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As the kids break up from school and we see the weather improve many of us will take to the road on day trips or even wander to the local park with the children to kick a ball about. Either way, we love our picnics so Auto Express have researched the available hampers with the following results.

Two are backpacks whilst the third is a more traditional hamper basket.

Greenfield Super Deluxe Backpack Hamper: This is a Best Buy for two people at a price of £54.99. Whilst the price appears to be high the quality is high and you get lots for your money. It’s a cut above the rest with better quality cutlery and includes things like a chopping board, wine glasses and even steel mugs. There is even a folding bag for rubbish.

The price is justified with a picnic blanket and flask although it is possible to buy a cheaper version at £37.99 on the Greenfield website if you already have these items in your cupboard. www.greenfieldcollection.co.uk

Mountain Warehouse 36L Picnic Hamper Basket: This one is recommended and is for 4 people. This is a hamper rather than a backpack and at first sight, looks as though it could be a baby’s carrycot. It has a foam-covered aluminium handle but no shoulder straps so will be a little more awkward to carry over long distances.

The hamper has a huge insulated compartment for food and a well-equipped compartment for cutlery. It includes all the essentials, plus salt/pepper shakers/ napkins and a corkscrew. The official price is £59.99 but Mountain Warehous have it on offer at £24.99 which makes it incredibly good value for money. www.mountainwarehouse.com

Mountain Warehouse 4 Person Picnic Set XL: This one is also recommended and is another set for 4 people in backpack style. This has just about everything you could ever need for a picnic including chopping board with knife, salt/pepper shakers, and a detachable insulated bottle holder.

The food storage compartment is one of the largest on test. It doesn’t include wine glasses but includes flat bottom beakers which are more practical on uneven grass. The full price is overpriced at £60 but at the current offer price of £26.99 it represents very good value. It doesn’t include a corkscrew or napkins but they can always be added. www.mountainwarehouse.com

For details of all of the tested picnic hampers you need to buy Auto Express 17-23 July 2019. If you are going on picnics don’t forget the basic rules, take your rubbish home with you if there is no litter bin available and if you are using a BBQ make sure you put out any glowing embers, it’s how fires start. Have a great summer. By Graham Hill

Over 30 million people in Europe are reported to suffer from kinetosis or motion sickness. According to Citroen one in three people will suffer from this condition at least once in their life in a car, bus, boat or plane. So Citroen have come up with a solution.

Together with a French start up company they have devised a pair of strange looking glasses that solve the problem. Initially developed for sea travel, Seetroën glasses use Boarding Ring™ technology. This patented and tested paramedical solution has an efficacy rating of 95%.

Equipped with moving liquid in the rings around the eyes, both along the frontal axis (right/left) and sagittal axis (front/back), the glasses recreate the horizon line to resolve the conflict between the senses that cause motion sickness.

For the design of the glasses, Citroën called on 5.5, a collective design studio based in Paris, which has incorporated the Brand’s fresh, simple and ergonomic style. The result is a pair of glasses with a high-tech look in white soft-touch plastic.

Seetroën glasses can be used by adults and children aged over ten (when the inner ear has finished growing). The glasses are glassless, so they can be shared by all the family and travelling companions. They can also be worn over other glasses.

The instructions from Citroen are as follows:

Seetroën glasses can be used in cars, as well as on buses, trains and planes. Put on the glasses as soon as you experience the initial symptoms.

After 10 to 12 minutes, the glasses allow the mind to resynchronise with the movement perceived by the inner ear while the eyes were focused on an immobile object such as a smartphone or a book.

Take the Seetroën glasses off and enjoy the rest of your journey. The cost is 99 Euros or about £88.40. Go to www.lifestyle.citroen.com By Graham Hill

As anyone who is looking to change their cars can tell you, like for like cars are rising in car and lease cost. Normal inflation, raw material increases, poor exchange rates, removal of discounts by European manufacturers, lack of stock, poor used car values and emission rule changes resulting in upgrades to engine and exhaust systems have all contributed to the increases.

