drivendriven www.thisiskent.co.uk/motorsFriday, October 14 2005

PerformanceCar oof tthe YYear

driven is powered by

Inside ddriven this week

driven - by product activityTested - Mercedes’ new M-Class.

See page 16

driven - by used cars

Guidance - on buying a used MINI

See page 17

driven - by dealersFocus - on dealer demonstrator bargains

See page 22

plus our motorcycle feature

on two wheelsSee page 10

Plus - spotlight on buying new and

used Superminis, pages 4 and 20

we test the very bestwe test the very best Page 6

driven -by quality contentdriven -by quality contentEdited bbyJonathan

Crouch

Citycars && SSuperminis

New Fiat Punto [Winter ’05 – est] /

Hyundai Getz 1.6 diesel [Sept ‘05] /

Mitsubishi Colt CZ3 [March] /

Mitsubishi I [Dec ’05 est]/ Peugeot

1007 [July] / Peugeot 107 [July - est]

Peugeot 207 [early ‘06]

Family HHatchbacks

Ford Focus ST [late ‘05] / Honda Civic

[Winter ‘05] / Hyundai Elantra 2.0 VGT

diesel [Sept ‘05] / new Hyundai Accent

[August ‘05] / Peugeot 307 (facelift)

[May ‘05] / Rover 45/MG ZS [Jan ‘06]

/ SEAT Leon [Nov ’05-est] / Vauxhall

Astra Sporthatch [March]

Medium RRange FFamily CCars

Fiat Croma [Summer - est] / new

Hyundai Sonata [April] / Mazda6 MPS

[Sept] / Skoda Octavia Estate [Mar] /

Toyota Avensis D4-D 180 Clean Power

[June]

Sports CCars, HHot HHatches &&CoupesAudi TT [late ‘05] / BMW M5 [May] /

BMW M6 [late ‘05] / Cadillac XLR

[March] / Chrysler Crossfire SRT6

[Spring] / Ford Focus ST [Jan ’06 - est]

Executive CCars

Alfa 157 Sportwagon [Sept - est] /

Jaguar X-TYPE high performance

diesel [Spring] / Jaguar XJ Series diesel

[July] / Mercedes CLS [Spring]

4x4sAudi Q7 [early ‘06] / Chevrolet S3X

[late ‘05] / Cadillac SRX [March] /

Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0 VGT diesel [Sept

‘05] / Honda CRV diesel [Spring] /

Hummer H3 [Summer-est] / new Jeep

Grand Cherokee – [July – est]

ConvertiblesBentley Drophead Coupe [Summer ’05-

est] / Mazda MX-5 [November] /

Nissan Micra C+C [Sept ’05 ]MPVs

Honda FR-V [Nov] / Hyundai Trajet 2.0

VGT diesel [Sept ‘05] / Mazda 5

[August ‘05] / Mercedes B-Class [Oct

‘05] / Mercedes R-Class [Early ‘06]

Citycars && SSuperminis

Chevrolet –The special edition Kalos Ikon is in show-

rooms. It comes with power steering, anti-lock brakes

and three years’ free servicing.

Citroen – The C2 starts from £6,495, which includes

savings up to £1,500. Finance is available at 5% APR

and no deposit is required with Elect 3 finance.

Kia – A £1 deposit scheme and 7 days’ free drive-

away insurance are being offered along with one

year’s free insurance on the LX and the special edition

Glamour Picanto

Family HHatchbacks

Alfa Romeo – Various finance deals available on 147

and 156 including three years’ free servicing. 5%

deposit and 4% APR.

Audi – The new look A3 3-door is arrives at show-

rooms. New alloys and sport styling options available.

Citroen – All C4 customers are entitled to £1,500 sav-

ing with 0% finance over 3 years with 35% deposit.

SEAT – The new Leon is set to make its showroom

debut in September. There is a choice of 12 models

with five engines and five trim levels.

Ford - All Focus models - £650 customer saving.

Medium RRange FFamily CCars

Citroen – The C5 comes with 0% finance if you put

down a 35% deposit. Prices start from £12,395.

Renault – A saving of £3,580 can be made on the

Laguna Expression. Laguna 2005 Dynamique comes

with three years’ 0% finance and a £2,630 saving.

Renault - A saving of £3,580 can be made on the

Laguna Expression. The Laguna 2005 Dynamique

comes with three years' 0% finance and a £2,630 sav-

ing.

SEAT - £1,000 saving on the Toledo.

Skoda - All Octavia models are reduced in price. Save

£700 on petrol models and £300 on diesel equivalent.

Vauxhall - Vectra: 0% finance on Breeze special edi-

tion and on selected other Vectra models. The new

Vectra will make its showroom debut on the 1st of

October.

Sports CCars, HHot HHatches && CCoupes

Alfa Romeo – Selected GT coupe models are avail-

able through a PCP deal with monthly payments of

£299.

BMW – A new dealer advertisement featuring the

320Cd ES Coupe will soon be available offering 5

years’ servicing and maintenance.

Executive CCars

Audi – Free lifestyle packs are available on the A4

saloon and Avant SE and S line. A luxury pack is

available on the V6 and V8 A6 derivatives.

Saab - Three year’s free servicing on the 9-3 Sport

Saloon plus £1,200 towards a finance deposit and

£1,000 towards fuel expenses. The TiD also comes

with three years’ free servicing and contribution

towards the financial deposit.

4x4s

BMW – The new BMW X3 makes its showroom

debut on September 17th.

Jeep – Dealers are offering a 24-hour test drive on the

all-new Jeep Cherokee. The new Grand Cherokee is

now on sale at prices from £29,495.

Suzuki – A £2,000 customer saving can be made on

the Grand Vitara 3-door SUV. There are also 0%

finance deals on the Grand Vitara 5-door and bigger

XL-7 with specific deposits and monthly payment

plans.

Convertibles

Chrysler – Crossfire Roadster prices now start at

£25,995.

Ford – All Streetka models will receive a £1,700 cus-

tomer saving. Also available with a low 7.9% APR.

MPVs

Chevrolet – A special edition Tacuma is available with

a family pack featuring a double portable DVD player

and darkened rear windows.

Chrysler – Grand Voyagers now include Stow ‘n’ Go

seating which folds into the floor.

Citroen –Xsara Picasso models are available with a

£3,400 saving and 0% finance with 35% deposit.

Citroen - All C8 models are available with £3,000 sav-

ing and 0% finance with 35% deposit

Kia - All Sedona models come with £1,000 cashback

and a free in-car DVD. The new Sedona SE+ comes

with electric windows, and leather interior.

Vans && PPick-UUps

Isuzu – There are savings of £1,640 on the Rodeo and

a free Smartnav worth £850.

Proton – 0% finance or a £1 deposit is available on the

Jumbuck range.

driven - By Product Activity

2 Your Guide To New Car Deals &

Forthcoming New Models

3 New Car Preview

4 New Car Category Spotlight

5 New Car Prices

6 Driven - AutoFeature

8 The Business - Van & Pick-Up Focus

10 On Two Wheels - Our Motorcycle & Scooter

Round-up

12 Caravan & Motorhomes - definitive Road

Tests

14 New Car Woman's View

16 New Car Road Test

driven - By Used Cars

17 Used Car Model Guide

18 Classic Cars

20 Used Car Category Guide &

Scheme Report

driven - By Readers

30 Customer Testimony

31 Area Map

driven - By Dealers

22 Dealer of the Week

24 Buy A Demonstrator

25 Cars of the Week - Highlights of

the Week's Used Car Stock

26 Dealer Stocklist Report

28 Local Business Feature -

My First Car

FORTHCOMING NEW MODELS

NEW CAR DEALS LIST

in driventhis week

drivenpowered by

new car dealer previewnew car dealer previewTHE LLAUNCH

LOWDOWNby DDave KKing

How WWe're BBringing

The CCar TTo MMarket

"This is one of the most

significant cars we've

seen from our franchise

in many years" says

David Bray, General

Sales Manager of Caffyns

Peugeot of Sevenoaks. "It

really enables us to tap

into a whole new breed of

buyer within its market

segment."

"We've spent a great deal

of time and care and

decided on the best way

to make people in this

area aware of the car,

something which clearly

will be an ongoing mar-

keting process."

The PPeople WWho WWill

Be SSelling TThis EExciting

New MModel

The sales team behind

this car have as much tal-

ent in depth as the car

itself. Adam Smith pre-

sides over a team run by

General Sales Manager

David Bray, including

Mark Drayton and

Stephen Wick. Business

queries will be in the

hands of Alison Davis,

Business & Finance

Manager.

The RReaction OOf OOur

Customers TTo TThe CCar

"Already we've had a

huge amount of positive

reaction to this car," says

David Bray. "We found

that owners of other

Mercedes models have

been aware for some time

that this exciting new

class entrant was on its

way and they've been

asking us questions about

it for the last six months."

"What's been most inter-

esting however, is the

number of enquiries

we've had from owners of

other marques. These are

the kind of people we'd

never previously have

expected to see in. "

The OOpportunities TThat

This NNew LLaunch HHas

Created FFor UUsed CCar

Customers

"This model launch is not

only about having a new

car to sell - it's also about

a great used car opportu-

nity," observes Mr Bray.

"Customers who don't

have the budget for this

car will also be interested

in models like these. All

this means that there real-

ly has never been a better

time to trade up to a used

Peugeot. So wide is our

access to stock that we

can match nearly every

request for engine and

model or trim specifica-

tion that a used car cus-

tomer is likely to make.

When you add that to our

long renowned standards

of used car preparation,

sales and service, the

whole experience will be

just like buying a new car

- for of course a fraction

of the overall price."

Our DDealer HHistory

"Our dealership is one of

the best respected in the

area," observes David

Bray, "and for good rea-

son. We have outstanding

facilities both in sales,

service and all aspects of

after sales support . A car

is the second biggest pur-

chase you make in your

life. In buying one, you

need to know that you're

buying more than just a

chunk of metal: you need

to buy a package of peo-

ple and service. And

that's what we are here to

provide."

The nnew PPeugeot 4407 CCoupe rreally iis aa sstep iinto tthe ffuture ffor tthis rrapidly ggrowing bbrand. IIt's aa ccar ddesigned aand

developed tto rreally ppush tthe bbarriers oof ttechnology, wwhile aat tthe ssame ttime ooffer aa sstylish aalternative tto tthose bbuyers

who ppreviously mmight nnot hhave cconsidered aa ccar ffrom tthis mmarque.

Local ddealers CCaffyns PPeugeot oof SSevenoaks aare eexcited aabout tthe nnew oopportunities ffor cconquest ssales tthat tthis

model wwill bbring aand hhave bbeen ggearing uup tto mmake ssure tthat ppotential bbuyers aare wwell llooked aafter, bboth bbefore

and aafter ppurchase.

The CCar: the new Peugeot 407 Coupe

The DDealership: Caffyns Peugeot of Sevenoaks

The NNumber tto CCall TTo GGet BBehind TThe WWheel: 01732-740740

Where YYou CCan GGo FFor AA TTest DDrive: 80 London Road, Sevenoaks

Who AAre TThe KKey PPeople TTo TTalk TTo: General Sales Manager - David

Bray

FACTS AT A GLANCE

The nnew PPeugeot 4407 CCoupesee iit ffirst aat

Caffyns PPeugeot oof SSevenoaks

Caffyns Peugeot - First For Peugeot in SevenoaksJoin Us For The Launch Of The Year's Most Exciting

Sports Coupe

PEUGEOT

Peugeot's new 407 Coupe will beunveiled at our showrooms on TuesdayNovember 23rd. Join us for a champagne reception at our showrooms and be amongst the first toadmire - and drive - this stylish new sportscoupe.

Call 01732-740740 for your personalinvitation.

CAFFYNS PLCLondon Road Sevenoaks Tel: 01732 740740 THE DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE

new car category spotlightSuperminis

new car category spotlightSuperminis

THELOWDOWN

by AAndyEnright

It's strange how much more sense a car design

can make when it's inserted into another manu-

facturer's product range. Take the surprisingly

desirable Mazda2 we're looking at here, origi-

nally designed as a Ford but now much more

comfortable as a Mazda.

So, down to the basics. There's a decent selec-

tion of Ford-sourced engines - a 75bhp 1.25, an

80bhp 1.4 and a 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit,

plus a 68bhp 1.4-litre common rail diesel. Prices

start at £8,885, spreading across three trim lev-

els (S, Antares and Capella) to around £10,500.

Only one five-door body style is available and

that tall shape means it looks and feels spacious.

You might even mistake this for a car from the

next class up. None of this is an illusion either.

There's a useful 267-litre luggage compartment

which grows to 1044 litres when you fold down

the rear seats.

MAZDA2 RANGE - TWO TRUECAR: Mazda2 range

PRICES: £8,885-£10,495 - on

the road

INSURANCE GGROUPS: 2E-6E

CO2 EEMISSIONS: 149-

168g/km

PERFORMANCE: [1.25] Max

Speed 101mph / 0-60mph

15.1s

FUEL CCONSUMPTION: [1.25]

(urban) 32.8mpg / (extra

urban) 56.5mpg/ (combined)

44.8mpg

STANDARD SSAFETY FFEA-

TURES: Twin front airbags

WILL IIT FFIT IIN YYOUR GGARAGE?:

Length/Width/Heightmm

3925/1680/1545mm

As babies, we're hardwired to recognise faces

from a very early age. Citroen bill their C3

model "the friendly face of motoring" although

when confronted with such a wacky visage,

most infants would probably dive for the duvet.

It's certainly a big face, the huge headlamps and

pumped up grille dominating, and its one that

we're growing extremely accustomed to.

C3 prices start from £9,195 for the entry-level

1.1-litre version or £10,895 for the 75bhp 1.4-

litre petrol model, rising through 90bhp 1.4-litre

SensoDrive petrol (which is available in eco-

nomical Stop & Start or XTR faux 4x4 form),

110bhp 1.6-litre petrol found in the sporty VTR

and a couple of HDi diesel variants to top out at

£12,895. Right plumb in the middle of the small

car sector in other words, an area of the market

which has increased by some 30% over the last

five years.

CITROEN C3 RANGE - CIT UP AND BEG CAR: Citroen C3 range

PRICES: £9,195-£12,895 - on

the road

INSURANCE GGROUPS: 2-5

CO2 EEMISSIONS: 110-

170g/km

PERFORMANCE: [1.4i] Top

Speed 105mph

FUEL CCONSUMPTION: [1.4i]

(urban) 34.4mpg / (extra

urban) 56.5mpg / (combined)

45.6mpg

STANDARD SSAFETY FFEA-

TURES: Twin front airbags,

ABS [exc LX]

WILL IIT FFIT IIN YYOUR GGARAGE?:

Length/Width/Height

3850/1667/1519mm

Everything about Kia's latest Rio has been

redesigned. That styling, for example, should go

down well, featuring as it does a bolder nose, a

more dynamic profile and a neater interior.

Comfort-wise, there's more headroom, legroom

and shoulder room, especially in the rear. From

a safety perspective, there are now twin front,

side airbags, active head restraints and the elec-

tronic stability programme, ESP.

Some things don't change. The Rio still revels in

its shameless affordability, with prices starting at

around £8,000 for the entry-level model.

Customers can choose from two body styles - 5-

door hatch and 4-door saloon - two equipment

levels (LX and EX), two petrol engines (1.6 and

1.4 litres) with manual or automatic transmis-

sion, and, for the first time in the Rio range, a

diesel engine (1.5 litres) with a manual gearbox.

NEW KIA RIO RANGE - RIO REVISITEDCAR: Kia Rio range

PRICES: £8,000-£9,500

[approx] - on the road

INSURANCE GGROUP: 3 [est]

CO2 EEMISSIONS: [1.4]

157g/km [est]

PERFORMANCE: [1.5 TD] 0-

60mph 11.5s / Max Speed

110mph

FUEL CCONSUMPTION: [1.5 TD]

43mpg (average) [est]

WILL IIT FFIT IIN YYOUR GGARAGE?:

n/a

The first good thing to say about the Suzuki

Swift, priced from £7,499, is that it's no bad

looker. Rather than being an amorphous blob,

the Swift has a pronounced bonnet line and a

very shapely contour along its shoulders. A wide

airdam and big headlamps give the car a distinc-

tive 'face' and the big wheels at each corner of

the car give the impression that it's solidly plant-

ed to the road.

The entry-level option is a 92PS 1.3-litre petrol

unit that will probably be the biggest seller, this

is the only engine available in 3-door form. Next

up is a 102PS 1.5-litre petrol powerplant and

topping the range off is the 65PS1.3-litre DDiS

diesel. Fuel economy is key in a car like the

Swift and averages of 45.6mpg and 43.5mpg for

the two petrol engines respectively is a good

showing. Better still is the diesel's 61.4mpg.

