OT: Suspension mods..

Stiff and bouncy? Sounds like a fooked shocker.

That sounds so like my Octavia.

One cylinder too few :-)

How does it compare to your old A6? (Yes, I was bound to be asking this!). I'm guessing handling is going to be better - what about ride quality? I can imagine it'd consistently average 5-10mpg more most of the time - does that still hold true for it being caned the f*ck out of? Overall, any particular things you'd say you preferred about one over the other?

Ah, so the ride/handing aren't all that then...

BTW, do it feel great upto 65, but much over that the steering goes all light and wandery?

Is this a problem with your car? My Octavia (1.6 h/back) feels quite solid at speed, as my dads (2.0 estate).

Maybe you should get it checked - could be a bit hairy if there is something amiss.

Surely it wastes hot hatches down the country though? And is devestating in a straight line?

How does it compare to the 405, on a more serious note?

Exactly like SWMBOs 2000 MY Seat Ibiza as well. Although that is Polo based, but I guess the chassis shares much in it's attributes.

My Golf, being a MK3.5 is actually better in this regard.

I'd get the bushes and shocks checked out. Mine didn't do that.

Yeah. Done it pretty much since I got it. Getting MOT'd in the next couple of weeks (due on 29th so I'll try to get it in next week). I it is justa little wear (103k miles) I'll sort it once I'm working proper. If it is MOT fail or obvious broken component, I guess the CC gets flexed.

Strangely, the missus has a Fabia. And when she drove my car to my mothers funeral, incase I upset, wasted or both (both as it happens) she never noticed anything wrong with my car.

Both the Saabs and the GT4 were definatley a lot more "settled" in the way they drove. The convertible saab body rolled a lot, but didn't feel wobbly or bouncy.

get the angle grinder out - lop a coil or two off the springs.

I jest.

I suppose they could be getting a bit tired, but it doesn't feel noticeably different to any other Passat I've driven, which seem to be setup for terminal understeer. I think I need to modify it from the stock setup.

Sorry, perhaps a bit of a poor description. The shocks are, I think, fine. My Parents' passats (yes, plural..) feel the same. It's the inherent ride/handling of the passat in general which I'm not keen on. I'm just not clear whether it's due to the suspension geometry or the spring/shock combination used.

Damn right.

I prefer the controls and the seating in the Passat. I think the stereo may be slightly better too. I otherwise preferred the cabin in the A6. The engine is nowhere near as good as the I5 in the A6, it definitely isn't anywhere near as quick, it doesn't have *that* sound and and it's not really significantly more economical, although it doesn't have the stupidly long gearing in top, which used to bug me. We may have to see what a bit'o'chipping can do for the performance.

Handling and such - well, I suppose the Passat is slightly less wallowy, but at least you could get the back end to play in the A6, so it was more interesting to be silly in. Ride wise, much of a muchness. I feel a lot less guilty about chucking a mud-covered bike in the back of the passat, and don't bother going out of my way to avoid parking next to micras in tesco car park, so in an odd way it's more practical..

No, not noticed that. It feels equally solid and dull at quite illegal speeds. er, I would imagine.

Oh, yeah, naturally. It's the supercars it struggles with. Took me ages to shake off that Zonda.

Interior finish is a bit better, although not by such a radical margin as popular perception would suggest, the engine is much better, the ride and handling much much worse. And it's much less practical. Put a decent engine in the 405 and it would be far the better car, IMO.

Cool. Where'd I put me googles?

Damn.

Bugger. Mine goes a bit floaty until you get to about 90, then seems to settle down. unfortunatly it is a little noisy then so you back off and get all floaty again.