So whilst you can offset some of the increases by changing to another vehicle altogether with some extra discount attached the EU is set to impose some new regulations that come into force in 2020 that will increase ALL cars. As we are set to retain these rules with or without a deal we won’t be able to avoid the increased costs.

New rules regarding safety features are set to be imposed on all new models launched from 2020 and all new vehicles sold 2 years later. This means that new cars that haven’t been fitted with the new safety features can be sold up to 2022, after which they must all be fitted with them.

A total of 11 standard safety features will be introduced at a total cost to the manufacturer of over £1,000, in some executive models substantially more. For most mid or top end cars this isn’t a great deal of money compared to the cost of the car but for entry models it will have a substantial effect.

The main changes proposed are as follows:

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): This is now fitted as standard to many mid and upper range cars whilst others include it as part of a safety package. The system senses an obstacle in front and applies the brakes for you. Considered to be a life saver this will have general support. AEB is now part of the NCAP safety test where fitted but whilst it is available on 51% of all cars sold in the UK, according to the SMMT only 30% of cars have it fitted as standard. Cost of fitting: £200 – £1,300.

Alcohol Interlock: Also known as built-in breathalysers these sensors will pick up if the driver is intoxicated and does not allow the car to start. Cost of fitting: £500 – £1,200.

Lane-Keep Assist: Fitted to many cars as standard this warns the driver if he’s drifting out of lane. Cost of fitting: £300 – £700

Accident Data Recorder: Best described as the accident black box in an aircraft. It will provide information to insurance providers in the event of an accident as well as vital information to those looking at ways to prevent accidents going forward. Cost of fitting: £300 – £500

Intelligent Speed Assist: This uses GPS mapping and speed sign recognition to warn drivers when they exceed the speed limit. Cost of fitting: £160 – £220

Parking Sensors: Most people are aware of them and their use. It looks as though rear sensors will be mandatory, not front. Cost of fitting: £100 – £250.

Driver Drowsiness and Distraction Monitors: As the name suggests the system picks up erratic driving behaviour as well as drifting out of lane. Cost of fitting: £150 – £400

These are the main additions aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries across Europe. The aim is to eliminate road deaths by 2050 although it looks as though we aren’t on target as road deaths in the UK alone has flattened out. In 2017 there were 1,720 compared to 1,792 in 2016 which was the highest since 2011. So there you have it, the reason why rates are set to increase from 2020.

However, in the long term these changes will help to bring down the cost of autonomous cars as these will be essential developments when autonomous cars are designed made cheaper if the technology is already available. By Graham Hill

Having been in this industry for over 35 years I’ve managed to get a reputation for being hugely critical of leasing companies. I fight with them regularly in an effort to get customers treated fairly, you only have to google Graham Hill PCP and see how outspoken I am about the way that PCP agreements are sold. But today I heard from one of my customers with proof that not all leasing companies are simply heartless businesses.

I had a call from one of my long-serving customers a few weeks ago explaining that his wife was terminally ill. Very sad news indeed and quite sudden. We got onto the practical subject of his wife’s car that was leased through me and what would happen? The agreement was with VW Finance and was just over halfway through.

The legal position was quite simple, if you early terminate a car you must pay an early settlement fee which is usually about 50% of outstanding rentals. In this case it was £4,300. Whilst expectations were not high it was decided to contact the funder to see if they would take a sympathetic view.

After asking for some proof of his wife’s condition the leasing company contacted my client and said that given the very sad circumstances they were prepared to waive the termination cost in total and when the car was collected the collection agent, with no knowledge of my client’s condition, kept the refurbishment charge to an absolute minimum.

Whilst the circumstances were incredibly sad the actions of the leasing company, VW Finance, proved that they aren’t just money-grabbing businesses but a business with a heart. Well done VW Finance, you are my leasing company of the year. Commiserations and best wishes to my clients, both the husband and his wife, our prayers are with you. By Graham Hill

Every year for the last 20 years Auto Express carry out tests on various car care products and award the best with their Product Award. They take account of price, ease of use, performance etc. I thought it would be handy to list their top award winners so far this year. For more details, you can search for Auto Express Best Products. In the meantime here are the best products:

Car Washes: Halfords Car Wash & Wax, cost £2 for 1 litre. Whilst this was the cheapest tested it wasn’t this that caused it to win. You use a little more than other brands but it is much cheaper.

