I had my first ride on the Mk5As today, from Leeds to Liverpool and back.
I found the seats firm, but actually quite comfortable. Far more comfortable than some others - I didn't find the back rest as badly shaped as some new seats for a start.
The ride quality was excellent, far smoother than a 185. The various lurches, bumps and jolts on a 185 when you get thrown all over the place (such as Batley, Mirfield, Heaton Lodge) were just non existent despite going at line speed. The only down side was the noise from the bogies / suspension, which were making a rattling / knocking noise almost continuously in every coach I went in. I am told this is an annoying feature of the new Northern CAF units too?
The toilet was working well, with a well designed layout and seeming quite spacious for such a small cupboard! Nice to have hot hand wash water, unlike the 185s which only dispense cold water!
The air con was just the right temperature and I didn't find the breeze from the air vents below the windows intrusive at all.
The PA announcements were clear and audible and not too loud. The previously reported fault with the announcements cutting out part way through the announcement still exists though, annoyingly. The clocks on the internal display screens were 1 hour fast, and the times shown for the calling points were 1 hour behind what they actually should be. Some of the messages did not work - such as the one which shows departure times of connecting services - this just showed a blank screen.
Loading through the end doors did not seem to cause any additional dwell time.
Overall, highly impressed, apart from the annoying bogie / suspension rattle.