Hi Andy
Welcome to TM and to the world of real motoring.
First thing to check would be the tyre pressure, your first reaction reminded me very much of my own.
I found the tyres had been inflated to 28psi, I think some folks do this if the car is laid up for a while.
I run mine at 22psi, that along with few thousand miles on the clock has made it a joy to drive.