Clay Bars: Bilt-Hamber Auto Clay Regular, cost £9.95 for 200g Clay bars cut through contaminants that bond to the painted surface of a car. This was one of the best priced and the best performer.

Polishes: Angelwax Perfect Polish, cost £9.95 for 500ml. This one saw off some of the more popular brands such as Simoniz, Autoglym an Autobrite. There was little to choose between Autobrite and Angelwax so in the end it was down to price with Angelwax edging it.

Waterless Cleaners: Meguiar’s Waterless Wash And Wax Anywhere, cost £16 for 768ml. Strangely liked for its smell as well as its performance simply spray, wipe then buff and admire the shine. The shine was also the longest lasting.

Waxes and Sealants: Bilt-Hamber Double Speed-Wax, £14.95 for 250ml. Apparently, you can pay up to £50 for a carnauba paste(which is what this is) so great value for money. 24 were tested over 9 weeks with this one coming out on top.

Wheel Cleaners: Bilt-Hamber Auto-Wheel, cost £12.99 for 1litre. In this case the smell was horrendous – eggy in nature. However, the cost and the efficiency of the product made it to the top of the list of 19 tested.

Wheel Wax & Sealants: Wonder Wheels Wheel Sealant, cost £6.50 for 300ml. Best performance and best price this product takes time because you need to properly clean the alloys before applying and it takes time for the product to cure – but well worth the wait apparently.

Tyre Shine: CarPlan TyreSlik, £4.10 for 500ml. This is uniquely the only product tested by Auto Express that has remained in the number 1 position since testing began 20 years ago. Well done!

Upholstery Cleaner: Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner, cost £3.18 for 500ml. This was one of the only foam cleaners with a brush fitted to the can. Most others were trigger applicators but none performed as well as this cleaner and low cost.

Screenwashes: Prestone Extreme Performance Screen Wash, cost £3.50 for 2litres. This wash, ready made up was great value for money, cleaned the screen well and won in both categories, winter and summer with the summer version cheaper than the competition.

Headlamp Bulbs: Philips Racing Vision, cost £25.99 for a pair. By far the best bulbs out of 20 tested, brightest and topped all but one of the various tests.

Sat Navs: Tom Tom Go, cost One Year’s Subscription £14.99. In this category they tested both sat-nav units and mobile phone apps with this app being the winner. They’ve stuffed many of the features of their top navs into the app.

Dash Cams: Nextbase 612 GW, cost £249.99. The cam has a radius of 150 degrees and records in 4K Ultra HD. The camera picked up pedestrians in the dark and could read number plates from afar. A polarised filter sits on top of the lens making the colours sharper. Given the quality it offers very good value for money.

Tyres: Continental Premium Contact 6, cost £93.20. Wet or dry this car came out on top, sharing the top spot with Michelin in the dry but by far the best in the wet with no other car coming close. All round a very good tyre.

Winter Tyres: Continental Winter Contact TS860, cost £117.22. Not the best in the snow but in the wet that dominates British winters it was streets above the competition. Changing tyres between summer and winter is still not popular but for those that need to change tyres they refer to this tyre as a Truly Remarkable Tyre.

All Season Tyres: Continental All Season Contact, cost £120.64. Out of all the tyres tested this tyre came either first or second in every test making it by far the best all season tyre even after Continental had said that you either changed tyres between summer and winter or put up with a compromise. This is their first attempt at an all season tyre.

Many thanks to Auto Express – By Graham Hill

A point I make every time I read a doom and gloom story about a driver who bought a used car then find out that they have a fault that leads to an unaffordable repair. Choose a new car and finance for 3 years (unless the manufacturer’s warranty lasts for longer) and you are pretty much assured that you will be covered for any faults unless you haven’t looked after the car.

In a What Car report I read about Alistair Hill (no relation) who bought a used Vauxhall Astra GTC VXR 276bhp. from a dealer. The car was no longer covered by a warranty when the engine started to misfire. As the car had only covered 29,000 miles he believed the fault would be minor buit when the dealer checked the engine they found that it had a split piston.

