Piper Pa-34 Nose Gear Torque Link Assembly, P/n: 67012-00 on 2040-parts.com

New cars can save drivers up to 25%

BUYING a new car instead of a secondhand one could save drivers as much as 25% on their motoring costs in the first year of ownership. These savings come from cheaper insurance, lower road tax costs, improved fuel economy and no MoT test. Comparing a brand new Volkswagen Golf with a five-year old model, the new car reduces the annual spend on motoring from £1689 to £1267, saving £422 in the first year of ownership.

Poll: Would you buy a Hyundai i20?

Last week we asked you if you'd be interested in a Nissan Micra, which is built in Mexico and is available in Canada and dozens of other countries, but not in the U.S. A substantial majority of our readers, 77 percent, voted that they would be interested in buying the $9,100 Micra if it was sold in America, a slightly lower percentage than for most of our past foreign-vehicle polls (which were all quite different, it should be noted). The Micra essentially offers the same engine and almost the same amount of interior space as the Nissan Versa Note at 2/3 the price of a stateside Note, which is already considered to be about as spartan as it gets despite a $14,780 price tag.

First Fisker Karma in the UK auctioned for £140k

First Fisker Karma in the UK auctioned for charity The extended range Fisker Karma arrived at last year’s Paris motor show, and now the very first Karma to arrive in the UK has been auctioned in aid of charity and raised a bid of £140,000 at the Pratham UK Gala held at Camden’s Roundhouse. The altruism demonstrated by offering appealing cars for charity auctions is to be commended, especially from a young - and relatively impoverished - outfit like Henrik Fisker’s eponymous company. Yes, there’s a bit of publicity to be garnered for the Karma, but good on Henrik for offering up the first Karma to charity.