The ongoing fuelling problems reached a head over the holiday period, the coughing and spluttering under acceleration becoming increasingly annoying as well as dangerous. So first week back to work and the nice people at Audi arranged for me to use a 2.5 TDi Avant while they took our car away to find a cure.

The Avant was basically the same car, apart from its larger, 17in wheels, which appeared to give a slightly better overall ride quality, and the estate boot, which, by consensus, makes it the cooler looking of the two.

Our Audi returned and it was immediately apparent that there was more power in all the gears. Fuel economy has also improved, from around 30mpg to closer to 34mpg.

The diagnosis? Apparently there was a loose pin in the fuel pump terminal relay, a loose connection to you and me, a glitch that had to be painstakingly checked as it was undetectable on a diagnostic machine.

With its first service due at 15,000 miles, twice the distance of my last long termer, and its ailments behind it, it's back to work and some serious mileages for our Audi.