Having run the Rally 2 for a couple of thou. since I bought it, the following comments now seem pertinent.

Motorway noise will always be there so I use a different car for hols and long distance and the 2 for fun!

At an overall 47 mpg, including some very fast motorway sprints and town driving, I find that quite extraordinary! My Bora 130 diesel can't compete with that on similar runs!

Everything works as it should (70k)and am finding the seats to be as comfortable any I have sat in-maybe the exception of E Class Merc!

Having travelled back from Cornwall to Redditch today (4 August)in torential rain and standing water I can say that the stability in these terrible conditions (running on ContiEcoContacts 175s) was superb -and I'm used to Chauffering in E Class Mercs-and I felt just as confident .

No Aquaplaning at all -and there was plenty of lying water- and I wasn't hanging about.

In fact the car is so good that I have to think carefully about anything which didn't work as it should - which was nothing !!!

APART FROM THE NOISE !!!

Anyway musn't complain - IT ONLY COST ME £2200 FOR A 6 YEAR OLD CAR!!!!

Oh yes -- how do you neutralise valeting and other underlying smells which annoys my wife but I can live with?!!