I've had the tyres replaced since this photo with Goodyear Vector 4Seasons all round. They have changed the ride comfort immensely, taking the sharper edges off the sports suspension which the almost-dead tyres were exaggerating to full effect, whilst retaining a decent amount of road feel which I crave. My piles will almost certainly thank me later for finding a healthy middle ground.
Aside from the fact the previous owner obviously lived down a driveway with a whacking great bush protruding onto the drivers side, there's little else that has annoyed me as yet.
Are there any other simple upgrades one may recommend? Perhaps slightly less expensive than £600!
For reference it is a 1.4 TFSI Sport.