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I am trying to fit a driveahaft to a Nissan Micra 1.0 litre 1998.... Read more

I have recently had a new shape A6 2.0 Tdi S-Line Multitronic on a 5 day extended test drive and here are my thoughts.

To put a bit of background to this, my company car is due for renewal and I had originally short listed a Merc E and a 5 series for test drives. Unfortunately the E has now been removed from my list so although I wasn’t that keen, I decided to drive an Audi as a comparison to the BMW 5 series. My ‘anti’ Audi stance stems from a new 2004 A4 Sport I had in the past. The suspension on that car was rock hard and I hated the car because of it. From what I have read, Audi S Lines and very hard suspension go hand in hand together so I have never considered them. That and the fact most Audi’s look boring in my eyes….

Anyway, I phoned the lease company and asked for an S-Line as I wanted the worst ride possible; to really see if this car can be acceptable for a family of four and be comfortable doing 30,000 miles per year.

The car was delivered to my home address and looking around it for the first time was a bittersweet moment. It looked fabulous; it was ‘muscular’ if that makes sense and much nicer up close and personal than photos or passing one on the motorway suggested. The ‘bitter’ part was the fact that the car had been delivered on optional 19” alloys rather than the standard 18”. This really would test the ride.

Anyway, once in the car, the quality just oozed throughout. Nice leather on very supportive and comfortable seats (manual rather than electric adjustment though) and a beautiful tactile feel to all the controls. I liked the way the sat-nav popped out of the dash but some of my friends didn’t. Each to their own.

Judgement time - driving it. Popped it into D and away we went.

The car was very quiet and very refined. Just what is needed on a long motorway drive. Surprisingly, it also handled considerably better than I was expecting for a big FWD car. Pressing on (dry roads admittedly), I felt no signs of under steer, something I was expecting from an Audi. The steering feel was poor but I think that is synonymous with all modern cars with electric power steering. I also think that all cars that I could get would also suffer with this lack of feel.

The ride was extraordinary. It just rode over the bumps and ridges. Yes, it was firm but never uncomfortable. Far more comfortable than my current Subaru Legacy diesel.

A definite tick in the box for ride, handling and NVH - what I need in the real world.

Performance was adequate I would suggest. In normal driving it hardly ever got above 2,000 RPM and always felt that it wasn’t even trying. On the motorway 80 MPH was a tad under 2,000 PM. However when you floored it, it was acceptable, nothing more. However, one big caveat that I would like to add is that the car had only done 500 miles and it did feel very tight. I would expect performance to improve as the miles pile on. Likewise economy was poor to average at an indicated 39MPG over 500 miles. This should also improve as the engine loosens up.

To those that think 39MPG from a large car with an auto box is good, please consider my driving is mostly motorway and I normally get very close to the official combined figure for most cars.

All in all, I was very impressed with the car. It is certainly high on my consideration list with the BMW 5. It is better equipped than the 5 SE spec that I can get but I suspect it won’t drive as well. However I think the driving experience between the two cars will be a lot closer that I initially thought, so the extra kit that the Audi comes with may well swing it.

A BMW 520d SE is delivered at the end of the month for a four day test so I’ll let you know my thoughts.

If you have any questions about the Audi, please ask and I’ll try to answer them.

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This is an extract from the motoring section of The Telegraph
If you own any type of 4 stroke or 2 stroke engine that is 20 years old maybe affected read this
Apart from shortcomings ethanol has as a fuel, the problem is that its production uses lots of energy (and water). Corn-based fuel, as in the US, is energy-negative by the time it comes out of a pump. Given the right climate, other crops, particularly sugar cane, are much better, which explains why Brazil leads the world in ethanol use. Since the 1970s, vehicles have been available that will run on 20 per cent alcohol and above.

Yet ethanol is also a powerful solvent that, without a suitable additive, attacks many fuel system components including zinc and galvanised materials, brass, copper, aluminium, seals and hoses, cork, polyurethane and epoxy resins. In other words, almost everything used in a vehicle made more than about 20 years ago. It’s also hydrophilic, and water causes all sorts of additional problems.

Which brings us back to the sagging fuel tank incident. Old GRP mouldings, like the curvaceous receptacle fitted to my 1967 BSA, are particularly under threat. The internal sealants applied to steel tanks are also affected, as are the plastics used in modern bikes. In the US, where E10 gasohol is universal, lawsuits are flying. Ducatis have been affected, as have boats and agricultural machinery. Expect more of the same, because E15 (15 per cent ethyl alcohol) received government blessing last year and there’s evidence that even relatively recent cars might find it hard to digest.... Read more

i changed the bulbs in the dashboard, i replaced the dashboard and now the indicators do not work when indicating right or left, it doesnt even flash on the dash. But the hazards work on the outside but yet still not on the dash. Ive tried the fuses and a new stalk. Any ideas... Read more