Land Rover has confirmed that the new Defender will have a starring role in the next James Bond film. The latest instalment in the iconic secret agent series, No Time to Die, will be released in the UK on April 3 2020, and will feature the reborn off-roader taking part in a traditional car chase sequence. The exact nature of the Defender’s role is yet to be confirmed, but Land Rover claims the production’s stunt team have driven it in “the most extreme off-road conditions, demonstrating its unstoppable nature”. A video clip released by the firm shows a group of Defenders being driven at speed on challenging off-road terrain and jumping high into the air, with one clip showing the car seemingly rolling onto its side. The Defender selected for the film is the mid-sized 110 variant, which will arrive in UK dealerships ahead of the shorter 90 and longer 130. It has been specified in range-topping X trim, and equipped with optional equipment including darkened skid plans, 20in black alloy wheels and heavy-duty off-road tyres. Speculation that the Defender could appear in No Time to Die was fuelled by spy shots of the model on set in August, a month before it was officially unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show. The SUV will appear alongside Aston Martin’s upcoming Valhalla hypercar, which was confirmed as the hero car in June. The mid-engined hybrid is the latest in a long line of Aston models to feature in Bond films, following past appearances from the firm’s DB5, DBS, Vanquish, V8 Vantage and one-off DB10 models. Land Rover has also confirmed that its Range Rover Sport SVR will appear in the new film, alongside a selection of historic models including the Series III and Range Rover
Origin: New Land Rover Defender to star in 25th James Bond film
James
James Ruppert: 4×4 Japanese hybrids are niche but they work
When it comes to what is and isn’t dependable, I do rely on you, dear reader, for feedback about your experiences out in the real world. I rather liked the Volkswagen Lupo and have driven loads, but apparently the gearboxes used to fail quite often under warranty. As the little thing is quite obsolete now, I presume the ones in circulation are okay. Anyway, I got a thumbs up from Gordon, a reader, when it comes to Toyota hybrids. He steers a 12-year-old Prius with almost 100,000 miles. There is nothing wrong with those. The trouble seems to be the state of the roads in the UK. So mechanically no issues, but structurally it is suspension parts that need to be replaced. By that level of reasoning, the perfect used vehicle is going to be a Japanese hybrid 4×4. Let’s buy one. I almost did. I looked in the metal at a whole bunch of Lexus RX 400h hybrids. They look a bit odd. I thought a reversing camera would be fun, but then I saw an RX with a £2000 bill for electronic repairs and went off the idea. The RX will do a solid six-figure mileage and there are plenty around with reassuring bills for cambelt replacement. So a 2005 one with full service history and in tidy condition will be around £3500. For a comfortable car with lots of kit, that should be worth buying. A 2008 SE model with a fraction of the miles and just as together would be £8995. Lexus owner Toyota also makes the RAV4 hybrid, of course, and a 2016 one with 70,000 miles and in Business Edition specification is around £15,995. Then there is a partly electric SUV in the shape of the Porsche Cayenne. Okay, it’s not Japanese but it’s very well engineered and a 2010 3.0 V6 Tiptronic S hybrid will cost £18,995 with 70,000-plus miles. It will do a reasonable 34mpg, officially anyway. Then if you go plug-in hybrid, there are other exciting possibilities. It brings into view Mitsubishi Outlanders, which, with gigantic mileages, are rather cheap. With £10,000 to spend, you should be able to get a private example with history from 2015 with just over 100,000 miles. If you want the reassurance of a dealer, then you will pay closer to £11,000. Owners seem to like these and there aren’t any issues. It simply gets on with the business of working in a very unflashy way. Here is a brand that just stands for doing off-road stuff and there is that small matter of 140mpg. Sort of. This could well be the best used car ever, based on our latest buying parameters. Until we all go and make up some more. What we almost bought this week It’s hard to think of a better and more reliable winter hack than an old Toyota Yaris. We found a 1999/T-reg with 115,000 miles and a year’s MOT for £550. The three-owner car has never missed a service, too, as the 20 stamps in the book testify. Twelve months’ motoring for the price of a month’s PCP. Tales from Ruppert’s garage You may not remember that the adorable Italian car would spontaneously wee out some coolant after a run. Rather worryingly, it sounded like a kettle. All I did was top up the coolant to the lowest level in the expansion tank. I stopped doing that and – you know what? – it packed up spilling coolant. I do worry that there isn’t enough in the system, but the temperature stays normal, which is 90 on the gauge. I should attend to a bit of ‘dieseling’. It isn’t the new spark plugs and it could be all sorts of tired A-Series engine issues. Reader’s ride Al Horsman pops onto these pages occasionally and here is his revived Puma: “It was a real find, but the paintwork on it was a bit tired