SUZUKI SWIFT RANGE - A SWIFT TO BE PROUD OFCAR: Suzuki Swift range

PRICE: £7,499 - £9,750 - on

the road

INSURANCE GGROUPS: 4-6

CO2 EEMISSIONS: 148-

159g/km

PERFORMANCE: [[1.3] 0-

60mph 11s / Max Speed

109mph

FUEL CCONSUMPTION: [1.3]

45.6mpg (combined)

STANDARD SSAFETY FFEA-

TURES: Twin airbags, ABS with

EBD and brake assist

WILL IIT FFIT IIN YYOUR GGARAGE?:

Width/Wheelbase cm

169/239

Warton HallGarage

Warton, Carnforth

01524 732107

Sales and Service

Castle MotorCompany

Part of the CaledoniaGroup

Mellishaw Lane,Morecombe

Tel: 01534 62939

PYEM O T O R S

Lancaster & Morecombe

Ovangle RoadTel: -1542 598598

www.pyemotors.co.uk

JohnWildingLtdBanbury Garage,

Westgate, Morecombe

Tel: 01524 831163www.johnwildingsuzuki.co.uk

4

new car price guidenew car price guideALFA ROMEO

4x4 - Compact Tuscon 5dr £13995 - £18695

Family Hatchback 147 3 & 5dr £13660 - £22750

Executive Car - Compact 156 4dr £14810 - £27520

Estate - Medium Sportwagon 5dr £17500 - £28560

Executive Car 166 4dr £20833 - £28383

Coupe - Medium GT 3dr £20995 - £26695

Coupe - Medium GTV 2dr £20380 - £26590

Convertible - Sports Spider 2dr £20790 - £28300

AUDI

Family Hatchback A2 5dr £12715 - £13695

Family Hatchback A3 3dr & 5dr £15515 - £24890

Executive Car - Compact A4 4dr £18765 - £36975

Estate - Medium A4 Avant 5dr £19915 - £38125

Convertible - Sports A4 Cabriolet 2dr £24615 - £40275

Executive Car A6 4dr £24535 - £45000

Estate - Large A6 Avant 5dr £26510 - £46270

4x4 - Ordinary Estate Car-based Off Roader

AllRoad 5dr £27760 - £40575

Luxury Car A8 4dr £47930 - £77360

Coupe - Medium TT 2dr £21090 - £30110

Roadster TT Roadster 2dr £22240 - £32360

BMW

Family Hatchback 1 Series 5dr £15995 - £26515

Executive Car - Compact 3 Series Saloon 4dr £19900 - £32120

Estate - Medium 3 Series Touring 5dr £23040 - £33290

Coupe - Medium 3 Series Coupe 2dr £20995 - £44275

Convertible - Sports 3 Series Convertible 2dr £26860 - £44600

Executive Car 5 Series 4dr £25925 - £62705

Estate - Large 5 Series Touring 5dr £27925 - £47775

Coupe - Large 6 Series 3dr £46285 - £80755

Convertible - Luxury 6 Series 2dr £51865 - £59365

4x4 - Compact X3 5dr £25010 - £35050

Luxury Car 7 Series 4dr £48150 - £82925

Roadster Z4 Roadster 2dr £22755 - £31840

4x4 - Luxury X5 5dr £36190 - £59000

CATERHAM

Roadster 7 £15200 - £36200

Roadster 7 CSR 2dr £27450 - £33950

CHEVROLET

Citycar Matiz 5dr £6095 - £7695

Supermini Kalos 3/5dr £6995 - £9995

Family Hatchback Lacetti 5dr £9495 - £12495

Saloon - Compact Lacetti 4dr £10495 - £11995

Estate - Small Lacetti 5dr £10995 - £12995

MPV - Mini Tacuma 5dr £10995 - £11995

CHRYSLER JEEP

Family Hatchback Neon 4dr £12685 - £13985

MPV - Mini PT Cruiser 5dr £12995 - £17220

Convertible - Affordable PT Cruiser 2dr £17495

MPV - Large Voyager, Grand Voyager 5dr £18495 - £32020

4x4 - Compact Wrangler 3dr £15730 - £18600

4x4 - Family Cherokee 5dr £17995 - £23520

4x4 - Luxury Grand Cherokee 5dr £28695 - £34695

Coupe - Medium Crossfire £24995 - £34335

Convertible - Sports Crossfire 2dr £25995 - £35335

Executive Car 300C 4dr £25750 - £32995

CITROEN

Citycar C1 3/5dr £6495 - £8445

Supermini C2 3dr £7995 - £11995

Supermini C3 5dr £9195 - £12895

Convertible - Affordable C3 Pluriel 2dr £12295 - £13895

Family Hatchback C4 3/5dr £11095 - £18495

Medium Range Family Car C5 5dr £14995 - £21595

Estate - Medium C5 5dr £16095 - £22595

MPV - Supermini Berlingo Multispace 5dr £9895 - £11795

MPV - Mini Xsara Picasso 5dr £13395 - £17095

MPV - Large C8 5dr £18995 - £26775

CORVETTE

Performance Sportscar C6 3dr £45850 - £51850

DAIHATSU

Citycar Charade 3/5dr £5695 - £6995

Supermini Sirion 5dr £6995 - £8395

MPV - Supermini YRV 5dr £9495 - £11495

4x4 - Compact Terios 5dr £8995 - £10495

Coupe - Compact Copen £13495

FIAT

Citycar Panda £6595 - £9195

Supermini Punto 3/5dr £7595 - £12295

MPV - Mini Idea £9995 - £12495

Family Hatchback Stilo 3/5dr £9995 - £14395

Estate - Medium Croma 5dr £15745 - £21995

Estate - Small Stilo Multi Wagon 5dr £12500 - £14600

Roadster Barchetta 2dr £11995

MPV - Supermini Doblo 5dr £9095 - £11295

MPV - Mini Multipla 5dr £13295 - £16495

MPV - Large Ulysse 5dr £17595 - £24950

FORD

Citycar Ka 3dr £7095 - £11295

Roadster StreetKa 2dr £12710 - £13960

Supermini Fiesta 3/5dr £8295 - £13595

MPV - Supermini Fusion 5dr £10145 - £14475

Family Hatchback Focus 3/5dr £10895 - £18525

Saloon - Compact Focus 4dr £14970 - £17975

Estate - Small Focus 5dr £12845 - £18525

Medium Range Family Car Mondeo 4/5dr £15800 - £24300

Estate - Medium Mondeo 5dr £16800 - £25300

MPV - Mini C-MAX £13490 - £18990

MPV - Large Galaxy 5dr £19460 - £25615

Performance Sportscar GT 2dr £120000

HONDA

Supermini Jazz 5dr £8800 - £11700

Family Hatchback Civic 3dr £10200 - £16950

Family Hatchback Civic 5dr £11200 - £15800

Medium Range Family Car Accord 4 dr £16800 - £21800

Medium Range Family Car Accord Tourer 5dr £17800 - £22800

MPV - Mini FR-V 5dr £14900 - £18000

4x4 - Compact HR-V 5dr £15300

4x4 - Compact CR-V 5dr £17400 - £23000

Roadster S2000 2dr £26800 - £27800

Performance Sportscar NSX 2dr £60300 - £66300

HYUNDAI

Supermini Getz 3/5dr £6995 - £10145

Supermini Accent 4/5dr £7995 - £10995

MPV - Mini Matrix 5dr £10995 - £12195

Family Hatchback Elantra 5dr £10995

Coupe - Compact Coupe 3dr £14795 - £18795

Medium Range Family Car Sonata 4dr £14495 - £17495

MPV - Large Trajet 5dr £15495 - £18545

4x4 - Compact Santa Fe 5dr £17996 - £18995

4x4 - Compact Tuscon 5dr £13995 - £18695

4x4 - Family Terracan £18495

JAGUAR

Executive Car - Compact X-TYPE 4dr £19995 - £29995

Executive Car - Compact X-TYPE Estate 5dr £22165 - £31165

Executive Car S-TYPE 4dr £27995 - £49995

Luxury Car XJ Series 4dr £41995 - £74995

Coupe - Large XK8/XKR 2dr £49920 - £58120

Convertible - Luxury XK8/XKR 2dr £56720 - £64920

KIA

Citycar Picanto 3dr £5495 - £7295

Supermini Rio 5dr £7998 - £8998

Family Hatchback Cerato 4/5dr £9750 - £11990

MPV - Mini Carens 5dr £10995 - £11995

Medium Range Family Car Magentis 4dr £10008 - £13995

MPV - Large Sedona 5dr £14995 - £19295

4x4 - Compact Sportage £14495 - £18495

4x4 - Family Sorento £18995 - £23995

LAND ROVER

4x4 - Family Defender 3/5dr £18795 - £27995

4x4 - Compact Freelander 3/5dr £15995 - £26595

4x4 - Family Discovery 5dr £26995 - £46995

4x4 - Luxury Range Rover Sport 5dr £34995 - £58995

4x4 - Luxury Range Rover 5dr £45995 - £72995

LEXUS

Executive Car - Compact IS200 4dr £18912 - £21625

Executive Car - Compact IS300 4dr £22092

Estate - Medium IS300 SportCross 5dr £22392

Executive Car GS300 4dr £30400 - £38000

Executive Car GS430 4dr £46755

Luxury Car LS430 4dr £57175

Convertible - Luxury SC430 2dr £52697

4x4 - Luxury RX300 5dr £30495 - £39450

4x4 - Luxury RX400h 5dr £35480 - £44345

LOTUS

Roadster Elise 2dr £22995 - £27995

MAYBACH

Luxury Car 57 £243780

Luxury Car 62 £281380

MAZDA

MPV - Supermini Mazda2 5dr £8885 - £10495

Family Hatchback Mazda3 £10650 - £15600

MPV - Mini Mazda5 5dr £14300 - £17900

Estate - Medium Mazda6 5dr £15600 - £19200

Medium Range Family Car Mazda6 4/5dr £14100 - £19200

Roadster MX-5 2dr £15600 - £18900

Coupe - Medium RX-8 4dr £20100 - £22100

MERCEDES-BENZ

Supermini A-Class 3/5dr £13655 - £20190

MPV - Mini B-Class £16995 - £22795

Executive Car - Compact C-Class 4dr £21525 - £48765

Estate - Medium C-Class 5dr £22475 - £49715

Coupe - Medium C-Class Sports Coupe 2dr £19495 - £27950

Executive Car E-Class 4dr £27000 - £64430

Estate - Large E-Class Estate 5dr £28800 - £65930

Luxury Car S-Class 4dr £46820 - £90260

Coupe - Medium CLK 2dr £28350 - £58960

Convertible - Sports CLK 2dr £31950 - £62490

Coupe - Large CLS 4dr £42975 - £70570

Coupe - Large CL Coupe 2dr £71520 - £95990

Roadster SLK 2dr £28045 - £50530

Convertible - Luxury SL 2dr £58510 - £97690

MPV - Mini Vaneo 5dr £14710 - £18710

MPV - Large Viano 5dr £22885 - £38405

4x4 - Luxury M-Class 5dr £31305 - £44730

MINI

Supermini MINI 2dr £10780 - £15180

Convertible - Affordable MINI Convertible £13325 - £14625

MITSUBISHI

Supermini Colt 3/5dr £7499 - £12999

Saloon - Compact Lancer 4dr £9999 - £10749

Estate - Small Lancer 5dr £10499 - £11999

Medium Range Family Car Carisma 5dr £10999 - £11999

Performance Sportscar Lancer Evo IX 4dr £27999 - £32999

MPV - Supermini Space Star 5dr £8999 - £12249

MPV - Large Grandis 5dr £18499 - £23699

4x4 - Compact Outlander £16999 - £18749

4x4 - Compact Shogun Pinin 3dr £12999 - £13599

4x4 - Family Shogun Sport 5dr £16999 - £21999

4x4 - Luxury Shogun 3/5dr £21499 - £32499

MORGAN

Roadster 4/4 2dr £22000 - £28864

Roadster Aero 8 2dr £55500

NISSAN

Supermini Micra 3/5 dr £7895 - £12145

Family Hatchback Almera 3/5dr £8995 - £15650

MPV - Mini Almera Tino 5dr £13255 - £17605

Medium Range Family Car Primera 4/5dr £14855 - £20405

Estate - Medium Primera 5dr £15700 - £21250

Coupe - Medium 350Z 2dr £25500 - £29500

Convertible - Sports 350z 2dr £27000 - £29500

4x4 - Family X-Trail 5dr £16145 - £24245

4x4 - Family Terrano 3/5dr £18255 - £21655

4x4 - Luxury Murano 5dr £29800

4x4 - Family Pathfinder 5dr £24000 - £33960

4x4 - Luxury Patrol 5dr £25350 - £32250

PERODUA

Citycar Kelisa 5dr £4699 - £6399

MPV - Supermini Kenari 5dr £6260

PEUGEOT

Citycar 107 3/5dr £6995 - £7345

MPV - Supermini 1007 3dr £10850 - £12600

Supermini 206 3/5dr £7995 - £15215

Convertible - Affordable 206 Coupe/Cabriolet 2dr £14920 - £16420

Estate - Small 206 SW 5dr £8995 - £13470

Family Hatchback 307 3/5dr £11200 - £17600

MPV - Mini 307 SW 5dr £14200 - £17700

Estate - Small 307 Estate 5dr £13800 - £15500

Convertible - Affordable 307 Coupe/Cabriolet 2dr £17000 - £21000

Medium Range Family Car 407 4dr £14750 - £22250

Estate - Medium 407 SW 5dr £15850 - £23350

Executive Car 607 4dr £20300 - £29700

MPV - Supermini Partner Combi £9670 - £11270

MPV - Large 807 5dr £18600 - £25060

PORSCHE

Roadster Boxster 2dr £32320 - £38720

Performance Sportscar 911 997 Carrera 2 Cpe 2dr £58380 - £65000

Performance Sportscar 911 997 Carrera 4 Cpe 2dr £62930 - £69900

Performance Sportscar 911 996 Turbo 2dr £96130 - £105030

Performance Sportscar Carrera GT £300000

4x4 - Luxury Cayenne 5dr £34350 - £68970

PROTON

Family Hatchback Gen2 5dr £8995 - £10595

Family Hatchback Impian4dr £10995 - £11995

RENAULT

Supermini Clio 3/5dr £8895 - £12650

MPV - Supermini Modus 5dr £9250 - £12400

MPV - Supermini Kangoo 5dr £9695 - £13595

Estate - Medium Megane II Sport Tourer £13230 - £17480

Family Hatchback Megane II 3/5dr £11400 - £20000

Saloon - Compact Megane II Sport Saloon 4dr £12980 - £17230

Coupe - Compact Megane II Coupe Cabrio 2dr £17220 - £20970

MPV - Mini Scenic II/ Grand Scenic 5dr £13410 - £19410

MPV - Large Grand Scenic 5dr £14613 - £19113

Medium Range Family Car Laguna II 5dr £15775 - £23475

Estate - Medium Laguna 5dr £16775 - £24475

Executive Car Vel Satis 5dr £21195 - £31325

MPV - Large Espace / Grand Espace 5dr £19645 - £34595

SAAB

Executive Car - Compact 9-3 4dr £16995 - £24495

Estate - Medium 9-3 Sportwagon 5dr £19950 - £22845

Convertible - Sports 9-3 Convertible 2dr £24405 - £29795

Executive Car 9-5 4dr £19995 - £27400

Estate - Large 9-5 Estate 5dr £21300 - £28600

SEAT

Supermini Ibiza 3/5dr £7550 - £15505

Supermini Cordoba £10015 - £14015

Family Hatchback Leon 5dr £11295 - £16495

MPV - Mini Altea 5dr £11695 - £17595

Medium Range Family Car Toledo 5dr £12495 - £17895

MPV - Large Alhambra 5dr £16220 - £21570

SKODA

Supermini Fabia 5dr £7575 - £11900

Estate - Small Fabia 5dr £8780 - £12600

Supermini Fabia 4dr £9640 - £9750

Medium Range Family Car Octavia 5dr £10750 - £16400

Estate - Medium Octavia Estate 5dr £12180 - £17100

Executive Car Superb 4dr £13900 - £21600

SMART

Citycar Fortwo Coupe 3dr £6810 - £12775

Convertible - Affordable Fortwo Cabrio 3dr £8965 - £14620

Convertible - Affordable Roadster/Coupe £11995 - £16995

Supermini Forfour 5dr £7295 - £17195

SUBARU

Family Hatchback Impreza 4/5dr £14800 - £26400

Medium Range Family Car Legacy 4dr £16995 - £26900

Estate - Medium Legacy 5dr £17995 - £27900

4x4 - Ordinary Estate Car-based Off Roader

Forester 5dr £16845 - £25100

4x4 - Ordinary Estate Car-based Off Roader

Outback 5dr £20600 - £28400

SUZUKI

Supermini Alto 3/5dr £5999

Supermini Swift 3/5dr £7499 - £9750

MPV - Supermini Ignis 3/5dr £7499 - £9999

Family Hatchback Liana 4/ 5dr £9999 - £10999

Citycar Wagon R+ 5dr £7999

4x4 - Compact Jimny 3dr £9999

4x4 - Compact Grand Vitara 3/5dr £11999 - £18999

TOYOTA

Citycar Aygo 3/5dr £6745 - £7995

Supermini Yaris 3/5dr £7295 - £12845

MPV - Supermini Yaris Verso 5dr £10945 - £12645

Family Hatchback Corolla 3/4/5dr £11695 - £15995

Estate - Medium Corolla 5dr £13695 - £15895

MPV - Mini Corolla Verso 5dr £14495 - £19795

Hybrid - petrol/electric Prius 4dr £17545 - £20045

Medium Range Family Car Avensis 4/5dr £14900 - £23150

Estate - Medium Avensis 5dr £16645 - £21145

MPV - Mini Avensis Verso 5dr £18600 - £22100

Roadster MR2 2dr £17150 - £18000

Coupe - Medium Celica 3dr £16650 - £21150

MPV - Large Previa 4dr £20405 - £24955

4x4 - Compact RAV 4 3/5dr £17250 - £24450

MPV - Large Previa 4dr £20405 - £24955

4x4 - Family Landcruiser 3/5dr £27000 - £37900

4x4 - Luxury Landcruiser Amazon 5dr £45580 - £48175

VAUXHALL

Citycar Agila 5dr £6445 - £8945

Supermini Corsa 3dr £6995 - £12155

Convertible - Affordable Tigra 2dr £13995 - £15695

Family Hatchback Astra 3/5dr £10995 - £18995

Estate - Small Astra 5dr £13425 - £18925

Convertible - Affordable Astra Convertible 2dr £16995 - £22145

Medium Range Family Car Vectra 4/5dr £14750 - £24945

Estate - Medium Vectra 5dr £15750 - £25945

Executive Car Signum 5dr £17995 - £26745

Roadster VX220 2dr £26495

Executive Car Signum 5dr £17995 - £26745

Coupe - Large Monaro £29895 - £36995

MPV - Supermini Meriva 5dr £9995 - £15230

MPV - Mini Zafira 5dr £12995 - £21995

VOLKSWAGEN

Citycar Lupo 3dr £7880 - £13610

Supermini Polo 3/5dr £7495 - £15290

Family Hatchback Beetle 3dr £11245 - £15720

Convertible - Affordable Beetle 2dr £13995 - £19110

Family Hatchback Golf 3/5dr £11845 - £20495

Family Hatchback Golf Plus 5dr £12895 - £18250

Saloon - Compact Bora 4dr £13750 - £18845

Medium Range Family Car Passat 4dr £14995 - £19810

Estate - Medium Passat 5dr £16310 - £23450

Luxury Car Phaeton 4dr £41490 - £71500

MPV - Mini Touran 5dr £14495 - £20155

MPV - Large Sharan 5dr £17495 - £27285

4x4 - Luxury Touareg 5dr £30330 - £53640

VOLVO

Medium Range Family Car S40 4dr £15503 - £25468

Estate - Medium V50 5dr £17853 - £26668

Executive Car - Compact S60 4dr £19995 - £34568

Estate - Large V70 5dr £22683 - £38133

Executive Car S80 4dr £23728 - £39648

Convertible - Luxury C70 2dr £24883 - £29983

4x4 - Ordinary Estate Car-based Off Roader

XC70 5dr £29543 - £32123

4x4 - Luxury XC90 5dr £31235 - £45820

BATEMANS ISUZUSTATION SQUARE,GRANGE -OVER-SANDS

TEL: 015395 34000

For a Great Dealon a New Peugeot

HL GORNERLIMITED

g

Old Road, Clapham via Lancaster

Tel: 015242 51000info@hlgorner.co.uk

CASTLE MOTOR CO

The Old Post Office

Mellishaw Lane,

Morecombe 01524 62939

New Fords

for Less!

