Motoring
- LifestyleThe Telegraph
The five best £5,000 family SUVs – and the one to avoid
With used car values starting to fall, 2024 is a good time to act for buyers who’ve been waiting for the bubble to burst on affordable, used family cars. Some models that may have previously been out of reach are becoming more attainable – so for as little as £5,000, it’s possible to bag a very useful, reliable, family-friendly SUV.
8-min read - LifestyleThe Telegraph
Ask the Expert: Is low mileage a bad idea in a Fiat 500 Hybrid?
We are looking at replacing my wife’s much loved Fiat 500. It has a straightforward petrol engine but the new versions are hybrids. She drives about 3,000 miles a year, mostly local journeys of 10 miles or less. You recently warned that a manufacturer (not Fiat) advised that their hybrid cars should be run continuously for at least an hour a week to charge the starter battery. Clearly this would not suit my wife’s needs and I am concerned that the battery will flatten and we’ll be unable to star
2-min read - BusinessThe Telegraph
Ask the Expert: Should we reject our perennially faulty Peugeot?
We bought an ex-demonstrator Peugeot e-208 in 2020. Last year, it refused to start and the dealer diagnosed a new on-board charging unit. The part took three months to arrive, but was eventually replaced; however, since then, the car has been back to the dealership twice – first for an air-conditioning compressor, then for a new battery, each time for extended spells while parts arrived. All this has been replaced free of charge after some negotiation, but the car has died once again, the cause
2-min read - BusinessThe Telegraph
How the sun set on convertibles – plus the electric versions you can buy now
A litre of petrol cost 80p, the Ford Focus was Britain’s best-selling car again and, joyously, not one SUV registered in the top 10. Twenty years ago, despite our unpredictable weather, the country was also the convertible capital of Europe, buying twice as many soft-tops as Italy – and 10 times more than in sunny Spain.
6-min read - LifestyleThe Telegraph
Ford Mustang at 60: how the ‘blue collar supercar’ became a classic
“The Beach Boys. Apple pie. The ’67 Mustang. Three things worth fighting for.” So runs an old US Navy recruitment advert, but what is it about the Ford Mustang that so captured American hearts and wallets? And still does.
10-min read - LifestyleThe Telegraph
Ask the Expert: What is causing my Mercedes automatic to slip out of gear?
I have an elderly but lovely Mercedes-Benz E320 diesel estate with 140,000 miles. Recently, on two occasions, the automatic gearbox seemed to have slipped into neutral, not providing any drive. It only lasted a few moments and did not require breakdown recovery. Mechanics at my local garage seem baffled and suggested changing the gearbox oil; the cost could be £400-£500, which seems excessive if it does not solve the problem. Any ideas?
2-min read - BusinessThe Telegraph
UK’s rarest cars: the Austin/Rover Montego at 40
On 25 April 1984, British Leyland unveiled the car that was crucial to its survival as an independent manufacturer. The company intended the Montego saloon to dominate the nation’s office car parks – and today its enthusiasts argue that it deserved far more success than it achieved.
6-min read