looking. I’ve finally got round to bringing it back to its former glory. I think you’ll agree it was worth the effort and a little expense! “The roof had deteriorated the most – it was parked under a tree – and the rest of the car was detailed to match the roof as best as possible. I had the headlights refurbished, too. They’re much clearer now and safer for the coming dark evenings. Also, given the 1.7 engine is really quite a modern powerplant, I tried using Shell super-unleaded, particularly before a long journey, and that has really made the car quieter on motorways. (I think the engine needed a proper clean out.) That’s welcome because the car is really too highly geared for motorway driving.” Readers’ questions Question: I think I’ve just been ‘zapped’ by a policeman with a speed gun when I was driving at 33mph in a 30mph zone. Will he let it pass because of the 10% rule? Josh Brown, via email Answer: What 10% rule? It’s true that police chiefs suggest that a 10% allowance above the speed limit for speedo error is okay but it’s only a suggestion and not a rule, much less a law. You’re at the mercy of the traffic officer, I’m afraid. John Evans Question: Now it’s autumn and getting colder and wetter, what’s the point of a car’s air conditioning system and can I just leave it switched off? David Wright, Belfast Answer: An air-con system works by passing the air in your car’s cabin over cold
Origin: James Ruppert: 4×4 Japanese hybrids are niche but they work
James Bond to drive 4 different Aston Martins in new film
The upcoming No Time to Die is historic in that it marks the 25th James Bond film in the franchise. To mark the special occasion, no fewer than four Aston Martin vehicles will be used in the movie, the automaker announced on James Bond Day, October 5.Aston Martin has been synonymous with the film series ever since a DB5 was used as Bonds primary mode of transportation in Goldfinger, and, following a short stint or two where the spy piloted Lotus and BMW vehicles, has cemented itself as the brand of choice for the worlds suavest secret agent.The lineup breaks down like this: First, we have the one and only DB5. A staple of James Bond history, it needs no introduction, and neither does 007.As another nod to the past, No Time will feature a V8 Vantage like the one Timothy Dalton used in the 80s-era films.Past, present and future.To mark the 25th Bond film, #NoTimeToDie, four of our cars will be featured in the film.From the classic DB5 and V8 Vantage, to the new DBS Superleggera and Aston Martin Valhalla, there is something for every Bond fan.#JamesBondDay@007 pic.twitter.com/cmKvswriHo Aston Martin (@astonmartin) October 5, 2019A surprise addition to the film is the DBS Superleggera its role on-screen was announced October 5. (Wed already known about the other star cars.) Totally befitting of Bond, the gorgeous GT car is powered by a twin-turbo V-12, and has all the amenities of a comfy grand tourer.Finally there’s the Valhalla. Were not sure how Bond is going to get himself into a situation that requires a low-slung supercar, but as per our interview with CEO Andy Palmer, we understand the vehicle will also have a few tricks up its sleeve, as per 007 traditions. (That means gadgets!)How do you like the first images of a new @astonmartin Vantage Roadster, in engineering pre-production form, ahead of its launch in the coming months? pic.twitter.com/5Ccm6STvbQ Dr. Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) October 7, 2019On top of the smorgasbord of Astons that Bond will drive, the brand itself revealed yet another car October 7, albeit one based off one of its already popular models. The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster will be revealed soon, Palmer tweeted out, with images of a prototype stylish drop-top that will surely blow your hair
Origin: James Bond to drive 4 different Aston Martins in new film
James Ruppert: Get pumped up for a mid-noughties diesel
I am always relieved to discover that it isn’t just me who reckons motor cars, for some of us anyway, are a bit too complicated for their own good. If your requirements are fairly modest and you want to spend money on a mortgage or food, then constantly upgrading to the latest model is not the best policy. Steve is like me and wasn’t at all sure what he should do with his lovely 2003 Audi A4 in Ming Blue with 160,000 miles when he had the offer of a friend’s 2008 Jaguar X-Type Tourer with 50,000 miles, a full service history and new clutch. Both cars are diesels. The issue was that Steve’s A4 has sickly air-con and fixing it is way more than the car is worth. But that is not necessarily the point. If a car is doing a job, then it’s often worth sticking with it. There is 160,000 on the clock of Steve’s A4, though, so maybe some bits are wearing out. More to the point, the X-Type he has been offered is in superb condition. So I told him he’s better off spending a bit more and going for the Jag. Anyway, let’s stick with this, as that era of diesels did not deserve to die and, more lately, be drowned in AdBlue. Steve, like many others, needs a car that can cope with lots of short city work and doesn’t have a silly diesel particulate filter (DPF). If you wanted a town runabout with 50mpg-plus potential and a very groovy on-trend boxy style that doesn’t cost £26,000 like one of those new-fangled Honda Es, what