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When I heard that some relatives who’ve recently become grandparents for the second time needed to change their much-loved 2004 Audi A3 for a more practical model, I offered to show them the Audi Q2.
Diane and Gary were considering an Audi Q3 because they’ve been so impressed with their Audi A3 that they want to stay with the brand, but needed four doors instead of two and better access to the rear seats so they could take both grandchildren out.
Although the Q2 didn’t offer as much rear seat space as a Q3, they liked the high seating position, especially in the back compared with their A3, and found the 1.4-litre petrol engine surprisingly responsive compared with their current 2.0-litre diesel. Their A3 has fairly stiff S line sports suspension, so they also found the Q2’s set-up more comfortable over potholes and speed bumps.
Criticisms were only minor, focusing on the hard plastic trim on the top of the door panels and the non-retractable infotainment screen. They’ve yet to try a Q3, but may now opt for a Q2 instead.
Other relatives have appreciated the Q2 recently, too. My parents, who are both in their 70s, find it easier to get in and out of the Q2 than my previous Volkswagen Golf because the doors open wide and the seats are higher.
The Q2 also proved a swift, comfortable way of getting my mum to A&E a couple of weeks ago after she broke her shoulder and arm.
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The latest headlamp designs
The latest headlamp designs no longer seem too concerned with dazzling oncoming traffic, or those in front of you, its all about getting as much light on the road for the driver. Coupled with DRLs which are illuminated when the headlamps are lit (why?), the glare from cars coming towards you, particularly on wet/damp roads becomes very tiring on a long journey.
More like.....?!
Why do we need a Car this size...?, over the past decade we have been a Brainwashed into thinking we need an SUV, why?
“The automatic emergency
“The automatic emergency braking seems overly sensitive, and it’s slammed on the brakes a couple of times when I’ve been about to undertake a stationary car that’s turning right. In contrast, the automatic headlights don’t detect cars ahead that are to the side of my car, so it dazzles the oncoming driver.”
Both these features are a pita for other road users and should be deactivated immediately. I am constantly being dazzled and temporally blinded by drivers of new cars using full beam assist and adaptive headlights, where the driver fails to use their common sense, knowing their extremely bright led or xenon headlights will be either annoying or worst still, dazzling other drivers. Coming over the crest of a hill, windy roads, following another vehicle, driving down the motorway, full beam blazing away etc, etc, these are all times when the driver breaks the law, in the stupid belief it’s perfectly ok as the car manufacture have designed a system that takes their responsibility to think and act in a manner that does not cause a danger towards other road users. It might be great to have extremely bright lights to see where your going, but it’s not great for the rest of us, who at the other end of your dazzling lights!!!
There is a thread on the vw Tiguan forum where several owners of the new Tiguan have had the brakes slam on for no apparent reason, as the new safety systems fitted to a lot of modern cars either cannot cope in the driving environment there in, have been calibrated incorrectly or have serious faults. Apparently this is evident on other manufacturers new cars aswell and the manufacturers don’t seem partially proactive in dealing with these problems and is quite remarkably not being discussed in the motoring media either. I guess when a few people die, it might get a few lines.
A88A wrote:
I recall Mercedes had instances of their cars automatically applying the brakes when doing '70' on the motorway. I always switch off the auto braking system on my wife's car as I don't want to get rear-ended if someone pulls into the 2 second gap I leave ahead of me.