Q I’ve enjoyed driving my 1995 Toyota Celica GT but am looking for something a bit different, preferably a sporty coupé or convertible. I’ve considered a BMW Z4, Mercedes CLK or Audi TT but can’t make up my mind. My budget is £17,000-£18,000. Any pointers?
PM from Cornwall
A The Mercedes CLK is the largest of the cars on your shortlist, with decent-sized rear seats and an ample boot, but unless you go for one of the six-cylinder models they are not terribly quick. The two-seater BMW Z4 is a much sportier drive and your budget will buy you a 2003 53-plate 3 litre petrol convertible that is quick and, being the current model, should have good resale prospects.
Your budget wouldn’t stretch to a new Audi TT so you would have to settle for a previous generation model. But the old TT has proven reliable and for about £17,000 you could get a 2004 04 3.2 V6 convertible or a coupé of the same age for about £1,000 less.
Also consider the Hyundai Coupé. The latest SIII model is good looking and the 2 litre is great value. Your budget could get you a new car. If you want a bit more performance, look at a 2.7 litre, which at about £19,000 is only a little over budget.
Q I was amazed to read (Used Car, September 30) that the Maserati Quattroporte’s service interval is just 6,250 miles. I drive a 2003 Mercedes C 320 CDI and am unconvinced it requires, as the onboard computer dictates, servicing as often as every 10,000 miles – particularly as 90% of my driving is on motorways. Can manufacturers set any intervals they like?
GT from the Wirral
A The Maserati is a high-performance car and so needs more attention more often – in much the same way as a racehorse. But with more real-world cars, longer service intervals are the norm, due in part to the improvements in oils and parts such as spark plugs.
Many manufacturers offer variable service intervals that are calculated by the vehicle’s computer taking account of the mileage and type of journeys – a car that spends most of its time on long journeys would usually have longer service intervals.
Your Mercedes should have this variable servicing option and, unless you’re a particularly sporty driver, we’d expect you to be going more than 10,000 miles between services. Consult your Mercedes dealer about this and ask it to check the computer is working correctly.
It is good practice to have the car checked at least once a year, regardless of service schedules, paying particular attention to undervehicle components such as brakes, steering and suspension, which take the brunt of the UK weather. It is also generally accepted that brake fluid should be changed every two years (because it absorbs water) and that an annual oil change, regardless of the official interval, is a good measure to prolong engine life.
Q New blue signs have started appearing by some roads, including the M6. They are positioned every half a mile or so and show the road number, a mileage and a letter. What are they for?
PF from Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire
A These are new driver location signs that have been tested on the M6 and M25 and are now being installed across the motorway and main trunk road network at about 500-metre intervals. They consist of a blue square with a white border and yellow lettering and can be used by the Highway Agency’s traffic officers or breakdown services to help find motorists when they phone to report an incident. Each sign displays the motorway or road the motorist is travelling on and a letter indicating in which the direction he or she is travelling.
The figure beneath the letter represents the distance in kilometres (not miles) from a designated point on the motorway – usually the start, although on the M25 the measurement is taken in the clockwise direction from the Dartford crossing.
Q We run a Citroën Xsara Picasso because we have three children under four. We’d prefer a car with a more executive image, but one that can still take three children in the back and ideally has space for two more. I fancy the Volvo XC90. What do you think? Our budget is about £40,000.
MY from London
A You could afford a brand new Volvo XC90. Probably the best model for resale value would be a D5 SE automatic, which retails at £36,695. In common with most seven-seaters the boot space – at 249 litres – is pretty limited if all seats are in use but this increases hugely when one row of seats is stowed.
Alternatively, take a look at the Mercedes R-class, which sits somewhere between an MPV and a 4x4 in terms of looks but also offers seven potential seats, a broad cabin and a larger boot than the Volvo – 324 litres with all seats in use. Our recommended buy would be the R 320 CDI SE auto at £40,120.
A final thought is the Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon. At £49,995 for a new 4.2 litre diesel it is outside your budget but a 2006-registered example should be closer to £40,000.
Q I have an 05-registered Hyundai Getz 1.3 GSI automatic. I don’t seem to get the fuel economy out of it that I used to when I bought it. In town driving I am lucky if I get 25mpg – motorway driving is a bit better at about 30mpg. It has been checked at a garage but nothing came up. It is a low mileage (15,000 miles) car. What could be wrong?
SW from Newport, south Wales
A The official combined figure for this model is 40mpg, but a real-world figure is probably nearer 35mpg for longer journeys, so you’re not too far off at present. Stop-start town driving will always hammer economy figures and automatics are a little heavier on fuel than their manual counterparts.
“Checked” presumably means no fault codes came up on the garage’s diagnostic computer, but not everything is electrical. As with most modern cars, it is often the case that a car that is driven harder – at least some of the time – performs better.
As your car is low mileage, it may have done more short, urban journeys and it could be that the combustion chambers have started to gum up as the car is rarely driven at speed or under heavy acceleration and/or that the fuel injectors are starting to clog slightly for the same reason. Driving it round the bypass, holding it in the intermediate gears, often blows out any accumulated gunge. Adding a dose of fuel system cleaner (such as Redex Petrol Injector Cleaner, £4.99 for 250ml, or STP Complete Fuel Treatment £14.99 for 500ml from Halfords) might also improve things.
Consider also where you buy your fuel. The big brand suppliers (Esso, BP, Shell etc) claim their fuels cost more because of the extra detergents. There are doubts about how much better these fuels are, but it may be worth trying a few tankfuls to see if there’s any noticeable difference.
Q My partner and I are moving to Ireland next year and intend to take our cars. What’s involved in registering them?
SM from London
A All vehicles taken to Ireland for more than 12 months are subject to vehicle registration tax (VRT), which can be as much as 30% of the car’s open market selling price (OMSP), or estimated value, which can only be decided by an official inspection.
Your first step will be to register the cars with the vehicle revenue commissioners, part of Irish Tax and Customs. You will need to take proof of ownership to your local office, including, if possible, a copy of the purchasing invoice and your registration document. See www.revenue.ie (or go straight to the relevant section at tinyurl.com/2mdobp) for more details. The office will arrange the valuation inspection and once the VRT has been paid, your cars will be allocated Irish numberplates.
If you have owned the vehicles abroad for more than six months and are moving permanently to Ireland you are exempt from VRT, although you still have to register. If you sell the cars within a year of arrival you will be liable for the tax.
— E-mail your questions for our experts to carclinic@sunday-times.co.uk or write to Car Clinic, InGear, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST. Please give a daytime telephone number and as much detail about your car as you can. We cannot send personal replies or deal with every letter. Please do not send original documents or SAEs. Advice is offered without legal responsibility.
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