Cars are good. Games are good. Free stuff is good. So it stands to reason that free online car games are very good indeed. Here’s our selection of some of the best.
Remember the Top Gear episode when the boys tried their hand at amphibious vehicles? Well now you can join in. All players need to do is cross the Channel in Jeremy’s Toybota, Richard’s Damper Van or James’s sailing boat lash-up. How hard can it be?
Get your fix of dust, mud and speed with this online rallying game. There are five tracks to unlock and the choice of a Ford Focus or Toyota Celica to drive.
Bored of racing cars? Feel the need for a bigger challenge? Try the Bus Racer Challenge. Yes, the game promotes Churchill Car Insurance, but don’t worry about that. Just enjoy.
This is Nissan’s game, but we found it on the Top Gear website. There are three levels, each featuring a different Nissan sports car. Get to the top level and you’ll drive the mighty GT-R.
If you’ve ever wanted to drive a monster truck and smash up everything in your path, this game will indulge your inner redneck.
6: Rocket Robin
Cross the Reliant Robin with the Space Shuttle and this is what you get: a Rocket Robin. Fiendishly difficult.
7: Dune Buggy
Put your foot down, get plenty of air, just don’t turn into a fireball.
8: Dare devil
Make huge jumps on your motorbike and perform other amazing tricks. Then crash into a straw bale.
9: Office Drive
Apparently even getting to your desk in the Top Gear office can be difficult. Dodge store rooms, pot plants and meetings on the way.
Remember when you were 17 and parallel parking would make your palms sweat? Relive those days with this parking game. It’s more fun than it sounds.
Traffic lights. A pretty everyday piece of street furniture. We all know what they’re for and how to use them.
Or do we? It turns out more than half of all drivers don’t know the traffic light sequence. We asked 1000 drivers to name the signal after amber. Just under half (48%) correctly chose red. Worryingly, nearly four out of ten (39%) thought an amber light was about to change to green. Almost one in ten (7%) expected a green and amber signal next, while 6% thought red and amber would appear.
We’re surprised that so few drivers remember the traffic light sequence correctly. What really had us worried was that so many drivers expect to see a green and amber signal since this doesn’t exist! Come on people!
Our research revealed some big differences between the regions. The East Midlands led the way, with 64% of drivers correctly choosing red as the next light in the sequence. 61% of drivers in East Anglia answered correctly, as did 58% in Northern Ireland.
Welsh drivers were most disappointing, with only 40% expecting red to follow amber. Just 45% of Scottish drivers answered correctly.
In central London, there are 2.4 personal injury accidents per year at traffic signals. With so few drivers knowing the correct traffic light sequence, perhaps this is one of the reasons why.
What colour is the UK traffic light signal after AMBER?
REGION |
GREEN |
RED |
GREEN& AMBER |
RED & AMBER |
TOTAL |
39% |
48% |
7% |
6% |
| London | 44% | 46% | 3% | 8% |
| South East | 35% | 49% | 8% | 8% |
| South West | 36% | 47% | 10% | 7% |
| East Anglia | 25% | 61% | 8% | 6% |
| North West | 46% | 46% | 6% | 2% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 36% | 50% | 11% | 3% |
| Wales | 48% | 40% | 8% | 5% |
| North East | 32% | 45% | 14% | 9% |
| East Midlands | 28% | 64% | 5% | 3% |
| West Midlands | 39% | 46% | 9% | 6% |
| Scotland | 41% | 45% | 8% | 6% |
| Northern Ireland | 37% | 58% | 5% | 0% |
The start of the World Cup is less than three weeks away, so now is the time to start decorating your car with England football accessories. Here are some of the ways you can show your allegiance to ‘In-ger-land’ on four wheels.
1. World cup flags. A bit route one, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Let the cross of St George flutter proudly in the breeze.
2. England sunshade. If this hot weather continues, sunshades can help keep the temperature bearable in your car. It’s cool to fly the flag.
3. Aerial toppers. A little bit more discrete than a full-on flag. But why be discrete? Get a flag, too.
4. Boxing glove key ring. Hang these for your car keys and everyone will know you support England. And like boxing.
5. Air freshener. Yes, you really can buy England air fresheners. Designed to replicate authentic pitch-side smells, enjoy the aroma of stale sweat and cheap burgers as you drive.