This meant a new engine was required. He complained to Vauxhall who offered to contribute 30% towards the replacement engine which still left Alistair with a bill of £5,000 that he couldn’t afford. What Car got involvd and as usual provided little advice but in this case there wasn’t much in Alistair’s favour.

He had assumed that the car had been serviced when he bought it but it wasn’t and in fact the car was due its regular service but believing a service had been carried out he missed a service. You wouldn’t have this confusion if the car was new when you got it.

He is now without a car that needs an engine that he can’t afford. Vauxhall refused to increase the amount they would contribute as the car hadn’t been serviced properly and he had no warranty on the car. He may have a case under European law but whichever way you cut it he is stuck with a lot of agro in his life because he bought a used car. Point proven yet again! By Graham Hill

Poor Car Condition: 73,500 drivers were taken to court in England and Wales for keeping a car in a condition that invalidates their insurance. The message here is that having a car insured comes with conditions. If your car hasn’t been properly serviced and maintained you could have an insurance claim thrown out.

EV Fast Charging: 100 miles of range can be added to an electric car in just 10 minutes when charging using BP’s new 150kW Rapid Chargers. What they don’t tell you is the cost

Car Maintenance: 61% of drivers don’t check their tyre pressures or oil at least once a month. Low tyre pressures can increase fuel consumption and tyre wear as well as make the car dangerous. Not checking the oil could lead to engine damage.

Cars Stolen: There were 307 cars stolen every single day in the UK during the 2017/18 financial year. More still needs to be done to protect drivers from car thieves. Make sure you are properly protected if you have keyless entry.

By Graham Hill

It’s obscene the way that some law firms advise dealers on what to do to deprive consumers of their legal rights. If you are a regular reader of my news items you will have read how dealers are advised to repair faulty cars during the rejection period of 14 days ‘under warranty’.

This is because if you reserve your right to reject the car but allow the dealer to fix the problem he only has one chance to fix it. But if he repairs the car ‘under warranty’ that does not count as his one chance so in law if the car hasn’t been fixed he can have another attempt.

So what are they now saying to dealers to deprive customers of their rights? Again it is to do with faulty cars just after ‘purchase’. I say purchase but what I mean is financed on a PCP or Hire Purchase agreement. They are telling dealers to forcefully explain that if there is a problem with the car it is their responsibility and to bring it back for them to sort out.

The reason for saying this is that if you have a rejectionable complaint you should take it up with the finance company and not the dealer as it is the finance company that owns the car and is responsible for the quality of ‘the goods’. But if you complain to the finance company according to the lawyers they are more likely to roll over and agree to a rejection or a repair than the dealer would.

If a consumer doesn’t get satisfaction from the finance company they can refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) which will determine the case not on the law but whatever he deems to be ‘reasonable’.

Finance companies don’t like dealing with the FOS as it costs them money so better to accept the rejection then go for the dealer who is then over a barrel as most dealers wouldn’t have the resources to fight the legal team of a lender.

The agreements between the dealers and the finance providers are generally heavily stacked against the dealer so the lenders are less likely to fight the consumer if they know they can pursue the dealer for the costs.

So the point I’m making is if you have a complaint about a car that you bought on a PCP or HP agreement take it up with the finance provider NOT the dealer, you ar more likely to get a result. By Graham Hill

A must read report whether you are an employer or you drive your own car on company business, even if it is only to drop off the post at a local post box or post office!

According to this report in Fleet News one in six at-work drivers says they have been involved in an accident when taking a call from a colleague, new research suggests.

The study, commissioned by Driving for Better Business (DfBB), also revealed a worrying lack of checks for employees driving their own car for work, the so-called grey fleet.

It showed that half of business leaders polled (49%) expect their employees to answer their phone at any time, including while driving for work.

Almost half of employees (45%) said they experience stress when they receive a call from their boss while driving for work. One in six employees who drive for work (17%) said they have been involved in an incident when driving for work due to a phone call from a colleague.

Despite it being illegal, one in 20 executive directors and one in eight employees thought the hard shoulder was a safe place to take a phone call.

