I am contacting you as I have exhausted all lines of reasonable negotiation over the past six months with both the dealer and also Vauxhall themselves. My 60-registered Astra 1.7CDTI achieves the following: around town = 32mpg (v/s urban 52.3mpg quoted in Vauxhall manual). Combined = 36mpg (combined 62.8mpg quoted in Vauxhall manual). Motorway = 42mpg (extra urban 70.6mpg quoted in Vauxhall manual). The car has now covered 8000 miles and every time I fill the tank I calculate the miles per gallon (based on 4.54 litres per gallon).

I can inform you that at a steady 60mph the car will return 45mpg. The supplying dealer Arnold Clarke did its own tests and came up with a combined figure of 46mpg. Since giving me this result they have walked away from any further meaningful discussions and left me with a vehicle I am totally dissatisfied with. I have requested my money back and or a vehicle exchange but they are totally disinterested saying that as far as they are concerned it is within tolerance. I have indicated in e-mails that I would never have purchased this car had I known the mpg it returns, and I think that it is scandalous that they are allowed to get away with this deceitful marketing policy. I would point out that I traded in a 2007 Astra 1.7 diesel that was much more economical. A friend’s BMW 520d returns 52mpg on a motorway run. Vauxhall is now telling me to get an independent mpg test but will not commit itself as to whom it considers acceptable. Can you help?