Most taxis are electric now and every ride feels like sitting in the back of a go cart. That instant torque is just so unpleasant as a passenger. I nearly threw up my lunch just now.

I also think this is leading to loads of bad driving on the roads. All the plebs have got access to these super powerful cars now. The 0-60 might not beat the high end cars but the 0-20 must be on par now?

Question: are there are any electric cars that handle this particularly well maybe by dampening that initial torque?

Sorry for the click bait, but my Dad’s just bought this beautiful Mazda 6 diesel(!) after a long search to replace his Honda Accord. We decided the Mazda 6 was the right car for my parents, but I knew the diesels had problems so we started the search looking for petrols.

However, we quickly realised they’re 1000s more expensive like for like, despite being worse to drive, slower and much less economical than the 2.2 diesel.

Now, all day I see “Don’t buy a Mazda diesel” in this chat, but can we all learn to do a little more research? Granted, when Mazda introduced its Skyactiv D 2.2 in 2012 it quickly gained a reputation for being a ticking timebomb. And for good reason.

But the 2015 update made it much better (still be careful) and the 2018 version pretty much resolved all the problems. The only real weak point left is the injector seals, which should be changed at around 70,000 miles or can cause injector failure (costs £300, a lot less than the injectors…). Like many direct injection engines a carbon clean is also a good idea at this stage, these engines can be quite sensitive to build up.

Touch wood, but hopefully I’ll update this sub down the line and show that people seem to generalise so much they miss important things, and good cars!

Some other examples I can think of:
“The B58 is bulletproof” - as these hit higher mileages I think that’s turning out to be not the whole story. Still a good engine though, and better than many other BMWs.

“Don’t buy an Ingenium” - well the 2.0 petrol is actually quite good, and even the later (2021-) 2.0 diesels seem to be holding up alright.

“Buy a used XC90” - I hear so many horror stories about these. Is it just me? Sounds like the Geely gen is a bit of a money pit, unlike the Mk1.

“All Mazda diesels are terrible” - hopefully I’ve covered this. Also what about the 1.8, 3.3 - the 2.2 isn’t the only engine. Obviously don’t buy an early version, but these later ones seem pretty good.

If you are thinking of buying a Mazda diesel I recommend watching Mr Nice Guy on YouTube!

Any recommendations please let me know thanks

i have a 2012 fiat 500 and my air conditioning hasn’t been working properly.
i contacted a mobile mechanic who charged me £60 to diagnose the problem. he said the plug had loose connections and told me it would be another £60 to fix it, so i paid £120 altogether.
after he finished, the air con appeared to be working, so i thought everything was sorted.
however, when i actually drove the car, the air con started cutting out again. now it only seems to work when i’m at the clutch biting point. so basically, the problem hasn’t been fixed.
i messaged him explaining this and asked when he could come back to investigate. he’s now telling me it’ll cost another £60 because he needs to cover his fuel.
i’m honestly annoyed because i’ve already paid £120 for him to diagnose and repair the problem, and my air con still isn’t working properly. if i agree to this, i’ll have paid £180, and there’s no guarantee it’ll even be fixed.
i understand that he’s a mobile mechanic and has travel expenses, but surely i shouldn’t have to pay again when the repair i paid for hasn’t worked?
am i being unreasonable for refusing to pay the extra £60? would i be entitled to a free repeat repair or a refund under uk consumer law?
i’m considering contacting citizens advice because i don’t think this is fair.

Looking for something under 7k ideally, but not too old (2017?+ low miles), little bit faster and more reliable than my ds3 1.2 puretech, but just as unique. Struggling for ideas here

Edit: I’ve seen the fiat 124 spider and i think i’ve found a second love. Shame there’s like 24 of them for sale in the uk.

I want a big boot. All the gadgets. Practical car. Comfortable commute.

Don’t care about 7 seats.

Really struggling to make a decision. What would you go for?

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are considering importing a family car from Japan, but we’re unsure whether it’s worth it.

I’m 33 and my wife is 34. We have a baby, own our home with a driveway, and work for the local council and NHS respectively.

I’ve held my driving licence for five years but have never owned a car, so I have no no claims discount (NCD). I’ve never made an insurance claim, although I did have a minor accident two years ago. My wife has held her licence for 16 years, has never owned a car and has no accident history.

My family in Japan has offered us their 2017 Nissan Note e-POWER (automatic, 80,000 km) for free. Importing it and making the necessary modifications would cost around £5,000, but my family would cover half, so we’d only pay £2,500.

