• Summary

    3 out of 5 3.0

    What does this car say about you?

    That you prefer comfort to sportiness.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    I don't care for this sort of question. A car is fundamentally a machine. If I like it I will buy it and am not really all that bothered by what anybody else thinks as they are at liberty to buy their own car based on their own preferences.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    Probably not. If it all worked I would say yes but this car has had a number of problems and I can't afford down time on my cars.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    I am interested in the new Lexus IS model.

  • Buying experience

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Didn't buy from a dealer

    Did you buy this car new?

    Yes

    What price did you pay?

    £26,000

    When did you buy the car?

    October 2012

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    It is a company car and I had nothing to do with the purchase.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    I have always liked VW cars and thought that this one looked good.

    What was the dealer like?

    N/A

  • Driving it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    What's it like to drive?

    In a straight line it is brilliant with a nice, comfortable ride and low cabin noise (rattles aside). It is a bit of a galleon in the corners though with a tendency to under steer and the whole vehicle lacks "feel". Use it for what it was designed for and sit on the motorway in comfort and just take it easy on the back roads.

    What's it like to park?

    Not too bad really. It is a long car but the width is not excessive. If you park in a standard car parking space in the UK you will find that it will probably overhang either at the front or rear but you will still be able to get in and out if someone parks close to you. The only snag is the over the shoulder vision, which is poor due to the sloping C pillar. Don't waste your money on parking sensors as it is easy to judge where the front and back ends.

  • Living with it

    2 out of 5 2.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Nearside rear brake calliper was not properly attached from new resulting in banging noises and reduced braking performance. This was acknowledged by VW to be a defective batch of mounting kits. The clutch had to be replaced at 28000 miles due to excessive wear. I was blamed for this and warranty refused but as I spend most of my time on a motorway at a constant speed I thought this unlikely. It was also not possible to select fifth gear once the vehicle was hot but this is under investigation. Both glove boxes were replaced due to rattling. There are many rattles present in the cabin.

    What's most practical about your car?

    There is a lot of space in the cabin for the front seat passengers and the back is decent considering the sloping roof line. The fuel economy is very good; I can get close to 70 MPG on a good run. The boot is big. The Sat Nav is the best I have ever seen as standard fit to a car in this category. The ride is really comfortable.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    I never put options on a car but the standard sat nav is excellent. It is infinitely adjustable, highlights traffic problems and allows full post code entry.