Everyone and his dog is buying a hybrid car. Should you?

The sales figures for hybrid vehicles are going bananas. The June 2022 sales figures for passenger vehicle registrations in the UK were divided up like this: Petrol     44% Diesel    5.7% Battery electric vehicles   16.1% Mild hybrids  28.7% Plug-in hybrids  5.5% Apart from the fact that diesel is now less popular than an infectious disease, what’s… read more

The pros and cons of lowering the motorway speed limit — part two.

In Part One of this post, we looked at the arguments in favour of a lower speed limit on our motorways. This time, we’ll look at some arguments in favour of keeping things as they are, and try to come to some overall conclusions. Let’s jump straight in. Con 1: Slower journeys waste our time… read more

The pros and cons of lowering the motorway speed limit — part one.

Permanent speed reductions have already been applied to sections of UK motorways, and now there are calls to widen that. In this two-part article, we’ll look at some of the pros and cons of lowering the 70mph limit. There’s a section of motorway that we regularly use with 50 mph limit, announced by cameras and… read more

Electric Vehicles — Why All the Hate?

[Image removed]   It’s a stone-cold fact that electric vehicle sales are booming. From China to the USA, Italy to the UK, EVs are seeing record market shares. No serious commentator thinks the trend is slowing, and our favourite manufacturer is throwing all their resources into an electric future. And along with this has come… read more

The rise of the speedgun pensioner

The place: a 30mph road leading through a picturesque village. The time: any time before bedtime (8:30pm). You: in your car, mind elsewhere, your speed climbing to 33, 35, 37 mph. The situation: suddenly, a glimpse of hi-vis jacket intrudes upon your daydream, and you’re staring down the barrel of the Speedgun of Doom. It’s… read more

Who’s Afraid of the Country Road?

So, you’re driving to an unfamiliar destination in the country, cruising at 60 mph along a nice fast A-road. Suddenly, the satnav throws you a curved ball, directing you along an unnamed road that quickly shrinks to a single track. With blind bends. Now even 25mph is pushing it. You’re probably frustrated that the electronic… read more

Cheap and Cheerful: Five of the Best Used Cars in 2022

In the last few months, second-hand car values have been rocketing up. As manufacturers struggle with continued supply problems, droves of buyers have given up on getting a new car and decided to go the second-hand route. In 2021, used-car transactions rose by over 11%, and there’s no sign the trend is slowing. That’s great… read more

The War in Ukraine is Battering an Already-Shaky Car Industry – Part Two

Let’s start with the same caveat we began with in Part One. We’re not trivialising the horrible human tragedy that continues to unfold in Ukraine. Obviously, there are far more important aspects to this conflict than how it affects the car industry. But dealing with that bigger picture isn’t what we’re here for — as… read more

The War in Ukraine is Battering an Already Shaky Car Industry

  In writing this two-part article, we’re not trivialising the unspeakable human tragedy that continues to unfold in the Ukraine. Obviously, there are far more important things than used car prices or the availability of Skoda Enyaqs. It’s just that we’re not equipped to deal with that bigger and more important picture. Writing about cars… read more

Norman, Laura, Harriet, Alan, Sheila — What Type of Driver Are You?

Back in 2016, The Telegraph published a great piece on driver personality types. It’s pretty comprehensive, making use of a survey and a quiz designed by A Proper Scientist. Writer Tim Gibson did a fine job pulling all this together, pointing out that this wasn’t just fun and fluffy. By knowing what driver type you… read more