about a Lupo? These teeny Volkswagens came with a 1.4 engine and Pump Diesel technology. A 2002 one in tidy condition and with the Sport moniker starts at £595. More ambitious sellers try and get a more substantial £1500. It is tiny, though. Fun, but tiny. I’d be inclined to go for a VW Passat, but then again, what could be more exciting than an Alfa Romeo badge? So why not go for a pretty 156 JTD? The Sportwagon is not the biggest estate car in the world, so just regard it as a largish hatch. I came across a 2002 example with a solid 160,000 miles and lots of recent work, such as clutch and cambelt, for £1200. Then again, a Peugeot 406 is another wonderful blast from the past. A 2.0 HDi estate makes all sorts of sense and I found a 65,000-mile 2002 example. It was on offer for £1800. That was with a dealer. Provided you don’t want to go inside Ultra Low Emission Zones, there are still excellent reasons for looking back into the early 2000s for one of those rather excellent old-school diesels. Steve did. What we almost bought this week Dodge Ram 3500 5.7: Memories of a second-generation Ram 8.0 V10 sampled in 1998 are still vivid, but until one falls into our hands again, this more modest third-gen 5.7 double-cab of 2004 will do. It has done only 59,000 miles and the seller, a Dodge specialist, says it’s rust-free with an immaculate interior. He wants £8000 for it. Tales from Ruppert’s garage We got a letter in the post from Porsche. I believe it is recall number R/2019/204 and there are 11,745 vehicles affected by it. This recall was issued on 29 July 2019. Basically, it is all about the automatic gearbox because the selector lever cable plastic sleeve may break. The remedy is to replace it. All we have to do is book it in with our local dealer, who isn’t very local at all. So we are trying free up some time to do this. It takes around an hour and I am not sure if there is much to do there apart from test drive a Taycan. Reader’s ride Audi A4: Well, this is nice. Here’s Steve’s lovely A4 (see above) and he doesn’t like the direction modern diesel engines have been going in: “The world has gone backwards and produced an engine with little or no low-end torque and lots of DPF problems. “That’s why I bought a 2003 A4 PD TDI 1.9. The PD engine has solenoid-operated injectors running in oil. Even the cables run in oil. I also like the north-south layout of engine/transmission, which allows equal-length driveshafts and superb weight distribution.” Readers’ questions Question: My 2007-reg Focus ST has lost power. It’s making no unusual mechanical noises, but I’m sure I can hear it whistling. I’m worried it’ll cost a bomb to fix. James Davies, Exeter Answer: Don’t despair. It sounds like the oil diaphragm has failed, a common problem on early, second-generation STs. You can check by removing the dipstick. If the whistling stops, it’s the diaphragm. The good news is that you can fix it yourself since it’s fairly accessible. (You can see it below the top of the engine on the left-hand side. It’s covered by a round plastic cap.) Detach and move aside the airbox and trunking to access it. Pop off the cap and remove the diaphragm. A new one is £20. John Evans Question: Are RDE2 diesels on sale now or must buyers still pay more road tax and company car tax while car makers recover from the dash to WLTP? Steve Lynch, Burgess Hill Answer: Although this new, tougher version of the Real Driving Emissions test, which will run alongside WLTP, doesn’t come into
Origin: James Ruppert: Get pumped up for a mid-noughties diesel
The best and worst James Bond car gadgets of all time
A woman poses with Wet Nellie from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me at the press preview for the exhibition Bond in Motion at the London Film Museum in central London on March 18, 2014.Leon Neal / Getty Images Roger Moore or Sean Connery? Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan? The Aston Martin Vanquish or the Lotus Esprit? There are many great debates to be had about all sorts of details within the James Bond film franchise. We’ve already sussed out and listed the best cars driven by Bond’s various nemeses over the years, but today we’re taking a look at the extra hardware in and on the cars assigned to Agent 007. The purpose of Bond’s automotive gadgets is to save him from peril while he’s on the road, yes, but also to entertain movie-goers. Sometimes producers, along with Q and the brains in his division, nail it on both fronts, providing unnecessarily complex and unrealistic yet totally awesome features like amphibious capabilities or hub-mounted laser beams for 007’s various cars.And other times their contraptions and add-ons miss the mark and prove either too ridiculous or not ridiculous enough.Here are a few of our most and least favourite Bond car modifications. Let us know your top and bottom picks in the comments below. Best: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante with Laser BeamsThe Aston Martin DB5 that debuted in Goldfinger (1964) and went on to be featured in a bunch of other films might be the most recognizable of Bond’s rides, with a host of now-de-rigeur features including machine guns, a bullet screen and the classic hub-mounted tire shredders. But it’s the innovation of the wheel-centric technology featured in the Vantage Volante in The Living Daylights, along with