Dunno if you spotted it, but someone mentioned earlier the Kylie car - CT200-h.
I think a little over budget but a very nice to be for any kind of commute, 60+ mpg too.
So... I come from a TVR background so am used to aural pr0n. My zed sounds like a hair-dryer as do most others I've seen/heard.
Can they be made to sound properly loud/aggressive or do they always retain the soft, muted sound?
Some of my favourites:
Cheers Rev :-) You ever been in Sovereign Cars showroom, done a lovely job on it. Worth having a nosey if you live that close to them.
I go and have a nose every so often
Is there a website? I'm pretty much Bristol but don't know of them.
Do you really expect to use more than a gigabyte a month on 3G? I use mine a fair amount but it's pretty much all wi-fi, the only 3G is in the car between home, office and pub.
To illustrate why a high gear is showing a lack of mechanical sympathy, try to think of pulling away on a push bike in top gear, or even just going very slowly. It takes a lot more effort - same as your poor little 3.5l V6.