David Ian LtdMorecombe 844666

John Wilding LtdBanbury Garage, Westgate,

MorecombeTel 01524 831166

1st 4 Leasing! Any make, any model. Executive cars to commercials

We deal in all aspects of car leasing, lease purchase, hire

purchase and vehicle contract hire to suit the individual,

business or large fleet customer.

Tax efficient, business efficient! Liberate your capital and

get the vehicle you really want.

Call us now on 01823 454545

or visit us online at www.1st4leasing.co.uk

driven

driven - auto featuredriven - auto featurewith

JonathanCrouch

We simply had to have

BMW's latest M5. With

507bhp, a V10 engine

and all that M expertise

behind it, how could this

car be anything other

than fantastic? It was the

car that our testers rel-

ished forward to driving

most. Porsche's latest

iteration of the 911, this

time round in Carrera S

guise, also demanded

inclusion, as did last

year's defending champ,

the Lotus Exige. Extreme

power was served up in

the svelte shape of the

612bhp Mercedes SL65

AMG, a car with two tur-

bos, twelve cylinders and

fully 1000Nm of torque

at its disposal. Finally,

we lined up an intriguing

battle between two

Japanese cars that com-

pete on price and driver

appeal, the Mitsubishi

Lancer Evo IX FQ-320

and Nissan's striking

350Z GT4 edition. This

was going to be serious

fun.

Spa-FFrancorchamps

& NNurburgring

Two great race circuits

that sorted the great cars

from the merely good.

The Porsche and the

Lotus shone here as

expected, with the

Mitsubishi and the

Nissan impressing too.

The BMW was fast, but

ultimately unfulfilling,

while the Mercedes was,

well, fast, but not a lot

else

Contidrom, HHanover

If you're a car nut, having

access to these six cars

and free run of

Continental Tyres'

Contidrom test facility

for two days is about as

good as it gets. With a

dry handling track, a wet

handling circuit, an aqua-

plane loop, a low friction

circle and a banked oval

open for business, there

was no shortage of enter-

tainment laid on.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this verdict

was rather easy to come

by. Porsche's Carrera S

wins and by quite some

margin. It's a noticeably

better car than its prede-

cessor and is genuinely

hard to fault. There were

a couple of niggling

quibbles with the car but

it gets so much right it

would be churlish to con-

centrate on these. Second

place goes to the Nissan

350Z, a car that proved

the surprise of the bunch.

Old fashioned in its feel

but serving up a huge

amount of fun, the car

with the poorest power-

to-weight ratio of the lot

was always in demand.

First last year, third this

year, the Lotus Exige is

still as much fun as ever

but we'd certainly look to

bring a supercharged

example next year.

The top three marked a

clear trio of cars that

impressed. The other

three failed to live up to

expectations and none

more so than BMW's

M5. Most thought the

BMW would walk this

competition but there's

something lacking. Some

felt that 'M' now stands

for Money rather than

Motorsport. Mitsubishi's

Evo IX FQ-320 put up a

decent fight but the con-

cept is now starting to

feel a little tired. Perhaps

the Evo X will freshen

the franchise. Finally

there's the Mercedes

SL65 AMG. A great GT

car but its limits are easy

to find. Power is nothing

without control, but

Mercedes appear to have

taken the control theme a

little too far. The verdicts

this year amongst the

testers present were sur-

prisingly unanimous but

the arguments over what

gets included for

Performance Car of the

Year 2006 are already

under way.

"So llet mme gget tthis rright" qqueried tthe PPR mman. ""You wwant tto bbook oone oof oour ccars aand ddrive iit aacross EEurope wwith

two ddays aat aa ttest ttrack, ttwo ddays aat tthe SSpa FF1 ccircuit aand tthen ttake iit tto tthe NNurburgring?" II ccould ttell tthis wwasn't

going vvery wwell. ""It'll ccome bback ddestroyed" hhe wwent oon. II ttook tthat aas aa nno. AAfter aall, tthis wwasn't aan oordinary ttest aand

ordinary ccars wweren't ggoing tto llast tthe ccourse. TThat's wwhy wwe sselected ssix oof tthe bbest.

You May Have Seen 'Road Tests' In Other

Publications But Nothing Gives A Car A More

Thorough Going Over Than Our Annual Week-

Long Performance Car of The Year Test.

Jonathan Crouch Delivers The Final

Verdict…

Performance CCar oof tthe YYear

Testing TTimes

6

the businessvan and pick-up focusthe businessvan and pick-up focus

withSteve

Walker

Defying eexpectations aand bbaffling tthe ccritics,

Citroen's BBerlingo hhas pput oon aa ssparkling

performance oon tthe llight vvan sstage.

Inside, the cab is tastefully done and a massive step

forward aesthetically. The range incorporates plenty

of mix and match potential with no fewer than five

power options. There are conventional 1.9D diesel

and 1.4i Petrol engines generating 71 and 75bhp

respectively, an advanced 90bhp common-rail 2.0-

litre HDi and, for the environmentally sound, a choice

of duel fuel (LPG gas and petrol) or 28kW electric

derivatives. Broadening the choice further is the line-

up of nine load access configurations, two main-

stream payload capacities and a platform cab that's

ready to take specialist modifications and become the

tailored antidote to your company's transport require-

ments.

The mmen aat FFord mmust hhave bbeen rreasonably

confident iin ttheir TTransit CConnect's aabilities

when tthey aasked iit tto ttake ccare oof bbusiness

in ttwo ddistinct CCV mmarket ssegments. EEvery

other mmajor vvan mmaker sshares rresponsibility

for tthe ssmall aand mmedium ssized vvan

categories bbetween ttwo sseparate mmodels.

Ford employ their DOHC 1.8 Duratec unit as the

range's petrol contingent and, with just over 113bhp

on tap, on paper it's got more oomph than the other

choices. Unfortunately for petrol-heads, the Transit

Connect is going to be plying its trade on tarmac - a

surface where paper performance can be misleading.

For everyday use, punchy, economical diesel engines

are preferred by seasoned van drivers and Ford have a

real cracker in their Duratorq 1.8 TDCI.

Lifestyle Ford

Mount Ephraim

Royal Tunbridge Wells,

Kent TN4 8AG

Tel 01892 515666

Fax 01892 549079

Opening Hours

Mon - Fri 8.30 am - 6 pm

Sat 8.30 am - 1 pm

Citroen Kent

Tunbridge Wells, Kent

TN0 0XX

Tel 01892 000000

Fax 01892 000000

Opening Hours

Mon - Fri 8.30 am - 6 pm

Sat 8.30 am - 1 pm

Owning aa ppick-uup ttruck iin tthis ccountry,

especially oone oof tthe eever-ppopular ddouble-

cab dderivatives, iis iincreasingly aall aabout

looking ggood. IIn wwhich ccase, IIsuzu's RRodeo

looks tto bbe wwell pplaced.

The Rodeo is available as a single or double cab with

a 4x4 or 4x2 drivetrain. The two-wheel-drive models

get a 2.5-litre direct injection turbo diesel engine

that's closely related to the larger 3.0-litre unit found

in the four-wheel-drive versions. At the top of the

range, there's a 4x4-only Denver derivative, which

adds an element of luxury that will appeal to business

users looking to capitalise on the Rodeo's commercial

vehicle tax status.

Engine-wise, the 99bhp 2.5-litre unit delivers maxi-

mum torque of 167lb/ft at 2,000rpm and fuel con-

sumption of 35mpg.

Culverwell Cars

Station Road,

Robertsbridge,

TN32 5DG

Tel 01580 880567

Fax 01580 881002

www.culverwell.com

Opening Hours

Mon - Fri 8 am - 5.30 pm

Sat 8 am - 5 pm

Mercedes' SSprinter rrange iis aagreeably

uncomplicated bby ppanel vvan sstandards.

There aare ttwo rroof hheights ((standard aand

high) eeach mmated tto oone oof tthree wwheelbase

lengths ((3,000mm, 33,550mm aand

4,025mm) tthe llongest oof tthese iis oonly

available iin hhigh rroof fform.

The bodystyles are then allocated one of the five

engines and this creates the various available payload

capacities. It's possible to acquire a Sprinter that will

carry anything from 720kg to 2,415kg with load areas

varying from 7 to 13.4 cubic meters.

Designed for the needs of the CV user, this van's CDI

diesel powerplants are all characterised by abundant

torque produced below 3,000 revs.

Mercedes-Benz,

Tonbridge, Kent

TN4 0XX

Tel 01892 000000

Fax 01892 000000

www.culverwell.com

Opening Hours

Mon - Fri 8 am - 5.30 pm

Sat 8 am - 5 pm

VAN: Citroen Berlingo Van range

ENGINES: 1.4i Petrol, 1.9D,

2.0HDi, 1.4i Duel Fuel, 28kW

electric.

DIMENSIONS:

Length/Width/Height mm

4108/1719/1802

GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT:

1,670kg (600LX) - 1,985kg

(800TD LX)

FACTS AT A GLANCE

VAN: Ford Transit Connect Range

ENGINES: Petrol: 1.8-Litre

Duratec. Deisel: 1.8-Litre TDdi /

1.8-Litre TDCi

PAYLOADS: (SWB) 625/825Kg

(LWB) 700/825/900Kg

LOAD VOLUME: (cu. m) SWB:

2.8m. LWB 4.67m

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?:

Length/Width/Height. LWB:

4525/1795/1981

FACTS AT A GLANCE

PICK-UP: Isuzu Rodeo range

PRICE: £11,375 - £18,153 -

excluding VAT

ENGINE: 2.5-litre turbodiesel

(99bhp) / 3.0-litre turbodiesel

(129bhp)

PAYLOAD: 1,042kg - 1,135kg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES:

Driver and passenger airbags,

side impact protection door

beams, ABS with EBD, front seat-

belt pretensioners.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

VEHICLE: Mercedes-Benz

Sprinter CDI Range

ENGINES: 82, 109, 129 or

156bhp CDI Diesel / 143bhp

2.3-litre Petrol

WHEELBASE OPTIONS: 3,000,

3,550 and 4,025mm

GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHTS: 2.59,

2.8, 3.5, 4.6 tonnes.

AVAILABLE SAFETY FEATURES:

driver and passenger airbags,

windowbags, ASR with ABS.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CITROEN BERLINGO VAN RANGE

FORD TRANSIT CONNECT VAN RANGE

ISUZU RODEO PICK-UP RANGE

MERCEDES SPRINTER CDI VAN RANGE

8

on two wheelsour motorcycle & scooter round-upon two wheelsour motorcycle & scooter round-up

withGrahamMotuel

After the Dakar success

of the BMW F650RR

during 1999, it was an

obvious move by the

German manufacturer to

exploit this success by

offering this special 'lim-

ited edition' Dakar model

based loosely around the

normal F650 GS and the

F650RR itself. It's leaner

and meaner than before,

with obvious differences

between it and its sister,

the normal GS, including

a bigger 21-inch front

wheel (the GS has a 19-

inch wheel), a redesigned

front mudguard to allow

for this larger wheel and

longer suspension at both

ends. The height has been

raised to a nose bleeding

870mm, as compared to

780mm, plus there's a

longer wheelbase and

side stand as well as

wider handle bars.

On the road, the Dakar

holds its line well and

with the light clutch

(adjustable in three set-

tings for small hands like

mine) and responsive

power from the thumping

twin spark single cylinder

Rotax engine, it's a quick

machine in its lower

gears, as you would

expect. Whether in town

or out on the country

lanes, the machine feels

quick and safe and you

can safely see for miles,

being higher up than any

normal two wheeled

transport, while being

protected by the standard

high screen. The quoted

top speed of 104mph is

not where this type of

machine likes to spend its

spare time.

Hand guards are a stan-

dard feature now of the

Dakar but other optional

extras available such as

heated grips and hazard

flashers would make a lot

of sense for this sort of

bike and luckily our

machine had these all fit-

ted. The fuel tank is situ-

ated under the seat to help

keep the centre of gravity

low. Putting it there obvi-

ously cuts into underseat

storage space, but there's

still enough space here

and behind the pillion

seat to carry a toolkit,

manuals, some minor bits

and bobs and the odd

cheese sandwich.

It's when you take a clos-

er look at the enhance-

ments made by BMW to

the whole GS range for

2005 that you can see

why the model is still

with us. A major innova-

tive is the introduction of

dual ignition on all sin-

gle-cylinder F650 vari-

ants in accordance with

future emission standard

and regulations. The

introduction of dual igni-

tion comes together with

a new system of engine

management, BMS-C II

(BMW Motor System).

Indeed the new figures

quoted over the previous

line up are between six

percent (88.3 mpg at a

steady 90km/h) and 14

percent (65.7 mpg at a

steady 120km/h) up.

But it's off road where the

Dakar shows its real thirst

for adventure. The kind,

forgiving commuter

machine I earlier took

through roadworks in the

rush hour turns into a

kind, forgiving off road

beast egging you on to

find the muddiest, deep-

est wet clay on the field.

It's obvious that with the

extra differences over the

normal GS, the Dakar

makes a great package for

someone who likes to

tour, commute or just get

dirty now and again. Add

to that the 6,000 mile

service intervals, a range

of around 200 miles and a

price of only £5,510 and

it's no surprise the model

is still with us.

NEW MOTORBIKE ROAD TEST

BMW FF650 GGS-DakarA wwild rride

I've aalways wwondered wwhat ''off rroad' bbikes wwere aabout. TThey hhave llots

of bbits aand bbobs bbolted tto tthem wwhich mmake tthem llook qquite

different ffrom tthe nnormal ''get yyour kknee ddown' mmachine II'm uused tto

seeing aat bbike mmeets oon aa SSunday. OOr iindeed, eeven tthe ttype oof

machine II nnormally ssaddle mmyself oonto.

BMW's FF650 GGS DDakar OOffers AA WWild RRide. GGraham MMotuel TTries IIt

For SSize….

Fast LLane MMotorcycles

This month, Fast Lane has an even more comprehen-

sive stock of secondhand bikes than usual. From 50 cc

learners to 1000 cc sports bikes, you'll find they've

just what you're looking for. The company also keeps

some cheaper bikes and some off-road bikes as well

as selling new 50-125 cc scooters and trail bikes. Fast

Lane is an independent dealer based in Tonbridge,

Kent, just off the M25 - Junction 5. They've been

established for over 12 years with primarily the same

key staff, so they know the ropes, their business and

their bikes. Their aim is to be recognised for providing

a quality and personal service to all their customers,

both in the showroom and in our workshops. They

aren't silly: they know this keeps them coming back!

Sturdey MMotorcycles

Looking for a high part exchange allowance on your old

bike? Sturdey Motorcycles are, this month, offering

particularly high valuations, whatever your chosen ride.

Sturdey has been a Solus Suzuki Dealer since the busi-

ness was established by Mike and Dave Sturdey in

1976. The dealership is still family operated with

Suzuki expertise since 1976 and their modern show-

room houses the full Suzuki model range. They of

course offer competitive finance facilities and the low-

est retail prices. In fact, due to low overheads, Sturdey

regularly undercuts the national motorcycle groups.

You'll find them at 94c Shipbourne Rd in Tonbridge.

David SShave MMopeds

Looking to spice up your moped? Then take a trip to

the experts at David Shave in Sevenoaks. They supply

performance goodies for most makes and models of

mopeds, with Metrakit tuning and Derbi systems in

stock. They sell imported scooters at unbelievable

prices. Their Jinlun 50cc and 125cc models in particu-

lar, have to be seen to be believed...

DEALER ROUND-UP

"Fitted with

knobbly Enduro

tyres, the

Dakar looks

raring to go off

road…."

A Danish man took his

deceased father on a motor-

bike ride as a way of paying

his last respects. The son, who

sneaked the corpse out of the

hospital, drove around for

several hours before anyone

noticed the pale looking

passenger on the back.

