40mpg is good enough for me tbh, the tyres on my Passat were over 600, Michelin CrossClimate. I know what you mean about motors, the novelty soon wears off and you begrudge forking out for them.
We found one at Port Talbot steelworks, loads have been found there. We did a massive job at Tinsley, Sheffield and I expected to find a few there but we never did.
It just felt super stable and planted, loved the heavy steering as well, brilliant car. Never gave it any in the corners, just took it for a run on the motorway, I'd almost hit 160mph by the time I'd run down the slip road, rapid.
I drove M2 Competition a few years ago, hit 165mph in no time. But like you say, they feel that planted it's not hair raising, my arse has twitched more in an old Civic Type R, but then again that's always the case when you're a passenger.
I was thinking of getting the 435d but just going to look at the 420d, only 30 quid a year tax instead of around £200, still nippy enough for me and our lass, 435d is probably overkill with today's roads, cameras everywhere.
Anybody on here got a Beemer, thinking of getting a 4 series Gran Coupe, not impressed with this VW Passat I've got, looked after it well and had nothing but trouble with it for the last year.
A bit different from flat caps and whippets like, I know the Peregrine is known as the fastest creature on earth but that is in a dive, I think Sakers are faster at horizontal flight?
Ducks and Swifts are also properly fast at flying.