Page 13 - link magazine

ON THE ROAD 13
An 'L' of lot of choice MOBILE CAR VALETING
Peter Swinyard casts a critical eye over some new cars Available at home or work. Established local company
Midsummer madness is onus again. Cardealers rushed off their feet - they Reduced rates for regular and contract work
hope! And why? Because the prefix letter on car registrations changes on "Valet the value back into your car
1 August and 20% of their annual business is concentrated into one month
by the one upmanship of a visibly new car. with Swindon Autoshine"
Assuming that you ignore pundits such as me who would rather shop Tel: (0793) 876536 • Mobile (0850) 654542
in mid-September, when the rush is overand betterdiscounts (and the new
model year cars) are around, what should be on your shortlist this year?
IS YOUR BIKE SICK?
ECONOMY Buys - Fiat Cinquecento £4,990.
The clear winner of this class, not only for its cheeky looks and attractive 0 From a cable to a complete overhaul, we'll
price, but this Polish-made Fiat has most of the abilities of the superminis collect and delvier your bike at no extra cost.
a class up with £1000 price advantage and should hold its value well.
Call the Bike Doctor now for a prompt, professional
Honourable mention for the Skoda Favorit - the family man's sensible d service on (0793) 874873 or (0850) 650956
£5,000 buy.
BIKE Whole range of accessories available. 10% discount
SMALL HATCHBACKS - Nissan Micra £6,890 -£10,370.
This is moreBritish than anythingbut the aging Metro. A greatdrive many DOCTOR card after first order or repair
form and the only choice is you want a small car with automatic AND
power steering.
Honourable mention to the Citroen AX -best on economy of buyingand
running - and deals, deals, deals.
Whether it's a boat, caravan or trailer
Below: Nissan Micra, a super-duper new mini
BRITANNIA TOWING CENTRE
Unit 16, Station Industrial Estate, Swindon
CAN HELP!
* Towbars for Cars, Vans & Light Vehicles
* Seat Belts (Kangol & Britax Approved)
* Child Safety Seats
Tel: (0793) 613147 or 488622
LOWER MEDIUM HATCHBACKS - Citroön ZX £8,445 -£14,995
Best drive in the class, also fiercely competitive on price and deals. Go for
the 1.4 Avantage at £9,995 (electric roof/windows etc.) as best value.
Larger engines not really much better to drive. Best diesels in class, L REG? 1*
especially the turbo which is also available in 'hot-hatcn' Volcane trim.
Honourable mention for the sister-under-the-skin Peugeot 306 which is
nearly as good to drive.
UPPER MEDIUM HATCHBACKS/SALOON - Ford Mondeo £11,200 -£17,450 PROTECT YOUR
The Belgian-built Mondeo has the ride/handling to leave the rest of the
class behind, with the Citroen Xantia snapping at the heels. 1.8 LX is the
pick at £12,070 unless you must have the air conditioning and plush of the NEW INVESTMENT
£17,450 Ghia. At resale time the LX will always have a buyer.
SMALL EXECUTIVES - BMW 318i £16,395
Yes, here is the prestige of the BMW badge at sensible money. Comfort,
d.cumondbrite
style and, yes, street-cred are all here. And if you like, they will make you E:~
one without the 318 badge. Could be a 325...?
Runner-up is the Mazda Xedos 6SE. Drop-dead gorgeous styling and fl a/vrat& ir ca, ltecti
engine, let down by woolly handling at the limit.
LUXURY CARS - Lexus LS 400 £39,999 r Based on rock-oil, contains no silicons or waxes
Yes, I know few of my readers will have this sort of disposable cash. But
if you have, the latest modifications have cured the few faults of the Lexus Applied by experienced, local licensed applicator
I tested a couple of years back. The best V8 engine in the business, luxury * Makers 6 years guarantee for vehicles up to 1 year
you never knew you needed. Dream on...
2 year guarantee for vehicles 1 - 3 years
DIESELS - BMW 525tds Touring SE automatic £27,295
At last, BMW have had the courage to launch their fabulous diesel in the
UK. With the estate body and all the toys, this 143bhp oil-burner has all the This advertisement is worth
power you need with economy too. Yes please. £10 off a Lacro diamondbrite
In the sensible money class, anything from Peugeot or Citroen has to be application (until 30th Sept.
worth a look, as is Audi now that they are adjusting their prices down-
wards.
For further information and to make a booking,
OFF-ROADERS - Land Rover Discovery TDiS 5-door £20,400 contact Gordon Harrow of Swindon Autoshine
Still king of the hill, although others are better on the road (try the Nissan 4
Terrano 11 /Ford Maverick twins or the Isuzu Trooper). Build quality now Tel: (0793) 876536
better, 28-30mpg possible and will tow (almost) anything. Resale values Mobile (0850) 654542
assured with diesel engine. The V8i will eat petrol and be harder to resell