With good looks and superb reliabilityCelica makes a great sporting buy

With good looks, decent dynamics, superb reliability and masses of standard equipment, the Celica makes a great sporting buy. The cabin lets it down, but in return there’s reasonable practicality while purchase costs are admirably low. With good looks, decent dynamics, superb reliability and masses of standard equipment, the Celica makes a great sporting buy. The cabin lets it down, but in return there’s reasonable practicality while purchase costs are admirably low.

There’s no ambiguity with the Toyota’s lines; you can tell immediately that this is a car with sporting pretensions thanks to the swoopy silhouette, low-slung nose and 2+2 configuration.

For a sporting car, the Celica scores impressively in the practicality stakes thanks to the incorporation of a hatchback rather than a boot. The fitment of fold-down rear seats ensures that even if you need to transport that coffee table in a hurry, the Celica should be able to accommodate it – as long as it’s not too big.

Toyota Celica Car Review

Read Used Toyota Celica Car Review

Most searched used Vauxhall cars in Auto Trader Search

Trying to decide which car is perfect for you? With so much choice, why not see what Used Cars other people are searching for on Auto Trader?

Used Vauxhall Astra (1,653,648)

UK motorists have bought two million Vauxhall Astras since the model hit our streets in 1980. The Vauxhall Astra is a spacious and practical small family car. The latest model, introduced in 2004, is the fifth Astra since the start of its production. It sports a larger interior than previous versions, with lots of kit providing an up market look and feel. The Astra’s wide range of petrol engines and good choice of diesels make it a very popular car in the market. The three-door Sport Hatch variant has the option of an innovative and attractive panoramic windscreen, which gives the Astra a whole new driving experience.

Used Vauxhall Corsa – (1,478,409)

The Vauxhall Corsa has been a hit since its launch way back in 1993 thanks to a blend of practicality and low running costs.The fact it’s the car of choice for thousands of driving instructors is testament to its ability as an easy-to-drive supermini. The latest model is also more fun to drive than its predecessors, with remarkably low running costs.

Used Vauxhall Vectra (898,175)

The Vauxhall Vectra is a British institution, and one of the most common sights on our roads. But as a popular choice for fleets, many owners drive a Vectra out of obligation not choice. We drive one for a week, all over the UK, and decide if the venerable Vauxhall provides a good deal and stacks up against tough competition for the private buyer.

View all Auto Trader’s Used Vauxhall cars

USA’s King of Cars – Auto Trader

Jay Ohrberg has created some of the world’s most outrageous one-off cars.

The madcap Hollywood designer has built cars shaped like living rooms, a car based on The Flintstones, one with Marilyn Monroe on the boot and a car with an ‘Elvis’ badge on the front.

Click the link below to view our image gallery:

Used Audi Q5 – Buying Guide

Buying a used car can have potential pitfalls – but it needn’t be a painful experience if you follow a simple set of rules and checks. We provide you a used car buying guide, which aims to provide all the advice and information to make the right choices when buying a used Audi Q5 car.

Check the information below to arm yourself with all the information you need to make the successful purchase of your dream car.

What type of car is Audi Q5?

Audi Q5 is Audi’s luxury compact SUV, The Q5 has a 3.2 liter, 270 horsepower gasoline V6 engine, with a six-speed automatic transmission. A clean diesel engine is in the works, but there is no announcement yet concerning date. For the horsepower it generates, it gets a respectable 18 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway.

With its moveable or removable back seat, the Q5 delivers almost 30 cubic feet of cargo volume, about average for the class. It has a maximum towing weight of 4400 pounds, again very respectable for the type of vehicle.

Interior Vs Exterior

The Audi Q5’s looks aren’t a great surprise, coming as it does as a baby brother to the Audi Q7.

Interior boasts aesthetically-pleasing, quality materials laid out intuitively. It’s practical too. The interior feels spacious, there are versatile storage solutions and boot space ranges from 540 litres with the rear seats in place to 1560 litres when they are flat.

Performance

The petrol offering is powered by the 211bhp 2.0 TFSI engine mated to a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox and Audi’s Quattro four-wheel drive system. This can power the car from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 137mph.

Equipments

Standard model equipment includes 17-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels, climate control, six-speaker CD/radio, front and rear electric windows and electronic parking brake. SE models feature 18-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, aluminium exterior window trims, leather upholstery, four-spoke leather-rimmed multi-function steering wheel, 10-speaker sound system and light and rain sensors. The range-topping S Line Models bring 19-inch five spoke alloy wheels, LED lights front and rear, exclusive styling and sports seats.

Selling Point

One of its key selling points is the classically elegant fabric top and fuel efficiency. The Cabriolet is powered by ultra-efficient TDI and TFSI engines.

Skoda to build fastest ever hot hatch – Auto Trader

The Skoda Fabia VRS hot hatch is poised for a comeback next year, a senior source at Skoda has revealed.

He exclusively told Auto Trader the Fabia VRS will:

• Be powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine
• Develop between 165 and 180bhp
• Be equipped with a six-speed DSG semi-automatic gearbox
• Rival the Seat Ibiza FR and Cupra ranges

Although performance figures are sketchy, it’s likely the VRS will offer a 7.5 second 0-62mph time together with a top speed of 135mph, making it the fastest hot hatch the company has ever built.

The Fabia VRS will be launched around July 2010, after the range undergoes a midlife facelift around a month earlier. The cosmetic nip and tuck will see the hatchback receive smaller front lights to fall in line with its latest model, the Yeti crossover SUV.

Read Full story here http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/car_page_content/exclusive_skoda_to_build_fastest_ever_hot_hatch.html

Auto Trader – London’s free motor show – the Canary Wharf Motorexpo.

