.

VAG should really look at their engines however - getting a little left behind compared with competitors!

Not VAG. Just Å koda. VW engines are getting the latest stop start tech and what not to bring their emissions down. Å koda is just very late to the party to also incorporate these engines.

Will be interesting to see if Mazda can build + ship orders (from Japan) in much less time than Skoda can from E Europe to the UK.

Mazda is in DEEP trouble. They are the one Japanese manufacturer with the highest model ratio of cars being made in Japan instead of in cheaper countries. The strong yen is slowly killing the Japanese car industry. Toyota are now even starting to export cars from America back to Japan.

Not VAG. Just Å koda. VW engines are getting the latest stop start tech and what not to bring their emissions down. Å koda is just very late to the party to also incorporate these engines.

You are right I have just been reading about the new VW/Audi 2.0 TDiE engines in both 136 and 176 BHP formats fitted to the new Audi A5. 136PS emits just 117g/km of CO2 with a claimed fuel economy of 64.2mpg on average. The more powerful 163PS version is only marginally behind with claimed economy of 62.8mpg and CO2 of 118g/km. 0-60 is under 9 seconds.

I guess these diesel engines will spread to the rest of the Audi & VW range - the new Golf will certainly have these. The revised 1.4 TSI is is being introduced into the Audi A1 and because of its ability to run on 2 cylinders under light loads is claimed to emit less than 119g/km, fuel consumption is also claimed to be significantly reduced. I suspect Skoda will eventually get these engines but not till 2015/16 when the Yeti Plus is launched.

Mind you I wonder what engines will be fitted to the Skoda Mission L? That will be interesting.

"The original reason for tinting (as opposed to blacking-out) windows is to reduce solar gain ie to stop the car getting so hot in sunny weather. The "security" argument is the worst justification for it IMHO, especially when it gets trotted out by yummy mummies who seem to think that every second passer-by is a dirty mackintosh-wearing paedo getting off on a momentary glimpse of their precious rug-rats strapped helplessly in to their kiddy seats as they cruise by on the school run, mobile phone in hand making arrangements to meet Jocasta and Suzie for lunch in that lovely little wine bar off the high street.

My advice, if you regularly leave lots of stuff in the vehicle that you want to keep secure and out of sight, would be to buy a van."

To be honest, I wish I hadn't replied. On the first point of 'swoopy lines' I simply noted my agreement with your thoughts.

On the question of the tinted rear windows I politely and, I thought, inoffensively, was trying to say I hadn't had them before but didn't, personally, find them a problem to see out of and liked the way they prevented prying eyes from seeing in to back seats of the car when it's parked. In response to that you've started an unwarranted rant and rave about topics furthest from my mind for a reason totally unknown to me. And who said I leave loads of stuff in the car? I'm able to work out that if I did have loads of stuff I could buy a van. Bit of a strange response but, never mind...

C'mon Oldstan, wheres your SOH ? The post in quiestion was well funny and spot on. No offence meant I'm sure.

Paco, you're a bit behind the pace quoting and replying to a post from 6 months ago? :S

I had expected the base petrol model to come in at just under £20K. Prices are a little more than I expected but not outrageously so. Obviously not a competitor to a 1.2S Yeti but the higher spec Yetis are fair game as these seem well specced. IMHO though Mazdas are not the best packaged cars and do not make the most (internally) of their large external size. Something Yeti seems to make good use of, small outside, big inside but at least the Mazda boot should be bigger

There was a comment about the engines in the Freelander? Not sure if there was an implication that the Mazda uses the same 2.2 diesel?

This isn't true as the CX5 is Mazda's first all new car using their "Skyactiv" technologies. Engine wise, both petrols and diesels work on a 14:1 compression ratio. These are new engines, not used elsewhere. The diesel sounds really interesting. The lower compression means that lighter (weaker) components can be used and the engines rev higher than typical diesels. The autos are still conventional autos but they've tried to redesign them so that they do not waste the efficiency advantages of the new engines. Much lighter in construction and less losses supposedly. I don't recall any mention of stop/start in these cars but it has been a system fitted to many models for a few years. I will be very interested in the real world economy figures as if they can get within 10% of the official figures, I expect a 2WD, 2.0 petrol SEL Auto will be on my shopping list in a couple of years when I'm looking for a new car.

I mentioned about the engine, it seems I got it wrong, I just thought that it would be the same engine.