PALE

RIDER

10

11

Kent Caravans

caravans and motorhomescaravans and motorhomesby

SteveGhosley

CARAVAN TEST

ElddisCrusaderSuperSirocco2005Elegant yet Practical The BBasics

Based oon FFiat's ppopular DDucato vvan, AAuto-

Trail's AApache rrange cconsists oof ffour mmodels.

Here wwe ttake aa llook aat tthe AApache 6670, aa

two-bberth mmodel tthat ooffers aacres oof sspace

for ffour ooccupants.

First IImpressions

With the Apache 670 being based on a low-line van

chassis you'll find it easy to step up into this

motorhome. The 670's external appearance is unfussy

with a neat coachline decal adorning the side of the

vehicle.

Practicalities

The Apache 670 is built to appeal to UK buyers' tastes

with the main door located on the nearside. The

Apache 670's wardrobe has a hanging drop that's tall

enough to prevent clothes dangling on the floor. Auto-

Trail have inserted the wardrobe into the rear garage.

Living CConditions

Auto-Trail's Apache 670 model includes a comfort-

able lounge with inward-facing seats. It's designed so

that everyone can easily see the TV. It's organised and

one of the better motorhome lounges available.

Cooking, SSleeping aand WWashing

At first glance there appears not to be a great deal of

workspace in the kitchen. You'll also think that storage

facilities in the kitchen are in rather short supply.

However, after you have released a catch which

allows the food cupboard to be pulled out, the kitchen

then converts into an L-shape which features a sizable

work top.

Overall

To sum up, the Auto-Trail Apache 670 is an excellent

motorhome that's well-constructed, attractive and

practical to use. What's more, it's competitively-priced

and deserves to be up there with the front running

models in its class.

MOTORHOME TEST

Auto TTrailApache 6670Rounding up an Apache

MOTORHOME: Auto-Trail Apache 670

PRICE: £37,000 inc SE Pack (Recessed

Awning/Exterior hot and cold shower/Electric

step) See manufacturer for full details

BASED OON: Fiat Ducato with 2.8-litre JTD

diesel-turbo engine

USER PPAYLOAD: 840kg MTPLM : 3850kg

BERTHS: 2

WILL IIT FFIT OON YYOUR DDRIVEWAY?: Length

6.80m/ Width 2.24m/ Height 2.79m

WHO TTO SSEE?: Auto-Trail VR Ltd, Trigano

House, Genesis Way, Grimsby, North East

Lincolnshire, DN37 9TU. Tel: 01472 571000

Website: www.auto-trail.co.uk

FACTS AT A GLANCE

The BBasicsThe EElddis CCrusader SSuper SSirocco iis aa llarge

twin-aaxled ttourer iideal ffor ffour aadults aand,

being ppart oof tthe EElddis ttop-eend rrange, iit

affords uunbridled lluxury aand ffeatures tthat

make aa mmodern ccaravan aa ddelight.

First IImpressions

What is most striking on entering the Elddis Crusader

Super Sirocco is just how big it feels inside.

Compared to other four-berths, for space and accom-

modation this caravan is up there with the very best.

Practicalities

The Crusader Super Sirocco comes with optional

alloy wheels and the advanced Swing V-Tec axle-

chassis system from BPW. This is one of the very best

in the industry providing reliability and stability over

extended periods and a variety of terrains.

Living CConditions

The elegance and quality of the Super Sirocco’s living

accommodation creates a relaxing and welcoming

environment. The double-axled versions of the

Crusader range feature their own exclusive Bekaert

‘M’ check fabric.

Cooking, SSleeping aand WWashing

The kitchen facilities of the Crusader Super Sirocco

cater for all requirements. The standard features

include a Dometic RM7291 90-litre power fridge,

microwave oven, Spinflo Midi 2 self-illuminated oven

and four-burner hob unit, sink and drainer.

Overall

The Elddis Crusader Super Sirocco is an impressive

twin-axle touring caravan. Its greatest appeal is luxu-

rious appointment and practical layout.

CARAVAN: Elddis Crusader Super Sirocco

PRICE: £16,795

USER PPAYLOAD: 276 kg

MTPLM: 1875 kg

BERTHS: 4

WILL IIT FFIT OON YYOUR DDRIVEWAY?: Length

7..00m / Width 2.29m /Height 2.60m

WHO TTO SSEE?: Elddis, The Explorer Group Ltd,

Explorer House, Delves Lane, Consett, County

Durham, DH8 7PE Tel: (01207) 699000

Website www.explorer-group.co.uk

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Kent CaravansThe area's largest selection of new and used caravans.

165 Tonbridge Road, Tonbridge Kent01892-765432www.kentcaravans.co.uk

We specialise in Bailey,Bessacar, Ace, Compass andElddis models but can sourcejust about any caravan new orused for you.

Find us just off the A24 inTonbridge.

Kent Caravans

Break Free with aDavis Motorhome

Choose from Autosleeper, Cusona,Burstner, Avondale and Autotrail models.Low rate finance and 0% deposit termsavailable on many models.Let us get you on the road to a moreexciting lifestyle.We're on the A21 near Sevenoaks.

167 Sevenoaks Way, Sevenoaks, Kent Tel:01732-987654www.davismotorhomes.org.uk

Davis Motorhomes

new car woman’s viewnew car woman’s viewdriven

for ffamiliesby HHannah

Rainford

Customer View"I've owned my BMW

3 Series Touring

since 2003 and I'll

definitely be looking

at this one. My local

dealer, Cooper BMW

in Tunbridge Wells,

contacted me a few

weeks ago encourag-

ing me to drive the

car and I accepted.

My first impression

was that the interior

quality was much

improved and the car

handled even better.

My 5 year old son

Jake likes all the

switches and gadg-

ets and my 10 year

old daughter Lucy

loves the fact that

there's a power jack

in the back for her

Nintendo."

Amy HHanson -

Tonbridge

Dealer View"The 3 Series Touring

is an important car

for us. Its always

been one of the

strongest sellers in

the 3 Series range

and with even better

quality, more equip-

ment, better han-

dling but most impor-

tantly, that great

BMW build quality,

it's better placed

than ever to steal

sales from prestige

rivals. We have many

customers now ready

to move up into this

car and other waiting

until a wider range of

engine options are

available. There's

great competition in

this sector, the

appeal of the Touring

remains strong"

Peter DDallibar

General SSales

Manager

A WWoman's VView -

Would IIt SSuit MMe?

'A hatchback with a

backpack' was how I

described the last gener-

ation BMW 3 Series

Touring - and not a lot

has changed with the

current generation

model.

That doesn't mean to say

it isn't even more desir-

able. Or indeed, that it

isn't ever so slightly

more practical. Both

observations are true but

they don’t influence my

reasons for wanting one.

And yes, I would like

one thankyou very much.

The PPracticalities

The practical advantages

of the 3 Series Touring

and its ilk over their

saloon counterparts only

really make themselves

felt when there are less

than four people in the

car. You get a 460-litre

void back there to fill

with the paraphernalia of

your choice and that

doesn't compare at all

favourably with the 460-

litres you get in the

saloon version for

£1,180 less. Fold the rear

seats down, however,

and the available space

mushrooms up to a mas-

sive 1,385 litres. You

could hold a wedding

reception in there.

Alright, I lied. I liked the

60:40 split-folding seats

as they open up the pos-

sibility of seating a pas-

senger in the back while

still maximising the

available loadspace. And

there are other practical

features included in the

package as well. Most

notable is the split tail-

gate which opens up two

different cargo access

options by opening up in

two sections. You can

simply lift the standard

tailgate to get at whatev-

er you've got inside or

release the rear window

hatch which flips up to

reveal a smaller aperture.

In a supermarket carpark

during my test, I

reversed up to close to

something and found

that there was no space

to let the full tailgate

swing upwards. No prob-

lem in this case: the inset

hatch allowed smaller

items like shopping bags

to be dropped inside.

Behind tthe WWheel

A version of the contro-

versial iDrive control

system is carried into

this car from the larger 5

and 7 Series models.

BMW offer a typically

formidable range of

powerplants for 3 Series

Touring buyers. There's

not a dullard amongst

them. If petrol is your

preference, there's the

150bhp 320i, the 215bhp

325i or the 258bhp 330i

but If you're after an

estate for its family-car-

rying credentials, the

economical diesel option

may be hard to resist.

The 320d is likely to

account for most of

sales. With 163bhp and

more torque than any of

the petrol contingent, it

can hit 60mph in 8.6s

and it still returns an

average of 47.9mpg. It's

astonishing stuff but

we've come to expect it

from BMW and the 330d

is more impressive still.

Value ffor MMoney

As usual with BMW, it

depends on how you

look at it. At £23,040 for

the 320i model, it’s a lot

of money - but then,

you'll get much of it back

when you sell. Audi's A4

Avant is slightly cheaper

while Mercedes' C-class

estate will cost more.

Could II LLive WWith

One?

I could. The 3 Series

Touring is about the right

size for me. I don't really

need an estate but like

the idea of one.

Style ttakes pprecedence oover sspace iin BBMW's 33

Series TTouring bbut HHannah RRainford sstill ffinds iit

surprisingly ppractical….

BMW 33 SSeries TTouringEstate oofthe aart?

Cooper Tunbridge Wells BMWFirst for BMW in KentAlways the widest range of new and used BMW models.Plus the area's largest fleet of demonstrators, including of course the new 3 Series Touring.Drop by and see us at our showrooms on St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells.Or call us on 01892-223344

www.coopertunbridgewellsbmw.co.uk

The Ultimate Driving Machine

Customer View

"I've already owned

two M-class models,

so had my name

down at an early

stage when they

announced that

M e r c e d e s - B e n z

were developing a

new version. Since I

took delivery of this

new one, I've been

impressed. It looks

sharper and now out-

handles the BMW X5

and Range Rover

rivals that a number

of my friends drive.

I'm told it's better off

road too but I'm not

going to risk

£50,000-worth of

car on anything too

taxing!"

John SStretton -

Tonbridge

new car road test

driven-first for new carsdriven-first for new carsTHE

DEFINITIVEVIEW

by AAndy EEnright

Mercedes-BBenz MM-CClass Range

MasterclassCast your mind back to

the spring of 1998 and

just about the coolest set

of wheels you could be

seen in was a Mercedes

M-Class. Unfortunately

for Mercedes, the M-

Class was then eclipsed

by a number of rivals.

Unaccustomed to being

schooled in quite such a

manner, Mercedes have

brought us a second gen-

eration M-Class. Bigger,

sleeker, more powerful

and better built than

before, this would appear

to be the car the M-Class

always should have been.

The best buy in the old

M-Class line up was

always the entry-level

£39,465 ML270CDI, so

Mercedes expect a high

take-up on the ML 320

CDI. This features a V6

third-generation common

rail unit that's good for

224bhp and 510Nm of

torque. To put this

engine's muscle into per-

spective, BMW's X5

3.0d, previously thought

of as the industry stan-

dard unit in this price

bracket, can't match the

Mercedes. Advantage

Stuttgart.

The two initial petrol

engines are a little more

familiar. The 272bhp

ML350 opens proceed-

ings at £39,460 and the

ultimate M-Class - at

least until AMG get their

hands on the car - is the

306bhp ML500, priced at

£49,925. A potent ML63

AMG model will debut in

the Spring of 2006, about

the same time as we'll see

an additional diesel vari-

ant, the 190bhp ML280

CDI, a vehicle that fea-

tures a hefty peak torque

figure of 440Nm and

which will average

30mpg.

For all the talk of slick

styling and more power,

the single biggest change

that will transform the M-

Class' chances is the

improved quality of the

interior.

Dealer View"We expected a lot

from the new genera-

tion M-Class and

we‘re not disappoint-

ed. It takes

Mercedes to the top

of the luxury 4x4 seg-

ment, no question.

The sharper looks

and more involving

driving experience

on offer will allow us

to steal sales from

other marques. And,

when you look at the

likely strong residu-

als and competitive

pricing, the car will

be affordable to run."

Richard WWheeler -

General MManager -

Mercedes-BBenz oof

Tonbridge

The MMercedes MM-CClass IIs BBack - OOnly TThis TTime IIt's BBigger AAnd

Beefier TThan EEver. AAndy EEnright RReports

CAR: Mercedes M-class range

PRICES: £39,460-£49,925 - on

the road

INSURANCE GGROUPS: 17-19 [est]

CO2 EEMISSIONS: tba g/km

PERFORMANCE: [ML320 CDI] 0-

60mph 9.4s / Max Speed 130mph

FUEL CCONSUMPTION: [ML 320

CDI] [urban] [combined] 30.1mpg

STANDARD SSAFETY FFEATURES:

Twin front, side and curtain airbags

/ ABS / ESP

WILL IIT FFIT IIN YYOUR GGARAGE?:

Length/Width/Height mm

4780/1911/1815

FACTS AT A GLANCE

new car road test

Mercedes-Benz of Tonbridge.Kent's finest Mercedes-Benz dealership and specialist for all M-Class models.

Come, see, drive and experience the new M-Class at our showrooms on Vale Rise in Tonbridge.

Alternatively, give us a call and we'll bring the car to you.0845-8508000 www.mercedesbenz.co.uk/tonbridge

used car model guideused car model guideUSED CCARS

byAndy EEnright

The HHistory

Launched to hysterical

public demand in April

2001, the MINI, through

clever marketing and

sound engineering, man-

aged to exceed expecta-

tions. In summer 2002

the Cooper S was slotted

in at the top of the range,

a supercharged 163bhp

version with enough per-

formance to answer the

one criticism many

observers harboured

about the MINI - that it

was fun but not quite fast

enough. With a CVT

gearbox introduced and a

75bhp 1.4-litre diesel

version available, the

MINI's star shows no

sign of waning just yet.

The first Mini convert-

ibles were sold in time

for summer 2004 and at

around the same time the

rest of the range was

given a mild facelift.

Clear lens headlamps

appeared at the front and

the rear light clusters

were restyled to incorpo-

rate the reversing lights

What YYou PPay

The first MINI One vari-

ants are currently chang-

ing hands from around

£9,500 with £11,000

being the level where

Coopers kick off. Cooper

S models are still

exceedingly thin on the

ground and if you can

find one for anything

less than £15,500, it can

be considered a good

deal. Salt, Pepper and

Chilli options packs add

around £150 to the value

of a MINI.

What YYou GGet

Despite its unashamedly

retro appeal, the MINI

has some reassuringly

modern foundations.

Clamber underneath and

you'll spot BMW's Z-

axle multi-link rear sus-

pension. There's a wrap-

around glasshouse effect

with glazed in side pil-

lars featuring fully flush

panes. This creates a

'floating-roof' effect

which can be empha-

sised by the Cooper's

options of having the

roof painted in black or

white.

What TTo LLook FFor

Practically all MINI

owners paid the extra

£100 for the five-year

'TLC' servicing option,

and as such your

prospective purchase

will probably have had

some main dealer atten-

tion. Apart from a recall

to modify some car's fuel

filler necks, many own-

ers have seen more of the

service bay than they

expected. Many owners

reported that the ball

races at the top pivot

points of their front sus-

pension struts were lack-

ing caps. This seemed to

be the cause of left pull

on some models, recti-

fied by fitting new struts.

Overall

If you can accept the fact

that your MINI may

cause a few adventures,

then there's no reason

why you shouldn't dip

into this still rather

volatile market. The

Cooper probably repre-

sents the best and there

are now a few about..

Customer View

Mandy BBarnes -

Tonbridge

"I love my MINI -

always have. Mine's

a Convertible Cooper

S which I bought as

an ex-demonstrator.

I've now done

11,000 miles in it.

People still stare and

even though there

are plenty on the

roads, nothing looks

quite the same.

Nothing's gone

wrong with my car

apart from a sticking

window motor which

my local dealer,

Cooper in Tunbridge

Wells, fixed. I'm look-

ing at their used

stock to try and trade

up to a Convertible

automatic next time."

Dealer View"MINIs have been

more successful

than we could have

imagined, but it's

only in the last year

that stocks have

been sufficient for

sales of used MINIs

to take off. The Cher-

ished programme

has certainly encour-

aged people who

wouldn’t consider

buying a used car.

We have very few

problems with MINIs:

this is a marque you

can buy with confi-

dence."

Peter DDallibar

General SSales

Manager - CCooper

Tunbridge WWells

MINI (2001- tto ddate)

A Mini Adventure

driven-first for used cars

Say wwhat yyou llike aabout BBMW's MMINI bbut yyou ccan't ddeny tthat iits bbeen aa hhuge

success. TTo bbegin wwith, tthe ffirst mmodels ssuffered hhardly aany ddepreciation aat

all, bbut tthat's nnow cchanging aand aan eearly uused eexample iis sstarting tto llook

attractive ffor bbuyers oon aa bbudget llooking ffor aa sstylish ssmall ccar.

driven-first for used cars

Cooper Tunbridge WellsThe First Place to begin yourMINI Adventure!We sell and service only the very best new andused MINIsWe have the area's largest selection of usedMINI models, all covered by the Cherished UsedCar Scheme

Drop by and see us at 39 St Johns Road in Tunbridge Wellsor call us on 01892-506506

www.Mini.co.uk/tunbridgewells

17

classic carsclassic carswith

Dave KKing

Supercar Classics stock vehicles that take motoring

back to basics, cars with style and panache, vehicles

that are a touch out of the ordinary. If you enjoy driv-

ing and getting a great deal on your new cars, this is

the place to go.

Supercar Classics is based in Unit 49, Coalbrookdale

Road, Clay Hill Industrial Park, a modest location

where they can keep things simple - quality cars,

friendly, expert service and very impressive prices.

What more could you ask for?

Supercar Classics is owned and operated by Colin

Offley who started the business a little over a year

ago. He uses his extensive industry contacts, which

he's built up over a long career in the motor trade, to

source the best examples, both new and used, for

Supercar Classics Customers.

