The Car Clean Set (right) includes nozzles to get between seats and a brush nozzle to clean the dashboard. Revolution pounds 250, Micro Set pounds 30, Car Clean Set pounds 55. For stockists and information call 01235 554 455.Black & Decker Super SpillbusterScruffy types should by now have a Dustbuster for those minor spills and getting down the back of the sofa. The Super Dustbuster (left) goes one step further and takes care of liquids as well Like the original, it is cordless and charges on the base pounds 30. For stockists and information call Black & Decker on 01753 574 277.Hoover Vortex From the brand that everyone has heard of, the Vortex (below) is modern in design and technology. Like the Dyson, it does not have a bag, and it never needs a replacement filter. The dirt particles are separated from the air by centrifugal force, apparently along the same lines as gas is separated from crude oil pounds 240.

For stockists and information call 01685 721 222.Vax Luna 1300 A step away from the orange cylinders that Vax is famous for, the Luna (left) is bubble- shaped with a rotating turbo head which replicates the action of a brush bar on an upright Like its orange cousin, it will also wash your carpets pounds 180. For stockists call 0500 112 113.Dirt Devil M850 Room MateThe Room Mate (left) has got that old-fashioned feel, the way vacuums were before they got all fussy about design. It’s ideal for small flats or to clean under beds – the handle goes right down to the floor. There is a dust container instead of the fiddly bag you used to have to fight with.Around pounds 80. From branches of John Lewis and Innovations mail order on 0870 908 7070.Rowenta Tonixo RS780The Tonixo (below) boasts a “Delta System” cleaning head (it’s flat so that it can get underneath and behind furniture).

Suction comes from all three sides of the triangular head and there is also a five-level filter system, which retains 97 per cent of dust particles and will come in especially handy for those who suffer from dust allergies. The “Wip” accessory is a useful dusting pad which can be used on TV screens and curtains pounds 130 For stockists and information call 01604 760 291.. The car you see here represents the most significant change in direction for Jaguar in 30 years. With the new S-Type – available in three- litre V6 manual and auto, and V8 auto – Jaguar hopes to quadruple sales, seduce a new, younger market, and engage BMW, Mercedes and Audi in a fight for the ultra-competitive executive car market

It is a market where image is everything Round one to the Germans then. For us Brits the name Jaguar may conjure images of Inspector Morse, but elsewhere much damage was done by the humiliating quality catastrophes of the Eighties and the all-conquering perfection of BMW. That said, since Ford took over, Jaguar is no longer a by-word for hard-shoulder angst, and the company came a triumphant third in this year’s influential JD Power survey of customer satisfaction (from a low point of second bottom a few years back).

So things are looking up.
With luck the S-Type will continue that trend. It feels well-enough put together, and nobody this side of Bentley does wood and leather so convincingly, but there are some appalling “white goods”-quality plastics inside the car and too many of the switches are glaringly Ford. If I’d just upgraded from a pounds 16,000 Mondeo to pounds 41,000-worth of V8 S-Type (or even the entry level pounds 28,000 V6), I’d be livid.Performance is everything, too (see, told you it this was an ultra-competitive market). With 240bhp powering the rear wheels and a top speed of 146mph, the S-Type is powerful enough but is still beaten by the 528i, its closest rival from BMW. Acceleration is particularly muffled at low revs and the steering isn’t exactly a paragon of feel and precision either (becoming slightly vague at motorway speeds), but I don’t expect that will bother S-Type buyers. The truth is, most people will sacrifice a little responsiveness at high speed for a smooth ride around town.