Which reliable five-door car offers reasonable fuel economy and performance?

My wife and I are looking to replace our ageing and ailing 5-door, 1.6 petrol Ford Focus. Happy with 'used' as opposed to new, as it will be mainly used by my better half for short journeys with the odd...

Which small auto for comfortable motorway driving?

I'm currently driving a 1999 BMW 328 which I very much like, but needs replacing. The BMW is too large for me, and I'd like to find something refined, quiet and comfortable for commuting as well as occasional...

Cam belt change - what other jobs should be done?

A friend has a Golf 1.9 TDi which is four years old. The Volkswagen garage she uses has advised her to have the timing belt changed based on the age of the car, not the mileage, which is not high. Having...

Engine cutting out on a Golf?

I hire cars every week for between 2 and 4 days. I get to drive quite a different variety of cars, but my favourite of late is the Volkswagen Golf automatic. Last week I had one from Wednesday to Sunday. I...

Buying a used Golf - which engine?

We are buying a second hand Golf as a second car due to expanding family. We don't do many miles so need a petrol. We are deciding between a 122 TSI or 160 GT TSI (both Mk 6). Do you have any opinion?...

Are cars cheaper in the north?

My daughter lives in Croydon and is looking to purchase a used car Focus/Golf type, petrol and budget £7000 max. I live in Derby and wonder if it would be advantageous to source one from this area.

Paintwork chips seem worse on my Golf

I have had a mk 6 Golf for almost three years, and driven 17,000 miles, a relatively small proportion of this on motorways. There are numerous stone chips on the bonnet and roof, plus several on the windscreen....

What small estate car?

I have 2005 1.6 Ford Focus Estate and am considering a change soon. I'd like another estate car with a bit more power as the Ford is a bit slow to pick up and struggles a bit on hills. Otherwise it's...

Should I buy this damaged Golf?

We agreed to buy a Golf as a Volkswagen approved used car and when we inspected the car it had just arrived and had some scratches and minor dents which we were assured would be rectified before delivery. We...

How can I remove bird muck from my Volkswagen Golf?

I have a 2010 Volkswagen Golf 1.4. On return home from a recent holiday in Cornwall I proceeded to remove bird muck from the metallic paint. I was appalled to find that it looks as though acid has been...