The suspension on your car is made up of several components. If you take your car in for an MOT then many of these components are checked, although they may not actually fail the Mot you will often be advised of wear or damage to suspension parts. Shock absorbers are designed to absorb the impact from the road, so if you find that the car is becoming a little bouncy when driving it may be time to replace them. A simply way to test your shock absorbers is to push down on any corner of the car. If the car continues to bounce then the shocks will probably be on their way out. If it stops dead then they are fine. To replace a pair of shock absorbers can cost...

There are many different makes and models of cars out there that would be perfect as a family car. When looking at family cars you need to consider what is important to you. If you have more than 3 children then you will have to look at getting a seven seater and this does limit your choice somewhat. If you have 2 or 3 children you may be able to get away with a standard 5 seater. If you usually have to carry a lot with you as well as fit the family in then you will require a large boot space, this is also true if you need to transport a dog. If this is the case then you will probably be looking at estate cars. Just because a...

With January fast approaching New Year sales have already started and it’s not only clothes, toys and furniture that are in the sales. Believe it or not, car garages often have big New Year sales too, you can pick up a real bargain if you shop around and be savvy. Some of the best deals are on new cars that are set by the manufactures so you may find similar deals across many dealerships selling the same make of cars. Just because the car is on offer, don’t be mistaken by thinking that you cannot ask for any additional discounts. Often sales people will tell you that the car has already been discounted a lot so therefore they cannot take anything else off but this is not always true and...

A car for the true driving enthusiast, the Toyota GT86 has been meticulously designed with the driving experience in mind. Its 4 cylinder, 197bhp boxer engine and ordinary tyres may seem to set it at a disadvantage against the modern turbo charged beasts on the market today, but it’s all part of the charm. The car is lightweight with a low centre of gravity and the designers have tweaked the suspension to make the most of the rear wheel drive, front engine layout. The feeling then, is more of an old school sports car. You’ll need to work the high revving engine hard to get the best from it but the sublime handling and low weight make it a joy in the corners. It comes well equipped and is reasonably...

If you are thinking of purchasing a used car, then you may already have sussed a few of the tricks they use to get you to purchase a car. Not all second hand car sales people are sly and most will not deliberately deceive you, but they may have received some training on ways to pursued you a little more than the average man or woman on the street. One of the most commonly used lines is delivered when you have decided you like a car but are contemplating as to whether to buy it or not. You may hear the salesperson utter the words, “there are a long list of people waiting to look at this car and I cannot secure it without a deposited off you.” Although this...