I’m looking for a car for my daughter. How good is a used Vauxhall Corsa?
Many years ago, the Vauxhall Corsa was Britain’s best seller. Rivals have overtaken it more recently but the Corsa is still well up there and definitely worth a look. How…
Author: James Foxall
I’ve been writing about cars and motoring for more than 25 years. My career started on a long-departed classic car weekly magazine called AutoClassic. I’ve since pitched up at Autosport, Auto Express, the Daily Telegraph, News of the World and CNN.I started Ask the Car Expert after a newspaper editor (who didn’t drive) told me no one was interested in consumer motoring stories. I thought: ‘You may not be, but an awful lot of people out there are…’
When I’m not writing about cars, I’m probably doing some kind of sport: I regularly go mountain biking, aggressive inline skating, practice yoga or play tennis. And if I’m not doing those I’ll probably be listening to a podcast while either driving or cleaning my ageing Mazda MX-5. I keep on meaning to trade it in for a Mercedes SL. And then I go for a drive and remember why I love the MX-5 so much.I have a minor obsession with 1970s and 80s Formula One (Carlos Reutemann is my all-time favourite driver). And I follow Portsmouth FC, usually listening to matches on the radio while working my garden.I live in deeply rural West Sussex with Mrs F, a cat, some chickens and occasionally my 20-something daughter.
Should I buy a pressure washer to clean my car with?
A pressure washer or jet washer is the ultimate addition to any car owner’s cleaning kit. Not only will it make swift work of dirt, it could also add value…
My garage keeps talking about the OBD port. What is OBD?
The letters OBD stand for On Board Diagnostics. The port is where the OBD is accessed. Read on to find out more about OBD. What do On Board Diagnostics do?…
Why is the Ford Fiesta Britain’s best-selling car?
For years the Ford Fiesta has been Britain’s best-seller. In July 2020 that’s still the case. Here we look at what Ford’s supermini does well and what it’s not so…
Is getting a dropped kerb easy? I want to turn my front garden into off-street parking
For many of us ‑ particularly city dwellers ‑ off-street parking is the Holy Grail. But to turn the area in front of your property into a car park you…
I’ve been offered some cheap tyres at £70 and some at £125. Why go for the more expensive?
On the face of it, tyres all look the same: black and round with a hole in. But cost can differ dramatically between brands you might have heard of, such…
Why we should give scrappage a swerve this time
There are continuing rumours of a new government-backed scrappage scheme. This will be designed to encourage new car buyers to swap older more polluting models for electric cars. But is…
In the recent very hot weather, my ventilation didn’t cool the car much. How do I check air con?
Air con is one of those features in our cars that we take for granted – until it packs up. Broken air con isn’t just inconvenient and sweaty, it can…
How can I unsorn my car with a lost registration document?
A Statutory Off Road Notification or SORN is when you tell the DVLA that you will not be driving your car. It is a way of not paying car tax…
Is laminated glass worth having on a car?
Your car will already have laminated glass in the windscreen. But now it’s being used increasingly in the side windows. Is this a feature that’s worth looking out for? We…