A new 60 plate Ford Kuga Titanium can be yours from £22,495 with a £500 customer saving at your nearest Ford dealership.

Plus you’ll also get a free Bluetooth® system with Voice Control and USB connection and a free Appearance Pack.

The Ford Kuga Titanium 2WD features: 17” 5×2 spoke alloy wheels, partial leather trim, Ford Key-Free System, Electronic Stability Programme, anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution, a mini tailgate, Ford Easy Fuel capless refuelling system, Dual Electronic Automatic Temperature Control and Quickclear heated windscreen.

There’s also a 4.9% finance promotion on too.

Terms and Conditions

Retail only. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. This promotion applies to the Ford Kuga Titanium 2.0 TDCi 140 PS 2WD petrol, gate released after 2 August 2010. The vehicle must be contracted between 2 August 2010 and 30 September 2010 and registered between 2 August 2010 and 31 December 2010. Price excludes metallic paint. Free Bluetooth® with Voice Control and USB connection and Appearance Pack subject to availability.

Buy a 60 plate Ford Focus Zetec and save £1,550 of the list price at your local Ford dealer. Plus you’ll also get a free Bluetooth® system with Voice Control.

The Ford Focus Zetec features: Comfort Suspension, Electronic Stability Programme, sports-style front seats, Quickclear heated windscreen, perimeter alarm, Premium Centre Console, CD player/Stereo radio Ford 6000 – 6 speakers and air conditioning.

A fixed 4.9% apr deal is also available on Ford Options.

Terms and Conditions

Retail only. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. This promotion applies to the Ford Focus Zetec 3-door 1.6 100 PS petrol, gate released from and including 9 August 2010. The vehicle must be contracted between 9 August 2010 and 30 September 2010 and registered between 9 August 2010 and 31 December 2010. Price excludes metallic paint. Free Bluetooth® with Voice Control subject to availability.

60 Plate Ford KA £7,995

Ford are offering a 60 plate Ford KA Studio from £7,995 until 30th September 2010.

The Ford KA Studio is packed with features including: stereo radio/CD player with MP3 connection, aux jack and 6
speakers, body coloured bumpers, headlight courtesy delay, tinted glass, electric power-assisted steering, Intelligent Protection System with driver’s and front passenger’s airbags, anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution, a rake adjustable steering column and ISOFIX child seat fittings.

This promotion applies to the Ford Ka Studio 1.2 69 PS petrol, gate released after 2 August 2010. The vehicle must be contracted between 2 August 2010 and 30 September 2010 and registered between 2 August 2010 and 31 December 2010. Price excludes metallic paint.

60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec

Buy a 60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec and save £2040 at your local Ford dealership. A free Bluetooth system with USB connection is on offer too. The Fiesta Zetec starts at £11,495 after the saving has been deducted.

The well equipped Ford Fiesta Zetec features: air conditioning, Quickclear heated windscreen, body colour electrically-operated heated door mirrors, Electronic Stability Programme, 15″ 8-spoke alloy wheels, ambient lighting, a leather steering wheel with aluminium trim, body colour door and tailgate handles, front fog lights and a chrome front grille surround, beltline and fog light surround.

A fixed 4.9% apr 2 year Ford Options deal is available too.

Terms and Conditions

Retail only. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. This promotion applies to the Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25 82 PS petrol contracted between 2 August 2010 and 29 August 2010 and registered between 2 August 2010 and 31 December 2010. Advertised price is calculated by deducting a Ford Customer Saving of £1,650.00 and a Dealer Contribution of £390.00 from the manufacturer’s OTR price of £13,535.00. †Dealer Contribution is subject to the sole discretion of each participating Ford Dealer (please check with your Ford Authorised Dealer). Price excludes metallic paint. Free Bluetooth® with Voice Control and USB connection subject to availability.

New 60 Plate Vauxhall Meriva

Buy a new 60 Plate New Vauxhall Meriva Exclusiv 1.4i 16v VVT (100PS), from £13,495* and save £3,155 until 30th September at your local Vauxhall dealer.

The Vauxhall Meriva Exclusiv features FlexDoors® , FlexSpace® rear seating system, FlexRail® modular storage system and Air conditioning.

Other offers in the range include:
New Meriva S 1.4i 16v VVT (100PS), from £12,495*. You save £3,000.
New Meriva S 1.3CDTi 16v, from £13,495*. You save £3,380.
New Meriva Exclusiv 1.3CDTi 16v (a/c), from £14,495*. You save £3,530.

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme applies to customers trading in a qualifying car or commercial vehicle (up to 3.5 tonnes) against the purchase of selected new Vauxhall models when ordered or registered between 13.07.10 and 30.09.10.

