Justin1

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I now realise I could have posted this in a more appropriate section. I think it’s good to listen to advise and then apply rational filters to see if the advice helps our needs. I was very much with you in that I needed convincing the qualities I was after were best found in an after market damper rather than OEM, at least without spending many ££££. I replaced the dampers in my Octavia after 40k miles. They were not defective in any way but oil moving through shims and orifices will inevitably degrade. Most drivers only seem to replace dampers when they actually fail. I’d rather spend a relatively small amount to keep the control fresh dampers give. 35k (1.5 years) later and I’m ready to replace them again. So far the rational decision is to go for the B6s as everything points towards them fitting my needs the best. In this case the suspension bushes are fine but I’d like increased LSC from the dampers to support the car better especially as it’s often loaded in the back. Interesting your view on modern cars and tyres. I think much depends on the characteristics a driver prioritises. Everything is always a compromise. Personally I feel 225/40/18 is a good compromise for sporty handling on uk roads with a +1500kg car. Especially as most modern tyres aim towards mpg rather than sporty handling and precise steering feedback. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mPyg3ilw3KU&pp=ygUbV2hpY2ggaXMgdGhlIGJlc3QgdGhyZSBzaXpl Justin

I’ve continued to search and found this thread which was very helpful

Hi, some help with choosing new dampers for my MKIII VRS please. I’ve had a good read of the site but can’t find anything that relates directly to what I’m after. Sorry if I missed anything. From what I could glean it seems like going for Bilstein B6s on standard springs would give the added control (increased slow speed damping to be more precise) over standard that I’d like. Then potentially rear anti-roll bar after the dampers. The A and B roads I drive 90% of the time are in poor condition not just surface degradation and holes but subsidence too. The Conti Sport 7s I’m on have done a great job upping the control levels but as the standard dampers could do with replacing I might as well go for better option if one exists. Thanks Justin

Doing a bit more research and the seat scores pretty poorly. From which: Which? verdict: Poor side-impact results The Junior Maxi has been approved under older car seat regulations and is legal to be sold on the UK market. However, a side-impact crash isn't part of the testing requirements for seats approved to R44. Which? has been testing car seats with two specially designed crash test scenarios, including a side-impact crash test, for many years. Despite being fairly easy to use and offering average front-crash protection, the side protection of this seat is so poor with or without the high-back on, it automatically becomes a Which? Don't Buy. Pros Light and easy to use Cons Converts to a backless booster seat With poor side impact crash test results

Hi all Thanks for the replies. Yeah most of the time I’ll use the isofix in the rear seats but I often have the rear of the car full. The other options would be use a roof rack/box or buy a bigger car. @steved83 brilliant thanks, after much digging and speaking to a few retailers the Graco was suggested as being suitable.

Hi I’m trying to find a car seat, suitable for 5 years and up, for the VRS front passenger seat (2015). all the compatibility tables I’ve seen omit the VRS model. Any help would be much appreciated