Superminis are getting...
Superminis are getting cheaper, according to pricing bible Glass"s Guide. Average values fell by 2.1 per cent in the last year, largely due to the emergence of budget firms such as Kia. Compact family cars, like the Ford Focus, have increased in price by around five per cent, while family models, such as the Vauxhall Vectra, have gone up by three per cent.
But when his car broke...
But when his car broke down and the RAC couldn"t fix it, the trip turned into a nine-hour nightmare that finally ended at 5.30am. And to make matters worse, he had his wife and baby with him.
The problem was caused by new European Union "working time" regulations governing breakdown organisation drivers. They came into force on the night that Shaun broke down, and don"t allow recovery drivers to stray more than 62 miles from their base if their lorry isn"t fitted with a tachograph - a device which records the vehicle"s speed and distance travelled. For Shaun, it meant his car was piggy-backed on three different recovery lorries, each doing a small leg of the journey.
"I don"t blame them - they were only following orders - but it was a farce," said Shaun. "The RAC didn"t seem to know what was going on and I had to constantly chase it to find out."
After Auto Express intervened, the RAC blamed Shaun"s experience on teething troubles in getting used to the new laws. A spokeswoman said: "We will apologise for these unacceptable delays and for not keeping him informed during the evening."
But the organisation has warned "handing on" cars is likely to continue. "Prior to the new EU regulations, we would always look to complete recovery with one contractor, regardless of the mileage," the spokeswoman added. "We will still aim to do this, but sometimes we"ll have to arrange it using more than one."