Meanwhile, six in 10 (61%) employees admitted they do not always, or only sometimes, find a safe place to make or receive a work call when driving for work with just over one in eight (13%) thinking it safe to take a phone call while parked on the hard shoulder of a motorway.

The findings also showed that despite three quarters (75%) of executive directors claiming to ensure employees are aware of their legal obligations in relation to driving for work, nearly half (45%) of employees surveyed who drive their personal car for work said they have not been given a copy of their employer’s driving for work policy.

It found that managers were not performing checks on grey fleet drivers and 60% of respondents said they were unsure if any or how many employees use their own car to drive for work purposes.

Furthermore, nearly a half of employees who use their personal car for work purposes (45%) said they have not been given a copy of their employer’s driving for work policy.

The survey reveals that 90% of drivers used their personal cars for work journeys, 75% doing so at least once a week, yet a third of these drivers (33%) were not insured to do so – saying they do not have cover for business use on their vehicle insurance. Only a third (34%) said their employer had checked their driving licence.

The survey also found a poor approach to vehicle checks and maintenance by employees. Nearly three quarters of employees who drive for work (74%) said when they check their tyres they simply take a quick glance to see that tyres look ‘OK’.

Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business said: “The report shows a disparity between what employers and employees are saying when driving for work.”

He says senior managers are failing to communicate and implement a robust driving for work policy to keep those who drive for work safe, particularly for the grey fleet.

“Leaders are failing to carry out basic due diligence checks such as ensuring that all employees have a driving licence or vehicle insurance,” he said.

“At the same time, the study highlights employees are putting themselves at risk while driving for work, not checking that vehicles are roadworthy and exhibit reckless behaviours when using their mobile phone.”

He continued: “Leaders must implement a driving for work policy that enforces legal and ethical obligations on all employees that drive on work-related journeys.

“Regular checks need to be put in place to ensure that employees have read and understood the guidelines laid out in the driving for work policy. In doing so, the associated risk to road users and pedestrians is reduced.”

Driving for Better Business promotes a free seven-step programme of action to reduce occupational road risk. Organisations that introduce the DfBB programme have experienced significant operational, financial and employee benefits.

Turner concluded: “A good practice driving for work policy ensures that at a minimum, organisations are compliant with all relevant legislation and guidelines.

Once implemented, these policies complement more general employee safety and wellness programmes as well as introduce efficiencies that reduce costs associated with employees that drive for work purposes.”

DfBB surveyed 1,006 employees and 255 executive directors from the UK. The survey was conducted by Censuswide. By Graham Hill with thanks to Fleet News.

In a report in Auto Express, Chris Grayling calls for motorway fuel retailers to share live price data via apps and sat-navs

Motorway fuel retailers should share live pricing information to prevent drivers being taken advantage of, the transport secretary has said.

Chris Grayling has contacted a number of motorway service station operators, asking them to list how much they are charging for petrol and diesel at their motorway forecourts at any one time on smartphone apps and sat-navs.

If motorists were able to access this data in advance, rather than having to pull off the motorway and drive to the forecourt, they would be able to better plan motorway journeys and work out where to get the cheapest fuel. In addition, the Department for Transport has suggested that the data could be used by autonomous vehicles in future.

Petrol and diesel prices at motorway service stations can be around 15p per litre more expensive than at other retailers.

Grayling said that, if motorway fuel retailers decline to make their live pricing data openly available in the way he has suggested, he will launch an “urgent review” into how motorists can refuel affordably.

“Fuel prices are highest on motorways, taking advantage of drivers who have less choice when it comes to shopping around,” said Grayling. “Accessing this data on a smartphone or sat-nav means motorists can plan ahead and refuel safely at the best possible price.”

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams commented: “While we welcome the idea of motorway fuel retailers sharing their pricing data in terms of better transparency, the reality is any app will only tell drivers what they already know – that motorway fuel prices are unbelievably expensive.”

Williams added that RAC research has shown 44 per cent of drivers “would never buy fuel on the motorway”, advising motorists to try and find forecourts that charge at or below the average price of fuel. By Graham Hill