Visit the premises, either in person or online at

www.supercarclassics.com, and you'll find a great

range of Mazda MX5s as well as Austin Healeys,

classic MG's and Triumphs to name but a few. Don't

take things at face value, however, if your preferred

model isn't on display, have a chat with Colin, there's

a good chance he'll be able to source one for you.

Supercar CClassics

Legends Racing also have extensive experience in

maintaining and servicing all types of classic vehicles.

Whether it is for road or racecar preparation they have

the skills and experience to ensure that your car

receives the very best of care and attention. As they

have experience with running pre and post war grand

prix, GT, 50's and 60's sports cars, they can prepare

and run a car for every occasion, whether it be circuit

racing, or relaxing tours of Europe.

Legends Transport can offer vehicle transportation

services throughout the UK and Europe. Their servic-

es include fully covered racecar transportation to and

from the circuit either in the UK or Europe. Similarly,

if you require your car to be transported to an auction

then Legends Racing will be happy to oblige.

If you require your car to be stored then Legends have

the facilities and expertise to ensure that your prized

possession is safe and secure.

Due to demand and Legends Racing's own uncompro-

mising standards, they have expanded their services to

include their own in-house fabrication department.

They can fabricate aluminium fuel tanks, water, oil,

and engine breather tanks all to a very high specifica-

tion and standard.

They also make to special order aircraft certificated

wishbones as well as suspension components. They

have their own in-house racing exhaust (tuned length)

fabrication department making one off exhaust mani-

folds and complete systems for all marque racing and

road cars.

Legends Racing are happy to inspect cars on your

behalf anywhere in Europe.So, if you own a classic

vehicle or historic racing car, Legends Racing offer a

detailed and comprehensive service that is second to

none. Friendly and professional service ensures that

both you and your vehicle receive the very best care

and attention. You can find Legends Racing at

Bourton on the Water Industrial Park, Bourton on the

Water, Cheltenham or for more information about

their huge range of services, telephone (01451)

821611. You can also visit their website at

www.legendsracing.co.uk.

Legends RRacingFor ffriendly aandprofessional sservice

FROM tthe mmoment yyou hhear tthe

name SSupercar CClassics, yyou gget

an iinkling oof wwhat tthe ffirm aare

about. CClassic, ssports aand

performance ccars iis tthe nname oof

their ggame, tthe ssort oof vvehicles

that tturn hheads aand rraise

eyebrows. SSupercar CClassics

stock aa ssmall rrange oof tthese

models, ooffered ffor ssale aat pprices

that ppromote aa ffast sstock

turnover aand hhave aan eenviable

reputation aamongst llocal

motorists.

Legends RRacing aare

dedicated tto ppro-

viding ccompetitors

and ccollectors oof

historic ccars tthe

complete oone-sstop-

shop ffor aall ttheir

motoring nneeds. TThey

have eexperience iin

historic mmotor rracing

and ccan pprovide tthe

total ppackage ffor

anyone wwishing tto

race tthese eexciting,

nostalgic vvehicles.

Legends have extensive experience in International historic motorracing, Legends have the complete service available for both competitor and collector.Having experience inside and outside the cockpit, we are able toassist our clients to success on and off the track.Championship winners past and present shows our commitment toour service.We are here to help our current and future clients toenjoy all their motoring needs.

Preparation and Sales of Sports,Competition and Collector’s Motor Cars

Sales, Servicing and Parts.Visit us at Bourton on the Water Industrial Park In Cheltenham or call us on 01451-821611www.legendsracing.co.uk

LegendsRacing

Supercar ClassicsKent's finest choice of classic and vintage cars

Visit our showrooms on Coalbrookdale Road on the Clayhill

Industrial Park in Tonbridge or call us on 01892-875421

www.supercarclassics.org.uk

Supercar Classics

18

used car focuswith

Steve WWalker

The MMarket

The cars we're consider-

ing here are those that fall

directly into the recog-

nised Supermini sector:

in other words, Ford

Fiestas, Vauxhall Corsas

and the like. We won't be

looking at the smaller

sub-Supermini 'Citycar'

alternatives - cars like the

Ford Ka or the VW Lupo

- though you may want

to. If you do, bear in mind

that models like these -

though they may be great

in the urban jungle - are

severely compromised in

terms of passenger and

luggage space, not are

they really designed for

longer journeys. They

don't come with five

doors either.

Cheap && CCheerful

There's huge choice at

whatever level you're

buying into the

Supermini market of

course - but nowhere

more than here. We've

picked out the first MK1

version of Vauxhall's

popular Corsa as a strong

buy, purely because it's

well built and there are so

many from which to

choose. A newer-feeling

choice for similar money

could be Ford's post '95

Fiesta, a big improve-

ment on the version it

replaced and great to

drive if you can stretch to

one of the 16-valve

engine versions. Other

good alternatives include

a post '94 VW Polo and

Rover's post '95 200.

Affordable MMid-

Rangers

Older choices would

include first examples of

the post '88 MK2 Renault

Clio or original Peugeot

206s - or you could go for

something less main-

stream like a Rover 25, a

Daewoo Lanos or a

Honda Logo. It's the new

Superminis that have

really moved the sector

forward however.

Outstanding cars like the

Skoda Fabia, the Toyota

Yaris and even the post

'00 Fiat Punto are highly

recommended and you

could also consider alter-

natives like the post '88

VW Polo or Daihatsu's

under-rated Sirion.

Other good alternatives

include a post '94 VW

Polo and Rover's post '95

200.

Desirable BBut

Potentially PPricey

Resolutely modernist

designs like Nissan's

Micra are now the flavour

du jour in this part of the

market and the level of

interior quality and fea-

tures built in has taken a

massive hike. Take a

drive in a late Skoda

Fabia, Volkswagen Polo

or SEAT Ibiza and you'll

find fit and finish that

five years ago was the

preserve of the executive

class.

The Ford Fiesta (post 02)

has proved very popular

and a number of used

examples are now start-

ing to enter the system

and if you want some-

thing lightly used but

with an affordable price

tag you should be able to

track down low mileage

examples of Honda's

ingenious Jazz and the

MINI.

What TTo LLook FFor

Though all but the later

examples of these cars

are fairly simply engi-

neered, the types of lives

they will have led require

some caution on the part

of the buyer. Stop-start

city motoring will have

placed plenty of strain on

the clutch, the brakes and

the suspension and there

will be plenty of carefully

concealed parking

scrapes on older cars.

Tough family use may

well have led to scruffy

interiors and loose fit-

tings, so go through the

cabin with a fine tooth-

comb. Keep a lookout for

things like shiny steering

wheel rims and gear

knobs, plus sagging seats:

all indicate a high

mileage which may not

be honestly reflected in

the odometer. Try and go

for the plusher models, if

for no other reason than

they may well be fitted

with features like power

steering and central lock-

ing. Electric windows

however, can be a source

of problems: if the motor

works very slowly, then

it's on its way out. Diesels

are a good buy, but tend

to be crude, noisy and

very slow. Otherwise,

there’s not too much to

worry about. Ensure the

car has a service history-

take out an AA or RAC

check for peace of mind.

Every Network Q vehicle carries a comprehen-

sive twelve-month mechanical and electrical

component warranty. This covers parts and

labour costs incurred by the failure of any major

mechanical or electrical component.

The Network Q guarantee covers wear and

tear - brake pads and shoes, battery and clutch

for the full 12-month period.

There's free MoT insurance on all cars sold

which need an MoT within twelve months of

their sale date.

Not only will Vauxhall's Network Q dealer-

ships stock a wide selection of Vauxhall cars,

they'll also stock all makes.

All buyers get a delivery handover check and

'Delivery Package' complete with a Network Q

Owner Handbook. There is also an ownership

promise certificate which holds Network Q

retailers directly accountable too the customer

for mileage, finance and vehicle history and

write-off checks, or your money back.

All cars undergo a thorough 114-point check,

covering almost every conceivable working

function. Plus, if the car develops a fault the

dealer cannot repair, there's a 30-day (or

1,000-mile) exchange pledge, which also

applies to any replacement car. This service is

open to every Network Q owner and is free of

charge.

In the unlikely event of a breakdown, there's

complete peace of mind, including car rental,

towing-in costs and other out-of-pocket expens-

es. This lasts one year and includes home,

roadside and relay assistance, plus an excellent

accident man-

agement serv-

ice that will

see Network Q

dealing with

repair and

insurance has-

sles on your

behalf.

"We deal with an awful

lot of used superminis

here. Fiesta, Polos,

Clios, Micras and all

kinds of other small

cars pass through our

hands regularly. I'd be

surprised if there was a

dealership in this area

that has as much experi-

ence as we have in deal-

ing with this class.

Of course, being a

Vauxhall dealer, we're

mostly dealing with

Corsas - and we've

always a wide selection

of 20 examples on

show. We've also a fair

selection of Agilas and

Astras for those want-

ing something either a

little smaller or much

bigger. As far as Corsas

go, it's true to say that

we could find just about

any Corsa derivative

from any year, given a

few days. We don't just

try and sell the cus-

tomer what we've got -

like some other dealers

do.

As far as the Corsas

we've currently got in

stock go, prices start at

around £3,200 for a

2000 X plate 1.0-litre 3-

door Expression, with

the Club model little

different. For another

couple of hundred

pounds it's worth seek-

ing out a 1.2-litre Club

on a 2000 X plate. The

1.2-litre Easytronic in

three-door Comfort

guise starts at £4,000

and is a good choice if

you plan on a lot of

urban stuff. A range-

topping 1.2i Elegance

5-door with air-condi-

tioning retails at around

£4.500 on a 2001 X

plate. The 1.4i models

possess a useful addi-

tional zip, and a sporty

SRi variant starts at

£4,600 on a 2000 X

plate, with a 2001 X

plated five-door version

commanding an extra

£500. Diesels start at

£4,100 for a 2001X

GLS, with a similar

Elegance 5-door with

air-conditioning at

around £4,700.

The car itself is pretty

bullet-proof. Engines

were never really a

Corsa problem - not in

lower order models

anyway. The three

cylinder 1.0-litre 12

valve unit is a jewel: so

is the 1.2-litre unit that

50% of customers

choose. There wasn't

much wrong with the

89 bhp 1.4-litre 16v

motor from the Astra.

The latest Corsa is a

huge step forward from

its predecessor. Thanks

to a huge wheelbase,

the little Vauxhall has

as much space as com-

petitors like the Punto

and Fabia. Three inches

of extra shoulder width

make all the difference

in creating a car that

feels large enough to be

from the next class up."

Dave Baird - Used Car

Sales Manager -

Caffyns of Tonbridge

"Network Q has revolutionised the way we sell used cars in the

Vauxhall network - no question. People used to see the pur-

chase of a used car - even from a Vauxhall dealer like us - as

a bit of a gamble: no longer. They feel they can trust Network

Q. And with good reason too. We spend a lot of time preparing

our cars for sale and it's rare to get problems. That's down to

weeding out problem cars early on and selecting only the very

best to be put through the rigorous 114-point check."

Peter SSmith - GGeneral SSales MManager - CCaffyns oof TTonbridge

Used Car Franchise Report

NETWORK Q

Used Car Franchise Report

THE DEALER’S VIEW

Used ccar ccategory -Superminis

Cheap && CCheerful

[Older] Vauxhall Corsa 1.4i

Merit - £1,800-£2,300 (P to R-

plate)

[Newer] Ford Fiesta 1.25

Zetec - £2,600-£3,400 (V to X-

plate)

Affordable MMid-RRangers

[Older] Renault Clio 1.2 16v

Sport - £3,300-£4,000 (X to Y-

plate)

[Newer] Toyota Yaris 1.3 16v

CDX - £4,300-£6,500 (V to 02-

plate)

Desirable - BBut PPotentially

Pricey

[Older] Audi A2 1.4SE -

£7,000-£7,800 (X to Y-plate)

[Newer] MINI One - £8,200-

£8,800 (Y to 51-plate)

Superminis -the dealer’s view

Used Superminis

WHAT TO PAY -EXAMPLES

CHIC OON TTHE CCHEAP

Looking ffor aan aaffordable uused ssupermini bbut

don't kknow wwhere tto sstart? YYou've rreached tthe

right ppage. SSteve WWalker iis yyour gguide…

20

Would you rather buy a used car from a

man with a sense of humour than a

sour-faced miserly individual? If the

answer is yes, you might be reaching

for your wallet on sight of this classic

advert which appeared in the Auto

Trader: 1993 TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN

TURBO AERO TOP (G2). 1993, very

rare, every toy, leather, mini disc, cli-

mate, traction, cruise, 18in alloys,

brand new tyres, priv/plate (SUP), 0-

60 in 5, 160+ mph, awesome, girl-

friend forgot to take pill, gutted.

£14,250. (Bucks). Sad tale, but before

you rush out to take advantage of this

broken-hearted fellow, you should

know that the car was sold soon after

this comic advert was published,

received national press coverage and

was spirited round the world on the

Internet. It seems good news travels

fast, depending on how you look at it.

An Ad

from

a Cad

21

dealer of the weekdealer of the weekby DDave KKing

* TThe DDealership

Any used car dealership

worth its salt wants its

name to be associated

with quality, good value

and great customer serv-

ice. The Quality Car

Company in Tonbridge

claims to offer all these

things and I was pleasant-

ly surprised to find that

this turns out to be a busi-

ness capable of delivering

on those promises. Drive

on to the forecourt on

Priory Road in Tonbridge

and it's the display of

exotic sportscars that

tends to grab your atten-

tion, which presumably is

the idea. However, this is

a company that can also

sell you anything from a

supermini to a citycar,

from a 4x4 to an estate

and from an MPV to a

medium range saloon.

Overall, when it comes to

used cars, it's extremely

hard to imagine finding a

wider choice of quality

vehicles and all are sold

at sensible, value for

money prices.

* TTheir HHistory

The Quality Car

Company was founded

by current Directors John

Embury and Adrian

Wilding back in 1994.

The two of them started

with a small site on the

other side of Tonbridge

and quickly established a

reputation for quality cars

and honest pricing. In

only three years, the busi-

ness was large enough to

move to the current pala-

tial premises on Priory

Road - and hasn't looked

back since.

* TTheir CCars

The dealership has creat-

ed a new sales area with-

in their used car opera-

tion. 'Adrian's Vehicle

Selection (named after

director Adrian Wilding)'

is where you'll find a fan-

tastic array of cars of all

types, models, sizes and

makes, with prices that

have been hugely

reduced. That doesn't

mean that they've not

been well-prepared. Far

from it - each and every

car undergoes a complete

multi-point inspection

and is then serviced with-

in the group's well-

equipped workshop.

These used cars are then

valeted from top to bot-

tom before sale.

* TThe PPeace OOf MMind

You CCan EExpect WWith

Purchase

That's not all because

every car that's included

in 'Adrian's Vehicle

Selection' is then sold

complete with a two-year

comprehensive warranty

which will offer you total

peace of mind, two-year's

free MOT and two-year's

free servicing. Where can

you find a better deal than

that? Answers on a post-

card please.

* SServicing &&

Maintenance FFacilities

There's a lot more in this

respect than you would

normally expect a non-

franchised dealership to

have. The fully equipped

workshop houses eight

fully manufacturer-

trained technicians, work-

ing with eight ramps

and ten workshop bays.

There's the latest diagnos-

tic equipment and a full

courtesy car facvility

should you need it.

Alternatively, the dealer-

ship runs a free collection

and delivery service. You

can call Service Manager

Dave Bradbury and his

team to find out more.

* WWhere TTo FFind TThem

It's easy. Priory Road is

just off Junction 16 of the

M20. Turn down the A27

towards Ashford at the

end of thew slip road,

drive for half a mile and

Priory Road is the second

on your right.

* OOverall

We were impressed that

every market sector is

covered, from the small-

est, cheapest runabout

right up to a prestige lux-

ury model or sports car. If

you're searching for a car

that's ideal for the family

you certainly won't be

disappointed. There's

everything from a five-

door hatchback, saloon or

estate to mini and full-

size MPV 'people-

movers' on site. As for the

choice of make you'll find

some superb examples

from both mainstream

and prestige manufactur-

ers available and remem-

ber that their asking

prices are extremely com-

petitive.

* HHow tto GGet iin

Contact

Drop into Priory Road in

Tonbridge or call the

sales team on (01892)

741000 to find out more.

Alternatively, log on to

www.qualitycarsales.co.uk

All aaround tthe KKent aarea, ppeople aare sstarting tto ttalk

about TThe QQuality CCar CCompany iin TTonbridge. AAt

least, ppeople llooking tto bbuy aa uused ccar aare aanyway.

Dave KKing hhas bbeen cchecking tthe pplace oout aas tthis

issue’s DDealer oof TThe WWeek.

The QQuality CCarCompany oof TTonbridgeFamilyFavourite

dealer round-updealer round-upLifestyle Ford in

Tonbridge have opened a

new bodyshop. The extra

facilities mean that turn-

around times on body

repairs have now been

halved. Cal 01732-

770000 for more infor-

mation

Hunt Garage Land

Rover now have the new

Range Rover Sport in

stock for immediate

delivery. They claim to

have a wider selection of

models for immediate

delivery than any other

dealer in the country. To

find out more, call them

on 01732-353637

Whitehouse Chrysler

Jeep have a new Sales

Director. Philip Jarrett

brings a wealth of experi-

ence to the post from a

range of other franchises.

"It's an exciting opportu-

nity with an exciting fran-

chise," he told us. Call

01892-779400 for more

information.

Undecided about buy-

ing a scooter? One of

your first points of call

should be Scooter Shed,

in Tunbridge Wells. Their

well stocked shop offers

the full range of Piaggio,

Vespa and Gilera scoot-

ers, plus a good stock of

used and demonstrators

too. They also stock a full

range of accessories

including clothing, locks,

covers, helmets and man-

ufacturer accessories.