Source: Auto Trader UK

We like free stuff.

We’re also quite fond of cars too. So a free motor show displaying eye-wateringly hot supercars in one of central London’s most famous locations is, if you’ll excuse the pun, right up our street.

Next week sees the return of the Motorexpo – London’s free motor show held in Canary Wharf.

The show is aimed at a business audience too busy to attend real shows, and offers punters the opportunity to stick a hefty bonus payment down on a model which takes their fancy.

For mere mortals, it is the chance to gawp at some of the world’s hottest and most exclusive machinery.

We’re not exactly sure Canary Wharf is the ideal place for a load of super-expensive supercars to turn up, what with Captain Credit Crunch and his spandex pants tightening the nuts on the economy.

But whatever – we can’t wait to see all this hot metal in the flesh. And for free!

We’ll be dodging distressed bankers on Monday and reporting live from Canary Wharf to bring you all the hot news.

Honda S2000 is a perfect Roadster with incredible engine

Honda S2000

Honda has revised the stunning S2000 with a host of suspension upgrades to mirror the version sold on the Japanese market. The S2000 has an incredible engine. This is the biggest strength for this car. The four-cylinder unit is the most powerful non-turbocharged 2.0-litre around, producing 240bhp. Using an advanced engine-timing called VTEC, the 2-litre petrol unit in the Honda S2000 spins to a dizzying 9,000rpm and produces 237bhp – making it one of the world’s most powerful 2-litre engines.

The steering wheel is easy to control on twisted road. The Honda S2000 scored four out of five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests, which is reasonable for a small roadster.

The S2000 rivals include BMW Z4 and Mercedes SLK. Honda S2000 remains popular because of its incredible engine which gives its drivers a motorbike driving feel. Though it lacks the low-speed cruising ability of the BMW Z4, it still hits back with a purist punch, making for a more focused sports car.

Visit Honda Cars Hub to read more about

• Honda cars
• Honda civic cars – complete information
• Honda Accord – Car Review
• Honda Jazz – Car Review
• Honda Insight

Read Used Honda S2000 Review

Ranking top car manufacturers’ websites

How effective are the big car manufacturer’s websites in driving their sales. Have a look at which one scored highest in terms of maintaing the online visibility.

1. Audi Cars – official website – http://www.audi.co.uk
2. BMW Cars – official website – http://www.bmw.co.uk
3. Citroen Cars – official website – http://www.citroen.co.uk
4. Honda Cars – official website – http://www.honda.co.uk
5. Ford Cars – official website – http://www.ford.co.uk
6. Fiat Cars – official website – http://www.fiat.co.uk

These were decided based on Google Ranking for the particular manufacturer keyword, in-depth information, easy navigation and good design. [Source: Business Car]

Five of the best Superminis listed

Superminis are bought because they are affordable, fun to drive and can be parked easily. They can act as fashion symbol for some of its buyers. If you are in the amrket for budget superminis, you simplay aren’t short of choices. Which one would you vote for?

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta looks more appealing and it remains a good car to drive with some decent engines. The handling is excellent, the suspension is firm but not harsh, while the steering has a sharp feel.

Ford Fiesta

Renault Clio

More than 13 million Renault Clios have been built since its introduction in 1991, so the new car certainly had a lot to live up to. It has grown in size and quality, and it is definitely the nicest Clio yet to be inside.

Renault Clio

Peugeot 207

The Peugeot 207 is a good all-rounder with a strong image, enhanced by its bold looks.  It has an improved driving position, it rides and handles well and seems well built.

Peugeot 207

Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra‘s image is love it or hate it. Launched in 2003, the third generation Nissan Micra was a ground breaking supermini, setting a new benchmark in styling, practicality and value for money.

Nissan Micra

Fiat Punto

The Fiat Punto is good looking, with a comfortable interior and plenty of room for drivers of all shapes and sizes. It’s great fun to drive.

Fiat Punto

Other Superminis worth considering:

• Mazda 2
• Vauxhall Corsa
• Suzuki Swift
• Toyota Yaris
• Citroen C3

The Fiat Grande Punto is surely the prettiest supermini on the road.

The Fiat Grande Punto is – as its name suggests – bigger than previous Puntos. But that’s not to say it’s lost its youthful charm.

The Fiat Grande Punto is surely the prettiest supermini on the road. Its front is reminiscent of the Aston Martin DB7, which can only be a good thing, while the rear and sides carry on the curvy theme. There are plenty of neat touches around the Grande Punto.

So often interiors fail to live up to the expectations set by the bodywork. Not so with the Grande Punto.

As the Fiat Grande Punto has grown since its predecessor, so has its levels of practicality. There’s lots of room in the front, and all but the tallest of rear passengers can fit in the back fairly easily. At four metres in length, Fiat says the Grande Punto is the biggest in its class, although at 275 litres,

The Fiat Punto feels sure-footed and composed at speed, which has a lot to do with the extra width of the larger car. The steering is precise, although not so razor sharp as other models in the supermini class.

Fiat has been working tirelessly to iron out the niggling little problems which used to beset its vehicles and the Grande Punto seems as well built as anything else from Europe.

With prices starting from around £7,500, the Grande Punto is an exceptionally cheap machine. Even our top-of-the-range test car weighs in at well under £13,000; and that has plenty of bells and whistles. Huge demand (the Punto is one of the 20 most searched for car on autotrader.co.uk) keeps second-hand values healthy.

The Grande Punto oozes style from every angle. It’s great fun to drive, especially in the 1.9 Sporting guise. But best of all is its tremendous value for money.

Read Used Fiat Grande Punto review