If you have a CR-V, don’t forget to change your cam belt, whatever you do. Of course, this goes for any car. The only reason I even mention the CR-V is because I’ve been the happy owner of a 1998 model since new and I’ve barely had to change a thing.

In fact, I can honestly say that during the 14 years I’ve owned the vehicle, the only spare parts I’ve ever had to replace so far were the rear axle suspension bushes (known as trailing arm bushes).

Otherwise, it’s simply been a matter of changing the “consumables” like wiper blades, tyres, one battery, and one set of brake pads. Honestly – that’s it; except for the cam belt, which I’ve changed three times now as I’ve done almost 200,000 miles. Friends ask me if I get Honda Original Parts, but it’s kind of “not applicable”!

Quite simply, my Honda CR-V has been a pretty amazing automobile which just seems to keep going whatever I throw at it. Each time I take it in for a service, I think to myself “this is the one – this is the time they’re going to tell me I need an engine rebuild.” But it just never seems to happen. I’m even using the original exhaust.

So it’s real easy to forget all about the cam belt on a reliable car – and that’s something you really don’t want to happen!

When a cam belt fails, the engine suddenly races then dies. The valves can’t get out of the way of the pistons and the results are pretty diabolical. In short, you’re usually looking at a new engine or a complete rebuild which works out around the same cost. And all that because you forgot because the car has otherwise been so great.

So in a way – the best cars are the worst for this problem as they’re the ones you never need to take in for servicing, so you keep putting it off until that horrible clanging death rattle from beneath the hood tells you you shouldn’t have procrastinated; so don’t!

Get it changed every 50,000 miles or five years, whichever comes first, with real Honda Parts; that way, you’ll always be well on the safe side.

Today’s classic cars seem so far out of reach in terms of price and availability. What makes a car a classic and is there any way of being able to pick a future classic today?

The classic cars of today all have something in common – great style. The Ferrari, the Rolls Royce, the MG and the VW camper van are all beautiful cars in their own way. Obviously, different classics appeal to different kinds of people, but you can appreciate why some people love the VW split-screen camper even if it’s not your personal favourite.

It’s hard to see which of today’s new cars will be tomorrow’s classics. Part of it is to do with the materials used – a lot of today’s cars seem to look like they’re made of moulded plastic and not as if they will stand the test of time.

It may be that the classics of the future will be more about technological shifts than looks. It’s probable that all the new eco cars on our roads will soon be overtaken by further technological advances – today’s cutting edge hybrids and electric vehicles will take on the mantle of having antiquated technology when compared with the next big thing.

However, that’s not to say that the car manufacturers have given up on beautiful design. Honda’s latest concept offering at the Tokyo Motor show late last year showed us that design is still high on the agenda, when the company showcased the Honda EV-ster – an electric two-seater sports car that can reach 99 mph and has a range of 99 miles on a single charge. But although it looks futuristic now, will it stand the test of time – if it ever gets produced that is? And will that look appeal to classic car enthusiasts of the future – who knows?

If you think you’ve spotted a classic car of the future, and you can afford it, the best thing you can do is buy it, drive it, and love it. You may have a classic there, but if not, at least you’ve enjoyed owning and driving it.

Since it was first introduced to the UK 30 years ago, the Honda Civic has sold over 650,000 models in the country in an evolution that has seen eight generations of this most iconic of Honda vehicles come and go

This year sees the car’s ninth incarnation and it looks to be the best yet. Perhaps what makes it better still for UK motorists is that the Honda civic 2012 version is built right here at Honda’s Swindon plant.

Whether or not it will enable the most famous of all Honda’s car marques to break through the one million barrier in the UK remains to be seen, but if the performance, styling and sleek looks are anything to go by – perhaps it will.

The new Civic 2012 strikes the perfect balance between practicality, speed, performance and economy – and this is reflected in the cars new look which has been a little toned down from its predecessor following extensive customer consultation by the car company.

But the new car certainly takes heavily from its predecessor’s styling which worked so well – particularly with UK motorists.

It’s a little wider, lower and longer than the eight generation Civic, and has significant changes to its suspension, the engine range, the rear visibility (which was identified as a problem on the predecessor model and has been a little improved) and the introduction of new eco tech. This enables drivers to select an eased throttle response and gives more torque lower down; the Eco Assist, notifies drivers if they’re driving efficiently or not, and Honda’s stop-start system helps top up the mpg figures; as high as 67.3 mpg for the 2.2 diesel model – which also packs quite a punch.

The Civic is not a sports car, but it looks like one – and the bigger engined diesel version really behaves like one. Overall, the diesel looks to be the best choice as it’s very cheap to run with very low emissions.

A smaller diesel version will be introduced next year – maybe it will help push the Civic over the “one million sold” in the UK before long?

If you’re travelling somewhere on holiday or on business in the near future and you’ll need to hire a car – then why not make that hire car a Hybrid car – or maybe even an all-electric vehicle if you don’t need to travel too far?

Most of the world’s major hire car companies now hire out eco cars as a mater of course – and hiring one can be a really great way to try one out if you remain a little nervous about green car technology.

It’s particularly useful if you’re travelling on business. This is because you aren’t paying for the car yourself (!) but also because companies aren’t just making efforts to go green these days; more than that, they’re making every effort they possibly can to be seen to be moving in a carbon neural, environmentally friendly way.

So the hiring of eco cars by execs will very probably be warmly welcomed by most large corporations.

This is also an ideal way of doing an extended test drive on the electric or hybrid car you may be thinking of buying. Hiring a car for a few days is an entirely different matter to taking one a couple of times around the block from a new car showroom; so the hire is tantamount to a very long test drive. This is ideal because it has to be said that hybrids do drive slightly differently.

When the car is climbing a hill, for example, and you may be used to the feel of a car “digging in” to get there – well the feel in a hybrid is entirely different. The petrol or diesel engine just doesn’t feel half as strained thanks to the battery’s contribution. And in engine braking, when easing off the pedal going down hill, you can feel the difference again.

You may love it, you may not but either way, at least if you hire, it’s only a partial commitment.