whippersnapper

Well if it has a 13" infotainment screen it's a 4.5. Pretty sure all the 4's have the smaller 10" screen with a home button etc down one side. If its an RS then a dead give away is no seperate front foglights on the 4.5

I find using foam so satisfying.

Correct it is easy on the 4.5 to have the stop start button permanently on the infotainment screen.

looks great although the lighting and photos look far higher quality than the first ones!

New Zealand. There are no features like the app or driver profiles or ota updates

Sorry can’t help, in my market there is no OTA

Mine cranked fine too.

I have H10 and 2565 software. Never had an issue with a drop out on the Canton audio

Nice.

Whoops, what an idiot, I keep thinking in terms of the 4.5 which are all DSG 🙃

Has the DSG oil been serviced, sound more like jerky shifting from what you described that rough engine running. if definitely should be smooth, my car feels like an auto just driving around in normal mode. To check the gearbox you could put the car in eco and then use the toggle to put the box in sport mode. If you get the same symptoms despite the eco map (and I assume the fuelling isn’t different in eco it’s just going to be the throttle mapping and gearbox shift points) then it suggests it’s the gearbox

I got various ADAS errors and start stop not working very often. Needed a new battery at 6 months old

I’d immediately suspect the battery. Another thing to notice is whether the stop start mysteriously doesn’t happen anymore or only very rarely.

I find the new 36 element matrix lights on the 4.5 awesome

For me diesel in boat engines, petrol cars especially a sporting car otherwise you’re undoing a lot of the sportiness. And get a 4.5 that extra 20hp gives the car a top end the 4 never had, more power from 4300rpm onwards.

The mark4 and to be honest most VAG products of the same time seemed to be plagued with software issues. I’d imagine any car you’d buy now that has had all the updates would be ok. However the 4.5 is a big step forward in many areas and seems to be pretty right from an infotainment perspective out of the box. Modern cars for good or bad are largely software defined vehicles so this is a very important point.

This is normal behaviour, if you use a paddle the gearbox responds and after awhile goes back to the automatic setting, it’s for knocking down a gear to pass someone for example. If you use sport mode overall or select sport for the gearbox with the toggle then using a paddle will switch to manual and stay there until you toggle back out of it or hold the up paddle in which does the same thing (cycles from manual to sport to drive)

I have it but u think I’ve tried it a couple of times but never use it. Talking to my car isn’t a thing I find the need to do save for the occasional Siri command mostly for texting or calling someone or navigating somewhere

Yes I don’t like Bridgestones much either and most cars here (NZ) have them so in guess I’m lucky. Didn’t know much about the Goodyears but they are up there with PS4s and feel like that too. Although I’ll probably switch to Michelins anyway they are my preferred brand for 2 and 4 wheels.

Just info in case it happens to anyone else. My 9 month old Mark 4.5 Octavia RS wagon started flashing up a Damper Fault recently with each engine start along with the damper logo and warning triangle. The manual said off to the dealer so I sent it in yesterday and had a Scala 85kW loaner (very gutless and way too much turbo lag off the bottom end before it gets going) for the day. The issue turned out to be a speed sensor that had become detached from the system. Hopefully that is that and onwards we go. This is unfortunately the second warranty issue in 9 months (first was battery replacement). It is reinforcing the view that VAG vehicles really are something you only want with a warranty.

I’m running 39. My last car had 225/45 18s and I ran 37-38. I have tried a few psi less and it just seemed to have more movement. I don’t find the ride bad at 39 although I have DCC. My oem tyres are Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersports. Most people underinflate their tyres which leads to less grip, less fuel efficiency and more wear.

No idea but on mine a touch does Laura but holding it triggers Siri

Also amazed at your fuel economy (6.5l/100km) despite slow speeds and then realised that your car can’t be an RS as I get nowhere near that unless I was cruising on the open road!

My FL is as quiet as a mouse rattle wise and long may it stay so.

Yes normal. Just telling you the battery is being discharged.