When buying a car, an increasingly popular question is “are EVs more cost effective?”
As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular (and fuel prices stay pretty high), long-term vehicle costs are more important than ever.
So, we’ve done some digging and put together a guide on EV costs to help you decide if going electric is the right option.
Continue reading
Buying an EV isn’t quite the same as buying a car used to be. There are a few different considerations and tests to check before you sign any dotted line.
As the number of EVs on the roads increases, and running costs rise for non-EVs, you may be tempted to make the switch. We talked to our Technical Support Engineers John Price and Scott Wilson about what you need to know.
Continue reading
Buying a car is an important decision. If you need more seats, better fuel efficiency, or just a little run around – the cost alone makes it a big life event.
There’s a lot to consider before buying a car. So, we’ve done some of the thinking for you and come up with some key things to keep in mind.
Let’s get started.
Continue reading
For as long as we’ve been driving, the internal combustion engine has been our principal source of power. Battery electric motors are slowly replacing them now but even so, the vast majority of us still drive cars with engines in them.
These lumps of metal live under our bonnet, drink petrol or diesel and have cylinders and valves that go about their business of speeding us along. But how much do you actually know about them? Take our fiendish quiz to find out.
Continue reading
It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of used cars. And those that are available are being sold for inflated prices. Hardly surprising then that the trade in dodgy motors is picking up.
Research by TV show Dispatches found that up to 40,000 possible death traps sold every year could be insurance write-offs going to unsuspecting buyers.
It’s time for the 72-reg plate change. Traditionally, September has been one of the two months (along with March) when car sales peak. And the more new cars sold, the more used models are freed up for buyers to get their hands on.
But since the dark days of the pandemic, the supply of new cars has slowed dramatically. The knock-on is a shortage of used cars with the models that are available costing more. We look at how to get a good buy for the 72-reg plate change.
One way to cut your motoring costs is to own a classic – a car that’s more than 40 years old. But you’ll probably think some of the motors that turn 40 this year make an unlikely classic car, clapped out rather than classic.
Owners of pre-1982 cars don’t need an MOT and don’t pay any car tax. If you read on below, you’ll see that many classics won’t cost a fortune to buy either. Get the right one and it’ll even appreciate in value too.
Here we look at some of the cars that turn classic this year – at least in name. We also see how many remain and reveal what it might cost to buy one.
The devastating effect of war in Ukraine is being felt to a lesser extent across Europe and into the UK too. Here we look at how the war is affecting car users today and the impact it could have in the future.
Buy a new car and by law it must come with a warranty. And increasingly, if you buy a used car, particularly if it’s manufacturer approved, it’ll also have a car warranty.
These guarantees vary in length from between seven and three years if it’s a brand-new car; between one year and three months if it’s a used car.
But they come with a strict set of terms and conditions. Drivers must abide by these if the warranty is to remain valid throughout its term. Here are five things you should steer clear of if you want to maintain your car warranty.
Increasing numbers of owners are rejecting their cars. Law company Stormcatcher claims people seeking legal advice for rejecting a car has skyrocketed over recent months.
But what does rejecting a car mean and if you want to do it, how do you go about it? Read on for all the ins and outs.
If you’ve considered caravanning as a holiday you’re not alone. Numbers taking holidays in caravans were increasing even before the pandemic. And in some months during 2020, caravan sales increased by up to 70 per cent compared with previous years.
To help drivers pick the best cars for their caravanning needs, the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) holds its Towcar of the Year competition. To find the winner of this year’s award, it tested 32 cars in 11 categories. It then narrowed these down to one overall winner. Read on to see the best cars for towing.
Anyone who’s tried to buy a brand-new car this year may well have been disappointed. Dealers will happily sell you one. But actually getting to enjoy that new-car smell and all the electronic wizardry a new car will feature now involves a lengthy wait.
The delays are all down to a shortage of a part that costs a few quid. They are called integrated circuits or semi-conductor chips, more commonly known as computer chips. There’s even a knock-on to used cars with prices of these increasing. Read on for the full story.
If you’re unlucky enough to have your car stolen, there’s a very good chance it will end up in what’s known as a chop shop. There it will be dismantled or chopped up and its parts will either be sold to innocent consumers or used to repair wrecked cars.
Interest rates have been super low for years so rather than investing in a savings account, why not invest in a classic car? And we’re not talking about putting money into a motor with a famous name such as Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin or Jaguar.
Experts are claiming that the prices of many cars once considered run of the mill are on the up. It’s been fuelled by enthusiasts who following the pandemic find they have more time and funds on their hands. It means finding an old car might make a more sensible investment than putting your money in the bank.
From 2030, every new car sold in the UK will have to be electric. That’s great for the environment. And it’ll probably mean daily motoring will cost less for drivers because certainly at the moment, electricity is cheaper than petrol or diesel.
The downside is electric cars are expensive to buy. So what about converting your petrol or diesel car to battery power? Is it possible? And if so, how much would it cost?
The charge to electric cars is well and truly underway. With the government revealing a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel models from 2030, we’re all having to adapt to an electric future. And that means there’s ever more choice in the electric car market.
With fuel costs as low as 3 pence per mile (about a third of what you pay for petrol or diesel) and long battery warranties, electric cars are looking ever-more attractive. Here are 10 new electric models to look out for in 2021.
We’re quite often asked why all cars don’t have heated windscreens to prevent steaming up. Heated screens are a great innovation, clearing condensation inside swiftly while helping to melt ice outside on frosty mornings. But not all cars have them. Read on to find out why.
Rain and flooding might be in the news at the moment. But anyone buying a used motor over the next few months has got the prospect of purchasing flood damaged cars to be wary of.
Having a good soaking in a flood can cause a car to have numerous problems, not all of them immediately evident. Here are nine ways you can tell if the car you’re thinking of buying is flood damaged.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many activities online, car buying among them. If future lockdowns dictate that all car dealers must close again, more of us will have to buy our next car over the internet. But how secure is it? What’s the choice like? Can you haggle over the price? And how likely are you to end up with a dodgy motor?
Car drivers are being warned they could fall victim to increasingly persistent motoring scammers. In 2020, the government’s Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) saw a 603 per cent leap in fraudulent activity compared to the previous year. That’s just from the number of scams that drivers reported. The DVLA is worried thousands of drivers have unwittingly fallen for scams and not disclosed it.
Desperate fraudsters are sending blanket emails and texts to thousands of drivers. They know that if just a tiny percentage fall for them, the crooks will be quids in. Read on to find out how you can avoid being scammed.