What Car? will host its latest live lunchtime Q&A session on Tuesday, August 10, between 1-2pm.

Join us here on whatcar.com, where our experts will be on hand to answer any car buying questions you have.


Whether you're looking for advice on buying a new or used car, or have some other motoring-related issue that you'd like to try and resolve, our team of experts will be on hand to help out.



How will it work?
Simply log on from 1pm, submit your question and we'll get through as many as we can.

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 Petrol prices will go up this month, and are set to soar next year, it was predicted today.

Record-high forecast
The Retail Motor Industry, which represents around two-thirds of the UK's petrol stations, said petrol prices could rocket to an all-time high of 125.9p-a-litre next year.

The perfect storm for prices
The planned increases in fuel duty in October and January, and the 2.5% VAT increase in January are to blame for the long-term increase in prices, while the rise in the cost of crude oil and fluctuating exchange rates could result in a 4p increase in fuel by September.

Brian Madderson, RMI Chairman Petrol, said: 'A crude oil price increase will feed through the supply chain and could result in prices going up by as much as 4p-a-litre in the next three weeks.

'We also need to remember that the new Government did not cancel Labour's Budget commitment to raising fuel duty by 1p-a-litre from October 1 and a further 0.76p from January 1, with both having VAT added.

'Then we have the coalition's emergency Budget proposal to increase VAT to 20% from January 4, so the outlook remains extremely difficult for motorists and retailers alike. We could see new record pump prices within six months.'

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 The UK's top traffic policeman has told the Government that switching off speed cameras will lead to more people being killed on our roads.

The Government has pledged to end funding for fixed speed cameras, and Oxfordshire council has confirmed it will switch off its 72 speed cameras to save money.

Top cop warns of increased fatalities
However, chief constable Mick Gianassi, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on roads policing, claims there will be a rise in fatal road accidents as councils axe speed cameras because they can't afford to operate them.

'The evidence is that road safety camera partnerships have resulted in significant reductions in road casualties over the past decade,' said Gianassi. 'There are almost half the number of casualties that there were eight years ago.

'There is clear evidence that the public accept speed cameras. We recognise that we have to save money, we recognise that road safety has to play a part of that, but these cuts are a particular threat to the sustainability of the system.

'I am working with the Government to persuade them that action needs to be taken to protect the system and the future of our road safety'

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 The recently refreshed Skoda Roomster is a bit like the motoring equivalent of a loft conversion.

It?s just a little longer than the Fabia supermini it?s based on, but that elevated roofline and big side windows makes the cabin feel much bigger and airier.

Whether there are two or three grown-ups in the back ? or two child seats ? there?s plenty of space for all and the Varioflex seat system makes the Roomster more versatile than most family cars: the seats can fold, tumble forward, slide back and forth or be taken out altogether. The middle seat can also be removed and then the two remaining seats pushed inwards for a bit more elbowroom. There?s plenty of space for odds and ends too, while the 450-litre boot will easily swallow the entire contents of the kids? toy cupboard.

Not just for kids
The grown ups will be happy, too. For starters, the interior now looks and feels better, with the dashboard in particular getting some nicer, soft-touch plastics.
The new engine line-up includes three 1.2 petrol engines and two 1.6 diesels, so the Roomster is now cheaper to run than before. You can also add a DSG automatic gearbox to the most powerful petrol.

We drove the 1.2 TSI 105 with the semi-automatic DSG ?box, and the 1.6 TDI 90 with manual change. Both have enough power to whizz the Roomster past slower cars or lorries, but the diesel is noisier than the petrol model and it vibrates a bit more, too. The DSG gearbox can be a bit slow to react, especially when you?re pulling away, and the manual ?box is a bit clunky, but you can easily live with either.

It?s the same with refinement: there?s a rumble of road noise on rougher roads, and the door mirrors whip up a bit of wind noise, but you won?t need to raise your voice too much to be heard over it.

What Car? says:
Cheap, cheerful MPV that?s good family transport

 Victoria Beckham has landed a job at Land Rover working on the new Evoque and Everest-conquering climber Bonita Norris is the face of the Nissan Juke.

Do you know which other celebrities have tied in with car manufacturers?

Try our quiz to see how many real pairings you can spot and how many fictitious partnerships we've invented.


How to play
Just look at the pairings, below, decide if they're for real then click for the answer.



DI Burnside (from The Bill) and Fiat

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for the answer




Craig Phillips (from Big Brother 1) and Mitsubishi

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for the answer



The England Cricket Team and Jaguar

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for the answer



Tom Cruise and Bugatti

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for the answer



Ricky Hatton and Subaru

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for the answer



Jodie Kidd and Maserati

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for the answer



Wayne Rooney and Mercedes-Benz

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for the answer



Justin Timberlake and Audi

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for the answer



Stephanie Twell and Citroen

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for the answer

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 What Car?'s Matt Sanger takes a practical look at the latest trend in car colours, matt black.

 Kits to test if drivers have been using drugs could be available to police forces by the end of the year.

The kits, dubbed drugalysers, would mean officers no longer have to get a doctor's permission to take a blood test to gather evidence that could be used in court.

Drugalysers within 'months'
Road safety minister Mike Penning has revealed that drugalysers could be installed at every police station by 2012, but that the first test devices could be in use within months.

'It is vital that the police have the tools they need to tackle those who drive while impaired by drugs,' said Penning.

