Volkswagen Sharan (2010 - 2021) 1.4 TSI BlueMotion Tech SE 5d DSG Owner Review

I Was looking at Ford Galaxy which has spare wheel and quick clear windscreen, but the VW seats and rear sliding doors won this time. The sliding rear doors are a god send with spaces getting smaller and young kids in car seats. The seats are comfortable and it's got upgraded heated leather seats, a must in the winter. The cars wide enough to get 2 child seats and an adult in the second row and the rear third row is easy for the grand parents to comfortably use. The parking sensors are great as view is limited by the cars size. Its the first automatic I've owned and the DSG is good in traffic but would prefer to have a manual gearbox. Previous cars I've always used gears to slow down with some braking but this is all brakes. Disc Brakes all round deposit dust all over the car which makes it dirtier faster than would like. Being a 1400 turbo petrol DSG is not a problem but the fuel consumption suffers and It's highest on all engines available on Sharans for road tax because of co2 immisions. Driving very carefully with mainly town, start stop and in traffic getting average 22mpg If lucky and motorway at 65 average 38mpg but filling the tank up getting 25mpg mixed careful driving. Put your foot down and it goes very well but watch the fuel gauge go down. Do less than 7k miles a year so no DPF to worry about being petrol. Dealer let me use their 66reg 2ltr diesel demo Sharan for a week and around town driving wasn't much difference in mpg from the petrol. The self sealing conti 2 tyre are a joke. They don't seal small punctures as described and you can't get them repaired. Popular tyre repair places don't stock them. They have to order them in special. No spare wheel, jack or tyre iron, just air pump and bottle of gunk. I don't like the electronic handbrake or the hillside assist. Useless for parking in tight spaces as you end up moving suddenly far faster than you'd like. Bring back the old fashioned handbrake. Condensation is an issue on inside windscreen. Water easily enters car when opening doors and the well insulated car does the rest. Wish it had Fords quick clear windscreen to help deal with this issue. Climate control, whilst good doesn't seem to help the issue. Always heard AC was good for drying out the air but not in this instance. The oil dip stick is really difficult to see oil levels unless oil very dirty. Next time I'll look at the Seat Alhambra as it's the same car as Sharan with different badge and name but cheaper and better spec for money. For me Fords quick clear windscreen and spare wheel on newer Galaxy is still a big draw, but the sliding rear doors on a comfortable, solid build 7 seater is more practical for everyday use. All cars have heated rear windows So Why don't manufacturers pay Ford to use their quick clear windscreens on their cars. (Sharan Diesels have option of a separate heater for the windscreen but not on petrol engines)