When I decided to work for my uncle, my mum was very disappointed. My uncle runs a business of selling used cars in Wimbledon , which means I am around cars all the time and that’s something my mum didn’t want to happen. She always wanted me to be girly, she wanted us to go shopping together, have girly days out but since I can remember I have hated all those things.

I have always been interested in cars, as a young girl I would spend my weekends helping my dad to clean his car. I am always on the internet reading up on all the latest news about cars, and last night I read about the new 2012 Honda Civic which will feature an improved version of the 2.2 litre i-DTEC engine.

Improvements to Honda's 2.2 i-DTEC diesel engine provides 10PS more than the previous engine whilst reducing emissions, which has been reduced by 29g/km compared to the model it replaces. These enhancements come courtesy of refinements including the oil flow through the engine, which has been carefully managed to reduce circulation loss, engine materials and components have also been revised in order to reduce friction.

Katsushi Watanabe, Development Leader for the engine, said: "To achieve a good CO2 figure, you need to optimise every aspect of the car. Reducing the emissions was our key target and we’re proud to say that we have achieved this without compromising the high performance character of the engine. We want our customers to have fun when they drive this car." Visit Wilsons if you're looking for a used cars Wimbledon dealer in your area.

If you live in and around London you will be familiar with the term “Chelsea Tractor”, it is a term used to describe mums driving to and from school in a large 4x4. Models such as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and the BMW X5 fall under the tractor category. These large models are chosen by mums as they offer a sense of greater security and the higher seating position offers a better view of surroundings.

A recent survey carried out by a used car retailer indentified the BMW in Colne X5 as the most desired “Chelsea Tractor”. More than 600 people were involved in the survey, with the BMW X5 chosen as the vehicle that most parents are envious of.

The BMW X5 was launched in 1999 and was one of the first premium sport utility vehicles to hit the UK and BMW Colne showroom. The X5 quickly became popular amongst car buyers looking for premium luxury, safety and off roading. I doubt the majority of X5s, or any other SUVs have actually ever seen a muddy field or a steep incline!

The survey was carried out as the new academic year started and the school runs resumed. For commuters the increase in traffic was evident, my journey time to work has almost doubled since schools have opened. Apparently one in five cars in the UK are involved in the morning and afternoon school run. Unfortunately there were no figures for the number of X5s making up the one in five figure.

Personally I would opt for the Range Rover; to me it demonstrates more class and prestige and is the original premium 4x4.

Ford has been producing the Kuga since 2008, it is a compact crossover SUV model based on the Ford Focus and the C-Max. The Kuga is built at the Ford plant in Saarlouis, Germany. The compact crossover market is very competitive and the Kuga is up against the Citroen C-Crosser and the Peugeot 4007 as well as other models from premium brands.

Ford is targeting the high end premium market with the Kuga, and this is evident in the fact that the Kuga is only available in Zetec and Titanium trim levels. In the UK, the Kuga is retailed at around £20,500.

The new Ford Kuga comes with two diesel engines and a turbo charged 2.5 litre petrol. The 2.0 litre diesel is available with either 138 or 161 bhp; the petrol unit has a power output of 197 bhp. All three engines variants offer smooth and flexible power delivery, with enough power and grunt to deal with off road use too.

The Kuga utilises the Ford Focus suspension, just sitting 80mm higher off the ground. The adapted suspension offers a great compromise between comfort and handling. The all wheel drive model uses cleverly technology which sends power to the front wheels normally and only uses all four wheels when it deems necessary.

Jurgen Putzschler, Ford vehicle dynamics supervisor, said: "The Kuga's intelligent AWD system splits the drive only when it's required, sharing the torque between front and rear wheels on demand. The result is extremely competitive fuel consumption, coupled with remarkable traction when required."