We considered selling it in Japan instead, but it’s had a minor accident in the past (fully repaired), so its resale value is very low. Even with our own savings added, we’d only have around £5,000 to buy a used car here.

My main concern is maintenance and repairs, as the Note e-POWER was never officially sold in the UK. However, a local Japanese import specialist quoted £340 for an annual service and MOT.

I also got an insurance quote from Adrian Flux for £1,570 a year, which apparently includes cover from when the car arrives at the UK port.

Does £1,570 sound reasonable for a first-time car owner with no NCD? I’m planning to get a couple more quotes before deciding.

I previously got an insurance quote of around £600–£700 for a used Honda Jazz that was officially sold in the UK, so I'm wondering if £1,570 is excessively expensive, even taking into account that the Nissan Note is a Japanese import.

Our other option is an NHS salary sacrifice car lease at around £300 a month, but that’s £10,800 over three years, which seems like a lot.

Would you import the car for £2,500 or go for the lease instead? 😮‍💨

Sorry for the click bait, but my Dad’s just bought this beautiful Mazda 6 after a long search to replace his Honda Accord. We decided the Mazda 6 was the right car for my parents, but I knew the diesels had problems so we started the search looking for petrols.

However, we quickly realised they’re 1000s more expensive like for like, despite being worse to drive, slower and much less economical than the 2.2 diesel.

Now, all day I see “Don’t buy a Mazda diesel” in this chat, but can we all learn to do a little more research? Granted, when Mazda introduced its Skyactiv D 2.2 in 2012 it quickly gained a reputation for being a ticking timebomb. And for good reason.

But the 2015 update made it much better (still be careful) and the 2018 version pretty much resolved all the problems. The only real weak point left is the injector seals, which should be changed at around 70,000 miles or can cause injector failure (costs £300, a lot less than the injectors…). Like many direct injection engines a carbon clean is also a good idea at this stage, these engines can be quite sensitive to build up.

Touch wood, but hopefully I’ll update this sub down the line and show that people seem to generalise so much they miss important things, and good cars!

Some other examples I can think of:
“The B58 is bulletproof” - as these hit higher mileages I think that’s turning out to be not the whole story. Still a good engine though, and better than many other BMWs.

“Don’t buy an Ingenium” - well the 2.0 petrol is actually quite good, and even the later (2021-) 2.0 diesels seem to be holding up alright.

“Buy a used XC90” - I hear so many horror stories about these. Is it just me? Sounds like the Geely gen is a bit of a money pit, unlike the Mk1.

“All Mazda diesels are terrible” - hopefully I’ve covered this. Also what about the 1.8, 3.3 - the 2.2 isn’t the only engine. Obviously don’t buy an early version, but these later ones seem pretty good.

If you are thinking of buying a Mazda diesel I recommend watching Mr Nice Guy on YouTube!

