What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [I'm looking to buy a high mileage diesel car. It only has four service stamps - is this an issue?]( Posted by on 5 March, 2021 I'm looking to buy a 2013 Hyundai i30 diesel manual with zero road tax. This car has about 150,000 miles on the clock. Do you think this is high mileage for this car and - thus - not worth buying? Someone told me that i30 are only good up to 100,000 miles and after that, they deteriorate very quickly. This car has only two previous owners, with four service stamps and I'm buying it for around £2500. Any thoughts? Many thanks. [Read more →]( [Do I get a Mazda MX-5 or wait until 2022 to buy a Toyota GR Yaris?]( Posted by on 5 March, 2021 I have a dilemma: a no-obligation order for a Toyota GR Yaris, but it will be spring next year before it arrives (yes - 2022!), or a 100th anniversary MX-5, immediately available and 10 miles on the clock. Which should I go for? They are very different cars for different purposes. I'm thinking summer fun in the MX-5 and possibly better residuals. Thoughts? [Read more →]( [Which used luxury cars are best?]( Posted by on 5 March, 2021 What are the best used luxury cars for about £14,000? [Read more →]( [What's the best cheap car for towing a caravan?]( Posted by on 5 March, 2021 What's the best sub £4500 car for towing a caravan with special reference to reliability? I've been told 4x4's are the way to go from friends who tow however some people swear by a good RWD estate like a BMW 5 Series. With twin 3-year-olds space is a must however the vehicle must be reliable. I'm not too fussed on economy or refinement within reason as the vehicle will only be used once a week and maybe at the weekend throwing a few bikes in the back. [Read more →]( [What's the best car for an 18-year-old learner driver?]( Posted by on 4 March, 2021 My 18-year-old granddaughter will be getting her first car. She'll have about £5K to spend. Any recommendations, taking into account the expense of insurance and she'll have a Black Box fitted? Thanks. [Read more →]( [My 4-year-old Ford Fiesta has broken coil springs on both sides. Can I ask for a manufacturer contribution?]( Posted by on 4 March, 2021 My 4-year-old, 25,000-mile Ford Fiesta has developed a clunk at the rear. This has turned out to be broken coil springs on both sides. Is it reasonable to ask for a manufacturer contribution to the cost of replacement? [Read more →]( [I do 15,000 miles a year and have £20k to spend. What car do you suggest I buy?]( Posted by on 4 March, 2021 I'm currently driving a Volkswagen Golf convertible but its time to change after a very close near miss on the motorway. I do a lot of motorway driving and some city/country driving, averaging 15,000 miles a year. My must-haves are parking sensors and good acceleration. I have a budget of about £20k to spend and quite happy with a secondhand car rather than a new reg. Not sure about crossover or something else. Any advice would be massively appreciated! Many thanks. [Read more →]( [I bought a stolen car based on an inaccurate history check. Is the company I checked with liable?]( Posted by on 4 March, 2021 I bought a car that turned out to be stolen. I did a full history check on it - which gave me a £30,000 guarantee for any clones as it came out clear. On the website, there's a £30,000 Terms & Conditions page, on which there's no mention of buying the car with cash or exclusion clauses by doing so. As I couldn't pay by cheque due to the 3 and 5 days for this to clear, I decided to pay cash as I needed to ensure I actually got the car. The insurance company now want £20k for the car even though I paid £17k and the history check company is refusing to honour their agreement to pay me back the money even though they talk about it all over their website. My solicitor says that they haven't been transparent about this and therefore it's an unfair term. I would never have bought the car without their assurances and yet their 'accurate' data was incorrect. When you do eventually find the exclusion clause buried away at the end of their T&Cs it makes no sense and only says it recommends using the banking system such as cheque or BD, even though it does mention not paying with cash. I've appealed 2 times and contacted their senior management and MD who have rejected my claim. I have now gone to the Motor Ombudsman, Trading Standards and CMA. What do you think? [Read more →]( [Is the Lexus NX a good choice?]( Posted by on 3 March, 2021 I've been happy with our Ford C-MAX, which is easy to access and reliable. With maybe £30,000 plus the trade-in on the C-max, which car would you recommend? I do about 8000 miles a year, the bulk of it in short journeys. The Lexus NX looks tempting but is there a better option for an oldie like me as it is probably going to be my last car? [Read more →]( [I bought a new car remotely and it was driven erratically on the way to my house. Where do I stand?]( Posted by on 3 March, 2021 I completed the purchase of a new Toyota RAV4 solely by telephone calls. The Toyota Dealer is based in Liverpool and I live in Essex. I made an extra payment for the vehicle to be transported to my home address, direct from the dealer. Imagine my complete surprise to find my vehicle had been driven an extra 20 miles from the dealership to I presume the delivery driver's home address at erratic speeds (71mph+), harsh braking and using fuel. Not once did the dealer state the car would be driven. Where do I stand with this? Many thanks and kind regards. [Read more →]( [What small crossovers do you recommend?]( Posted by on 3 March, 2021 I'm looking for a new car - my absolute must-haves are a high driving position and rear sensors. I have about £20k to spend on a car and was thinking Nissan Juke or VW T-Cross. [Read more →]( [Given the different between claimed MPG and real MPG, are hybrids worth buying?]( Posted by on 2 March, 2021 Which has just revealed their latest test results of real-time driving/ MPG on hybrids. Given that there's a notable disparity with claimed MPG on most vehicles, are hybrids worth buying given the cost to swap? Why are manufacturers allowed to do this? [Read more →]( [Do I need to remove window tints from my PCP car before I return it?]( Posted by on 1 March, 2021 I had the windows tinted on my PCP car, which is due back this year. Will the tints needs to be removed before returning the car to the dealer? [Read more →]( [Will driving at high speeds (155mph) lead to expensive repair bills in the long run?]( Posted by on 1 March, 2021 Hello, my husband and I drive to Austria 2-3 times a year. In Germany, where permitted, my husband drives at 155mph. He claims the car, a BMW 440i, has been designed to do this all day long. I think the car will be damaged and lead to expensive repair bills. I would love to be wrong and would welcome your expert advice. [Read more →]( [Can you recommend a car for a growing family in London?]( Posted by on 1 March, 2021 We're trying to decide on potential used cars, budget is up to £7000 (cash), for 2 adults and, at present one infant (may well be 2 within 12 months!) plus a cocker spaniel. We live in fairly central London, too. I guess petrol is the right fuel, manual transmission preferable. Space for dog and baby/infant stuff is obviously important. We don't do many long (i.e. 100-mile) journeys but once lockdown ends there may be occasional holidays across the UK. We've wondered about Skoda Fabia, Seat Leon, Ford B-Max, Fiesta, Focus. Any comments are helpful! Thanks. [Read more →]( You received this email because you signed up to our mailing list. If you’re not interested in receiving our newsletter any more, you can: [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( Honestjohn.co.uk 5 New Street Square London United Kingdom EC4A 3TW