Consumer news

MAP reading abroad has been made easy by car hire firm Hertz. Its new portable sat-nav (right) can be used to navigate European roads, and doubles as a tour guide for sightseeing on foot.

VINTAGE car museum Beaulieu is hosting its annual International Autojumble next month (8-9 September). The Hampshire event is the biggest of its kind in Europe. Log on to www.beaulieu.co.uk for more details, or call 01590 612888.

NEARLY one in two motorists wants help parking their car, a new survey shows. In the British Airways Association study at Gatwick Airport, 48 per cent of the drivers questioned called for free spaces to be highlighted to reduce parking stress.

A seatbelt fault has forced BMW to recall more than 1,600 X5s. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (vosa.gov.uk) says the buckle could come open in the event of an accident. Cars built between November 2006 and April 2007 are affected.

INSURERS are planning to ditch solicitors on claims valued at less than £25,000. The Association of British Insurers says the middle men slow the process. The move backs new Government proposals to help reduce legal costs in insurance disputes.