Plus they've a dedicated

workshop for all your

servicing and repair

needs and are able to

offer a delivery service

too. Most new 50cc bikes

come with free third party

insurance or subsidised

tpft insurance for £249

for a sixteen year old.

Alternatively, Scooter

Shed can arrange compet-

itive insurance for you.

As you'd expect, they're

Licensed Credit Brokers,

so are able to arrange

credit, subject to status.

All new scooters are sup-

plied with a 24 month

warranty included in the

purchase price. Plus all

scooters over 50cc come

with 12 months break-

down recovery insurance.

Why buy a Scooter?

* It can be ridden on a

full UK car license (50cc)

if passed before Feb

2001.

* They're cheap and eco-

nomical to run - up to 135

miles per gallon.

* You can ride past traffic

queues - therefore

achieve shorter journey

times.

* They give you freedom

to park almost anywhere.

0353 320d ES Silver Grey, Anthracite Cloth 16k £17,995

01Y 320d SE Grey Green 74k £11,495

0303 330i Sport Auto Silver, Black Leather 18k £21,995

0404 318i SE Black Sapphire, Anthracite Cloth 9k £22,995

0303 318i SE Steel Blue, Anthracite Cloth 22k £15,995

0303 318i ES Steel Grey, Anthracite Cloth 12k £14,995

0252 318i SE Jet Black, Anthracite Cloth 15k £14,995

0303 325 Ci ConvAuto Steel Blue, Grey Leather 44k £23,995

0252 325 Ci Sport ConvAuto Slate Green, Blk Lthr, Sat Nav 14k £25,995

0454 330i Ci Coupe Sport Auto Silver, Black Leather – Bluetooth 5k £33,995

0454 325 Ci Coupe Sport Auto Silver, Black Leather 4k £31,995

0454 330 Ci Clubsport Auto Velvet Blue, Black Leather 7k £32,995

0252 330 Ci Clubsport Estoril Blue, Grey Leather 22k £22,995

0453 320 Cd Coupe – Black Sapphire, Black Leather 29k £23,495

0454 318i Ci ES Coupe Japan Red, Anthracite Cloth 4k £18,995

0454 M3 Coupe SMG Silver Grey, Imola Red Nappa Leather 4k £40,995

0303 M3 Coupe SMG Topaz Blue, Grey Leather 19" Wheels 29k £31,995

0303 M3 Coupe Carbon Black, Black Leather 19" Wheels 23k £31,995

0454 Z4 3.0i Sterling Grey, Black Leather 7k £31,995

0303 Z4 2.5i Silver, Black Leather 14k £21,995

0252 320td SEAutoCompact Silver 44k £14,495

0454 118d SE Silver, Anthracite Cloth 8k £19,995

0454 116i Silver, Anthracite Cloth 9k £15,995

0202 325Ci ConvAuto Black Sapphire, Black Leather 23k £23,995

The Quality Car Company of Tonbridge

Sales, Service and Repairs 01892 74100Priory Road, Tobridge. Showroom open Mon - Sat, 9am to 6pm.

Outstanding motorcars, Official Masserati dealers, personal service

22

FORD MONDEO

1.8 LX 199468 kk, 112mnths mmot, ttaxed ttill

June, ssunroof, EE/W,C/L,P/S,

burgundy, ggood rrunner

condition,

£895 onoTel 313803 or07947386379

FORD MMONEDO

1.8 LLX 11994

68 k, 12mnths mot, taxed till June,

sunroof, E/W,C/L,P/S, burgundy,

good runner cond.

£895 oono

Tel 3313803 oor 007947386379

FORD SSIERRA

1.8 LX Est (H) reg Silver, MoT Oct,

e/w, ect, immac cond throut, no

rust any trail

£575 oono

Tel 001995 6671787 T

FORD SSIERRA SAPPHIRE 11.8

1990 truly immac car. Only 2

owners, very well maintained, ffsr,

c/kl rad/cass, mot feb

£395

AGH MMotor SServices

Tel 7781008

HONDA CCONCERTO

1.6 GL, K months MoT, PAS, SR,

C/L, VCG

£950ono

Tel 001253 6625044

PEUGEOT 2205

GRD, diesel, 1986 159k, serv

history, exceptional, 5dr, 48-65mpg,

new tyres, facelift stereo, tax/ MoT

£795

01253 7776292,

07762297047

PEUGEOT 3305 GGTX

taxed, mot, well maintained, mint

condition. Genuine reason for sale.

£450

Tel 001253 8884026.

RENALT SSAVANNAH

21 estate 1988, new tyres, battery

alternation, brakes, car stereo,

towbar, mot, tax till May, nice driver.

£350

Tel 001253 3312831

ROVER 2214 SSLI

1992, J Reg, 110 000 miles,Tax &

MoT 2 owners, good condition

£750 oono

Tel ((01253) 8828435

SKODA FFAVORIT

12 mnths mot, taxed. Good runner

£250

Tel 001253 8838512

VAUXHALL AASTRA 11400

Reliable, 3 mths mot 1 mth tax, low

ins group. White h reg. Require

quick sale

£550 oono

Tel: 001253 8893755

Mob 00776 66117481.

VAUXHALL AASTRA SSRI 11991

immaculate example, ffsr, c/l,e/w

alarmed immob, very well

maintained, real eye catcher in red,

full 12 month mot

£595

AGH MMotor sservices

Tel 7781008

VOLVO 3340 GGL 11.7, 11989

Extremely reliable, stereo, recent

exhaust, mot,very good cond in and

out, sound car, genuine sale,

£225,

Kirkham 001772 4493267

VOLVO 4440 11.8

Si June '92 J reg

One owner from new Full Volvo

Service History Radio/cass Taxed

and MoT Excellent Condition

£985

Tel 001253 7795421

ROVER 4414SLi

Mot'd til Nov,(H) good clean reliable

runner, e/w, e/m, c/locking,

tilt/slide sunroof

£750 oono

Tel 01253 854711

AUSTIN MMETRO SSTUDIO 22

F reg, 3 door saloon, alloys, 5

months Tax, 11 months MOT. Easy

first car.

£325ono

Tel 001253 3315500

CAVALIER CCDi

G reg, red,11 mths MoT, 5 mths

Tax,vgc in and out

£495 oono

Tel 3300541 oor 007715 0071214

CITROEN AAX 11.1

F Reg, 3dr, long MoT, Tax July ,

Excellent cond. tilt/slide sunroof

£295

Tel. ((01772) 6635529

CITROEN BBX 119

TGD Diesel estate 1991, long MoT,

pas, central locking, towbar, mot,

tax till May, nice driver.

£650 oono

Tel 001253 8851416

07714 6632848

FORD EEscort XXR3 ii

1998, F Reg, some history, lwd sus,

S/steel ex, Mot, Tax April

£595 oono

Tel ((01253) 6681681

FORD FFIESTA 11000 HH rreg

Only 38k, 11mths mot, tax, 2

previous owners, super little car.

£995.

Tel.01253 3310336.

FORD FFIESTA

1.1LX

K reg,5 D/R, white,S/R,mot til Feb

03, taxed til Nov 02, exce/ cond,

£995 oono

Tel 7768355.

FORD FFIESTA 11.4GHIA

auto J Reg, 69k FSH, E/W and sun

roof. 10 mths mot. 6 mhs tax.

immac cond

£895 oono.

Tel. 007789632500

FORD OOrion

K Reg, 85000 miles, 5dr,red Good

Condition, E/w,S/R,C/L

£650 oono

Tel. ((01253) 4406824.

G RREG FFORD FFIESTA

LX,in blue,fitted sun roof,

Stereo,clean inside and out,12

mths mot.

£595ono

Tel.079392 004774

METRO 11.4CD

1993 K REG, 70 mpg, Full Service

History. Excellent Condition, 12

months mot and tax, alarm

£750ono

Tel.01253 7734913

NISSAN PPRIMERA

1.6LS Estate (H) PAS

Long tax and mot, practical,

reliable, good condition.

£695ono

Tel.01254 6640017

PEUGEOT 2205 11.1

J Reg'd.1992 in white, 12months

mot. Taxed, very economical,

genuine 60,000 miles.

Ideal 11st CCar ££895ono

Tel. 001253 8827646

Renault5 11.2 TTL

G Reg, 6 months tax, immob. Just

serviced, £200 spent, clean, tidy

car in excellent condition.

£425 oono

Tel. 001253 8856841

ROVER 2220 GGTI

J Reg, FSH, 7 months mot, 1

months tax,lowered and alarmed,

average condition. Red

£695

Tel.01253 7712747

ROVER MMETRO CCLUBMAN

G Reg, 27,000 miles. Sun Roof.

Mint Cond. 6 months Tax. MOT Nov.

Only 2 owners

£700

Tel. 001253 8826120

SIERRA SSAPPHIRE 11.8

H Regd. 11 months MOT, tow-bar,

A1 condition, C/L E/W, any

inspection welcome

£595

Tel. 001253 7776748

SIERRA XXR 44I

H Regd, E/W, C/L, S/r, Src/cd, Pas,

90k, Mot July 02. Ex Runner

£650ono

Tel. 001253 3393038 aafter 66pm

Suzuki SSwift 11300 GGLX

5dr hatch, G reg. Very Econ.

Reliable, Red, low tax & ins. 12

months MOT

£475

Tel. ((01253) 7700591

UNIQUE MMINI

Mayfair auto. 1984, tax, mot, crom

kit, union jack roof, low mileage.

£770

Tel. 001253 6697996

FORD MMONEDO

1.8 LLX 11994

68 k, 12mnths mot, taxed till June,

sunroof, E/W,C/L,P/S, burgundy.

£895 oono

Tel 3313803 oor 007947386379

FORD SSIERRA

1.8 LX Est (H) reg Silver, MoT Oct,

e/w, ect, immac cond throut.

£575 oono

Tel 001995 6671787 T

FORD SSIERRA SAPPHIRE 11.8

1990 truly immac car. Only 2

owners, very well maintained, ffsr,

c/kl rad/cass, mot feb

£395

AGH MMotor SServices

Tel 7781008

HONDA CCONCERTO

1.6 GL, K months MoT, PAS, SR,

C/L, VCG

£950ono

Tel 001253 6625044

PEUGEOT 2205

GRD, diesel, 1986 159k, serv

history, exceptional, 5dr, 48-65mpg.

£795

01253 7776292,

PEUGEOT 3305 GGTX

taxed, mot, well maintained, mint

condition. Genuine reason for sale.

£450

Tel 001253 8884026.

RENALT SSAVANNAH

21 estate 1988, new tyres, battery

alternation, brakes, car stereo,

towbar, mot, tax till May, nice driver.

£350

Tel 001253 3312831

ROVER 2214 SSLI

1992, J Reg, 110 000 miles,Tax &

MoT 2 owners, good condition

£750 oono

Tel ((01253) 8828435

SKODA FFAVORIT

12 mnths mot, taxed. Good runner

£250

Tel 001253 8838512

VAUXHALL AASTRA 11400

Reliable, 3 mths mot 1 mth tax, low

ins group. White h reg. Require

quick sale

£550 oono

Tel: 001253 8893755

Mob 00776 66117481.

VAUXHALL AASTRA SSRI 11991

immaculate example, ffsr, c/l,e/w

alarmed immob, very well

maintained, real eye catcher in red,

full 12 month mot

£595

AGH MMotor sservices

Tel 7781008

VOLVO 3340 GGL 11.7, 11989

Extremely reliable, stereo, recent

exhaust, mot,very good cond in and

out, sound car, genuine sale,

£225,

Kirkham 001772 4493267

VOLVO 4440 11.8

Si June '92 J reg

One owner from new Full Volvo

Service History Radio/cass Taxed

and MoT Excellent Condition

£985

Tel 001253 7795421

ROVER 4414SLi

Mot'd til Nov,(H) good clean reliable

runner, e/w, e/m, c/locking,

tilt/slide sunroof

£750 ono

Tel 01253 854711

AUSTIN MMETRO SSTUDIO 22

Freg, 3 door saloon, alloys, 5

months Tax, 11 months MOT

£325ono

Tel 001253 3315500

CAVALIER CCDi

G reg, red,11 mths MoT, 5 mths

Tax,vgc in and out

£495 oono

Tel 3300541 oor 007715 0071214

CITROEN AAX 11.1

F Reg, 3dr, long MoT, Tax July ,

Excellent cond.

£295

Tel. ((01772) 6635529

CITROEN BBX 119

TGD Diesel estate 1991, long MoT,

pas, central locking

£650 oono

Tel 001253 8851416

07714 6632848

FORD EEscort XXR3 ii

1998, F Reg, some history, lwd sus,

S/steel ex, Mot, Tax April

£595 oono

Tel ((01253) 6681681

FORD FFIESTA 11000 HH rreg

Only 38k, 11mths mot, tax, 2

previous owners, super little car.

£995.

Tel.01253 3310336.

FORD FFIESTA

1.1LX

K reg,5 D/R, white,S/R,mot til Feb

03, taxed til Nov 02, exce/ cond,

£995 oono

Tel 7768355.

FORD FFIESTA 11.4GHIA

auto J Reg, 69k FSH, E/W and sun

roof. 10 mths mot. 6 mhs tax.

£895 oono.

Tel. 007789632500

FORD OOrion

K Reg, 85000 miles, 5dr,red Good

Condition, E/w,S/R,C/L

£650 oono

Tel. ((01253) 4406824.

G RREG FFORD FFIESTA

LX,in blue,fitted sun roof,

Stereo,clean inside and out.

£595ono

Tel.079392 004774

METRO 11.4CD

1993 K REG, 70 mpg, Full Service

History. Excellent Condition, lovely

runabout.

.£750ono

Tel.01253 7734913

or 007715 0071214

NISSAN PPRIMERA

1.6LS Estate (H) PAS

Long tax and mot, practical,

reliable, good condition.

£695ono

Tel.01254 6640017

PEUGEOT 2205 11.1

J Reg'd.1992 in white, 12months

mot. Taxed, very economical,

genuine 60,000 miles.

Ideal 11st CCar ££895ono

Tel. 001253 8827646

Renault5 11.2 TTL

G Reg, 6 months tax, immob. Just

serviced, £200 spent, clean, tidy

car in excellent condition.

£425 oono

Tel. 001253 8856841

ROVER 2220 GGTI

J Reg, FSH, 7 months mot, 1

months tax,lowered and alarmed,

average condition. Red

£695

Tel.01253 7712747

ROVER MMETRO CCLUBMAN

G Reg, 27,000 miles. Sun Roof.

Mint Cond. 6 months Tax. MOT Nov.

Only 2 owners

£700

Tel. 001253 8826120

SIERRA SSAPPHIRE 11.8

H Regd. 11 months MOT, tow-bar,

A1 condition, C/L E/W, any

inspection welcome

£595

Tel. 001253 7776748

SIERRA XXR 44I

H Regd, E/W, C/L, S/r, Src/cd, Pas,

90k, Mot July 02. Ex Runner

£650ono

Tel. 001253 3393038 aafter 66pm

Suzuki SSwift 11300 GGLX

5dr hatch, G reg. Very Econ.

Reliable, Red, low tax & ins.

£475

Tel. ((01253) 7700591

UNIQUE MMINI

Mayfair auto. 1984, tax, mot, crom

kit, union jack roof, low mileage.

£770

Tel. 001253 6697996

FORD MMONEDO

1.8 LLX 11994

68 k, 12mnths mot, taxed till June,

sunroof, E/W,C/L,P/S, burgundy,

good runner cond.

£895 oono

Tel 3313803 oor 007947386379

FORD SSIERRA

1.8 LX Est (H) reg Silver, MoT Oct,

e/w, ect, immac cond throut, no

rust any trail

£575 oono

Tel 001995 6671787 T

FORD SSIERRA SAPPHIRE 11.8

1990 truly immac car. Only 2

owners, very well maintained, ffsr,

c/kl rad/cass, mot feb

£395

AGH MMotor SServices

Tel 7781008

HONDA CCONCERTO

1.6 GL, K months MoT, PAS, SR.

£950ono

Tel 001253 6625044

PEUGEOT 2205

GRD, diesel, 1986 159k, serv

history, exceptional, 5dr, 48-65mpg,

new tyres, facelift stereo, tax/ MoT

£795

01253 7776292, 007762297047

PEUGEOT 3305 GGTX

taxed, mot, well maintained, mint

condition. Genuine reason for sale.

£450

Tel 001253 8884026.

RENALT SSAVANNAH

21 estate 1988, new tyres, battery

alternation, brakes, car stereo,

towbar, mot, tax till May, nice driver.

£350

Tel 001253 3312831

ROVER 2214 SSLI

1992, J Reg, 110 000 miles,Tax &

MoT 2 owners, good condition

£750 oono

Tel ((01253) 8828435

SKODA FFAVORIT

12 mnths mot, taxed. Good runner

£250

Tel 001253 8838512

VAUXHALL AASTRA 11400

Reliable, 3 mths mot 1 mth tax, low

ins group. White h reg.

£550 oono

Tel: 001253 8893755

Mob 00776 66117481.

VAUXHALL AASTRA SSRI 11991

immaculate example, ffsr, c/l,e/w

alarmed immob, very well

maintained, real eye catcher in red,

full 12 month mot

£595

Tel 7781008

VOLVO 340GL 1.7, 1989

Extremely rreliable, sstereo,

recent eexhaust, mmot,very

good ccond iin aand oout,

sound ccar, ggenuine ssale,

£22501772 4493267

G REGFORD FIESTA

LX,in bblue,fitted ssun rroof,

Stereo,clean iinside aand

out,12 mmths mmot.

£595onoTel.079392 004774

FORD OrionK RReg, 885000 mmiles,

5dr,red GGood CCondition,

E/w,S/R,C/L

£650 oonoTel. ((01253) 4406824.

FORD OrionK RReg, 885000 mmiles,

5dr,red GGood CCondition,

E/w,S/R,C/L

£650 oonoTel. ((01253) 4406824.

