing – i.e. they have good acceleration. Considering that I'm an average guy with an average job (and average income!) which one would you advice me to buy?

I really would like to know which of these cars would give me the same reliable, trouble free, painless ownership that the Celica provides. My budget would not be more than £14-£15k (absolute maximum).

Regards,

Tom Miller, Manchester, UK

Tom,

It sounds like you know more about cars than I do. I had a Celica too – somewhere I still have a Gatso picture of it. I kept it because even in grainy black and white it looked beautiful.

Because most of the GTs on the market are ex-company cars they are high mileage diesel. If you can find a petrol they are often low mileage, but can also be pricey. I love the 350Z, but it’s not exactly a cheap car to run. The Brera is beautiful but still demand is too high and you will end up over paying.

The Z3 however is slightly off many people’s radar (because of the Z4), has single digit depreciation and still looks wonderful. A friend who now has a 911 still wishes he’d kept his Z3.

It’s a rare thing to be able to buy a car with your heart and your head.

Further information: www.usedcarexpert.co.uk