philhoward

Shaded area is specifically for devices such as toll tags - my M6Toll one works perfectly there. Pretty sure it's exactly the same technology.

50mpg is quite feasible for the 1.4TSi (certainly with the DSG - it really is a great combination) - and won't drop as much as the diesel MPG figures in winter, especially with your short commute where the diesel will take a long time to reach temperature (the petrols come up to temp very quick). I think you'll find the petrols may have the overall economy advantage with only a 5 mile journey.

VAG do have it (I had it on a Golf - much more useful than CC to me), but you don't get it on a Skoda that I know of.

An Audi driver too close behind? Never :p As above really - the guy behind was too close irrespective of the inevitable manner on the roads today that by the time you leave a sufficiently safe gap, someone will try and use it to get wherever they are going 10 seconds sooner... I'm also a bit sceptical of these auto-braking systems. I can see the advantage but I'm a bit of a Luddite on this one myself.

Yep - got a CD in my MY16 (MIB2) Leon. Still got a load of stuff on an SD card though, that's if I can't find something decent to listen to on DAB having recently found Absolute 80's and Kisstory - that's the retro music sorted generally.

The pressure you apply to the brakes also acts a trigger for the S/S to activate - you can brake gently and bring the car to a stop without S/S kicking in. Conversely, if you reduce the brake pressure at standstill (but not enough to allow the car to move), the engine will restart,

Posted after midday, so not an April Fools Swings and roundabouts - the overall cost probably works out about the same as Dr.Z says. Wifey's current Citigo has a lower APR than the last one (i.e. zero this time) but doesn't include the free servicing this time and we got less discount. Net change over the duration? Less than the cost of a takeaway per year.

+1 for Sports mode for the steering weight. On my Scirocco, over 120mph (Autobahn before anyone asks) it got rather unruly - especially when a bit of cross wind came knocking. Tried it with the steering in Sport mode and it was much more planted all the way to Vmax (I got to the book value of 134mph - that was enough, and the objective).

Print and frame it. That is all

I'd suggest heated seats personally. Essential with leather and still very comforting even with cloth. If they come as a pack with heated washer jets, even better (not sure of the spec levels these days as they chop and change as regular as Sales staff in some dealerships).

My thoughts exactly...

If you're on your 6th set in 2 years, well done for getting so many out of the dealer! I think though it should tell you that it's an inherent issue with the parts and the 66th set will do exactly the same. If it's been in to the dealer 35 times, why have you not rejected it by now? I would have done as that's once every 3 weeks?? I've had more reliable carrier bags than that.

After reading about VT, I had a closer look at my paperwork. The VT figure (on a 3 year PCP for our Citigo) is reached at 29.95 months in - so 6 months early than doing the GFV dance. Go VT and there are no excess mileage charges to pay (it just has to be in roadworthy condition, I think). No wonder they don't mention it out loud and we can guarantee when we will get the "friendly" call from the dealer - about a month before then.

I've just gone all Yorkshire. First service, £147 for an oil change and a quick look over. Have I just been taken for a ride? Most annoyed as when we upgraded, both my wife and I recall it "being on the same deal you have now" which was free servicing. Apparently not, it seems... Any good independents in the Stoke area because Robert Eardley aren't getting the next service at that price!

I think the 1.4 and 1.8 have the same peak torque - the 1.8 having a slightly wider torque curve and going higher in the revs so makes the extra bhp right at the top end?

DSG6 needs oil changes every now and then (possibly every 60k - I can't remember) as it's a wet clutch; DSG7 has dry clutches which doesn't (but limits torque, hence the current 250Nm torque limit - about 180PS in petrol engines). Aside from an issue in Chinese built DSG7 boxes a few years back, they seem to generally be reliable. There have been problems with gearboxes sometimes getting confused but I think that's pretty much been ironed out as it's been software driven, so evolving over the years. Yes, there are occasional problems reported but nothing major.

Ah - didn't realise they were using BMW engines (possibly a joint venture as BMW used the 1.4D in the previous generation MINI when that first came out?) rather than their own. My apologies - I just saw plenty of diesels available IN Toyotas.

It should be set at PDI, depending on your expected driving requirements. I think the switch point is something like 12-15k/year?

Toyota don't sell a diesel? Best tell them then as they're still showing them on their website..

Ah - my mistake then if that's the case. Apologies for possible scaremongering

The daily commute won't be enough to do a passive regen - the run to Plymouth will probably do it though. As for overall reliability - too early to tell I guess. There seems to be reports of failing boost sensors and water pumps leaking on the TDI (not sure if it's only the 2.0 or not) but that could just be dodgy batches some time in the past rather than something endemic to the engine? Nothing sticks in my mind causing a problem on the 1.4's as yet?

I find just flicking the lever on the top of the stalk to the "Cancel" position (spring return) works fine for me (but I have a DSG, so no clutch to disengage). Pretty sure (as has been said above) that only cars with Adaptive Cruise auto-brake to maintain speed going downhill.

Map or tuning box can give the 1.4 an uplift to about the same bhp as the 1.8TFSI engine with a bit more torque, I think. As has been said, this 1.4 engine is nothing like the old 1.4 (122/125PS turbo only, or 150-185PS in twincharger guise) and (I believe) was brought out alongside the MQB platform (Octavia III) so the earliest examples aren't even 3 years old yet. I've taken a jump for the ACT version in a Leon this time and so far, so good but I've only got 8000 miles on it so far. I do 25-30k a year and for me (a company car driver, and it's a DSG) it works out cheaper than the diesel. I also prefer petrols if choosing a 4 cylinder engine. I only really tolerate diesels when they get to 5 and 6 cylinders There is also the mention of torque versus gearbox ratios - not much use having 30% more torque from the engine if the gearing is raised to suit the lower revving nature of the diesel as you lose that "advantage" - ease of driving (to me) is the width of the top section of the torque "curve" - wider the better. There is also the DPF issue - with no motorways in Cornwall, you may struggle to ever get it up to temperature sufficiently for a passive regen which then leads to the engine having to do it's own which wipes out any possible MPG advantage.

A January 2014 car then? Try it - if it's failed just days out of warranty, they may honour it..?

Yep - some confusion of 1.4 engines!