VOLVO 340GL 1.7, 1989

Extremely rreliable, sstereo,

recent eexhaust, mmot, vvery

good ccond, ssound ccar,

genuine ssale.

£225,Kirkham 001772 4493267

FORD SIERRA1.8 LLX EEst ((H) rreg SSilver,

MoT OOct, ee/w, eect, iimmac

cond tthrout, nno rrust aany

trial.

£575 oonoTel 001995 6671787 ((T)

PEUGEOT 205GRD,diesel, 11986

159k, sserv hhistory,

exceptional, 55dr, 448-

65mpg, nnew ttyres, ffacelift

stereo, ttax/ MMoT

£79501253 7776292

CITROEN

AX 1.1F RReg, 33dr, llong MMoT, TTax

July ,, EExcellent ccond.

£295Tel. ((01772) 6635529.

after 44pm

FORD FIESTA1000,H rreg

Only 338k, 111mths mmot, ttax,

2 pprevious oowners, ssuper

little ccar.

£995.Tel.01253 3310336.

SIERRA XR 4IH RRegd, EE/W, CC/L, SS/r,

Src/cd, PPas, 990k, MMot JJuly

02. EEx RRunner

£650onoTel. 001253 3393038 aafter

6pm

FORD SIERRASAPPHIRE 1.8 LX

1990 ttruly iimmac ccar. 22

owners, vv wwell mmaintained,

ffsr, cc/kl rrad/cass, mmot ffeb

£395AGH MMotor SServices

Tel 7781008

NISSAN PRIMERA1.6LS EEstate ((H) PPAS

Long ttax aand mmot,

practical, rreliable, ggood

condition.

£695onoTel.01254 6640017

PEUGEOT 205GRD,diesel, 11986 1159k,

serv hhistory, eexceptional,

5dr, 448-665mpg, nnew ttyres,

facelift sstereo, ttax/ MMoT

£79501253 7776292,

07762 2297047

AUSTIN METRO

STUDIO 2Freg, 33 ddoor ssaloon, aalloys,

5 mmonths TTax, 111 mmonths

MOT

£325onoTel 001253 3315500

CITROEN

AX 1.1F RReg, 33dr, llong MMoT, TTax

July ,, EExcellent ccond.

£295Tel. ((01772) 6635529.

after 44pm

NISSAN PRIMERA1.6LS EEstate ((H) PPAS

Long ttax aand mmot,

practical, rreliable, ggood

condition.

£695onoTel.01254 6640017

PEUGEOT 205GRD,diesel, 11986 1159k,

serv hhistory, eexceptional,

5dr, 448-665mpg, nnew ttyres,

facelift sstereo, ttax/ MMoT

£79501253 7776292,

07762 2297047

private advertisementsprivate advertisementsCall tthe AAd-LLine oon

01253 7776699 tto pplaceyour ccar aad hhere.

Quick Sell

G REG

FORD FIESTA LXBlue,fitted ssun rroof,

Stereo,clean iinside aand

out,12 mmths mmot.

£595ono079392 04774

Quick Sell

VOLVO 440 1.8 Si JJune ''92 JJ rreg

One oowner ffrom nnew FFull

Volvo SService HHistory

Radio/cass TTaxed aand MMoT

Excellent CCondition

£985

Tel 01253 795421

Quick Sell

ROVER 414SLiMot'd ttil NNov,(H) ggood cclean

reliable rrunner, ee/w, ee/m,

c/locking, ttilt/slide ssunroof.

Very sspecial ccar.

£750 ono

Tel 01253

854711

Quick Sell

RENAULT

SAVANNAH21 eestate 11988, nnew ttyres,

battery aalternation, bbrakes,

car sstereo, ttowbar, mmot, ttax

£350

Tel 01253

312831

Quick Sell

PEUGEOT

205GRDDiesel, 11986 ttax // MMoT,

159k, sserv hhistory, 55dr, 448-

65mpg, nnew ttyres, sstereo,

£795

01253 776292,

07762 297047

Quick Sell

VAUXHALL

ASTRA 1400Reliable, 33 mmths mmot 11 mmth

tax, llow iins ggroup. WWhite HH

reg. RRequire qquick ssale

£550 ono

Tel: 01253

893755

Quick Sell

ROVER 414SLiMot'd ttil NNov,(H) ggood cclean

reliable rrunner, ee/w, ee/m,

c/locking, ttilt/slide ssunroof.

Very sspecial ccar.

£750 ono

FIAT X19Non-rrunner. GGreat

restoration pproject

£150 oono

Tel 01253

854711

Quick Sell

RENAULT

SAVANNAH21 eestate 11988, nnew ttyres,

battery aalternation, bbrakes,

car sstereo, ttowbar, mmot, ttax

£350

Tel 01253

312831

Quick Sell

PEUGEOT

205GRDDiesel, 11986 ttax // MMoT,

159k, sserv hhistory, 55dr, 448-

65mpg, nnew ttyres, sstereo,

£795

01253 776292,

07762 297047

Quick Sell

VAUXHALL

ASTRA 1400Reliable, 33 mmths mmot 11 mmth

tax, llow iins ggroup. WWhite HH

reg. RRequire qquick ssale

£550 ono

Tel: 01253

893755

Quick Sell

ROVER 414SLiMot'd ttil NNov,(H) ggood cclean

reliable rrunner, ee/w, ee/m,

c/locking, ttilt/slide ssunroof.

Very sspecial ccar.

£750 ono

Tel 01253

854711

Quick Sell

RENAULT

SAVANNAH21 eestate 11988, nnew ttyres,

battery aalternation, bbrakes,

car sstereo, ttowbar, mmot, ttax

£350

Tel 01253

312831

Quick Sell

PEUGEOT

205GRDDiesel, 11986 ttax // MMoT,

159k, sserv hhistory, 55dr, 448-

65mpg, nnew ttyres, sstereo,

£795

01253 776292,

07762 297047

Quick SellSKODA

FAVORIT12 mmonths mmot, ttaxed.

Good rrunner

£250

Tel 01253

838512

Quick Sell

In Association with

Vicarage Lane,

Blackpool FY4 4XL

01253 769999

GREASE LIGHTENING

Tyre and Battery Co. Ltd

Car Connection AgencyConnecting Buyers to Sellers

www.carconnectionagency.co.uk

Tel: 01253 766612 342Waterloo Road, Blackpool

Would you rather buy a used car from a man with

a sense of humour than a sour-faced miserly indi-

vidual? If the answer is yes, you might be reach-

ing for your wallet on sight of this classic advert

which appeared in the Auto Trader: 1993 TOYOTA

SUPRA TWIN TURBO AERO TOP (G2). 1993, very

rare, every toy, leather, mini disc, climate, trac-

tion, cruise, 18in alloys, brand new tyres,

priv/plate (SUP), 0-60 in 5, 160+ mph, awe-

some, girlfriend forgot to take pill, gutted.

£14,250. (Bucks). Sad tale, but before you rush

out to take advantage of this broken-hearted fel-

low, you should know that the car was sold soon

after this comic advert was published, received

national press coverage and was spirited round

the world on the Internet. It seems good news

travels fast, depending on how you look at it.

An AAd

from

a CCad

23

buying a demonstratorbuying a demonstratorIn ssearch oof tthatbargain nnew ccar

Fancy aa bbargain?

Buying a dealer demonstrator makes a lot of sense.

After aall, yyou ccan bbe gguaranteed tthat tthe ccar wwill hhave bbeen iimpeccably llooked aafter aand

perfectly mmaintained. YYou'll sstill hhave nnearly aall tthe mmanufacturer's wwarranty. IIt wwon't hhave

done aany hhard mmileage. AAnd yyou ccan bbe ssure tthat nno cchain-ssmoking ccigarette ffiend wwill

have bbeen llet nnear iit. PPlus, yyou've aallowed tthe ddealership tto ttake tthat iinitial ppainful ffirst

stab oof ddepreciation. IIt's aa wwin-wwin sscenario rreally. DDrawbacks? WWell, tthe oonly rreal oone iis

that yyou're aa bbit rrestricted wwhen iit ccomes tto sspecification aand ccolour. MMind yyou, tthat's nnot

too mmuch oof aa hhardship ssince mmost ddealer ddemonstrators ttend tto bbe pplusher mmodels tthat

are uusually sspecced uup llike CChristmas ttrees. TThis wweek, wwe've llooked aaround tthe aarea aand

picked oout ssome oof tthe bbest ddemonstrators uup ffor ssale. IIf yyou're llooking tto bbuy eeither nnew

or uused, tthese aare ccars wwell wworth cconsidering.

05 55 Ford SportkaRacing Blue Metallic with midnight leather. 6

stack CD player, air conditioniing. Our car

from new, under 6000 miles

£9,600Kingsmere FFord, LLower BBristol RRoad,Bath

BA2 66NE TTel: 001225 4402200

www.kingsmereford.co.uk

05 55 VW Passat 1.8T Sports

EstateInky blue, 4 x airbags, 5 speed Tiptronic,

alarm, 16,000 miles only, alloy wheels, CD

player, electric windows, central locking.

£15,995Moto SServices BBath LLtd. LLockstock RRoad,

Bath 001225 4428000

www.motorservicesbath.co.uk

Kia Sedona 2.9 CRDi LE £17,300Alloy wheels, privacy glass, leather covered

steering wheel. Stylish modern interior and

dash. ABS, air con, driver and passenger

airbags. remote central locking.

Bristol KKia 999-1101 FFeeder RRoad,

Bristol 00117 9971789

Sedona’s ffrom ££13,995

Lexus IS200 SE Manual 05 ‘55Silver/Exmoor, 6 speed manual. Climate

Control, PAS, central locking, half leahter

trim. Electric windows, mirrors and heated

seats. Alarm and immobiliser

£17,850Lexus BBristol. PPioneer PPark, WWhitby RRoad,

Bristol BBS4 33QB TTel 00117 9916555

www.lexus.co.uk/bristol

05 05 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GXDark Grey metallic with heated sports seats,

anti-lock brakes, twin/side airbags, alarm.

16” wheels, CD, climate control, cruise con-

trol, 5-speed manual, twin electric sunroofs.

Our car from new, 12,400 miles only.

Was £21,245 Now £16,995Tiley oof BBristol, HHartcliffe WWay, BBristol

BS3 55SD TTel: ((0117) 99231231 FFax:

(0117) 99660100

05 2005 SAAB 95 Vector 3.0TDiSilver with full leather interior. Extras include

park assistance, heated seats along with

many others. 6,000 miles.

£23,339. Save over £5,000

compared with new price.Williams SSAAB SSt PPhilips CCauseway, AAvon

Meads, BBristol. TTel 00117 3311 55000

www.williamsautomobiles.co.uk

2005 05 Daihatsu Charade 1.0EL 3dr. ABS braking, power steering, electric

windows and mirrors, CD and eadio, mid

ocean blue. Only 3,400 miles, our ex-

demonstrator.

£6,495Main DDaihatsu DDealer.

Hursley HHill GGarage, WWells RRoad,

Whitchurch, BBristol.

Tel: ((01275) 8832303

05 05 Volkswagen Bora 1.9 SE

Tdi PD 130 bhpReflex silver, alloy wheels, 4 airbags, 6-

speed manual, air conditioning, 12,028

miles, CD player, alarm/immobiliser, FSH

£14,495Moto SServices BBath LLtd. LLockstock RRoad,

Bath 001225 4428000

www.motorservicesbath.co.uk

05 55 Mondeo ST220 5-drMachine silver with sport red leather interi-

or. Privacy glass,6 speed, satellite naviga-

tion,Xenon headlights, reversing sensors.

Our car from new, less than 6,000 miles.

£19,995Kingsmere FFord, LLower BBristol RRoad,Bath

BA2 66NE TTel: 001225 4402200

www.kingsmereford.co.uk

Toyota Celica Sport 1.8190 bhp, Gunmetal grey, 8000 miles. Ex-

demo, reg July 05. Alloys, climate control,

CD player, spoiler, two-tone leather, alloy

pedals.

£17,750Toyota WWorld. PPioneer PPark, WWhitby RRoad,

Brislington, BBristol BBS4 33QB.

05 05 Volkswagen Bora 1.9 SE

Tdi PD 130 bhpReflex silver, alloy wheels, 4 airbags, 6-

speed manual, air conditioning, 12,028

miles, CD player, alarm/immobiliser, FSH

£14,495Moto SServices BBath LLtd. LLockstock RRoad,

Bath 001225 4428000

www.motorservicesbath.co.uk

05 2005 SAAB 95 Vector 3.0TDiMerlot red with full leather interior. Extras

include park assistance, heated seats along

with many others. 6,000 miles.

£23,339. Save over £5,000

compared with new price.Williams SSAAB SSt PPhilips CCauseway, AAvon

Meads, BBristol. TTel 00117 3311 55000

www.williamsautomobiles.co.uk

24

cars of the weekcars of the week HIGHLIGHTS OOFTHE WWEEK’S

USED CCAR SSTOCK

2003 ((53) HHyundai TTrajet £16.295

2.0 TD Auto GSi, blue planet metallic. 7 seater,

removable seats. ABS, AC, CD.

2001 ((51) HHyundai TTrajet £12,950

2.0 TD GSi, sky silver. Removable seats, 7 seater,

side steps, AC.

2003 ((03) HHyundai EElantra £9,995

2.0 TD GSi. 5 dr, Smart Silver, AC C/L, 5,100

miles.

2001 ((Y) HHyundai AAccent £5,495

1.5 CDX, 5 dr, Storm Blue, PAS, AC, C/L.

IMLIvybridge Motors Ltd

£1,000 MMinimum

Part EExchange oon aall uused

cars tthis wweekend*

2002 (52)

Hyundai Coupe

£14,9502.7 V6, Samba Red,

black leather trim,

cruise control, alloys,

CD player, PAS, climate

control, 6 speed,

e/sunroof, remote lock-

ing/alarm. Great sav-

ing on new. IML VValley RRoad, PPlymouth.

01752 3349850

(R) MMazda MMX5 £4,995

69k, full service history, white, hardtop.

(R) Vauxhall TTigra £4,995

1.6 Chequers, 55k, air conditioning, Silver.

(X) Honda LLogo £5,995

1.3 SK. Air conditioning 3 door hatch.

(R) Daihatsu FFoutrak £7,495

2.8 TDX, 52k, full service history, grey.

(P) FFord EEscort £2,295

1.6, 5 door, 31k, red.

(S) VVauxhall VVectra £3,495

1.8 saloon. 41k, full service history, blue.

ELBURTONCAR SALES

Finance available, Part exchange

welcomed.

All makes - Service, MOTs and

Repairs

Tavistock Road, Plymouth.

01752 313361

2002 ((02) MMitsubishi GGallant £9,995

2.0 Equippe, low mileage, Silver, AC. alloys, EW.

2001 ((Y) MMitsubishi SShogun ££8,995

Pinin 1.8 GDi Elegance. 3 dr, Green/Silver, allows,

AC, EW.

(2002 ((52) MMitsubishi SSpace SStar £8,995

1.6 Mirage. Midnight Blue, twin air bags, EW,

alloys, AC.

2001 ((51) MMitsubishi SSpace SStar £6,495

1.3 Mirage, Silver, twin air bags, alloys, EW.

2001 ((X) MMitsubishi CCarisma £6,495

1.8 Equippe, Silver, alloys, EW.

Rodgers oofPlymouth

Plymouths AAward WWinning

Mitsubishi DDealer

2001 (51)

Mitsubiahi

Shogun

£11,995Pinin 2.0 GDi Elegance

Auto, 5 door, Silver,

grey leather, alloys, air

conditioning, electric

windows.

Brixton Road, Plymouth

Tel: 01752 402623

(V) FFord MMondeo £2,595

2.0 LX, 4 door saloon. Slate Blue met, cloth trim,

PAS, AC, Elec pack, 2 owners with full SH.

(T) VVauxhall AAstra £2,195

1.6 16v CD Est, Classic Green met, velour trim,

PAS, ElecPack, roof rails, load cover, FSH.

(P) VVauxhall VVectra £2,495

1.8 GLS saloon, Velevt green, velour trim, PAS,

Elec Pack, 1 owner, FSH.

(T) HHyundai LLantra £2,595

1.6 GSi Electric Blue, velour trim, PAS, Elec Pack,

CD player, two owners with FSH.

(P) VVauxhall VVectra £2,295

1.8 Estate, in Red

(P) PPeugeot 3306 £2,195

1.4 Genoa, 5dr, PAS.

(P) CCitroen ZZX £1,995

1.5 5 dr, PAS, C/L

(N) FFord EEscort £1,495

1.6 Metallic Blue, PAS.

(K) MMazda 6626 £995

Red, alloys.

Windsor CCar

SalesQuality uused ccars, ccredit ccards aaccepted,

all ccars sserviced aand wwarranted.

(R) Ford Escort

£2,7951.8 GTi, 5 door.

Moonstone Silver, half

leather interior. PAS,

air con, FFSR, c/lock-

ing, e/windows, alloys,

2 owners with FSH,

stunning sports hatch.

(R) Renault

Laguna £2,795RT Sport, 12 months

MOT, sunroof, e/win-

dows, service history,

super car throughout.

Windsor Road,

Higher Compton, Plymouth

Tel: 01752 702602

Wilson CourtCar Sales

Full wworkshop ffacilities.

For ddetails oon tthese aand oother ccars, ccall-

Tel: 01752 330195

Honiton Road, Colebrook, Plymouth

(V) BMW 328ci

Coupe £11,99589k, full BMW service

history, superb condi-

tionin metallic

Midnight Blue with

Black leather interior.

Air conditioning, 17”

alloys, CD player.