At the date of the new vehicle order, the vehicle traded in must be 7 years old or older from date of first registration in the UK.

To qualify for the scheme, the owner of the trade vehicle (or their spouse/partner living at the same UK address) must be named as the registered keeper and resident at the UK address shown on the Vehicle Registration Document (V5C) and have owned the vehicle for a minimum of 90 days. The new vehicle must be registered at the same address.

The vehicle must have a valid MOT and road tax (or that has expired no earlier than 14 days prior to the new vehicle order date) and be insured at the date of the new vehicle order.

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme cannot be used with Pay Monthly Personal Contract Hire offers. All Swappage discounts are inclusive of VAT. Offers available to private customers, Vauxhall Partners and small businesses 1-24 (purchase only), on selected retailer stocks at participating retailers only.

*Includes £500 swappage saving. If your car is at least seven years old, you may be eligible for an extra Vauxhall saving off your New Meriva.

60 Plate Vauxhall Agila - Save £2,485

Buy a new 60 Plate Vauxhall Agila Club 1.0i 12v ecoFLEX, from £7,495* and save £2,485  until 30th September at your local Vauxhall dealer.

The Vauxhall Agila Club features aCD player with MP3 format/stereo radio, front fog lights, multi-function trip computer and electrically operated front windows.

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme applies to customers trading in a qualifying car or commercial vehicle (up to 3.5 tonnes) against the purchase of selected new Vauxhall models when ordered or registered between 13.07.10 and 30.09.10.

At the date of the new vehicle order, the vehicle traded in must be 7 years old or older from date of first registration in the UK.

To qualify for the scheme, the owner of the trade vehicle (or their spouse/partner living at the same UK address) must be named as the registered keeper and resident at the UK address shown on the Vehicle Registration Document (V5C) and have owned the vehicle for a minimum of 90 days. The new vehicle must be registered at the same address.

The vehicle must have a valid MOT and road tax (or that has expired no earlier than 14 days prior to the new vehicle order date) and be insured at the date of the new vehicle order.

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme cannot be used with Pay Monthly Personal Contract Hire offers. All Swappage discounts are inclusive of VAT. Offers available to private customers, Vauxhall Partners and small businesses 1-24 (purchase only), on selected retailer stocks at participating retailers only.

*Includes £575 swappage saving. If your car is at least seven years old, you may be eligible for an extra Vauxhall saving off your new Agila.

60 Plate Vauxhall Astra Offer - Save £3530

Buy a new 60 Plate Vauxhall Astra with savings of up to £3,530 until 30th September at your local Vauxhall dealer.

Here are some of the deals on offer:

All New Astra Exclusiv 1.4i 16v (87PS), from £12,495*. You save £3,400.

New Astra Exclusiv 1.4i 16v VVT (100PS), from £12,995*. You save £3,240

New Astra Exclusiv 1.3CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX, from £14,495*. You save £3,390

New Astra SRi 1.4i 16v VVT (100PS), from £14,295*. You save £3,530

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme applies to customers trading in a qualifying car or commercial vehicle (up to 3.5 tonnes) against the purchase of selected new Vauxhall models when ordered or registered between 13.07.10 and 30.09.10.

At the date of the new vehicle order, the vehicle traded in must be 7 years old or older from date of first registration in the UK.

To qualify for the scheme, the owner of the trade vehicle (or their spouse/partner living at the same UK address) must be named as the registered keeper and resident at the UK address shown on the Vehicle Registration Document (V5C) and have owned the vehicle for a minimum of 90 days. The new vehicle must be registered at the same address. 

The vehicle must have a valid MOT and road tax (or that has expired no earlier than 14 days prior to the new vehicle order date) and be insured at the date of the new vehicle order.

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme cannot be used with Pay Monthly Personal Contract Hire offers. All Swappage discounts are inclusive of VAT. Offers available to private customers, Vauxhall Partners and small businesses 1-24 (purchase only), on selected retailer stocks at participating retailers only.

*Includes £500 swappage saving. If your car is more than seven years old you may be eligible to get further savings off your New Astra.

Vauxhall Corsa 60 Plate Savings

Vauxhall are offering up to £3,415 off a new 60 plate Vauxhall Corsa including a £1000 “Swappage” saving if your car is at least seven years old.

