Faults:

The part that re-burns exhaust before emitting it. It cost $520 through a relative who was a holden manager.

The external thermostat decided to work when it wanted to.

General Comments:

The car looks good, but at the end of the day it's a girls car unless you get an SRi with the 1.8litre engine.

I have completed advanced driving courses and this car handles well in corners at speed with a slightly stiff suspension. I drove my Barina pretty hard and was good once you got into the higher revs, but was a slug getting off the lights.

Steering was nice, but I did experience tracking with my aftermarket wheels. The turning circle was good.

Fuel efficiency was good 10km/litre (driven hard).

The interior was comfortable, but the seats had to be adjusted with a knob which was annoying when you wanted to change seat position quickly. The backseats folded nicely to give nice storage space.

The CD player display is integrated into the dash and would render the display useless if changed.

The cup holders are useless.

The car would lose about 40% of its power if you turn the air conditioning on (I put up with many hot days).

I had a friend reverse his van into my barina and it is a very fragile car. It is also very expensive to repair. All parts have an inflated price as it is a "European" car.

I'm under 25 and insurance cost an arm and a leg because it was considered a "coupe". (3 doors)

Faults:

Blown head gasket @ 40 000 km's.

Lots of road noise coming from rear left tyre.

General Comments:

This car is very economical.

Very enjoyable to drive.

Doesn't handle hills too well though, which is to be expected considering engine capacity.

Great sound system.

Having major dramas with Holden dealership in trying to get the road noise and abnormal tyre wear fixed through the warranty.

If some-one could tell me how they have fixed the road noise issue in their Barina please contact via : Mark.Reed2@defence.gov.au

Faults:

There was a rattle in the front door on delivery, which was fixed at the 1500km service, but has since returned.

The front driver's seat runner was replaced under a voluntary recall by the manufacturer.

General Comments:

This is a seriously fun car to drive.

It has great acceleration considering the initial purchase price, and it handles very stably. The steering is well weighted and the anti-lock brakes are strong and reliable. It has (unswitchable) traction control which is quite unintrusive, but is noticeable especially if you attempt a quick take-off with a turn, so don't attempt to race across oncoming traffic from a red light.

Mine is black and looks fantastic with tinted windows. It is the first car I have owned in 25 years with which I've been happy with the standard alloy wheel package (except they are susceptible to parking damage). But on the downside the paint finish isn't up to the very high standard of the 96 Nissan Pulsar that I traded for this car.

The interior is a bit drab, but the seats are firm and supportive, great for a long trip. The stereo unit has a good sound, but is a little weak in the AM radio reception once out of the capital city area. Also I was a little annoyed at purchase time, as an upgraded model with power windows and power mirrors was released only a week later and I would have gladly paid extra for these items.

Overall the first 6 months of ownership have been a very positive experience. I test drove a lot of similar cars (Peugeot 206 GTI, Renault Clio Sport, Proton Satria GTI, Toyota Echo Sportiva, VW Polo) and feel that this provides by far the best value and performance for the money.

Faults:

The tail light, indicator and headlight bulbs don't seem to last as long as they should.

General Comments:

Fantastic performance for a 1.4 litre.

Interior features and gadgets are great.

Very distinctive styling. The Barina almost has the look of a BMW hatch.

Very good factory sound system.

There is a little to much plastic used on the inside of the doors and seat backings.

The price tag for a new Barina is pretty substantial for its size.