ChoonDoode

I've got an additional 12v which is hidden in the passenger footwell and is wired up to the fuse box with a piggyback fuse (can't remember which fuse I used). I use that for an inverter for charging my laptop as well. It's only a simple 200w inverter, nothing too powerful. I went for that option because it was a pain to drive and have the thick cable in the way.

what top mounts and drop links have you used out of interest?

Sound proofing will dampen road noise to a certain extent, but the tyres and the road surface still play a big part

Yeah, one of the first things I did on my VRS

one thing to consider is the CV joint boots. Double check they're sealed and intact. Had one of those go pop on my old fiesta and it coated the engine bay and underside of the bonnet with a lovely thick grease. Grey in colour if my memory serves me correct.

I used to have the Heko ones fitted. Around town they were fine, but as said above, the wind noise from the front really started doing my head in. With a slight change in job, I starting doing more motorway miles and at 70, the noise was annoying, especially if it was windy as well outside. Found I'd come out the car a bit deaf because I'd turned the radio up a bit too much to negate the noise.

this is where I've seen the prospect of interchangeable batteries looks good. Go into the 'battery station', whip you one out, swap it for a freshly charged one and drive away. There are two problems from this I can see. Firstly, you would need to get manufacturers to design a space for this battery which would need to be the same size and voltage for all the cars to use it. Secondly, imagine the amount of fakes coming onto the market. Wish.com specials, ones which are damaged in some way, the opportunity for people to take the mick is endless

that'd be an achievement that. Got a jerry can you can lob in the boot as a failsafe?

sorry. It's all well and good showing a map of charging points, but as @TheWandererhas already pointed out in his requirements (and in the vast majority of peoples' as well) the charge times are a current issue. Worst case scenario at peak times, you're looking at a little bit of queueing outside the petrol station forecourt, few minutes to fuel up and then possibly another few minutes idling in the shop itself. 20 minutes or so. Until this charging network gets sorted, get it wrong with forgetting to charge and it could see you desperately looking for a charger. But don't worry, the AA has a plan already.....

This is the thing. Why manufacturers blag their ranges and quote 'oh it charges up to 85% in 30 minutes from 20%'. No, I don't want that. I want to know how long it will take from dead using the worst possible charger and what the range is likely to be in realistic driving conditions. I appreciate the old NEDC mpg values were a little optimistic, but you could at least use the lower figure given as a benchmark. Oh, and just in case anyone comes up with the 'it's better for the environment cobblers, don't forget the vast majority of power stations are fossil fuelled and the amount of energy which is required for the processing of lithium for the batteries. The average motorist doesn't give a thruppenny bit about all what we're talking. They just want a car to go to work, pick the kids up in and go the shops. But in years to come, unless this country doesn't really start to improve the electricity grid, and improve the existing cabling and add charging points here, there and everywhere, there will be one hell of an issue. Which brings me on to another point. Not everyone has the potential for easy access to a charger at home. I've worked in London and there wouldn't be a cat in hell's chance to have chargers for all the cars for people living in flats, tenement blocks and houses converted to flats. There would be cables across pavements on terraced streets, people tripping over, people robbing your cable and you coming out in the morning finding your car dead and the other person has gone on their way. You would have to hope you could charge at work. The list of realistic drawbacks goes on and on. We just need to develop and strengthen the biofuel production and use that to fuel our vehicles. 2040 for the European ban of ICE sales? Pull the other one!!

I'm sorry but EV's have a hell of a long way to go before they can be considered a fuel for everyone. A colleague of mine uses the salary sacrifice car scheme because it just means he doesn't have to worry about a lot of car related stuff. A several years ago, the lease company starting leasing EV or hybrid vehicles. He got a Hyundai Kona EV version and thinks it's great. He tootles to and from the shops, the occasional journey into the city, but nowhere too far...........that is until him and his missus went to Edinburgh on a holiday. Now even in a petrol VRS, you're getting there to and back in one day and on a single tank of fuel (from where I live in Liverpool at least). In his EV, oh no. They had to have there and back, a stop over in the Lake district to charge up because, and in his own words, 'we can't guarantee we'll be able to find a proper charger which could charge the car up in a time to get us there at a reasonable time of the day'. And I love the argument about 'oh it's how you charge the battery'. No, I'm sorry, that's a cop out from manufacturers of the cars and cells. That's one hell of a 'covering their backside' act. I've been in recent months on a couple of touring holidays with my car and motorbike in the trailer, and at no point have I ever thought to myself 'I wonder if I've the range to get to where I'm going next', because I ever were to doubt myself, there is never a petrol station too far away. Yes, with all the crud in the car and trailer, the MPG dropped from what it normally would be, but it wasn't a huge drop. Now, if you watch the video below, you'll see a lot of the problems EVs have.