Timothy Dalton’s epic one-liner delivery, that sells it as one of the best inventions ever. Lasers, baby!When Bond activates the hub-mounted lasers to sever the pursuing authorities’ car’s cabin from its chassis, he wryly blames it on salt corrosion. Worst: 1980 Lotus Turbo Esprit with Self-destruct SequenceThe first of two 1980 Lotus Turbo Esprits that 007 drives in For Your Eyes Only (1981) was only given one modification by the Q Division. An anti-theft self-destruct device was installed consisting of a bunch of C4 strapped to the sides of the car. Sure, that anonymous henchman didn’t get to steal the ¾-full pack of gum, spare change and sensitive government data from the centre console (or go home to his wife and six young children) but what if one of the gas lines leaked and caused a fire, or there was a collision at a three-way stop while Bond was in the car? They really didn’t think this one through. Best: Aston Martin Vanquish with Ejector SeatPierce Brosnan’s Bond demonstrated how some double-oh-add-ons can be used in more ways than one when he hit the ‘Ejector Seat’ button to pirouette his upside-down Aston Martin Vanquish around a missile and back onto its wheels during the ice chase scene in Die Another Day (2002). And somehow, not a hair out of place. Pierce, you are a magnificent creature. Worst: Aston Martin DB10 with Rear-facing FlamethrowerLook, I understand that an any-which-way-facing flamethrower is inherently kick-ass, but this simply would not be effective as a means of defence. As a means of getting that A-hole off your tailgate, sure – and that’s essentially what Daniel Craig’s Bond did in the 2015 film Spectre – but otherwise pursuers with any sort of stop-start traffic driving skill or even just active cruise control could just hang back behind the hottest point of the flame and roast weenies. Best: 1976 Lotus Esprit with Submarine Function (‘Wet Nellie’) A woman poses with “Wet Nellie” from the James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me” at the press preview for the exhibition “Bond in Motion” at the London Film Museum in central London on March 18, 2014. Leon Neal / Getty Images The Lotus Esprit got a decent boost early on in its reign, which lasted from 1976 to 2004, thanks to one of the coolest Bond cars of all time, an amphibious automobile dubbed Wet Nellie. In The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Roger Moore’s Bond drives the seemingly normal white coupe off the end of a dock, revealing its full potential underwater by blowing up a helicopter with some subsurface-to-air missiles and floating around with Barbara Bach in the passenger seat. In reality, it was an ex-U.S.-Navy-SEAL operating a submarine wearing the body shell of an Esprit S1 underwater. Today, the submarine Wet Nellie from the film is owned by Elon Musk, who claims to have plans to convert it to a functioning amphibious submersible vehicle.Worst: Aston Martin DBS V12 with DefibrillatorThe producers of the 2006 movie Casino Royale must have been feeling extra playful when they chose the gadgets for the Aston Martin DBS V12: a Walther PPK (basically a keychain for Bond) and a field medical kit including a defibrillator.Points for practicality, but not creativity. But as luck would have it, that’s exactly what the spy would need to keep his
Origin: The best and worst James Bond car gadgets of all time
James Ruppert: Enjoy owning your car while you can
I have become controversial. Again. As a journalist, even a motoring one, you have to be judged not just on what you write but also by who you upset. Currently, I’m poking environmentalists with a gearstick and standing up for private transportation in the wake of the Science and Technology Committee in parliament suggesting private car ownership has a ‘best before’ date. What this means is: hurry now while stocks of interesting cars exist for you to enjoy. Don’t drive something boring when the used car market offers so much for so little money. Let’s start with a car you definitely should not buy under any circumstances: a Mazda RX-8. Except they are pretty and quirky and we will never see their like again. Or their fuel and oil consumption. So get a functioning one and enjoy it for as long as you possibly can. They can be bought for buttons and I did see a 2004 RX-8 with a fresh engine at £2800. It’s probably better to buy a really late-model 2010 one that seems to have been looked after and is showing 40,000 miles. At £5999, the price seemed reasonable to me. The utter frivolity of motor cars is no better demonstrated than the existence of the convertible. Now combine that with some sort of off-road ability. Just imagine how that would annoy those people who loathe cars, let alone 4x4s. Drive forward the Land Rover Freelander Softback. As the all-new Defender takes centre stage, the old-school Freelander remains the most affordable interpretation. So let’s make it worse by going for a diesel. A 1999 2.0 Di doesn’t sound good but, in the real world, makes all sorts of sense and the mileage is a reasonable 120k. It comes with full leather, decent tyres and just the three previous owners. All that wonderfulness for £995. Then again, the whole point of a drop-top is to have huge fun. Obviously, you should get a 1997 Caterham Seven 1.6 K-Series Supersport for something in the region of £14k. If you can’t stretch to that, go for