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Looks sharp! What springs and shocks do you have?

DCC is a great option IMO.

https://www.clickmechanic.com/price-estimates/skoda/fabia/clutch-replacement

Much better colour, IMO. I love silver cars, and would have been much happier with silver than my white car. C'est la vie!

Good luck! 🤞

IMO, a good way to start is to describe the symptoms you're concerned about. Then people will chip in with questions to get more info, and offer suggestions as other things to check. It's very often quite an iterative process. It's nice to post what DID actually solve the problem when you get it fixed, too. 👍

It's 8 years old and it's been with people you know for 2 years, so that leaves 6 years "unknown". I'd bung it through a car history check. https://www.carvertical.com/gb (Note you can enter a code to get 10% off, if you're interested. I won't post it here as the code I know is associated with a YouTube channel.) I'd also insist on a new MOT prior to purchase. Buying privately is a minefield and I would take no reassurance in buying from a "friend of a friend". (Been there, ended up buying a Cat C because I trusted someone I'd known for years.) Personally, I quite like high-mileage cars because I hardly do any miles myself. But make sure it's right for you. I assume you're aware of the DPF, and the issues that they can have? IMO, £9K for a car that's 14K shy off 100,000 miles is a lot of money for an old, well-used car. Run it past WeBuyAnyCar and see what they'd offer for it, see how that compares with the £9K being asked.

So, have we all got used to the MKIII facelift yet? Having been dismayed by it initially, I have to admit I have grown to rather like it.

Hi Gbug!

That looks like a nice car, but prices are so high right now, unless I had to buy a car, I'd be tempted hold fire on buying until things settle down. That said, if you buy with your heart and not your head, if it drives okay and it's clear according to a car history check, I'd be very tempted. Hopefully, you can sell your Aygo at a great price to take the sting out of buying while prices are high. Edit: Honest John's price guide is no help.

Hi Steven! 👋 Good luck with your car hunting. 👍 Hopefully the prices will drop a bit soon, the market is pretty inflated just now.

I can't see it being a bad decision, unless you're strapped for cash. I've got 4-5mm on my Turanzas that came with the car, and I think they're going to fall apart before they wear out. I've got a fair few cracks in them now, and despite the car sailing through an MOT with no advisories, the cracks bother me. So I'm thinking about replacing them, despite them having loads of tread left on. This cracking malarkey never used to happen with tyres on a 3 year-old car, so I'm not sure what's going on.

This is a much under-appreciated car IMO. I love the range-extender idea.

I think of it as "riding the clutch" and it bothers me, perhaps irrationally.

When I put mine into neutral, I can feel the car relax back as the clutch biting point is lifted off. Not sure if this is a fault or not, but it's always been like it. I usually put my car into neutral as I approach a junction I will stop at, to allow a perfectly smooth stop on the brakes alone as I coast in.

Is that a typo? 🤣

Hello there! Your car's colour really shows off the shine.

Time for a new sump plug, so you won't have to deal with a slightly rounded-off one next time?

I used this one, but as you say, it looks like they're not doing new vehicles just now. You only get 3 queries per IP address. https://carinfo.kiev.ua/cars/vin/skoda/ At least the site is still up.

I have found a slight irritation with the remap, that I think is probably just something I'll have to adapt to: Wheelspin. When it was standard, it was rare for my car to break traction when making a rapid standing start. Post-remap, I have to be more careful, as the Turanzas start scrabbling without very much provocation until the car gets moving. It's not like I'm disappearing in a cloud of tyre smoke, it's more that it looks a bit ungainly to be scrabbling for grip when all I want to do is make a sharp departure. Even in "Economy" mode I noticed this today. Maybe it's my tyres, maybe the roads are a bit damp, maybe it's me being a heavy-footed chimp. Tick all that apply. 😄 It's not a problem I need solving, but I thought I'd mention it. EDIT 2: It occurred to me earlier that I have recently pumped up my tyres a bit to near "ECO" levels. (2.6 bar on my car), which for me is 2.5 bar all round. Supposedly this improves handling and economy, reduces comfort but doesn't affect grip. I'm not so sure. I've dropped the front tyres back down to 2.3 bar and I'll see if that gives me a little more grip. Edit: One welcome new addition seems to be a little more growling noise from the engine when accelerating hard. It's always had an uncharacteristic but pleasing "Grrrrrrrrr!" noise when being given some stick, but now there seems to be a bit more of it. There's obviously none of that roaring snap-pop-bang malarkey, but the "I mean business" growl does seem out of character, as the engine is so quiet most of the time when I'm pottering around. I like it.

People have a habit of changing their minds, so unless you have a legally binding statement in writing from him accepting responsibility for all damage caused by him to your car, he may fob you off for repair costs, then later deny all responsibility. Alternatively, get a full estimate of repair costs and present that to him as @sepulchrave suggests, but then you run the risk of getting into a "How much?! You're trying it on, Mate! You're not going to make a mug of me. You can do one!" etc. He's welcome not to use his insurers, but not going through your insurers initially (who would then pursue a claim against him) opens you up to risk. If nothing else, if there's a problem with the repair and it takes longer than expected, who pays for a replacement car for you to use while yours is being repaired?

I can't really relate to this experience of the DSG, and I wonder if there's a bit of antagonism between the driver and the car, that stopped the driver working cooperatively with the car and gearbox for the best driving experience. I have a mental image of JG pulling away from the lights angrily muttering "Stupid car!". (Though I agree, the Skoda manual gearboxes are a delight to use.) Yesterday I was visiting a loved one and I found myself on a slope at a set of traffic lights. As usual, I put my DSG gearbox into neutral when stopped, applied the handbrake, and the engine cut out with the stop/start system and I took my foot off the pedals. Watching the lights, as I saw the lights preparing to change, I put my foot on the brake, put the DSG into drive, released the handbrake, and a moment before I wanted to move off, I released the footbrake. The engine promptly started, and as soon as I felt the clutch connect and the car move slightly, I applied the throttle. There wasn't so much as a hint of the car rolling back. It's not entirely dissimilar to driving a manual, only the clutch is controlled through the brake, rather than the clutch pedal. It's all effortless and drama-free, but you do have to work with the car. Years ago, I had a Ford Orion with a carburettor. When I swapped that for my Rover 420 with fuel injection, I noticed that, unlike the Orion, there was a distinct lag between applying the throttle and the fuel injection system responding. It wasn't a big delay, but it was noticeable, and so I adapted my driving accordingly. If I hadn't adapted, I would always have misjudged my exits at junctions. It was much the same when I swapped from my normally aspirated petrol Rover, to a turbo diesel. The car did not respond to throttle in the same way as the petrol car did, so I had to adapt my driving style accordingly.

Can't say I'm surprised, but it is a shame that the dealers focus is more on looking good and less on how they serve their customers. I want to be able to leave my car with someone I am confident will treat it with care, work on it with expertise, and charge a fair price for work carried out. I didn't make a fuss, I just quietly voted with my feet and wallet and now go to a trusted independent.

I really don't think in Euros, so while I was slightly surprised to misread the 1.9:1 rate, it didn't ring any alarm bells for me. 😄

Hi there! 😊 Fingers crossed there are no more delays or nasty surprises. 🤞