VW are probably just the first manufacturer to get caught doing this. I'm sure they all have their fiddles going on - blame the useless obsession with Co2 for our current tax bands.

I've owned a lot of cars and the only two that have matched (nearly) the manufacturers figures compared to my brim to brim calculations are a 1.8 Vectra (39mpg - bang on the offical) and a 2.0 Rav4 (31 compared to the offical 32.1)

... the argument that they do not get the official is being naive since no car does and they would hopefully be laughed out of court if they were stupid enough to take it that far (as some no doubt will).

People need to get real and accept that all manufacturers have "maximised" the mpg figures within the rules. If you look at the CO2 figures you will see that they are identical to a single decimal point for many vehicles in the same class which is nearer impossible than unlikely.

Actually, I do get pretty much the official figures.

But that's because my cars a a few years older (2007 and 2011) - from an era where the manufacturers and testers didn't do quite so many dodgy things. And from manufacturers who didn't take every liberty going.

I have to pay more in road tax, of course - because it reflects more to the real world instead of the lying, scheming world that car testing has become.

The americans get $1250 upfront, no doubt other perks will follow, e.g. free servicing etc.

The brits get a statement that the Uk government is going to get some cash, and a warning that anyone who does not get their car modified will be breaking some law and will have their car confiscated and crushed.

Which is the bettr deal Alan?

The different treatment of US and UK customers doesn't surprise me.

About 13 or so years ago, having just purchased my third replacement front window mechanism for my Mk 4 Golf, I was interested to find on a well-known US TDI website that VW were refunding repair costs on that component and providing a 7 year warranty against further failure. There was a design problem in that weak plastic clips were used to attach the glass.

I wrote to VW GB. Their reply was by telephone; a call from an arrogant and unhelpful girl who told me that they did not regard me as a good customer because I did not have a FSH with my local VW dealer. I pointed out that I had purchased 2 new and a third nearly new VW/Audi cars in fairly recent times and that there were about half a dozen in my wider family. It didn't change her stance. She still considered me a "bad customer". She also told me the downright lie that the US market cars were different and that their window problems were irrelevant to UK ones.

The VW/Audi cars we had were good ones, and gave great service (faulty window mechanisms excluded). But, on grounds of principle, I haven't considered having another one since.

The different treatment of US and UK customers doesn't surprise me.

So far there hasn't been any different treatment as nothing has been said what is happening in the UK

Errr: you hav just explained a significant difference..