6. England magnet. Just in case someone doesn’t spot your flags, sun shades and aerial toppers, how about a magnet, too? That way nobody will ever miss that you support England.
What do you make of all this? Are these accessories patriotic? Harmless fun? Or just plain naff? Have your say in the comments section below.
Any Autoquake.com used car is good value but if you look hard enough you can find some fantastic prices.
AutoTrader offers its business customers a clever tool called Market Tracker that enables us to price check our cars against competitors, quickly and accurately.
The following list is a snapshot of the Market Tracker top crop of bargain cars, including savings against Parkers Used Car Prices guide. The Autoquake price is compared to the Parker’s “Independent dealer” guide price. This is the typical price paid for a car bought at an independent dealer or car supermarket.
These figures are a snapshot at midday on 24th May 2010. Note that Autoquake car prices do change in response to changing market prices so may have changed (+ or – ) since this post was published.
Apparently, call someone in the motor industry a ‘car nerd’ and they really rather like it. Ignore them, and they tend to get the hump.
We ran a blog post called ‘Autoquake chooses Twitter’s Greatest Car Geeks’ last week. At the risk of setting up some kind of ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ never-ending series, this is part two. Here are some of the obsessives, oddballs and pub bores which weren’t included last time.
@TheCarTweeter A graduate of the Ronseal School of Marketing, TheCarTweeter tweets about cars. A busy working motoring journalist, TheCarTweeter’s bio also promises ‘inane drivel’. Perhaps he should start a blog?
@richardaucock A journalist for Motoring Research Ltd, Richard is one of the most prolific tweeters in the motor industry. Or at least he seems to be until you realise half the tweets are about BBC 6 Music. Which Richard likes. A lot.
@1simonharris Simon is the deputy editor at Fleet News, and has also worked for the used car pricing bible, Parkers. There’s a picture of a Jensen on his home page, so he’s alright by us.
@suzanne_tennant Works for automotive PR specialists, Performance PR. Once ‘tried mixing tea & coffee when I was a child… tasted so bad I thought I might die!’
@CARmagazinetim Tim Pollard is the associate editor of Car Magazine and runs its website, Car Online. He’s also very good at hockey. #CARmagazinetimtrivia
@Dear_Blank Real name John Slavin, news editor of STIFF magazine. Sounds rude, but it’s actually about cars.
@Carpervert Again, not really a deviant, this is the Twitter address of motoring journalist and TV presenter Jonny Smith.
@RacingPuma Real name John McGregor. He’s a transport economist, although we’re not entirely sure what that means. Definitely something to do with transport and economics. Clearly a big fan of the Ford Racing Puma.
@WhichCar The Which Car? Insider feed keeps you in the loop with car news, reviews and advice – not to mention a robust defence of why Skoda is Which Car?’s ‘Best Car Manufacturer’ for 2010.
@craigthomas1 According to his bio, Craig is a ‘freelance journalist, father of two and all-round good guy (ish)’. Every now and again Craig stops ranting about politics long enough to mention his work as a motoring journalist. Whatever the subject he’s funny and provocative.
The average new car design can expect to be replaced after around six years. Some cars enjoy a longer life, like the Citroen Xsara Picasso.
After more than 10 years on the road, Citroen’s venerable MPV has finally gone to the great school run in the sky.
It may look like an egg on which a child has drawn a car, but the Xsara Picasso still has a lot to offer used car buyers. It’s extremely cheap, has a comfortable ride and the diesel versions are very economical. Okay, it only has five seats, and the cabin is nothing like as sophisticated as a more modern design, but that’s reflected in how much you pay.
At the moment, Autoquake has one Xsara Picasso listed as ‘coming soon’. Eight possible buyers have already signed up to follow the car, and will receive an email as soon as it has been priced. If you’re shopping for a bargain MPV, do yourself a favour and join them.
Nobody sets out to buy a car with outstanding finance on it. That would be plain daft. However, a surprising number of used car buyers fall into this trap.