Here are some of the savings on offer:

• Corsa 3-door S 1.0i 12v, from £8,495*. You save £2,535.
• Corsa 3-door Energy 1.0i 12v ecoFLEX (a/c), from £9,295*. You save £2,595.
• Corsa 3-door Energy 1.2i 16v VVT (a/c), from £9,495*. You save £2,735.
• Corsa 3-door Energy 1.3CDTi 16v (75PS) ecoFLEX, from £10,495*. You save £2,645.
• Corsa 3-door SXi 1.2i 16v VVT, from £9,995*. You save £2,890.
• Corsa 5-door SXi 1.2i 16v VVT, from £9,995*. You save £3,310.
• Corsa 3-door Limited Edition 1.2i 16v VVT (a/c), from £10,995*. You save £3,000.
• Corsa 3-door SRi 1.4i 16v VVT (a/c), from £11,495*. You save £3,415.

To qualify for the Vauxhall Swappage Scheme, you need to trade in a qualifying car or commercial vehicle (up to 3.5 tonnes) against the purchase of a new Vauxhall Corsa model. The new car must be ordered or registered between 13.07.10 and 30.09.10.

At the date of the new vehicle order, the vehicle traded in must be 7 years old or older from date of first registration in the UK. The vehicle must have a valid MOT and road tax (or that has expired no earlier than 14 days prior to the new vehicle order date) and be insured at the date of the new vehicle order.

You (or your spouse/partner living at the same UK address) must be named as the registered keeper and resident at the UK address shown on the Vehicle Registration Document (V5C) and have owned the vehicle for a minimum of 90 days. The new vehicle must be registered at the same address.

The Vauxhall Swappage Scheme cannot be used with Pay Monthly Personal Contract Hire offers. All Swappage discounts are inclusive of VAT. Offers available to private customers, Vauxhall Partners and small businesses 1-24 (purchase only), on selected retailer stocks at participating retailers only.

*Includes £1000 Swappage saving. If your car is at least seven years old, you may be eligible for an extra Vauxhall saving off your new Corsa.

Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty

Vauxhall have just announced that all Vauxhall new cars are now covered by a Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty from the first day of registration.

The Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty will apply to  any Vauxhall registered after August 1 2010 and will cover the first owner of the car until it reaches 100,000 miles, no matter how many years that takes.

Vauxhall plan to add another programme which will enable the second owner of the car to purchase the lifetime warranty.

‘With the Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty, we are making a strong statement of confidence in the quality of our products and a clear intent to provide the very best customer service in the UK,’ said Duncan Aldred, managing director of Vauxhall Motors.

This is a first in the UK as most car manufacturers only offer a three-year warranty.  Toyota, Hyundai and Kia, offer five or seven years’ cover.

The Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty covers the powertrain, steering system, brake system and electrical equipment throughout the life of the vehicle.

Owners will have to visit a Vauxhall dealer every year for a free vehicle inspection to maintain the warranty cover.

“Great design, engineering excellence and innovative thinking come as standard with every new Vauxhall so a lifetime warranty, with its boost to the customer ownership experience, is a natural extension to the appeal of our products,’ added Aldred.

1)      Check and top up your car’s coolant level

 Overheating is a common problem especially in hot weather and can lead to serious and expensive damage to the engine. Firstly, allow the car to cool down before checking the coolant level. Then, check whether the level is between the “low” and “full” marks and top up with coolant if necessary.  If you have to top up the level quite often, there could be a leak, in which case you should seek advice from a professional mechanic. Refer to your car’s owner handbook for more detailed information.

2)       Check and top up the engine oil

It’s important to check and top up your car’s engine oil regularly as running out of oil will result in major and costly engine damage.  The first thing to do is park the car on level ground and let the engine cool down. Pull out the oil dipstick (if you don’t know where it is, refer to the car’s handbook) and wipe it with a clean rag or cloth. Then insert it back all the way into the engine and pull it out  again. Check that the oil level is between “low and full” and top up, if necessary, with the brand of oil recommended in the owner handbook but don’t overfill.  Remember to put the dipstick back and close the oil filler cap.

You should also check the condition of the oil – black sludgy oil indicates that the oil should be completely changed, if it’s dark brown but still transparent it should be changed soon, if it’s white coffee coloured it could indicate that there is an internal engine problem such as a blown head gasket and professional advice should be sought.

3)      Check the condition of the battery

The most common cause of a car breakdown is a faulty battery. Replace an old battery with a new one before it lets you down – many garages will carry out a free car battery check if you ask. 

4)      Check the condition of the tyres and the tyre pressures

Worn tyres are not only dangerous but also, if they are below the legal tread limit of 1.6mm, you could be fined up to £2,500 per tyre and have 3 penalty points put on your licence.  Incorrectly inflated tyres can cost you too both in terms of increased fuel consumption and premature tyre wear. Check the condition of your car’s tyres to ensure safe motoring and refer to the owner handbook for the correct tyre inflation pressures.

5)      Check the condition of the exterior lights

Before starting a journey, check the condition of the exterior lights. Clean them regularly and check for cracks and blown bulbs.