Faults:

My first problem with the car was earlier this year when I parked the car on a downward incline with only 1/4 tank. There wasn't enough fuel to restart, and after many attempts the coil and injectors ended up needing replacement.

Since that incident though the engine continues to run poorly, with a lumpy idle and lack of power at around 2000rpm and is also very sensitive to air temp and dampness. Starts first time every time though.

Power windows are noisy.

For some reason the interior lights only go one when a front door is open, not for the back doors.

Windscreen wipers are painfully noisy and are very ineffective.

Brakes have awful feel.

Gear change baulks sometimes but is still quick and reverse becomes almost impossible to engage sometimes.

When it rains the central locking plays up. Try and lock it and it sometimes unlocks again straight away, requiring me to physically hold the lock down for a few seconds before it stays down.

Front seats are very stiff to move back and forth.

General Comments:

The sedan boot is seriously huge for a car this size, so much more practical than the hatch.

The only reason I only gave it a seven out of ten for performance is because of its recent faults, before that it was an excellent engine around town, holding fourth up hills where my 1998 Civic needed at least third.

The drive train is a little sloppy with a lot of play. Making a smooth start is difficult and any movement of the accelerator while at a steady speed will make a sudden jerk, no matter how slowly the pedal is moved.

Fantastic handler with the outer rear wheel biting in around a corner taken briskly. I make the most of every corner I come across in this car.

Ride is smooth for a small car, much better than the Civic and even a little better than our bigger Honda CRV.

The seats are comfortable for an hour or so, but by two hours I develop a sharp pain in my lower back.

Air conditioning is excellent (especially useful in Australian summers).

Cabin is a little dark and plastics aren't very high quality.

Faults:

Brake booster developed a leak.

The central locking has packed it in.

The cable operated power windows have fallen to pieces. This problem is incredibly expensive to fix.

Airbag warning light has been flashing since day one. Dealers have never been able to find the problem.

Plastic on the dashboard bubbles up. Dashboard has been replaced twice.

Electrics in general are unreliable. Brake lights, headlights often come and go.

Rear drum brakes are almost useless. Brake feel is always sloppy.

Fuel lines developed a leak.

Spark plug cables rotted through after only a year.

General Comments:

This car has been a real disappointment, yet it manages to redeem itself at the same time.

The ride & handling are still quite impressive, while the engine & drive train have proved very reliable. However the above mentioned points, and the nasty, flimsy interior have been a constant headache.

Faults:

None.

Rear disc pads replaced at 25,000k.

Rattly fuse box cover.

General Comments:

Very good car for steering, suspension, and handling in general. A little loose feeling after some period of ownership, which whilst not resulting in anything concrete, the car doesn't feel as tight as it once did.

The fit and finish is fair, the quality of the switches and levers are very good. Comfort and noise levels are good.

Faults:

Bubbles in dashboard behind the binnacle and faulty oil pressure gauge; both replaced and fixed under warranty.

The clutch pedal was a bit sticky and it felt as if it was catching or rubbing on something; this too has been corrected under warranty.

The wiper blades (front and rear) were unbelievably noisy. The front blades skipped across the windscreen without clearing the glass making me feel unsafe in light rain; this did not occur in heavy rain.

General Comments:

The following comments are probably only relevant to Australia.

The wide turning circle makes U-turns in city and some suburban streets difficult. When running on premium fuel it is relatively expensive for city and suburban, especially peak hour driving. I believe that these two factors make the car unsuitable for my lifestyle which involves mainly city and suburban driving.

The uncomfortable driver seat with no side support makes the car unpleasant to drive long trips. This and the short supply of premium fuel outside of the city and suburbs, negate the car's one advantage, it's handling on winding country and hill roads.

The handling is brilliant but it's of little use in the city; a smaller turning circle would be of more use.

After 6 months of record keeping I have found that the fuel consumption is only marginally improved by using premium instead of standard fuel. This is probably because I drive mostly in peak hour traffic.

I have never suffered such severe electrostatic shocks on any other car in over 30 years of driving.

The gears are irritatingly notchy and the clutch pedal is too small for my size 9 shoes and is awkwardly placed.