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Your motoring plans for 2026?
- Thread starter Rilot
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Soldato
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I did it recently then couldn’t decide so cancelled the deposit.
Watched it for a month and they dropped the price a grand so went ahead with it again
Associate
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It's pretty well documented online that there's almost no sound insulation on the MK3.5 cars. The one I took out was a vRS Challenge too, so had the 19" wheels which may not have helped.
It also struggled putting the power down, lots of wheel hopping and slip which my ~340hp BMW in the same conditions didn't.
Shame as it had all the toys, fancy diff, adaptive cruise, heated memory seats, cornering LEDs, virtual dash etc
Associate
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How come you're getting rid?
I've considered a MK4 but the lack of physical controls put me off, I've read there are quite a lot of issues on the infotainment system crashing too depending on model year.
It's a lease due back. I've really enjoyed the car objectively, I already extended it once, but I'm put off buying one for myself at the end mainly because mine took a Tesla to the face before Christmas and even though it's repaired as if nothing happened, it still just *feels* damaged.
I have had 2 infotainment crashes in the 3 years I've had it (73 plate). I also messed about with the OBD settings, turning off the auto engine cutout for example. All easy enough. It does occasionally, maybe once every couple months on average, take a little while to boot up the infotainment, probably a 30 second delay.
That answers a question I've been asking myself.
As this is high on my priority list
Associate
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Sound insulation? Yeah you won't get it on a mk3 Octavia.
I bought my Kia as a compromise, it was ok but not great and the road noise is horrific, so much so the built in hands free is unusable while driving. Thought I could live with it, I was desperate for a car and the dealer was 5 minutes from my house and had a good rep.
3 years later I cant take anymore, I swear I'm not compromising again, the car must not give me a headache while driving, I must be able to have a conversation with my passenger, it must be reasonably quick and needs to be auto as I'm getting old and my knees are shot. But absolutely the top of my list of must haves is reduxed road noise.
The funny thing is major review outlets rarely mention it outside of 5 series and lexus type vehicles, which I find really bizarre, instead I've found myself watching YouTube videos and looking for the ones that have little to no editing to get a sense of the true road noise.
Associate
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Yep I've found the same, it's BMW or Volvo for me next i think. Either 330i, 440i GC if I find one that isn't extortionate or S60/XC40 or XC60 in T5 guise, though don't really want an SUV. Either of those ticks most of my boxes.
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Hard to have the same argument when you've driven a Mk1 Leaf for the past 11 years.
Now I've been driving it a few weeks, it reminds me a lot of my old Mk1 Insight. The creaks and noises of the aluminium and carbon fibre flexing and rattling, the feel of driving on rich tea biscuits for wheels, and the whole 'futuristic', yet also quite dated interior.
I've got lots of upgrades planned. I would have liked to have got one with a few more of the optional extras - but this year and model of car are in fairly short supply, or massively overpriced.