If you do buy a car on which money is still owed, you could lose the car and all the money you have paid for it. That’s the stark warning from the used car history check people at HPI and the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA).
HPI has found that one-on-four of the cars it checks are subject to an outstanding finance agreement. ‘Whether you are a first time buyer on a tight budget or someone looking to upgrade your current car, check the facts before you buy,’ says Nicola Johnson, Consumer Services Manager for HPI. ‘If you don’t you could face the car of your dreams being repossessed by the finance house that rightly owns it.’
Any car sold through Autoquake.com has already been through an HPI check so you’ll know exactly what you are buying. Be wary of dealers who have not carried out a history check on their stock. If they haven’t, make sure you do.
It’s also worth remembering that not all history checks go into the same depth. Make sure any check you pay for will alert you if the car has been stolen, written off or still has money owed on it.
When is a four-wheel-drive car only two-wheel drive? In TV land, apparently.
According to Autocar magazine’s editor-in-chief, Steve Cropley, the Audi Quattro driven by Gene Hunt in the TV programme Ashes to Ashes has been specially modified to look more lairy on camera.
Steve met the actor who plays Gene Hunt, Philip Glenister, and found out a bit more about the cars used in the show. In his weekly column, Steve wrote: ‘When the stunt version [of the Quattro] was new to the show, they soon found it wouldn’t create the required clouds of tyre smoke and oversteer, so it was packed off to the team who build cars for Bond films and converted to two-wheel drive (rear, I presume). Now it permanently looks as if it’s half out of control, and burns rubber with a will.’
Sadly, it’s unlikely Autoquake will ever have one of the original 1980s Audi Quattros in stock. We do, however, have plenty of more modern Audis to choose from. Just don’t drive them like Gene Hunt.
A few months ago, prices of used 4x4s were in freefall. The negative connotations of running a ‘gas-guzzler’ and the impact of the recession opened a trapdoor under used SUV values, and like an anvil in a lift shaft, down they went.
Unlike an anvil, there’s growing evidence 4×4 prices are bouncing back, according to the Motor Trade Insider. The motoring blogger has heard of one dealer buying a big German 4×4 this spring for £3000 more than they had sold the exact same car in December 2008. After some 18 months and 8000 more miles it had appreciated in value.
Some buyers will still be wary of buying an off-roader, put off by the image and running costs. On the other hand, the terrible winter of 2009/10 has shown that you don’t need to live halfway up Ben Nevis to benefit from owning a 4×4.
Prices may not be as soft as they were, but you can still find keenly priced 4x4s if you know where to look. Which, you won’t be surprised to learn, means looking right here at Autoquake.com.
How about a Lexus RX400h SE-L for £18,200? That’s for a 2005 55-plate car with 65,496 miles on the clock. Fuel economy of 34.9mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of just 192g/km make this just about the greenest large 4×4 you can buy.
The cheapest 4×4 in stock at the moment will set you back just £6725. That buys a 2006 06-plate Nissan X-Trail 2.2 dCi Columbia on 94,507 miles. Four years ago this car would have cost three times as much.
As the Motor Trade Insider discovered, even 4x4s with prestige badges can cost less than you’d expect. How about a BMW X3 2.0d SE for £9265? The car is a 2004 54-plate example with 81,881 miles on the clock. SE spec is less sought after than M Sport which helps keep the price down. However, with less aggressive suspension and smaller wheels giving a more comfortable ride, we think the SE is a better car.
At such low prices these three 4x4s are hard to ignore.
Any Autoquake.com used car is good value but if you look hard enough you can find some fantastic prices.
AutoTrader offers its business customers a clever tool called Market Tracker that enables us to price check our cars against competitors, quickly and accurately.
The following list is a snapshot of the Market Tracker top crop of bargain cars, including savings against Parkers Used Car Prices guide. The Autoquake price is compared to the Parker’s “Independent dealer” guide price. This is the typical price paid for a car bought at an independent dealer or car supermarket.
These figures are a snapshot at midday on 14th May 2010. Note that Autoquake car prices do change in response to changing market prices so may have changed (+ or – ) since this post was published.