a Tiger kit car for £5k. If, like me, you really do want to trigger those who despise any sort of automotive excess, then get yourself an S-Class. It is the very finest vehicle that Mercedes has ever made. It is complicated in all the right aspects and topped off with apocalypse-surviving quality, which will come in handy if the climate doomsters have a point. Anyway, a 1998 example would be the last of the incredible breed and I found a privately owned one with a modest 110,000 miles at £5995, which is so very tempting. See you at the end of the world. How controversial is that? What we almost bought this week Volkswagen Bora 2.0 SE: It’s not the most exciting car on the planet but a Bora is at least as solid as a rock, and if you’re buying a sub-£1000 car, that’s important. We found a one-owner 2004-reg 2.0 SE with full service history for £970. Described as being in excellent condition, it has done 92,000 miles but you can be sure it won’t feel like it. Tales from Ruppert’s garage BMW 320, mileage – 83,585: Oh dear. This isn’t good. I got the Baby Shark back from my local garage and used it for a week. Then I left it for a few days and it basically died. I turned it over and over and even applied the magic 40-year-old can of Quick Start and nothing happened. Fuel does not seem to be getting to the carb at all. I haven’t paid my local garage yet and it’ll be going back there. They’ll have to come and get it as there’s no way it’s going to start. Reader’s ride Three-car Toyota garage: Guy Maylam will be mobile this winter. He tells us about these beauties: “The Toyota Hilux is a 1995, with just 75,000 miles, and purchased quite recently for £1100. Not mint, but pretty much rust-free, well serviced and a double-cab, so you can even carry people! “The 1993 Toyota 4Runner is not a Surf. This is an original UK car with the smooth 3.0 V6 petrol. It has done just over 100,000 miles. I purchased it a couple of years ago for £850. It hasn’t given any trouble so far. “The 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser is the unbeatable VX 4.2 turbo diesel automatic, which I have owned for 19 years. It just turned 100,000 miles yesterday. I paid £10,900 for it back in 2000. Due to the classic market, it now seems to be worth what I paid for it again!” Readers’ questions Question: The PCP is ending on my three-year-old 82,000-mile Honda CR-V and I’m facing a £3000 mileage penalty. Should I pay it and hand the car back, pay the £16,500 MGFV and buy it or part-exchange it for a CR-V of the same age with 37,000 miles that costs £16,500? Patrick Butler, via email Answer: You face the perfect storm of a high MGFV (minimum guaranteed future value) with a mileage penalty. The CR-V isn’t worth enough to make buying it and then selling it for a profit an option and the one the dealer is offering you will just add to your costs. You could buy your old car for £16,500 and regard it as owing you £13,500 if you write off the £3000 penalty, but it’s still expensive. Why not pay the £3000
Origin: James Ruppert: Enjoy owning your car while you can
James Ruppert: the surprisingly cheap world of online dealers
Got a fairly daft press release the other day going on about ‘decidophobia’. Apparently, we Brits struggle with information overload when buying a used car. At that point, I’d have usually binned it, since the basis of the quoted stats will be a small survey. Good job I kept reading, though, because I found out that the company that carried out the survey is owned by Volkswagen and Daimler. They should have told me that a lot earlier rather than making up a phobia. They should also have mentioned they use selected dealers who supply cars that are less than eight years old and under 100,000 miles. So let’s go and do a virtual check of their stock. Being me, I searched for cheapness first and came up with a bunch of city centre assault vehicles. First off, there was a Ford Ka 1.2 Studio from 2012. It had 83,000 miles and cost just £2200, which is pretty good from a dealer group, in this case a Nissan outlet. They usually don’t stock affordables because they can be a pain to warranty. Similar models included a 2012 Citroën C1 1.0 VTR three-door at the same outlet with 70,000 miles and on offer at £2500. Otherwise, a badge-engineered Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban with 77,000 miles and a couple of extra doors at £2400 at a car supermarket offered something more practical. You can compare and contrast, as most clever websites allow you to do these days. Plus you can get posh barges like Bentleys. Without searching too hard, I found a 2013 Bentley Flying Spur with 35,000 miles from Bentley’s own Specialist Car Division, priced at £53,950. If a Spur makes you feel like a chauffeur, then a Continental GT – in this case, a 2012 car in Mulliner Driving spec – came in at £57,950. Or £69,000 would get you the same model and spec but this time as a roof-free GTC. Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes come the everyday family cars. A Vauxhall Astra 1.4i Exclusiv from 2012 with 74,000 miles is a reasonable £3500. So what we have here is another way of choosing your next used car. You may well end up at the same place as you would have anyway, but it is true the reassurance is very nice. That is what buying from a dealer should be. There are 1400 dealers in this arrangement so there is plenty of choice. A couple of big manufacturers are involved so clearly there is money to be made from us. Should I use such a service, or some other used car search? I just can’t decide what to do. What we almost bought this week Perodua Myvi 1.3: When it was launched in 2006, Malaysia’s version of the Daihatsu Sirion cost just £6799 after a £1000 dealer cashback. Today, those same folk who bought into the tough little hatch should be congratulating themselves since, as we found, a 2010-reg example with 83,000 miles and full service history still commands a price of £1690. Tales from Ruppert’s garage Just checking in with the Lorry, which is doing sterling work, shifting all sorts of stuff. Indeed, not pictured is a load bay stuffed to the roof with all sorts of metal- and paper-based nonsense. I also took the time to do a check and saw that, after a long time of being normal, the oil level had dropped a bit. I don’t think it is a problem – just might be a week or two longer since I checked. I use the mineral stuff that Halfords does, although I am sure someone else supplies something that is just as good. But I can’t be bothered to find it. Reader’s ride Here’s the second instalment of Nick Williams’s love-in with used Hondas. “My Accord is still going strong. I’ve had it for five years now. It has done 90,000 miles and is extremely reliable. Expenditure – apart from insurance, car tax, fuel, servicing and MOT – has been a set of Michelin Primacy 3 tyres three years ago and brake pads and discs on the front. “Even though it has a 200bhp 2.4-litre, I get very reasonable mpg. I think it will be our main car for years yet. And it’s not costing me a £300-per-month PCP!” Readers’ questions Question: I paid a deposit on a car but have changed my mind about buying it. Can I get my money back? The car was a nearly new MX-5, so the dealer will have little trouble reselling it. Gary Kingman, Basingstoke Answer: Whether the dealer does or does not have trouble selling it is irrelevant. In paying the deposit, you formed a legally binding contract to buy the car and your deposit is non-refundable. Circumstances when you could get your money back include if the dealer broke their side of their agreement, there’s a cooling-off period in the contract or you bought the car away from the dealer’s premises. John Evans Question: I can’t decide between a 2016 Subaru BRZ SE Nav with 22,000 miles for £14,290 and a 2015 Toyota GT86 D-4S with 24,000 miles for £15,500. Both have full history. Can you help, please? Paul Hudson, via email Answer: The Subaru is younger and £1000 cheaper but still you’re undecided between it and the older, more expensive Toyota? It can only be an image thing because both are
Origin: James Ruppert: the surprisingly cheap world of online dealers
James Ruppert: Two fuels are better than one
I know this sounds pretty obvious, but apparently UK drivers now consider what actually moves their purchase – the powertrain, to anoraks – to be the most important factor during the purchasing process, according to automotive video and retail company CitNOW. Once upon a time, there was just one option, petrol, and it would only be diesel if you drove a lorry or a taxi. But these days, there are all sorts of exciting options and 43% of motorists now view the choice between petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles as the most important factor. So despite what our road testers might tell you, it’s what goes in the tank that is important. But the thing is there are overlooked sources of motive power. Liquid petroleum gas: I’m a fan. Not enough of a fan to buy one. My biggest problem is always who actually did the installation, which is not a simple thing to get right. Mind you, dual-fuel manufacturer conversions were a thing a decade or so ago. Let’s start with an easy one, a Ford Focus 1.8 FFV Style from 2010. It is £2999, but the hassle of finding any E85 ethanol fuel should put you off. Never mind, because Volvo also did the dual-fuel thing. But with gas. The 70-series Volvos are around by the handful and seem like the no-brainer buys, but you need to read the descriptions carefully, study the documentation and ask serious questions. I did pass on a 2005 V50, which didn’t seem to have a fully functioning gas system, but it was still £1500. However, a 2003 V70 with over 200k miles and recent tyres and some brake work at £750 seemed like value. A 2003 XC70 with added all-wheel drive was a lot more of an estate and another 200k on the ledger was a strong £2600 but I’d like to think that would be money well spent. And finally, a 2001 C70 2.4T, which may not have been an official dual-fuel but at £750 seemed to be worth the risk as it did look jolly tidy. Searching for LPGs throws up not only thirsty classics, but also rather a lot of Bentleys, in particular a Continental or two – the ‘affordable’ Bentley with more friendly running costs. One such was a 2011 example with just over 50k miles and it was the facelifted model, too. All for £46k and half-price fuel. That was a coupé, but most seem to be convertibles from around £54k and above. There are alternative and less polluting fuels that don’t cost a fortune and rely on you stopping every 150 miles for a couple of hours. The future, certainly for canny used car buyers, is still some way off… What we almost bought this week Citroen AX 1.0 