My vote goes to the beligerant so and so in a Skoda on the M6 roadworks Friday night. They sat in the middle lane through the roadworks at 45. The left lane was clear. They didn't move across. Several cars came up behind them and had to go into the outer lane to get by. Then a lorry sat on their bumper for several miles, they finally moved over. As soon as the lorry went past they moved back into the middle lane even though they weren't overtaking anything on the inside lane! They were dawdling along and I wondered whether to undertake or not as I was just sitting in the inside lane but I assumed as they were so utterly ignorant they'd probably crash into me if I did so.
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A teenage relative of mine has informed me that the word mimser is well out-of-date. He tells me that all the young cool dudes now refer to slinkers and slinking. Read more

No, not VED, but the tax that got added to VAT when that was introduced and was necessary to make up the shortfall after purchase tax.

I assume it still exists, but can anyone confirm? Googling just produces references to other sorts of taxation, but I can't imagine it's been dropped. Has it had a name change and is it still around 10%? Read more

I have a Colt and looking at getting it serviced. The dealer I got it from is messing me aroudn and quoted me £290 for a service but can't tell me what needs done for it? They can't even agree if it's a major or a minor service.
SO... I'm looking at having a local independent garage do the work but struggling to find one. Because it's a Mitsu I can't find any local specialists and the mechanic I normally use isn't VAT registered which I would need for the warranty.
I phoned around a couple and was given wildly varying prices from £150 to £220+Vat
I am likely to have a warranty claim for rust on the car (it's not even 3 yet!!!) so want to keep myself right, but can't get the dealer to get his backsied in gear to sort this and have called Mitsu and had the same attitutde :(
Can anyone recommend a garage in the Glasgow area that WILL do the work req'd and will use quality parts? I had one who said he would but that he wouldn;t keep receipts but could provide an invoice number for Mitsu if need be. Kinda suspicious of this, but he did soudn like he knew his stuff, as I phoned others who were really vague. I got his name from the good garage scheme which I know is a bit dubious but his site seems ok and they sounded quite professional.
Sorry to blab on but been ripped off so many times by garages and would be good just to get a decent one I can rely on... Read more

Those regulars with good memories may remember my report of the first 90k miles in my Mk5 Golf 1.9Tdi, which had been almost trouble free:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=58085&...f

Well, it's now done 136k so I thought I post an update; as you will see, there has been a bit more to report, Good, Bad and Ugly...

The Ugly:
At 103k, whilst trundling along on a Sunday afternoon on a downhill section of the M4 at an indicated 70mph, I became aware that there was no longer any power ? no noise, no warning lights, no smoke, just... no power. Hopes that it was only a fuse disappeared on the hard shoulder when opening the bonnet revealed a small, but definite, trace of oil blown from under the filler cap. No way was it going to start. After an, er, interesting, tow down the motorway, it was eventually delivered into the hands of a VW garage, who promptly diagnosed a failed turbo (they disconnected the input and output air hoses and it started immediately). Thankfully it was still under lease, however circumstances meant that I never got to speak directly with the people involved in its repair. Having spoken to various other people subsequently, I have come to believe that it wasn't a case of bearing failure, but that the turbo had jammed, a not unknown occurance (although there are 2 differing theories, namely: blade fracture due to a manufacturing issue, or ingress of particles due to poor (wastegate?) design).

The Bad:
Radiator had to be replaced at 120k ? that was not cheap; apparently the front of the car has to be dismantled...
The spare wheel well was awash after the recent downpours; a resealed boot vent (seemingly a known issue) has almost stopped water ingress, but there seems to be another (albeit, small) leak somewhere else at the back (not the MkIV washer problem!!).
I bought it from the Leasing company at 113k, so bills are mine now...

The Good:
It still looks and feels fresh ? no creaks, seats still comfy and unworn, no hole in driver's mat.
I have no desire to change it.
A year ago I had the use of a hire Astra (1.6) petrol, which I didn't like at all, and a 1.8 Focus diesel; I could have lived with that, although there was no way of dimming the panel lights from their stun setting - I couldn't believe it... The supposed wonderful Focus handling seemed no better than the Golf in everyday sensible use (which is why I like HJ and Martin's tests for real life observations ? you cannot Clarkson/Needell/Plato your way around these days), though the one time I hurled it at a clear roundabout, I have to admit, it did go round well...


The Other Interesting Info/Misc Observations:

NSR OE Conti 3 replaced at 103k as it was worn on outside shoulder; typically, its replacement picked up a nail 17k miles later and was scrapped.... OSR OE Conti3 replaced at 121k after I got fed up checking it, although it still had 3mm.

To recap, Fronts: OE lasted 43k, replacement Conti lasted 29k.
Following Michelins lasted 43k, which I replaced with Dunlop FastResponses, as these had better wet grip (and were fairly quiet) in the ADAC/Which tests. Big mistake ? fuel consumption dropped immediately by 4-5mpg. Anorak on, and checking brim to brim figures, the last 24k miles on the Michelins were at 51.3mpg, the following 19k miles on the Dunlops were 49.1mpg, despite driving more like a mimser to compensate.

OE headlight bulbs changed (easily) at 114k, one tail-light bulb also changed (had to unbolt the lamp unit).

Front and rear pads (not disks) changed at 107k.

Bonnet some times difficult to latch shut ? colleague told me that AA/RAC man gave him the tip for a roadside cure to dribble oil from the dipstick into the mechanism...

Got a pair of Atera roof bars for the topbox ? although model specific, I will go back to Thule the next time (thanks to roofbox.co.uk for their assistance last year, last Sat before Christmas).
Also, I'd happily recommend VW Bath and Mon Motors Chippenham for their VAG service (no connection to any of the aforementioned companies).

Mine has no exterior aerial, though I have seen later Golfs with bee-sting (but no sat-nav bulge).

I cannot understand why magazines are so enthusiastic about the MK6 interior over the MK5. As far as I can see, MK6 only have some piano black and some extra ali (which later Mk5s had anyway), yet still have the Mk5 B pillar mouldings, which are mismatched to the MK6 front door panels...

Anyway, to sum up, I don't want to change it, I still enjoy driving it (unlike Pologirl's, it doesn't have a name!). I was planning to run it into the ground (my old company Passat Tdi has now turned 200k+) but the esp issue and the small leak are playing on my mind. But what could I change to? However that should be the subject of separate posting....
JohnM Read more