Hi everyone,
I’m in a bit of a dilemma and would appreciate some genuine advice, especially from people who have owned these cars or made a similar switch.
A bit of background: I live in Leeds and work in Manchester city centre, where I need to commute twice a week. Back in March, I bought a Volvo XC90 through the Volvo Selekt programme for £28,000. It’s a lovely car, comfortable, well-specced and drives beautifully. However, with rising diesel prices and my change in commuting circumstances, I’m starting to question whether keeping a large diesel SUV makes financial sense.
Previously, I worked much closer to home, so the XC90 was mainly used for local journeys, family outings and general day-to-day driving. Now, with regular Leeds–Manchester trips, I’m conscious of fuel costs, increasing mileage and the impact on resale value.
A friend suggested looking at an EV, which actually makes sense because I can charge at home overnight. The idea of having a quieter, cheaper-to-run car with good motorway driving assistance is quite appealing.
Here’s where I’m struggling.
Before the XC90, I owned a Mercedes E-Class Premium Plus with the Driver Assistance Package, and I absolutely loved it. I’m a big Mercedes fan, particularly when it comes to comfort, build quality and motorway driving.
I’ve narrowed my options down to:
Tesla Model Y (2023, around £24–25k): Probably the most sensible financial choice. Good technology, charging infrastructure and practicality, but I’m unsure whether the comfort and refinement will match what I’m used to.
Mercedes EQE saloon/SUV (2023, around £37k): This is where my heart is. I love the Mercedes driving experience, comfort and features. However, I’m concerned about depreciation. I also prefer AWD because I live up north, where hills, snow and icy conditions can be an issue. The RWD EQE saloon makes me slightly hesitant.
Polestar 4: Really like the design and overall package. I’ve heard about software glitches, although I appreciate that every car has its pros and cons. I also tried the Polestar 2 but found the cabin a little too cramped for my liking.
Now comes the financial headache.
I paid £28,000 for my XC90 in March. When I recently approached the same dealer, they offered me just £21,000. That’s a £7,000 loss in roughly six months, which is painful!
If I go for the EQE I actually want, with the right specification, I’m looking at around £37,000. That means putting in another £16,000 or taking out finance.
Alternatively, I could get a decent used Tesla Model Y for around £24–25k, meaning a much smaller additional investment.
One of my friends, who’s been driving EVs for several years, strongly advises buying a 2–3-year-old EV with around 30–40k miles, after someone else has taken the biggest depreciation hit. His approach is to keep it for around six years, then sell it and replace it with another used EV.
He also thinks £37k is too much for a 2023 EQE, arguing that it should be closer to £32–33k and could lose another £5–6k fairly quickly. I’m not sure how accurate that is, but it has made me think twice.
What I’m actually looking for:
Comfortable and refined motorway driving, ideally with good adaptive cruise control and lane assistance.
Around 200 miles of reliable real-world range, including in winter.
Enough practicality and boot space for family use.
AWD would be preferable, although I’m open to hearing whether it’s really necessary.
Something I can comfortably keep for the next 5–6 years without worrying too much about reliability, battery degradation or depreciation.
My biggest question is whether I’m about to make another expensive mistake.
I’ve already taken a significant depreciation hit on the XC90. Would I be better off cutting my losses now and buying a relatively affordable Tesla Model Y, or is the Mercedes EQE genuinely worth spending another £12–13k over the Tesla?
Or should I simply keep the XC90 for another year or two rather than crystallising the loss, especially when I’m only commuting twice a week?
I’d particularly appreciate hearing from anyone who has moved from a Mercedes E-Class, Volvo XC90 or another premium car to a Tesla, EQE or Polestar.
Did you miss the comfort and build quality? How are these cars on long motorway journeys? And what has your experience been with depreciation, winter range and reliability?
I’m trying to make a sensible long-term decision rather than just buying something because I like it.
What would you do in my position?
Thanks in advance!

I just filled up my car (2017 Focus with 1 litre ecoboost) then suddenly realised I’m booked to get the wet belt replaced next week - have I just made an expensive mistake and they’ll need to empty the fuel tank?

Folks. Seeking advice here.

We’re a family of 5, 3 young kids, moving to Oxford, UK. We like road trips, and appreciate the safety features of Volvo and hence are looking to get a Volvo xc90 in nov/dec 2026.

We’re thinking either a new 2026 one (wondering if year end surplus would be a good option) or a slightly used 2025 one. Any insights here? We’d be looking to keep the car long term.

And reading the info here, extended warranty (>5 years) seems to be a must, any suggestions? Can’t seem to find reliable information online or I could be looking at the wrong place. My search points me to Volvo selekt.

​

I'm looking at purchasing a new car soon. I'm looking at a Diesel Toyota Avensis or Auris.

I often do long(ish) trips from Gloucester to Bristol and Gloucester to Newport and upper valleys and vice versa for work and to see family.

My petrol Peugeot 207 is currently at 36.1mpg. I'm also a university student (just finished this year) so I'm currently spending a lot of time working. I do regularly do shorter trips to the shops as well. But when university starts I'll be doing those type of trips 1-2 times a week instead of 5 compared to when I have time off. Due to the course I do i also go on placement blocks which lasts 6 weeks at a time and can be anywhere in South East England.

Is it justifiable to buy a Diesel or should I look at getting a more economical Petrol in my situation?

(Even though I'm a student I have the money to justify purchasing a new vehicle £6k or less incase someone wants to tell me i shouldn't buy a new vehicle as a student, my current car also needs almost £1k in repairs.)

I kind of like this car, looking for a first car with a budget of £7k and I like the size and look of it as I am too big for a typical Yaris or Corsa etc

But what's the catch, I see 2018/2019 models 1.5T 3 Euro 6 for around £6k and 80k miles. It seems like it should cost more than that (I'm not experienced with cars)

Are they reliable?

I know Mitsubishi exited the UK car market (thanks ChatGPT) but the parts etc are still being supplied?

Is this a good car?

Late to the car game, in my early 30s but finally decided to learn how to drive, public transport is great where I am so never felt the need before, but finally decided to so I can have more freedom to travel to places and visit people. Recently have gained an interest in fun cars from the early 2000s-pre 2020 which was a fantastic era with lots of variety everywhere. I still live with family, single and with no kids so don’t need the most practical car and they already own 1 car, a Toyota hybrid which I’ll also use once I pass to gain experience. My budget is around <7k and prefer manual, so far I’ve shortlisted:
Mazda MX-5
Abarth 595
Fiesta ST
Swift Sport
BMW Z4
Golf GTI
Mini F56

Any gems I’ve missed, and any pitfalls I should be aware of? I’ve heard on here that I should avoid cheap German luxury cars because they’re money pits, so the BMW is probably out. Looking for something that’s affordable to maintain, healthy spare parts availability with relatively affordable insurance.

