Well a week in and 600 miles later its time for a bit of an update (which will try to update at points in future).
Driving and performance
The car is really nice to drive, the power is more than adequate but it is never going to set land speed records.
Overtaking is more a case of passing than hoofing it and pulling back in. The car is very well suited to the life of commuting, ie good around town and good on the motorway.
Steering is good, it doesn't feel remote and is nicely weighted... you at least know which way the wheels are pointing and turn in is good. Handling is also good, much better than you could hope for in a car of this class. If you are wanting a go-kart this car is not for you and it seems pointless to comment on sporty handling.
So far I managed an average MPG of 56 combined, hopefully this will improve over time but the real time trip stats is a great tool to see average mpg either per minute or 10 minute segment.
The controls are very easy to use but not the best for ergonomics. They are not difficult in any way to figure out but there are some interesting quirks that take too many button presses - eg to turn off voice guidance on Nav but there could well be hidden shortcuts yet to be discovered by me.
Driving position/comfort
There is no doubt the car is very comfortable but I am finding getting used to the seats is taking a while - I will caveat this as it always takes me a long time to get comfy. I have a twisted pelvis/displaced hip so I don't sit naturally square. Also cars with so many adjustments always take a while to find the right position.
There is enough adjustment in both seat and sterring rake/reach to suit anyone though I am finding the r design seats sometimes a little intrusive with the leg bolsters. Again, its about taking time to adjust.
Road noise has been mentioned by the press, I find it no better and no worse than others. Having previously owned a Jag XJ I have been spoilt as they were whisper quite with no noise intrusion, in the v40 you are aware of some surface noise but it is more than acceptable and doesn't cause intrusion to conversation or cause discomfort.
Cabin
Personally I haven't noticed any wind noise - get that out of the way first. The cabin is a very nice place to be. We have the mood lighting (not sure if standard) and its a nice feature to change colours. Quality and fit is very good.
Audio
We don't have the top spec but middle spec audio and it is bloody good, really good in fact. You wont win a sound off at the local McDonnalds but the quality is certainly there to hear. I don't have an iDevice/pod/whatever so use the USB for MP3s and it is very easy to use.
The DAB and FM radio is also very good, and the added EQ settings mean you can really get the sound style you are after but remember it isn't a £30000 top line system, its just a bloody good factory fit.
It is annoying that I cannot change to my preset radio stations when using the sat nav (unless I use the wheel controls to skip up down). I sometimes want to go from preset 1 to 9, perhaps this is user error and more reading of the manual required.
Sat Nav
Very good system and really like the route avoidance for any traffic alerts. I like how the voice doesn't cut out the background radio/music but simply reduces its sound level.
However, the route avoidance can be very annoying too. Perhaps a user education issue but it just blocks the whole view until you click accept change or cancel.
Route planning is interesting at times too, such as the other day the A420 between Oxford and Swindon simply was not chosen by any of the 3 options (fast, easy or shortest). It kept trying to take me off the 420 down the country back roads. Again satnav is really only an aid to getting you there and this system is really good (just as I know the 420 it was interesting to test it out vs local knowledge) - this is a quirk of all systems but overall this is a very easy to use system.
Voice Control/Telephone
The voice system is bloody good. Really good, it actually has a unique difference from all others I have used.... it works and it understands my northern tone.
Voice number dialling is very good, recognises the word double, triple for numbers making life easier - though I am anti use of phone whilst driving it is there and it works.
The best thing about the system is that the person on the other end of the line cannot tell you are on a car phone. It is very clear and the same as having it hand held (based on feedback and my test). This was whilst doing 70 on the motorway with rain... it wont be used much as I said I don't believe in even using hands free when driving but nice to test out.
Boot space
Its more than big enough even for a family. The issue is as all cars have got bigger so have all the crap a family believes it "needs" when taking kids out. It accommodates our travel system and bags, it can fit both our dogs (Dalmatian, Springer), it can fit a load of work gear, I folded the seats and moved furniture. Its got enough space but if not, there is the roof loading system.
Conclusion
One week in and very happy. Love the looks and the feel of the car. Hope to see mpg improve with time and obviously need to sort my seat out but I am nearly there.
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