Testing how cars behave in serious crashes has undergone the biggest shake-up for a decade. The Euro NCAP safety ratings have been overhauled to make them more relevant to the kinds of cars that are now popular.
The independent assessments show in an easy to understand way how cars respond in crashes. They are important in helping car buyers to compare the safety of different vehicles. Read on to see why the new changes could affect you.
The cambelt or timing belt is an integral part of many engines. It also needs replacing on a regular – if thankfully not too frequent – basis. Read on and I’ll explain why the cambelt is so important, how you know if your car has one (not all do) and why replacing them is an absolute must-do.
From 15 June 2020, anyone in the UK travelling on public transport should wear a face covering to help limit the spread of COVID-19. But the rules about sporting masks or face coverings elsewhere are less clear. We look at what it means for car drivers.
Reliable cars are vital for most of us. And garages plus the quality of service they offer are just as important. The last thing you want is to buy a new car and find that it either lets you down or when you need help, the garage offers shoddy service.
There’s an easy way to discover how dependable cars and their dealers are and that’s by asking the people with real-life experience of owning the cars. This is where surveys come in. We’ve combed reports compiled by Auto Express and What Car? to distil the information you need to know if you’re buying a new car.
If you’re thinking of changing your car, how much you pay for insurance may be important to you. To help with this, all cars sit in insurance groups. Knowing about a car’s grouping will enable you to do an accurate, back-to-back comparison with other models you might be interested in.
Read on to find out what an insurance group is and how to find out what group a car is in.
The UK’s six-month MOT extension might end early because of fears about increasing numbers of unroadworthy cars. Car owners are also being warned that if they don’t keep their motors in a fit state to be driven, their insurance may not cover them.
In the latest report by Green Flag and road safety charity Brake, an alarming number of drivers revealed gaps in their knowledge about vehicle maintenance. Around one in 10 drivers (9 per cent) claim they never carry out any vehicle safety checks.
One in four (27 per cent) said they care for their car just once a year. More worryingly, a fifth of drivers (20 per cent) said they’d knowingly driven an unroadworthy car.
We investigate why the MOT extension might end early and how you can ensure your car is roadworthy.
Modern cars are often accessed using remote fobs and keyless entry. But what do you do when it doesn’t work?
Thankfully, these vehicles are fitted with a key blade inside the fob, and a lock that’s either visible or hidden behind a cover on the door.
Below, we’ll show you some examples of what to do to gain entry to your car, and how to start it if the key is not detected.
Continue reading
The petrol price is plummeting to below £1 a litre. However, some believe there’s room for it to fall further.
Since the beginning of the year, the price of crude oil – the raw material used to produce petrol and diesel – has more than halved. But although the cost of petrol at the pumps is falling, it hasn’t kept pace with rapid drops in oil prices. Here are two reasons why fuel prices might stay higher than you’d expect.
This year is a bumper one for British cars. Motors that are well known to this day, such as the Range Rover, Morgan Plus 4 and Jaguar E-Type celebrate significant birthdays in 2020. And several other models that car fans hold dear to their hearts have anniversaries too. Find out how well you know your British cars by taking our cunning quiz.
Continue reading
Charging your vehicle’s battery is a much more efficient way of keeping your car running than jump-starting it once the battery has gone flat. It’s also much better for your battery in the long term.
Thankfully, with a battery charger to hand, it’s not too difficult to do it yourself. Just follow the simple steps below.
Continue reading