RE But for a repainted front wing, this 1989/F-reg AX looks to be in remarkably good condition. It has done only 53,000 miles and its second (previous) keeper bought it in 1994 so knows most of them. Light, fun to drive and cheap to run, the AX was popular with penny pinchers and young drivers alike. And now it’s a classic. Tales from Ruppert’s garage The Baby Shark is back. It has been away for a couple of months and I am not quite sure what has been done to it. That’s because I haven’t paid for it. My garage are like that: “Make sure that it starts and runs properly and then come back.” Well, after I collected it, I used it for a run in what turned out to be a monsoon. It starts first time every time now and runs like a top. They didn’t change the carb, just the fuel pump and a proper tune. Lots more details and a breakdown of expenses to come. Reader’s ride Good to hear from Nick Williams, who enjoys these pages and, in particular, the cheap and practical used cars we feature: “Sending you a couple of pics. One is of my wife’s 2004 Honda Civic 1.6 SE auto. We’ve had it since 2007. Every year, it sails through the MOT. “It has covered only 56,000 miles but is worth very little. Never lets us down, brilliantly reliable and 40mpg around town. Great torque-converter automatic gearbox and cheap to run, too. Civics of this vintage are brilliant.” Next time: Nick’s ride. Readers’ questions Question: I can’t decide whether to finance my new car on a PCP or HP. Can you explain the advantages and disadvantages of both? Jack Finnis, Bude Answer: Regardless of pros and cons, your attitude to ownership will probably be the clincher. If you believe a car is like a mobile phone, to be disposed of when a better one comes along, a PCP is for you since it’s structured to make that possible. If you’re wedded to the idea of ownership free of nannyish mileage restrictions, HP is the way forward, although you won’t own the car until you’ve made all the repayments. A PCP looks cheaper but you’re always making repayments. With an HP deal, once the car is paid off, you aren’t. John Evans Question: On the odd occasion I get a puncture, I just replace the tyre but a friend says it might be possible to have it repaired for less expense. Is he right? Darren Goodhew, Burnley Answer: If the tyre hasn’t been damaged or driven for any great distance, it is possible to repair it.
Origin: James Ruppert: Two fuels are better than one
James Ruppert: with small cars, choose substance over style
It’s funny how some car buyers just want something that is funky-looking and on-trend, when really all they need is a hard-working hatchback. Here’s what Ryan said to me: “Hey James, I’m looking for a small and cheap motor to run between local schools for my sports coaching company. I’ve looked at a Smart car and a Toyota iQ. Could you recommend any?” Well, the Smart is quite an old bit of kit now and the Toyota iQ is no longer with us but that doesn’t make them bad choices. The Smart is well proven and the Toyota is a Toyota, so it won’t break down. Both are small and neither is that cheap, although a tidy 2003 Fortwo Passion with 50k miles is around a grand and a proper warranted iQ from 2009 is £2500. That’s not too bad, but if you’re using a small car for work, it can turn out to be not that practical – especially a minimally booted Smart. That’s why an old-school shopping hatch is always going to be a better idea. The Ford Ka won’t be around for that much longer, but I rather like them. I was surprised that a pre-Aston grille example from 2009 is just over £1000. The mileage was 100k, but it had service stamps and was at a dealer, so they had a responsibility if anything was awry. For that money, it would be a three-door 1.2 Zetec. Ryan might find he wants a couple more doors, so let’s think Kia Picanto. They’re mostly privately owned and well looked after. Picantos have tiny wheels and do look a bit toy-town, but a 2004 1.1 SE with lots of MOT and a fresh service for £700 is pretty good going. It would do a spectacular job and keep Ryan running for a year without a worry, proper cheap motoring and high-50s economy. At this point, Ryan came back to me. The Ka seemed to fit his criteria pretty closely and I had mentioned the Toyota Aygo in passing, but he was unaware of the badge engineering which also created the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107. A 2008 1.0, for instance, is £20 road tax and, with 100,000 miles showing, costs £750. So that’s a contender. Ryan, though, had his head turned by a Volkswagen Up. More style over substance? I like them, but Ryan would struggle to get very much below £3000 and he would be dodging insurance write-offs to do it. But if he wants to Up his budget, then by all means do it. New small cars are going out of fashion, but used ones will be around for some time to come yet. It’s the continuing beauty of buying used. What we almost bought this week Once we’d mastered the name and sampled the eager motor and kart-like handling, the Sporting won a place in our heart. This 1996 car with 36,000 miles, full history and one former keeper brings it all back. It’s just £2295. Best feature? The sporty red seatbelts. Tales from Ruppert’s garage The immediate follow-up to last week’s fat-pin-in-tyre crisis: the Michelin Fit2Go tyre checker said the pressure was dropping fast, and a tyre specialist