Do I need to 'warm-up' my car?

Most modern vehicles are designed to be driven normally from a cold start-up. This doesn’t mean accelerating hard or towing immediately after a cold start, just regular driving. This will help the engine reach normal operating temperature in reasonable time.

However, older vehicles such as those with carburettors, may need to be warmed up, particularly in cold weather. Generally speaking, idling a modern car for several minutes before driving it will just burn more fuel and cause more exhaust emissions.