'This selfish minority show a flagrant disregard, not only for their own lives, but for the safety of others and we are determined to tackle this menace.

'That is why we are taking urgent steps to make drug screening technology available as soon as possible.'

Roadside test on the way
The first versions of the kits are expected to be ready in September, and will initially be for use in police stations. The Government has put £300,000 towards designing a device that could be used at the roadside.

Julie Townsend, campaigns director for road safety charity Brake, said: 'The introduction of drugalysers is long-overdue. However, we need to go further than just introducing testing kits in police stations.

'In other countries, screening devices are used at the roadside to catch drug-drivers; we need to be moving urgently towards this type of screening in the UK. We also desperately need to close the loophole on drug-driving by making it an offence to drive with illegal drugs in your body, so police don't have to prove impairment.'

Drink-drive figures fall
Provisional statistics on accidents reported to the police involving drinking and driving in Britain in 2009, show that fatalities have fallen by 5% to 380, from 400 in 2008. It is the first time drink-drive fatalities have fallen below 400 a year.

Seriously injured casualties fell by 9% from 1620 in 2008 to 1480 in 2009; slight casualties resulting from drink-drive accidents fell by 8% from 12,990 in 2008 to 11,990 in 2009.

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 Cheap rubber might be easy on your wallet, but is it really worth the saving? We tested a selection of budget tyres against three premium brands to find out.

Pop in to your local tyre fitter and you?ll have the choice of dozens of brands. Some will be expensive ? up to £100 each, including fitting, for a basic Ford Focus or VW Golf ? while others seem a snip at half the price.

There can?t be that much difference in performance, can there?

We pitted three premium tyres against three budget alternatives in a series of braking tests, and the results were shocking.

In the wet, the budget tyres took an average of 14 metres ? the length of an articulated lorry ? longer than the premium tyres to pull up from 70mph.

Watch the video
See our video of the test, then click below to read the full feature explaining why buying budget tyres could cost you dear?

Tyre test - why budget tyres could kill

 Family cars lead tough lives ? they need to cope with the kids and eat up the miles of the weekly commute.

With demands such as these, you'll need to know which cars are up to job ? and those that can't take the heat of family life.

The best of the best
Mazda 6

Our favourite family car is the Mazda 6. It?s fun to drive, well-priced and well-equipped.

There?s plenty of room inside the 6 and the simple seat-folding mechanism is an extra bonus, which off-sets the fact that some of the interior might not look as snappy and appealing as the exterior.

While it might not be the quietest contender, as an all-round package it?s still a top performer and highly dependable.

What Car? pick of the Mazda 6 range - 2.2D 163 TS

The best of the rest
Ford Mondeo

Next up is one of the best-known names in motoring ? the Ford Mondeo. You might dismiss it as too obvious a choice, but you?d be missing out if you did.

Superb handling ability is matched by a composed, quiet ride that makes the Ford a true all-rounder.

It?s also a big car, so you won?t want for space inside, and build quality is durable.

What Car? pick of the Ford Mondeo range - 2.0 TDCi 140 Zetec

Skoda Superb

A car with this name certainly has a lot to live up to, and the Skoda doesn?t disappoint.

The sumptuous materials, plentiful equipment and impressive build quality might make you think you?re in an executive car, but the prices won?t.

Get in the back and you could be in a luxury car ? there?s an amazing amount of legroom ? while the boot is huge. There also the bonus of a clever, combined hatch/bootlid.

What Car? pick of the Skoda Superb range - 1.4 TSI S

Volkswagen Passat

The Passat is an incredibly comfortable mile-muncher, so if you spend a lot of time on the motorway, it could be ideal.

There?s not as much room as in the Skoda Superb, but the Passat certainly isn?t pokey, and it's well-equipped, too.

It?s not a bad-looking car from the outside, although some of the plastics in the cabin feel a bit on the cheap side.

What Car? pick of the Volkswagen Passat range - 2.0 TDI CR 140 S

Toyota Avensis

You won?t buy an Avensis to look flash, but beauty is only skin deep, and the Toyota?s talents go way beyond that.

Reliability is king, while all of the materials in the cabin are top-notch and the controls operate smoothly.

It?s easy to drive, comfortable to travel in, and now comes with the peace-of-mind of a five-year warranty.

What Car? pick of the Toyota Avensis range - 2.0 D-4D TR Nav

The not-so-hot
There are no one-star family cars, but the Kia Magentis is the only car to get just two stars. The replacement for the Magentis arrives at the Paris motor show at the end of September and will go on sale in the UK early in 2011.

It should continue to offer lots of equipment and space for the money, but hopefully it will also take a stride forward in terms of the driving experience and quality.

Renault?s three-star Laguna is next. It certainly looks pretty stylish and is well-equipped, but the ride is harsh and the resale values could make you wince.

The Vauxhall Insignia is stylish and comes loaded with creature comforts, safety equipment and cutting-edge features, but refinement is just okay, while the steering doesn?t make for a fun time at the wheel. However, the Insignia now comes with a free lifetime warranty (for the first owner ? the second will have to pay).

The B-Class from Mercedes-Benz has lots of space and can cruise nicely on the motorway. It?s expensive, though, and, again, the way it drives won?t light your fire.

Our final three-star family car is the Peugeot 407, which is about to be replaced by a car that will closely follow the ?5? concept seen at this year's Geneva motor show. We?re keen to see if Peugeot has improved the poor ride and seat comfort of the outgoing model.

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