Comment

Car Choice: Nothing like a head-on crash to get you thinking about safety

Jady Newton's Suzuki Jimny was written off in a head-on collision with a car that was on the wrong side of the road. As both airbags were deployed, it has made her think a lot more about safety. She has £3,600 to buy a new car, which must have airbags, be no more than seven years old, and is not French. Jady would like a car that is interesting – and realises that she might be asking a bit too much.

Inside Comment

Car Choice: Impressive...a student who can afford a Volvo

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Matt Francis, 20, has been driving an old Ford Escort for two years. But he now needs something bigger and safer. He has a thing about Volvo V40s, as he has seen several around for less than £3,000, with under 90,000 miles on the clock. Insurance, he says, is reasonable, considering he was paying £2,200 for his first-year , then £1,800 on his second. His quote for a 2002 V40 1.6 is £1,550.

Car Choice: Spoiled for choice on the road to a new life

Sunday, 31 January 2010

Marie and Gerald Patterson are relocating to France, and their employer has offered them a choice from the following cars: Peugeot 308, Renault Scenic, Opel Zafira, Citro�n C3 Picasso, or Citro�n C5. The vehicle they choose will need to cope with a regular commute and also a six-month-old child. Practicality and comfort are key, although they would also like the car to be fun to drive.

Car Choice: Need a small £2,000 runaround? Try a Yaris or a Clio

Sunday, 24 January 2010

Peter Rycart, 47, and his daughter, are running a '02 plate Mini Cooper automatic. They've had it for three years and want to sell it, to pay off the finance (about £4,500), and free up some cash. Peter is hoping to get around £5,500-£6,000, but still needs some wheels. However, they do not want to spend more than £2,000. Both of them really enjoy the Mini and wouldn't need much convincing to run it forever. What should they do?

Car Choice: Man with large budget seeks something small and exciting

Sunday, 17 January 2010

Martin Gessell is at that time in his life when he wants a vehicle that is exciting, distinctive, and does that most magical thing of all – which is fail to depreciate. Luckily he has a huge budget to play with, running from £5,000 to a possible £35,000 if the car is right. He covers around 10,000 miles a year, but is not bothered about having any unnecessary extras, including a radio. He just enjoys driving.

Car Choice: Simon says: Find me something upmarket yet economical

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Simon Scott is 37 and does a lot of commuting – around 20,000 miles a year – most of which seems to be spent in slow-moving traffic. For the last few years a Honda Civic 1.7 CTDi has been incredibly reliable, but is not that comfortable or prestigious. Simon wants upmarket, comfy, economical, and distinctive. His budget is up to £13,000 and ideally he wants a car with less than 20,000 miles on the clock and which is no more than two years old.

Car Choice: It pays to be boring if you want to get on the road for less

Sunday, 3 January 2010

Clive Allen is 17, and, like every teenager who has passed his test, wants ideas for a first car. He has a budget of around £4,000. Clive does not like Nissan Micras, Ford Kas, or Renault Clios. So he is looking for a first car that's decent and fairly new, with insurance accounting for about £1,000 of his budget.

Car Choice: A very lucky boy with £25,000 to spend on a toy

Sunday, 20 December 2009

Charlie Cooke is thinking of investing in a weekend toy, and has a budget of around £25,000. He really fancies something with two seats and a lot of grip – maybe a Porsche Cayman – though he is open to any ideas. He would prefer a coup� rather than a convertible as he feels that he would like something which he can enjoy all year round. This would make a great Christmas present, although Charlie knows that he will have to wait until the New Year to realise his dream.

Were Saab and GM doomed to fail?

Saturday, 19 December 2009

It took a while, but it now appears that the axe has finally fallen and Saab really is going to die. For the last twenty years, the Swedish car maker has been part of General Motors; it may seem a strange thing to say under the circumstances, but it's quite difficult to be certain whether that has been a bad thing for Saab or not.

GM signals the end for Saab

Friday, 18 December 2009

General Motors has apparently decided to wind down its Swedish Saab operation after failing to reach agreement to sell it to the Dutch sports-car manufacturer Spyker.