condemned the rubber. Given that the car belongs to Miss Ruppert, it’s up to her to do the shopping around. She found a 205/55 R16 19W Michelin Energy Saver to match the rest for £76 fitted. At times like these, a good old-fashioned space saver would really help, and my daughter wasn’t keen on using a tin of tyre gunge. The garage, though, took the car in a day early. Reader’s ride Skoda Fabia vRS: Here is part two of Nick’s inspiring tale, which began last week with his Peugeot 206 banger. “My colleague’s granny bought a Skoda Fabia vRS diesel new in 2004 and then passed it on a couple of years back. It’s done 99,000 miles with full history but it isn’t perfect: the bushes need replacing, the fuel cap doesn’t clip shut, the radio maintains a poor grasp on a signal and the bonnet is sun-bleached. But I’m now stopping at the pumps once every seven days rather than every four. It cost me £700 with no increase on my insurance. I put a fresh MOT on the Peugeot 206 and sold it – for £700. I’d call that a free upgrade!” Readers’ questions Question: I’ve seen a oneowner, 2015 BMW i3 Range Extender with 77k miles for £12,950. It would be my first EV. Does it sound like a good buy? Don Shelby, Bristol Answer: The range extender version is no longer made so used ones are sought after. You can expect up to 180 miles of range from the car compared with 100 miles max from the regular i3. If the batteries have always been topped up and the extender never used, the 650cc motor occasionally cuts in to keep itself fresh. Its servicing is condition-based and should be recorded on the key fob. However, the motor was subject to recalls, so check they were actioned. All being well, it sounds good. John Evans Question: I’m planning a driving trip after October, but how will Brexit affect my EU driving entitlement? Simon Fisher, via email Answer: It’s all still a bit uncertain but there’s nothing like being prepared so get an international driving permit, find that old GB sticker in your garage and pack the car’s V5 along with your motor insurance green
Origin: James Ruppert: with small cars, choose substance over style
Un-camouflaged new Land Rover Defender maybe spied shooting next ‘James Bond’
If the internet is good for anything, its for giving us sneak peeks at new cars long before they go on sale. The latest leak thats causing consternation at a PR office? The new and hotly-anticipated 2020 Land Rover Defender.Spied on the set of a new James Bond flick is what appears to be a completely undisguised copy of the upcoming British 44.It has a lantern jaw harkening back to Defenders of old, along with what is certainly chequerplate on the flanks of its hood. This latter detail is a great throwback to the Defender 90 and 110. View this post on Instagram I’m not going to get in trouble for this — because it’s all over #facebook at the moment! Here is what looks like the first uncovered #defender2020 — straight (apparently) from the film set of the new #bond movie! Makes sense! A few things come to mind. Firstly, the winch is excellent. Secondly, the alpine windows are still there! Thirdly, the rear passenger door looks massive — you’ll never open that in a Tesco car park! Fourthly, there seems to be quite a bit of wheel clearance (though it’s unknown if this is standard height, off road height, or on coils!). Fifthly, checker on the bonnet (yes, the bonnet is a funny shape and there is no real wing to speak of). Sixthly, I’m not sure about the mirrors at all. Seventhly. well, this could clearly go on a bit! #landroverdefender #allnewdefender #landroverdefender #landrover #thebest4x4xfar #landrovertheworldover #landroverworld #bignews #didntmakefrankfurt #someonesheadwillrollforthis #spyshot #spyfilm #jamesbondfilmset #allnewdefender2020 #newdefender #newdefendernews #newlandroverdefender #defender #landroverdefender #landroverdefender110 #defender110 #defender130 #defender90 #allnewdefender90 #allnewdefender110 #newdefender2020 #newdefender90 A post shared by Steven Firth (@shedlocktwothousand) on Aug 26, 2019 at 3:14pm PDTIts front fascia is understandably not as squared-off as the old Defender, thanks largely to pedestrian safety standards and the fact that automakers no longer design their cars to look like barn doors.Round headlights set into rectangular buckets are a nice touch but, at least from this angle, appear to have the top quarter of those lamps tucked out of sight. This gives it a sleepy appearance, as if it just consumed a dime bag. Perhaps other angles will be better. The windshield is fairly upright, as one would expect, and various rugged off-road design cues pepper the exterior. There is a huge wheelwell gap, suggesting this version might be equipped with an air suspension jacked to its highest setting. Or, it may simply have metal coils modified for movie use. Appropriately knobby tires are present and accounted for.With the world clamoring for SUVs of all types, its a sensible time for Land Rover to reintroduce this well-loved nameplate. Defender fans are, um, ardent (to put it mildly) so the design will surely be criticized no matter what the final production versions looks like. Three- and five-door variants are expected when it goes on sale for the 2020 model
Origin: Un-camouflaged new Land Rover Defender maybe spied shooting next ‘James Bond’
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