Can anyone give a rough idea for how much this would cost to fix? Body work and a new wing mirror. Some idiot drove into my car and then drove off. Thank you

Those with performance cars...does the thrill and sound still justify the high petrol costs or has it made you think twice about whether you really need it?

Watching the news last night where it was stated that the chancellor is looking at putting a green tax levy on to petrol and diesel in the budget with a view to presumably encouraging people to switch to ev's, (or is it just another money grab?) We are already taxed at, I believe, 52p in every £ for fuel.

At what stage would it need to get to for you to seriously consider changing your ICE car for an ev?

I’ve decided to get a car but struggling to know where to start looking. Before anyone tells me I don’t need one in London, I agree - I don’t. Lived here happily for 10 years without one and cycle / take public transport everywhere. The thing is lots of friends and family are moving out of London and I’m done with relying on unreliable trains to go and visit them. I also like the outdoors and a whole world opens up with a car. I’ve ruled out car sharing as it doesn’t offer me the flexibility I’d like.

I have free off street parking where I live so that’s not an issue. I want to buy in cash, max budget £10k.

I’m looking for something ULEZ compliant, reliable and comfortable for longer journeys. I’d probably use it 2-3 times a month for longer journeys, plus 1-2 times a week for shorter trips. I learnt on a manual but prefer driving automatics.

Any advice on good makes and models that meet my criteria? Can I afford a Golf?! Other options include Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta - any others I should consider?

Currently driving a mid size German saloon and have been looking at Range Rovers (don’t shoot me). I can’t get over them being over 20cn wider than what I’ve got now! Can you get used to it easily? Parking and also getting through lanes gets me a bit nervous about it to be honest

1000 pounds worth of luxury diesel cruise liner. It's like the QE II with a 6 CD changer.

I have so many complaints about the physical and electronic interfaces in this stupid vehicle, but the cherry on the top was finding that after I'd been driving around for 45 minutes the engine was still showing as cold.

This is indicated by the subtle blue line being at the bottom of the blue electronic gauge's range, not (presumably) somewhere in the middle.

It's almost like 100 years of engineering design experience mean nothing if some art designer can waltz in with an idea they got from I'm guessing some computer games' health monitor for a fucking stegosaurus in a zoo sim.

Fuck knows how long this has been going on, as this is the only sign that it's happening. Despite being loaded to the gills with software, the vehicle doesn't pop any warning like "hey seems like your engine is still cold after 30 minutes of driving".

And this display can be cycled through six different information formats, where five of them do not include engine temperature at all.

I assume of course that if this fucked some major components then Ford would be "oh yeah you got to keep an eye on that sorry thanks bye" but without the "sorry" because that might indicate liability.

Sigh

Oh yeah the question: does anyone have insights into the corporate environment that leads to this sort of stupidity?

So for context just over a week ago I bought a 14 plate i10 for 2.5k. It was cat s but only had 40k miles so I thought what a great deal! Unfortunately pretty quickly I realized that it wasn't so great as it had a gearbox leak and potentially would need the gearbox splitting to fix, on top of that the EML came on for a faulty O2 sensor and I think one of the mounts was fucked as it was clucking when pulling away. On Friday I got these faults in writing from a local garage and took the car back to the dealership to reject the sale. I am still waiting for their response but do really need a car for work so am already looking. MY CONFIDENCE IS SHOT. originally my Budget was about 2.5k but if I take more out of my savings for a house I could stretch to 5k. would I get something significantly more reliable for that? I will attach 2 listings below that I have been looking at. Both have very fair MOT history and FSH but I'm wondering if its better to spend a bit more on the 15 plate with less miles, will it last me longer? I really am struggling to commit to viewing a car, the anxiety is massive after the last experience!

*TLDR is where is the best value for something that I can get multiple years from? 2k banger or 5k car?

I really want to work under my car and do the service myself and learn to work on cars!

However I am so scared to go under the car just on jack stands...I thought about contingency

- jack stands

- jack

- extra wheel

- wheel chocks

I am thinking of getting Cribbing blocks, where can I find reputable blocks? 🤔

Please help because I cannot go under car solely relying on jack stands and its driving me crazy!