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That's not logically consistent. Businesses are always keen to attract customers from rivals. If the incumbent manufacturers fail to continue to improve their products, new competitors will sweep in and take the market from them. This is nothing new. The market is ALWAYS right, which is why people in positions of power who wish to promote products the market has rejected, have to subvert the market by penalising people for buying the products they desire, and providing incentives to persuade them to buy products they find less attractive. Get a "free" home charger. "Free" charging. "Free" VED. Get a big subsidy off the cost of your new EV. etc. Get an inflated part-exchange price for your old product. There's also a problem when the "free" stuff runs out. As people used to charging for free, £0 VED etc. suddenly find that when they have to pay for what they are used to getting for "free", the product/service isn't as attractive as it once was. ("Free" meaning someone else was paying for it.) If you threaten people, you can intimidate some of them into not buying what you don't want them to. With sustained propaganda, you can even shame some of them into not buying what you don't want them to. But it's difficult/expensive to get them to buy something they don't want, which seems to me to be where the EV market is now with the general public.

But it IS ideologically correct, so until reality really gets in the way, the ideology will prevail and to hell with the consequences. A good start would be to ban all MPs from using ICE vehicles, and force them to use the EVs they think we should all have to use. That might clear up a few misconceptions about the real-world issues people face when relying on EVs. It might be a good idea to give the public more EV experience opportunities, to help broaden their appeal. Mandatory EV courtesy cars, perhaps?

This might actually be more use, as it highlights peak power against RPM. (Data is originally from www.automobile-catalog.com.)

Get a quote on here for comparison. https://www.whocanfixmycar.com/services/skoda/octavia/timing-chain

There should be no punitive quota system in place, IMO. Let the market decide, the market is ALWAYS right. It's damaging and as you highlight, it can be used as an excuse for the failure of a poor product. That said, not having your poor vehicles bought should be punishment enough, without throwing Government fines on top. In the real world, the wheels seem to be starting to loosen on the "Green" gravy train (it's too early to say they're coming off), so things might improve in time, though there are a lot of vested interests keen to make sure that train keeps rolling on. But in the end, reality will always foil utopian ideology, however hard it's pushed.

Were either of the mechanics DSG specialists? It certainly seems like the first guy was not entirely competent, and the second guy may not have solved the problem. But until you clean the area properly and monitor it for further leaking, you won't know for sure. If nothing else, you might like to leave a review of the first mechanic somewhere, noting his simian ancestry and questionable pedigree.

Applying punitive measures for companies failing to meet arbitrary EV sales targets means some people will feel the sharp end of the punishment. Fortunately none of the lovely affluent Briskodians will be affected, but some Vauxhall workers will have a less than merry Christmas this year. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/stellantis-shut-its-van-factory-luton-england-2024-11-26/

These are the differences for the MK3 Octavia. Take your pick.

Hello. Do you mean 15000km or 1500km?

Why not have two cars? Your comfy sensible car, and a fun toy. A quick search on Autotrader turned up this as a random example. £2.5k would get you this, rather than a load of mods which might well damage your Superb.

John "Two Jags" Prescott has died. Perhaps an omen for Jaguar itself.

"Ooh! Suits you, Sir!"

Hahahahahahahahahahaha! 🤣😂 I can't wait to see what they come up with in their revision of Jaguar's history, as they try and atone for the "toxic masculinity" associated with Jaguar cars. 😄

1) I'd have bought a different car. 2) I'd talk to a tuner about a sympathetic stage 1 tune and do nowt else unless you're absolutely rolling in cash, in which case see point 1).

Yes. The mechatronic unit are the weak link. Timely servicing is key, way before the 80K interval. If, as you seem to predict, my DQ381 fails disastrously at some point, I look forward to your (much deserved) "I TOLD YOU SO!" about my failed gearbox. If it doesn't fail by the time I sell the car, and I'm 4 years into my ownership now and anticipate to keep the car 20 years, then I reserve the right to put forth my point of view that the DQ381 is a robust and reliable gearbox, if looked after.

Beyond that, the Government are about to steal a bit more money from EV owners in the form of VED starting April next year, which I'm sure they'll find some stupid way to waste.

Hi Tom! What engine did you go for?

There are going to be a LOT of assumptions that have to be satisfied for that graph to be true. Scientists are humans, each have their own agenda. The willingness of the media to portray climategate as proof that one shouldn't trust scientists also born out of their own agenda. Difference is, the scientists are beholden to the scientific method whereas the media can write anything as long as there is skippet of relatable information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method That also explains why we have a few scientists and individuals who are saying the opposite from consensus. Those individuals also have their own agenda to push. And it begs the question who do we trust. Individuals who have not managed to get their conjecture through the hundreds of years scientific method, or majority of scientistic who have all reached consensus? My "agenda" is a desire for me, my family and my extended family in the form of my people, to be left to get on with life with minimum disturbance or interference from anyone else, and with the least amount of government possible. All of my politics boil down to that.

I'm really not seeing these reports of DQ381 problems, and the gearbox guy I spoke to (who services them) said they're pretty bulletproof, so long as the oil changes are observed, ideally a bit earlier than the 80K miles recommended.

Do you or another driver of that car wear a ring on your left hand?

Every now and then, usually after the flipping thing has stalled the engine for me unexpectedly, I get a renewed urge to fit one of these. It would be nice to know which ones are the best/most reliable, and which cause problems.

The correct screenwash is unexpectedly important. A friend with a BMW, who is also a cheapskate, got a message in his BMW scolding him for using the wrong concentration of screenwash. (He was using plain water.) I use Halfords medium strength stuff, and it seems okay so far, but I have had a little blockage in my rear washer jets which I cleared with a pin.

Hello and welcome.

"should fit easily" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Obviously it will fit, as it's an Octavia engine being put into an Octavia. Easily is up for debate. Have you performed an engine swap before?