Plymouth Evening Herald, The

E-Class Is Set for a High Profile ; Chris Adamson Finds That Even a Big Luxury Car Like the E-Class Can Be Green and Lean

DERIDED as only fit for a Munich taxi, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class may have dropped off many people's radar but not among Mercedes followers who have bought the previous eight generations with some gusto. Even in the UK, the E-Class regularly posts figures good enough to be the brand's second best seller and now it's set to get a higher profile thanks to a crisp new set of panel work and lots of clever safety and green features - for example it's 95 per cent recyclable.

Putting On the Style with Mini ; John Powell Shows Off a Little in a Car Designed to Appeal

THERE'S nothing like cutting a dash while you're driving along. I know a car is really only a utilitarian object for getting us from A to B and shouldn't be seen as anything more than that, but.....for many people their car is much more than that - it's an extension of themselves, of their homes even. So it was that as I was driving the new Mini Convertible - only just out and a pretty impressive motor to be seen in anyway - I couldn't resist the temptation to cut an even bigger dash.

Mot Stations Are Urged to Sign Up

THE Government body responsible for the MoT scheme, the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA), has backed the new Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair, designed to raise the reputation of the motor industry. Alex Fiddes, VOSA chief operating officer, said: "The 19,600 garages authorised to issue MoT certificates have already demonstrated their competence in order to fulfil VOSA's own accreditation process but through subscribing to schemes such as the Motor Industry Code...

Cost of Services Is Coming Down

SOME may continue to charge Pounds 190 an hour, but the price dealers charge to fix your car is falling for the first time as they fight for customers in the credit crunch economy. After years of soaring prices from franchised dealers, the latest Warranty Direct Labour Rates Survey shows that the average rate charged for an hour of a mechanic's time has fallen by 4.8 per cent to Pounds 90.16 an hour in the last 12 months. Over the same period, cheaper independent workshops have recorded a mar...

Less Can Buy More When It Comes to Used Cars

IT'S easy to fall into the trap of believing that the less you pay for a used car, the less you will get - but sometimes, less can buy you more, writes Phil Vaughan. Why is that? If you don't mind buying a car up to ten years old, with average mileage for its age, then you can move away from mainstream volume brands and go upmarket - and get an executive model.

Safety Is the Key for All On the Road ; Dave Moss Examines the Ways the Devon Country Mile Tries to Protect Us All

ONE of Devon's strengths is the rich diversity of people living in the county - and their communities big and small. Devon County Council acknowledges this variety through its "Fairness for All" policy - a vision for equality and understanding, designed to embrace everyone living or working in the region. Similar ideals underpin the Dft-funded Devon Country Mile project, which, since early 2008, has been working to deliver new, innovative ways of improving rural road safety by involving and c...

Seat Responds to Public Demand

ECOMOTIVE variants of the new generation Ibiza are a very recent arrival on the motoring scene, echoing an approach adopted by the VW Bluemotion and Skoda Greenline amongst others, writes Dave Moss. Growing demand has seen numbers of car makers offering particular model variants optimised for lower emissions and best possible fuel economy - though usually at a price premium over the nearest equivalent "ordinary" model.

Sport Is As Handsome As Ever ; Lisa Curtiss Sings the Praises of the Latest Concarnation of the Range Rover

NEW interior, new engines, improved emissions and mpg. The Land Rover's most sporty and sexy of 4x4s just gets better. Launched to the motoring media alongside the Discovery 4, the 2010 model year Range Rover Sport looks poised to increase its popularity as the darling of sportsmen, celebrities, music stars, entrepreneurs and young modern "made its" everywhere. On first sight, it's as handsome as ever. Subtly effective exterior changes freshen the Sport while retaining its substantial, mascul...

Hyundai Knocks Pounds 5,000 Off Its Bargain Coupe

I ABSOLUTELY love a bargain, writes Sue Cooke. Sunday morning usually finds me at a car boot, rummaging through boxes and bargaining with stallholders. You do have to be careful though. I still own the twist on toilet roll holder that I bought for 50p which constantly falls off the wall tiles and the electric light fitting which is only usable in France. Well how was I supposed to know. So when Hyundai dropped off its latest bargain to me for road testing, I was fairly sceptical. A discount o...

Cruiser has Lots of Street Cred

IF you are looking for street credibility in a supermini sized five-door package, then Toyota may just have the car for you, writes Chris Adamson. The appropriately named Urban Cruiser boasts class leading performance from a B Segment hatchback cross-over and that is quite a claim when it is up against some impressive and stylish opposition. I have to admit that I love the chunky panel work of the Urban Cruiser created by its purposeful and sturdy appearance all in a compact and robust packag...

Laguna Coupe Delivers the Fun You Want

I SHOULD have learned long ago that it's never wise to stick your neck out in print but yet again wisdom failed me, writes Maurice Hardy. When I recently reviewed the Volkswagen Scirocco I observed that people who hanker after a car that truly fits the description coupe would find precious few around to fit the bill. But then fate takes a hand. This should be a review of the seven- seat Renault Grand Scenic but the car developed a fault somewhere in its electronic systems and, like most manuf...

Taking the Challenge with Honda ; Tony Lewis Sees How Economically He Can Drive a Real Hybrid

HONDA has challenged motoring journalists to see how economically they can drive its new Insight hybrid. I make no claims to have the lightest of touches when it comes to such matters although I did play my part in a Land's End to John O'Groats economy drive many years ago. The sense of relief when it was over - successfully - and I was able to put my foot down for the return drive to Somerset lives with me to this day. But nor am I one to spurn a challenge so I even plotted a day out during ...

Scrappage Scheme Hits Repairers

ONE of the UK's leading Car Parts suppliers claims garage repair shops are closing down at an unprecedented rate. A survey revealed that 28 per cent of garage owners believed they were unlikely to be able to survive the next two years as a result of the car scrappage scheme. The scheme has resulted in 227,500 cars, some in perfectly good condition, being scrapped. Another 175,000 face a similar destiny over the next six months.

Tyre Checks Vital Warns Safety Charity

DOZENS of lives could be saved and hundreds of accidents avoided in the UK each year for just 20p according to TyreSafe as it launches October's Tyre Safety Month. Throughout the month hundreds of garages across the country will be encouraging motorists to check the depth of their tyre tread by using a 20p coin, to ensure they stay safe and legal.

Good News for Britain's Motor [...]

New Polo Will Be a Breath of Fresh Air

WITH motorists down-sizing and down pricing their cars due to the escalating cost of motoring, the new Volkswagen Polo, which goes on sale on October 16, should be well place to retain sales in the highly competitive supermini sector and steal buyers from the bigger end of the market, writes David Miles. Five-door models, built in South Africa, are the first to arrive and three-door versions, built in Spain, will be here by the end of the year. Five door Polo prices range from Pounds 10,035 u...

College Takes Delivery of Two Trafic Minibuses

PLYMOUTH College pupils will be travelling in style after the college took delivery of two Renault Trafic-based nine-seater minibuses. The school will use the buses to transport pupils to sporting events around the country and to areas like Dartmoor and the coast for after-school activities.