This very well might be my next car/engine/gearbox, so looking forward to your on-going review/ownership.
First off though, what made you switch from diesel to petrol? My reasons are the costs are around the same as what I have now, and hopefully the petrol engine will be more exciting but I'm wondering how much I'll miss the torque. No soot which after watching the last edition of Bang Goes the Theory is a big objective to me.
48mpg is pretty impressive @ 70mph, I get about 53 @ 70 in my MK2 FR TDI!
That was on a 2 hour journey up the A1 from Nottinghamshire up to County Durham which of course is a very flat road with almost no hills. I do, however find the 1.8 quite thirsty on journeys where you are having to heavily accelerate such as up steep hills, lots of stop start driving or on narrow winding country roads where you have to keep slowing down for bends.
It's great fun to drive and as I seem to be averaging around 37 mpg I'm not too worried. I used to get about 53 at 70 in my mk2 TDi and about 45 for mixed driving but I much prefer the 1.8 TSi. I don't think Id have one if I lived where I'm currently on holiday in the Outer Hebrides. Filled up the other day and standard unleaded was 156p a litre!
How are others finding the 1.8 Tsi? I don't just mean mpg but how people are getting on with driving them. As I've said I love mine.
By the looks of 'em, I'd say the standard 17" FR wheels. I'm starting to like them more everytime I see them in pictures...Wow that looks nice, what size wheels are they?