I have my baby back! In the end, the following was done:
Replaced upper and lower control arms on front passenger wheel
Replaced wheel bearing and hub
Replaced sub-frame
2 new tyres
New front brake pads (it was noticed they were well worn while everything was off)
Alignment
Not a cheap day out at the track! Time to get on with it though, I can't wait for a few drives this weekend, I hope the weather clears.
So while my car was in the shop, I borrowed my old Audi A3 (DSG Automatic) from my brother who bought it from me when I got the 5. It was an interesting experience driving 2 cars for extended times that I've known so well. Normally you go from a car you know well to a new car - sure you notice differences, but the new car is entirely new to you. In this case I went from the 5 which I know very well now, to my old car which I knew very well for 5 years, then back to my MX-5.
The A3 is much quieter, much more refined over bumps (where I used to cringe or move to the side to avoid bumps I could drive straight over!), the AC didn't affect performance at all, I could see very well out of a high windshield, the car is deceptivly fast for how quiet it is (it's a 1.8 turbo as well by the way), but the DSG was often caught on the wrong foot/gear. Not much feedback through the car, very light steering, and even though A3s are thought of as a small car, it's much bigger than the MX-5. My brother just installed a double DIN Pioneer headunit with the works, it was nice to have a reverse camera, bluetooth phone and music, DAB radio, etc, but there is an pedantic lady in it who kept telling me "YOU are over the speed limit"! Very annoying - even if it was accurate
Back in the MX-5, weighty steering, weighty pedals, and great feedback everywhere. A steering wheel that just isn't in the right position for me, a basic radio with occasionally spotty reception, a lot more noise all around (good and bad I guess). I can power through corners much better, but I feel the car is lacking in performance. God-damn bumps in the road are keeping me on my toes again. I love the shift movement.
There are a lot of beneifts to a car like the A3, but it's boring, so boring. I'm happy to be back in my MX-5, but my time in the A3 has hightlighted a few things I'd like to fix when my savings build back up. I need to sort out the ECU/injectors/boost, to deliver more power, and smoother power. I need to get some 15" wheels on there for a softer ride (and other benefits). And I would love to find some seats that sit me a bit lower down (I was looking at the MS Type-F/Sport seats, but do they drop you much?). But that's all some time away, for now I want to drive some mountains!