all I'll say is I've never seen a plastic compound fuel tank needing to be changed. But you have an electric car, that battery is going to be unable to hold anywhere near it's advertised range, let alone it's actual one once it starts to age. Fossil fuel rules, OK!!!

@TheWanderer what's the mileage on your car?

When I sold mine, I had people who had golf GTD's and Leon FR's asking me. I do think they're compatible, but if I'm honest, I'd save your money and just get a remap done

Well, I return from holiday with some numbers. From towing a Debon C1300 with my bike and a few bits and bob within (700kg), plus luggage in the boot (10kg ish) and I've just refilled. 45 litres to get it back to near enough brimmed and I'd done 383.5 miles works out at 38.7 MPG. The MFD says 38.1, so near enough there. That trailer was more than big enough for my bike and the bits I'd need on a bike trip with the car, so that's certainly the one I'm more than happy to rent again (hell of a lot cheaper than buying). The car was faultless towing that weight and only once going up a steep incline at 50mph did it require a knock down from 6th to 4th. Accelerating was hampered by the trailer, but I was still more than capable to get giddy on from the lights / onto a motorway. As is obvious, the motorway driving was the best and on the flatter sections I was getting into the 40's. I was just the country lanes where the drop came because I was trying to both keep a constant speed both time and the people behind me, but I was being mindful I was towing and my pride and joy was strapped in the back, so was slowing a little more for any sharper bends. I'm disappointed in myself it's taken me this long to try such a holiday, but from that, I'd be more than happy to venture across the channel and go around Europe. But all in all, job's a good un!!!

I'm very surprised and saddened to read you're finding the P4's to be substandard. I've found them to provide such an improvement, especially in the wet (I was able to get lift off oversteer too easy with the Bridgestones). Can't say I've ever noticed them to be noticeably down in grip when cold. Just going off the back of what people are saying with alignment, I wonder if the thinner sidewalls are to blame. You know how shoddy roads our roads are, wondering if that's possibly causing a bit of jip for the suspension with the car being shaken about? Just a thought, clutching straws. The ol' fella's new beamer rolls on 20's and he's already had one alloy in the repairers. They're great for stability, but poor as for comfort.

@hetty1 PM'd

apologies for being slow in replying, work has taken over as per. What is it which you're needing doing sorry?

as Ecomatt says 312mm up front and 272mm in the rear. The pre MY16 VRS TDi and all petrol VRS have 340mm fronts. Unless you're trackdaying your car, just get OEM equivalent pads and brakes.

no, springs are usually a somewhat long lasting. Shocks are more likely to fail as the seals perish quite easily. The only time a spring is going to end up failing is with age and / or a break in the outer coating wearing off and leading to it rusting. A car of 5 years, unless you wish to go lower with lowing spring and accompany them with sports shocks, I'd leave the springs alone.

just looking at that without googling the part number, I'd take an educated guess you've got an Amundsen and you're going to need an OEM sd card. I'd be more questioning the dealer as to why the car wasn't sound with one, or were they an optional extra?

Yeah I whether I would get by reversing my car up on to my workshop ramps and doing it that way. Don't really enjoy working on the car on axel stands if I can help it

just a question with these. Is this a 'socket set and ramps' job, or will I run into trouble attempting this at home?

I would have a check for any damage / leaking of fluid from either of the shock absorbers. They are what controls the movement of the spring back to a normal position.

General town / commuteyish / a bit of hooning type driving, of late I've been getting low to mid 40's. A good proportion of my driving is done late on at night and the temperatures have been low. Went the other week to have a butcher's at a trailer, there and back was around 75 miles and got high 50's. One thing to keep in mind is unless the average MPG has been set up on VCDS or OBD11, it usually reads incorrectly. Mine was reading 15% over.