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I suspect you're right. There are a lot of people who set something just as they like it, then can't bear the idea of it being adjusted. Mirrors, seat position, steering wheel. I switch driving mode a lot, usually between drive and economy, but do use sport mode now and then. I can imagine a lot of people never take their DSG mode out of D, never mind fiddle with other settings. I drove my friend's car a couple of times when on holiday. (She had a girly moment when she encountered a bus coming the other way down a narrow lane and declared herself totally incompetent and insisted I sort out the problem because she couldn't possibly reverse her car down a narrow road.) Anyway, I set up the mirrors to reverse, then she decided that I should drive the remainder of the journey in case we met any other large vehicles on our way back. Part of that adjustment was setting the rake and reach of the steering wheel. Days later, after we got home, I received an annoyed phone call from her complaining about the steering wheel adjustment, that she didn't know how to set it back to how she liked it. I explained how to do it, but she wasn't interested in doing it just then. After a couple of weeks, I asked if she'd reset the steering wheel position to how she likes it, and she told me she's got used to it now and didn't want it adjusting. People like her are why we don't get power and toque curves in car brochures any more.

While the idea of having adjustable suspension appeals, TBH I want an off-the-shelf solution. If there was a sensibly priced aftermarket DCC system, featuring, oh I dunno, about 10mm lowering, that would appeal to me. I'm surprised more people didn't spec it as standard on their cars, it looks like great value.

Then that would be poor advice IMO, unless it really is the case that any other option other than coilovers gives inferior performance to OEM suspension.

I am enjoying reading this thread but am reading it with a mixture of fascination and confusion. I love the idea of uprating my suspension, perhaps with a very little lowering, but it seems quite a minefield for people who aren't fairly expert in the area. When it comes to engine tuning and remapping, a decent engine tuner can get you pretty much whatever you want, within the limits of the engine. Are there similar suspension tuners who provide a similar service, offering not just to supply & fit the bits, but also offering advice on what would work on a customers car?

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?