2.0 TDI GT 140ps

Good economy, good acceleration some niggles

I've had a black version of this car for a few months now. I'm really please with the appearance and the economy however, having had a avant-garde Mercedes A class before hand the spec is quite basic.

There are virtually no drink holders in the front - unless you have the VW bottle opener in the centre console which converts the space to drink holders, the door pockets are a very loose version of them.

There is a unidentifiable rattle on the passenger side of the dashboard. Its seems to be coming from the airbag area and impossible to access without complete removal of the dashboard.

Automatic wipers and headlights would be ideal as it is a reasonably high end model - I would have thought these would be standard. Cruise control and heated mirrors are on it as well as it being 6 speed.

The steering position is not ideal - the wheel blocks the instrument panel/speedometer so unless your seat is in the lowest position and the wheel as high as possible, there will always be an issue with identifying what speed you are doing.

I love the dark tinted windows in the rear. These have been ideal for our kids, we don't need window blinds in sunny weather.

The RCD310 radio/cd player is quite dated. It only has Bluetooth Audio and NOT the Bluetooth telephone function. The Audio element only recognises older model telephones. I have enquired about the cost of a replacement at Halfords which works in line with the steering controls and this will cost approximately £220 for a double din Bluetooth stereo inc fitting. The facia plate alone is £60! (for a bit of plastic - plus the stereo was in the sale at £110).

If I hadn't driven a car before this one that had such a high spec, I would probably have been much happier with the golf. The boot space is sufficient for an off road pushchair to fit in, it has a spare wheel (hard to find these days), and the visual appearance of the car is very nice. Overall it is a nice car but I think I will return to Mercedes once I had this one for a while.

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