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Hi Larry,

It depends on whether the car in question has an automatic gearbox or a manual. The current 4x4 RAV4 powered by the 2.2-litre diesel engine has a maximum (braked trailer) capacity of 2,000kg with a manual gearbox, or 2,240kg with an automatic.

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Hi there,

Well, the 207 CC was certainly better-built than the 206 CC that preceded it, but you have to buy carefully - they're pretty heavy cars, so suspension and steering problems are common, as is high tyre wear. Electrical faults need to be watched out for too, and the roof mechanism is a constant source of angst - although you can manually wind it up or down with a wheelbrace if it gets stuck half-way, which is a common issue. 

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Hi Paul,

We’ve been on to Opel Ireland about this and they suggest that the best thing to do is to visit your local dealer who will be able to troubleshoot the problem for you.

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Hi Ruairi,

With that kind of mileage you would probably be fractionally better off with a petrol, but the thing is that you're unlikely to find one - petrol sales collapsed in the wake of the 2008 change in the car tax regime, so it's very likely that all you'll find out there are diesels. 

Which is no harm - the 308 was always nicer to drive with the 1.6 diesel than with a petrol (unless you can track down a vanishingly rare 150hp 1.6-litre petrol turbo). You just need to watch for a few key items. Make sure the diesel particulate filter has been kept clean, and make sure you give the car at least one good long drive at motorway speeds every week to keep it that way. Check that the cooling system is working properly and that the (plastic) water pump is in good nick. Check the gearbox too - the five-speed manual can sometimes get jammed in neutral.

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Hi Caroline,

The manual version of the CLA 180 Urban returns 51mpg (5.5 litres/100km) on the combined cycle. Our data seems to suggest that the DCT automatic model is the same.

In case you weren't aware, official 'combined cycle' figures are to be taken with a pinch of salt for most cars. This one would do well to top 40mpg by most drivers we reckon.

Further reading:

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake review

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Hi Ann,

There should be a small button to the left of the clock display. Press that until the time display starts to flash and then adjust the time with the similar button on the right. If you hit any snags, refer to the good old owner's manual.

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Hi Elizabeth,

Ok, there's a simple answer and a not-so-simple answer. The simple answer is that the Fiesta is more economical. Going by the official figures, you'll get 78mpg on the combined cycle from the Fiesta (and that's for a model without the stop-start system fitted) and 57mpg from the Audi (that's the 125hp engine with a manual gearbox and 16-inch wheels).

Now, the not-so-simple bit. It depends on how and where you drive. If you drive mostly short journeys and mostly in town, then the diesel is not going to give its best, and that 78mpg figure is pure fiction anyway. I'd say in daily driving you'll probably get closer to 55mpg. The Audi, if driven with a bit of care and attention, should easily get 40mpg, even around town. So there's a gap, but it's not so big as you'd think.

The reverse is true if you're doing lots of long journeys at a steady motorway cruise. The Fiesta would come into its own and you''d probably squeeze 60mpg, maybe 65mpg from it. The Audi probably wouldn't get much above 45mpg, maybe a bit less, doing such journeys.

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Hi Pat,

As luck would have it I have the latest version of the Subaru Forester on test this very week. It's powered by the 148hp 'boxer' diesel engine, which also has 350Nm of torque. Paired with the 'Lineartronic' automatic transmission it's surprisingly responsive. That's a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and it seems to do a great job of keeping the engine at its optimum operating speeds for a variety of situations. We've not fans of these gearboxes when fitted to petrol engines, but they work well allied to diesel and in the Forester it's a good match.

Officially this Forester 2.0D XC Lineartronic does 0-100km/h in 9.6 seconds, but even at motorway speeds it has plenty of go and it happily cruises above 120km/h.

In terms of comfort, the Forester scores well too. The suspension is quite soft and absorbent so bumps are dispatched with ease and it's relatively quiet on the motorway. The upright seating position is comfortable too.

Shame you don't need the back seats, as they're massively spacious.

Further reading:

Subaru Forester review (2013 manual model)

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Hi Michael,

No, this is not an NCT fail, as the rear wipers are not covered by the test manual.

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Hi Sean,

100k? Nope, it's a Yaris - that's barely run-in, especially if it has a full service history. Prices seem to run from as low as €6,500 to as much as €9,000 for an 09 Yaris, so with that kind of mileage I reckon you should be spending about €7,500-ish.