Which BMW copied from the Mk.2 Skoda Superb, which even though it’s not a pretty car, is absolutely gorgeous compared to the 5GT.

My dad had a Golf with that engine. It was a ‘99 Mk.3 TDI estate (very tail end of production), with the 5-speed. It never missed a beat. The only time it ever went in for non-routine maintenance was when dad put petrol in it, and then drove it 20 miles home. It was perfect apart from some surface rust and some dings…

As a Brit, I learned to drive in RHD cars. But of course whenever I rent a car abroad, it’s LHD. After a few attempts to change gear with the door pull, it normally becomes completely comfortable within about an hour of picking up the car from the airport. I think dailying a LHD car here in the UK would get annoying…

One thing I will say about SUVs for empty nesters, is that they’re easier to get in and out of with a bad back/knees/whatever.

It’s insane that a car from 2015 is now considered obsolete on the market! Meanwhile the ICE Golfs are still competetive now after being launched in 2012. Of course the Golf 7 is about to disappear, but still. Going and buying a new Golf with a petrol engine is still a rational decision, but buying a new e-Golf kind…

I would imagine that it’s because nobody has pushed them to do so, so Tesla have concentrated on the Model 3 and Y. 

Depends which M5 you’re talking about.

Gas is cheap in America. It’s not in Europe, where the GTE is aimed. There are also serious tax advantages to the GTE. In the UK if you get a company car, the GTE’s tax bill is about half the GTI’s, going off the figures for the Mk.7.5. 

The big advantage the GTE has is in taxes in Europe. Using the figures from the last gen cars, the GTE is taxed on 16% of it’s list price in the UK if you have it as a company car. The GTI, on the other hand, is taxed on 32%.

It is based on the same platform, which might explain some of that. 

Totally agree. Doesn’t need many knobs and buttons, but basic HVAC stuff is vital.

I regularly get those figures in my 2019 Seat Ibiza. Which will not only match the fuel economy, but also isn’t a death trap, is comfortable, is bigger, has much better performance, and far more toys. Got 57.9 mpg driving home from work yesterday, for example.

My grandmother lived in north Wales, and when she was ill in the hospital before she passed away I drove to see her. The hospital is called ‘Ysbyty Gwynedd’.

I get why people would like having Alexa. I use Google Assistant quite a lot in my car, via Android Auto, and it’s great.

My grandparents had a BX Mk.2 (IE, the facelift) when I was a kid. It was a wagon, in white, with the 1.9 diesel. I have very vivid memories of being around 3 years old watching the car go ‘up’ on the hydropneumatic suspension, and squishing into the back seat while my grandmother leaned over to give me a sweet.

My grandparents had a BX Mk.2 (IE, the facelift) when I was a kid. It was a wagon, in white, with the 1.9 diesel. I have very vivid memories of being around 3 years old watching the car go ‘up’ on the hydropneumatic suspension, and squishing into the back seat while my grandmother leaned over to give me a sweet.

Carmakers have a tendency to do this to give laypeople the impression that they are using some advanced new tech.

My Seat also has a reasonable factory nav, but I have used it once. Google Maps is just better. Quicker to react to traffic issues, and because it’s Android Auto, I also have Spotify and Pocket Casts there too. 

The shelf was great! I’ve had Mk.5s (like yours) as rentals, and much preferred it to the Mk.4 I had. 

My old VW Polo with 65PS used to cruise perfectly happily at 85. Probably because Autobahn. Admittedly, it would take quite a while to get up to that speed, but it wasn’t dangerous to do so.