One week on....
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:39 am
Well it's one week today that I collected mine and I'm still very impressed 
It's so much more refined and comfortable than my old Puma but then that's 10 years of automotive development for you. It still feels a much bigger and more substantial car than the old one. Here's some opinions on the options I chose after my 110 miles or so that I've done so far.
DSG - loving this enormously. In my daily commute it provides a pleasant stress free mode of driving. It's great in queueing traffic just lifting your foot on and off the brake to let the auto drive creep move you along with out any left thigh ache of a manual. I'm using this primarily while I run the car in but once I have got over about 500 miles I'm planning to delve more into using the paddles to open up the power a bit more. The regular D mode shifts up at a leisurely 2000-2500 most of the time which is fine for regular commuting but I'm keen to try out more of the rev range. I'm planning a longer trip up to North Wales on the 27th so I'll get to try out both the cruising and cross country ability then.
Cruise control - Only tried this a couple of times so far and it seems really nice. It'll be very handy on long trips. I have relatives in Wales and Newcastle so I'm no stranger to tedious hours on motorways.
Parking sensors - Oh how did I ever live without these
The view out the back is pretty restrictive so the sensors are a real boon. I don't think I could order another car without them.
Folding Mirrors - Excellent. Really useful in the car park at work. The mirrors themselves are nice and big too. Probably twice as big, if not a little more, than the old car. Keep forgetting to look at the puddle lights but it's not really getting too dark these days by the time I leave work.
Leather seats - Very nicely bolstered. Hold you in very well. They're a little hard but they should soften up over time. Nice smell too
Engine - A little clattery for the first few seconds when you start it up but it soon settles to a quiet purr. It's got effortless amounts of power and is more than enough for me.
Brakes - They're a bit sharp and over servoed for me but coming again from an old car I think it's just progress. They also need a bit of bedding in and will probably ease up a little in the ext few hundred miles.
Doors - Enormous! I've had a couple of people park pretty close to me at work and I've struggled a bit to get the door open far enough to actually get in.
Instruments - Beautifully clear, especially with the back lighting on. My only slight issue is that I think I'm sitting slightly to the left of them. The temp gauge feels like it's straight ahead rather than the MFD. It means the top left of the steering wheel just gives a slight ghosting over the top left of the rev counter. If I move the wheel any higher I'll start to chop off the fuel and temp gauges. Might need some more adjustment to my seating position.
Radio - Lovely. Very clear and easy to use. I've also got an mp3 CD in for when there's nothing else to listen to and the iPod integration is great too.
It's starting to get dirty at the back already so I may have to attack it with a soapy mitt at the weekend
Build quality seems fine. I haven't found any issues since collection. No wiper issues that I've noticed either thankfully.
Any gripes? Water dribbles off the rear spoiler into the middle of the window. I hate dirt/water on windows! And the sensor thing at the bottom of the windscreen reflects a lot. And the view out the back isn't very good. That's about it really!
So that's my one week review
Still a happy bunny!
It's so much more refined and comfortable than my old Puma but then that's 10 years of automotive development for you. It still feels a much bigger and more substantial car than the old one. Here's some opinions on the options I chose after my 110 miles or so that I've done so far.
DSG - loving this enormously. In my daily commute it provides a pleasant stress free mode of driving. It's great in queueing traffic just lifting your foot on and off the brake to let the auto drive creep move you along with out any left thigh ache of a manual. I'm using this primarily while I run the car in but once I have got over about 500 miles I'm planning to delve more into using the paddles to open up the power a bit more. The regular D mode shifts up at a leisurely 2000-2500 most of the time which is fine for regular commuting but I'm keen to try out more of the rev range. I'm planning a longer trip up to North Wales on the 27th so I'll get to try out both the cruising and cross country ability then.
Cruise control - Only tried this a couple of times so far and it seems really nice. It'll be very handy on long trips. I have relatives in Wales and Newcastle so I'm no stranger to tedious hours on motorways.
Parking sensors - Oh how did I ever live without these
The view out the back is pretty restrictive so the sensors are a real boon. I don't think I could order another car without them.Folding Mirrors - Excellent. Really useful in the car park at work. The mirrors themselves are nice and big too. Probably twice as big, if not a little more, than the old car. Keep forgetting to look at the puddle lights but it's not really getting too dark these days by the time I leave work.
Leather seats - Very nicely bolstered. Hold you in very well. They're a little hard but they should soften up over time. Nice smell too
Engine - A little clattery for the first few seconds when you start it up but it soon settles to a quiet purr. It's got effortless amounts of power and is more than enough for me.
Brakes - They're a bit sharp and over servoed for me but coming again from an old car I think it's just progress. They also need a bit of bedding in and will probably ease up a little in the ext few hundred miles.
Doors - Enormous! I've had a couple of people park pretty close to me at work and I've struggled a bit to get the door open far enough to actually get in.
Instruments - Beautifully clear, especially with the back lighting on. My only slight issue is that I think I'm sitting slightly to the left of them. The temp gauge feels like it's straight ahead rather than the MFD. It means the top left of the steering wheel just gives a slight ghosting over the top left of the rev counter. If I move the wheel any higher I'll start to chop off the fuel and temp gauges. Might need some more adjustment to my seating position.
Radio - Lovely. Very clear and easy to use. I've also got an mp3 CD in for when there's nothing else to listen to and the iPod integration is great too.
It's starting to get dirty at the back already so I may have to attack it with a soapy mitt at the weekend
Build quality seems fine. I haven't found any issues since collection. No wiper issues that I've noticed either thankfully.
Any gripes? Water dribbles off the rear spoiler into the middle of the window. I hate dirt/water on windows! And the sensor thing at the bottom of the windscreen reflects a lot. And the view out the back isn't very good. That's about it really!
So that's my one week review
Still a happy bunny!
sorry