25

dealer stocklist reportdealer stocklist reportDEALER

STOCK FFOCUSby

Steve GGhosley

Regent CCar SSalesSomething for everybodyKent aarea ddealers hhave aa hhuge vvariation oof uused ccar sstock. TThis wweek, oour uused ccar eexpert

Steve GGhosley ccasts hhis eeye oover tthe sstock oof RRegent CCar SSales iin TTonbridge

When you're looking for

your next car, it's good to

find a large variety that

features vehicles from

right across the motoring

spectrum all on one site.

At Regent Car Sales on

Priory Road in

Tonbridge, you'll be able

to view anything from a

Ford Fiesta to a Ford

Galaxy. This week, I

thought I'd take a closer

look at some of the cars

they have to offer.

Cheap && CCheerful

If you're looking for a

small hatchback, you

can't do much better than

the Ford Fiesta. It's

cheap to run, small on

the outside but quite spa-

cious internally. You'll

find a (02 registered) 52-

plate Fiesta 1.25 LX

five-door finished in

Minstrel Blue Metallic

with Grey cloth trim.

This excellent example

features a CD player, full

electric pack and is as

new, having had just one

owner and only 4,000

miles on the clock. You

can purchase this nearly-

new car for the bargain

price of £6,995.

Want something larger?

Well how about the X-

plated Peugeot 406 1.8

LX manual in

Wedgewood Blue

Metallic. This superb

four-door saloon is

recognised as one of the

leading models within its

class. This particular car

is well-equipped with

air-conditioning, a full

electric pack which

includes electric win-

dows and door mirrors,

and a host of other luxu-

ry items. This is a one-

owner vehicle which is

sold complete with full

service history and just

23,000 miles - affordable

luxury with a price tag of

£5,995.

Affordable

Mid-RRangers

MPVs are a very popular

choice these days with

families. You'll find a W-

registered Ford Galaxy

Ghia automatic turbo-

diesel finished in Forest

Green Metallic. This

spacious seven-seater

comes with air-condi-

tioning and with this car

being a Ghia, (Ford's

upmarket badge), you'll

find more standard fea-

tures than you'll proba-

bly ever use. Plus, with a

diesel-turbo, you'll gain

great economy without

sacrificing performance.

At £11,995 this Galaxy

is extremely good value.

Perhaps you are looking

for an estate car? The R-

registered Toyota Carina

GS Estate 1.8 finished in

Bordeaux Red Metallic

should fit the bill nicely.

With power-assisted

steering, electric win-

dows and door mirrors,

plus CD player this

s u p e r b l y - e q u i p p e d

model is totally immacu-

late and has covered a

remarkably abstemious

44,000 miles - all this for

the amazing low price of

£3,495.What's more,

with Toyota being a mar-

que known for unrivalled

reliability, you can feel

safe in the knowledge

that this car will get you

to your destination with

no trouble at all. Mind

you, the same can be said

of all cars at Regent Car

Sales as each one under-

goes a thorough inspec-

tion and service prior to

sale.

Desirable LLate, LLow

Mileage

Maybe it's a sport coupe

that you desire? The

Ford Puma 1.7-litre 16v

finished in eye-catching

Bright Red with

Charcoal trim should suit

you down to the ground.

You'll get good perform-

ance with excellent

economy and you'll have

a great deal of fun driv-

ing it too. The Puma

comes with power-

assisted steering, central-

locking, electric win-

dows, radio-cassette and

alloy wheels. This good-

looking little sports car

can be purchased for

£6,995.

Finally, the V-plated

Toyota RAV 4 EX three-

door Estate finished in

Boston Green is an

absolute 4x4 bargain at

only £7,495. It features a

hi-low ratio transmis-

sion, a radio-cassette,

electric windows and

central-locking. With

winter coming, this very

capable four-wheel drive

model will get you

through some of the

worst weather that the

season has to offer.

What's more, it has cov-

ered just 25,000 miles.

If you want to take a trip

down to Regent Car

Sales at the Old Coal

Yard to see their varied

selection of used cars,

then I'd suggest it's worth

the effort. Full dealer

services can be offered

and their sales team can

of course provide written

quotations on request.

Visit the dealership

at 60A Priory Road

in Tonbridge to find

out more or call

(01732) 366388 for

more information.

CONTACT

26

MOT TTESTS

FROM JJUST

£25.00!

HIGH QQUALITY

SERVICE AAT

AFFORDABLE

PRICES

Fed up with having

to eat into your

finances every

time your car

needs a service.

There is an answer

to your prayers for

a place that offers

high-quality servic-

ing and repairs at

a price that won't break the bank.

Station Pitstop / Complete Car Care UK Ltd on Victoria

Road, Worthing, is the place to go for MoTs, servicing,

repairs and pre-MoT work, with labour rates that under-

cut the competition at just £35.00 an hour and services

from only £58.00 + parts and VAT. Work on any vehicle

can be undertaken within the superbly-equipped work-

shop, that contains no fewer than four hydraulic ramps

and two rolling roads. MoT tests can be carried out from

only £25.00. If your vehicle should fail, there are a num-

ber of inexpensive ways that you can go about a re-test.

Firstly, you can let

Station Pit Stop carry

out the remedial work

for you and you'll

receive the re-test for

free. Secondly, you can

take advantage of their

unique facility where

you can fix the prob-

lems yourself using

their ramps and tools

for £15.00 an hour,

and obtain your re-test

for free.

The third option is to get another service agent carry out

the work and you'll pay £15.00 for the re-test, which is

still cheaper than elsewhere, so you can't lose!

The highly-skilled technicians have all the experience

necessary to carry out all tasks with high efficiency at a

price that all can comfortably afford. Station Pitstop /

Complete Car Care UK Ltd offers a local collection and

delivery service or you can drop off your car and collect it

later. The reception area is comfortable and inviting and

free hot and cold beverages can be provided. Trade cus-

tomers are welcome too.

You'll like the fact that you're more than just a number

on a job sheet with Station Pitstop, which is conveniently

located next to Worthing Central Station and Wortax

taxis. Call (01903) 200 010 for more information.

IN TOUCH INSURANCE

SERVICESWHERE IINSURANCE CCOVER'S

COVERED

If, like everyone else, you're sick and

tired of paying high insurance premi-

ums, then there's a name you need to

remember and a number you should

take down and keep somewhere safe - In

Touch Insurance Services on 01159-755678.

Why? Very simply because they will save you around

30% on what you're paying now. Every insurance compa-

ny claims to save you money of course, but not quite this

much. So how to In Touch Insurance Services do it?

Quite simply by going direct to brokers rather than sim-

ply shopping around insurance companies like everyone

else. It's just like having a friend in the trade - someone

who knows the shortcuts to the cheapest prices but the

best cover.

In Touch Insurance's other secret is the way that they lis-

ten to their customers and take each individual's cir-

cumstances into account before getting them a quote.

The postcode you live in for example, could make quite a

difference with some companies but could be less of an

issue with others. And these

are top companies - people

like Norwich Union, Royal

Sun Alliance, AXA, Cornhill,

Zurich and Legal & General.

As a rough guide, you can

expect to save around £75-

£100 if your annual insurance

bill is around £500 and between

£100-£150 if you pay over

£500 every year. The more your

car insurance premium costs the more they can save

you. This is one reason why In Touch has an astonishing

'hit rate' of customers accepting their quotes. Over 80%

of the people who call them on 01159-755678 decide

to place their business with this business. Manager

Sarah Daniels and Proprietor Matt Reilly want to keep

things that way with low, low prices and top cover. To find

out more, give them a call now.

GREEN CAR RADIOFIFTIETH AANNIVERSARY

Originally established way back in 1953 by Morris Green,

the present owners grandfather, Green Car Radio has

grown from what was a cycle shop and white goods

stockist into a supplier of high quality car audio systems,

DVD/satellite navigation systems and road awareness

equipment. For the last 25-years, the company has con-

centrated solely on the needs of motorists.

Richard Green now runs this local business and he and

his experienced, expert team of seven install products

made by some of the most trusted and respected manu-

facturers in the industry.

Green Car Radio has recently expanded the premises to

cope with demand, such is their reputation for customer

service excellence. New facilities include a smart dou-

ble-fronted shop with superb product display area and a

newly-built pristine

workshop where

installations, serv-

icing and repairs

are done. If there's

a problem with the

security coding on

your audio system,

technicians can

also decode and

recode your sys-

tem quickly and

efficiently.

You'll find that Green Car Radio only supply and fit top-

quality products from highly-regarded manufacturers

such as Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, Panasonic and Clarion.

Whether you require new speakers or a complete car

audio system, or may be an upgrade of your existing

equipment, you can guarantee that the skilled techni-

cians at Green Car Radio will perform all tasks to perfec-

tion. If advice is needed they are eager to assist.

DVD and satellite navigation systems are almost 'must-

have' accessories these days. Green Car Radio provide

and fit VDO Dayton and SMARTNAV in-car navigation

equipment, two of the most respected industry names.

These systems can plan a shortest route to your destina-

tion for you, which can save you money in reduced fuel

costs.

Call into Green Car Radio at 81-83, Ansdell Road,

Blackpool or call (01253) 764488 for more information

on just what they can do for you and your car.

CD SCOOTERSTHE SSCOOTER EEXPERTS

CD Scooters have been estab-

lished for over five years and are

Brighton's only authorised Piaggio

and Gilera dealership. They have

around fifty new models perma-

nently on site and customers are

welcome to browse the stock at

their leisure. The staff at CD Scooters are all enthusiasts who both ride and

work on scooters, so if you have any questions they will be only too happy to

answer them for you.

CD Scooters not only sell scooters, they also service and repair them. All servic-

ing and repairs are carried out in their on-site workshop by technicians who

have been fully-trained and know the machines inside out. They ensure that your

scooter always receives the very best of care and attention. If your scooter is in

need of an MOT then let CD Scooters arrange it for you.

They have recently opened a new clothing department providing everything you

could possibly want to make riding your scooter as safe and comfortable as

possible. CD Scooters also have a full range of parts and accessories available

that will keep your scooter in tip-top order and looking great.

If you need finance to help purchase your scooter, then CD Scooters can offer

you very competitive packages. It is fair to say that CD Scooters offer the

motorist the complete one-stop-shop for all their motoring needs. If you need

any advice, their friendly staff are there to help.

Why not take a look for yourself? You can find CD scooters at 85, Lewes Road, Brighton or, for further information,

telephone them on (01273) 680900. You can also visit their website at www.cdscooters.com.

HAPPY HOUR SCHOOL

OF MOTORINGHappy Hour School of Motoring was established in 1989

by Rosemary Farrell and through her determination and

dedication to achieve better and safer driving standards

for pupils she has built up a very successful company.

Happy Hour's aim is to provide their pupils with the high-

est professional instruction. All Happy Hour instructors

follow an ongoing training programme which ensures

they reach and maintain the highest professional stan-

dard and, most importantly, their Learners are provided

with the best possible service and up to date tuition.

Each Happy Hour pupil is given a course designed

specifically for their individual needs. The lessons follow

a structured plan and a progress record is kept to ensure

a complete training program is followed thereby increas-

ing their knowledge and skill, at a pace that suits them.

After passing the Practical Driving Test, Happy Hour can

provide further tuition on a Pass Plus course. This course

covers all aspects of driving but mainly concentrates on

motorway driving. Once completed the DSA issues a

certificate which entitles the new driver to a discount on

their car insurance.

Due to success of the learner driver school and the rap-

idly increasing number of learners Happy Hour Instructor

Training was established to provide the school with their

own supply of highly trained instructors. When they

require more instructors their preferred option will

always be to recruit from their current Potential Driving

Instructors. Happy Hour is on the Official Register of

Driving Instructor establishments (ORDIT) and therefore

qualified to teach PDI's.

For more details about any of their courses and training

contact the Happy Hour School of Motoring on (0800) 0

52 54 56. You can also E-mail them on info@happy-

hour.uk.com. Their Glasgow office can be found at 307,

Crow Road, Broomhill, Glasgow. You can also visit their

website at www.happy-hour.uk.com.

Local Business Feature

my ffirstcar

A Guide To All The Businesses

You'll Need To Talk To When

Taking To The Road For The

Very First Time

GLEN SKERRITT'S

CAR SALES

For most of us, the idea of spending a fortune on a

car fills us with dread. Prices for cars are some-

what scary and there's no doubt that buying a

vehicle is the next most expensive purchase that

the majority of us undertake, next to buying a

property.

There is a car dealership where you won't have to

spend a small fortune to obtain a decent car. That

place is Glen Skerritt's Car Sales, where you'll find

a fine selection of around 75 used vehicles, each one in

excellent condition. Vehicle ages range from 03-plate

nearly-new examples to vehicles registered around seven

years ago. There's something for everyone at this used

car dealership, and you'll find an excellent choice of

cars that are ideal for the first-time car buyer, with many

of these economical vehicles low-rated for tax and insur-

ance.

Most vehicles come with a full parts and labour warranty,

an MOT and a professional valet. A full and comprehen-

sive pre-delivery inspection is also performed on most

used vehicles available at Glen Skerritt's Car Sales.

What's more, the vast majority of vehicles are sold with

an HPI vehicle history certificate, which guarantees that

all finance owed by the previous owner has been paid,

that the car has not been severely damaged in an acci-

dent, and that the mileage displayed on the clock is

accurate.

There's no need to worry about being able to afford to

purchase your next car, not with the low-rate finance

packages offered by Glen and his Sales Team. These

financial plans can be tailored to fit in with your exact

requirements, which will make the buying of your next

car easily affordable. What's more, 0% deposits are

available on selected vehicles.

Once you have bought a car from Glen Skerritt's Car

Sales, you'll be given first-class aftersales back-up.

General servicing is provided for customers and courtesy

cars are offered by prior arrangement.

With over 19 years of experience behind him, Glen knows

a thing or two about selecting the finest used cars for

stock, and how to look after his customers. It's reassur-

ing to know that there's a dealership on your doorstep,

where you can guarantee that you'll receive friendly and

efficient customer care every time.

Call into Glen Skerritt's Car Sales, Alcester Road Service

Station, Flyford Flavell, on the main A 422 Stratford

Road, just five miles outside Worcester. They're open

seven days a week and there's never any pressure to

buy. Just call in and talk to Glen about your motoring

needs. He's looking forward to meeting you.

STATION PITSTOP / COMPLETE CAR

CARE UK LTD

28

auto responseauto responseCUSTOMER

TESTIMONYby DDave KKing

What mmade mme bbuy tthe ccar?

I liked the idea of owning an open-topped car without

the security drawbacks of a fabric hood, so when the

Megane CC first came out, I went for a test driven and

was smitten immediately. I went for the 2.0-litre tur-

bocharged petrol version as I fancied going quickly in

an apparently 'hairdressers'-orientated car like this

would be a good laugh.

What ddo II tthink oof iit nnow?

It really goes and because of the car's size, it seems

like you're going a lot faster than you actually are.

This I like. As compact convertibles go, the Megane is

surprisingly roomy inside. A couple of adults would

feel cramped in the back over longer distances, but my

front seat passengers enjoy plenty of leg, head and

elbow room. As a pretty and practical car for a bloke

about town like me, it's perfect. The boot, although not

huge, deals with a medium supermarket shop ade-

quately enough and the compact dimensions of the

Renault make for easy handling in the tightest corners

of multi-storey carparks. I find the driving position

well thought out and comfortable. Switches fall easily

to hand and although the scope for seat adjustment is

minimal, in a car of this size it's not too difficult to get

it right. I also like the fact that the Megane is one of

the safest cars in its class, with four airbags and anti-

lock brakes equipped with electronic brakeforce dis-

tribution.

What's ggone wwrong wwith iit?

Someone crashed into the back of me about six

months ago and did quite a lot of damage to the rear

of the car. The dealership were very nice and they

gave me a courtesy car for the week that they kept it

in. Otherwise, there's nothing to report. This car has

the expected class-less Renault build quality. The pan-

els are separated by shutlines so tight they look like

scribed details and everything is screwed together

with just the same kind of quality you'd find in a

£25,000 Renault Vel Satis.

What's iit llike tto ddrive?

My dad says it reminds him of the Mini he had in his

younger days - fast, small and stylish. There's not

much space in the back but that's hardly surprising and

the fuel economy is good for such a sporty car. The

sixteen-valve engine eventually runs out of puff at

about 130mph, a testament I think to the Renault's

excellent aerodynamics and power. I love the look of

it too. The roof takes a mere 22 seconds to fold in on

itself (I've timed it!), secreted in a cassette in the boot.

I like the fact that, unlike with some convertibles, no

latches need to be undone to expedite this process: a

button on the centre console takes care of everything.

Renault say that the actual glass itself is 4mm thick

Venus 35 glass and features 'excellent thermodynamic

and acoustic properties': that's good enough for me.

It's certainly impressively thief and vandal proof.

Would II bbuy aanother?

I really like the Megane CC and I would get another

one in the future but with Renault's reliability, I prob-

ably won't need to for a few years yet.

Lewis MMoody’sRenault MMegane CCCDealer View"We're very pleased that Lewis likes his

Megane CC - what's not to like! Seriously, it's

one of our best sellers, both new and used -

and for good reason. We have very few prob-

lems with them really, unless customers get

over-enthusiastic at the wheel, which you can

understand. It's possible to get through front

tyres quite quickly if you habitually wheelspin

away from the traffic lights in the more power-

ful models, but Lewis doesn't appear to have

had that problem. We wish him many future

happy miles - and we're ready and waiting to

sell him a newer version whenever he's ready

for it!"

David KKeys - GGeneral SSales MManager - CCaffyns

Peugeot oof SSevenoaks

MEGANE CC

looking for a dealer?here’s where to startlooking for a dealer?here’s where to start

SPOTLIGHTDEALERS IINTONBRIDGE

Vicarage Lane, Blackpool FY4 4XL

01253 769999

GREASE LIGHTENING

Tyre and Battery Co. Ltd

REGENTCar Sales

Never beaten on price!

Manor Road, Tonbridge

01733 366388