Faults:

Shifter mount.

General Comments:

This car is quick for its size, and it really does handle on rails. Its interior is a bit too cheap, but for a true econo car it's the best little car for the price. It really has a cult following my uncle had one and I found one really cheap so I bought it as my first car. It has given me 36000 uneventful miles. I bought it as a theft recovery car and it runs great I would like to meet the man who wanted to get away in my car. It was really driven on the getaway the underside scrape panels were scraped up bad. They told me that they caught him driving up a hill. Other than the theft thing it's been a real good car and I'd recommend one to anyone who asks.

Faults:

CV joint repaired under warranty (30,000 miles).

Transmission selector bracket repaired at 40,000 miles- about $400.

Clutch cable bracket broke at 70,000 miles; cost was $3.00 to fix (for bolts to replace failed spot welds) and about 12 hr. labor, done by me to get the bracket out and repair it.

Speedometer malfunctioned a few times; fixed by graphite lube where cable goes in.

General Comments:

I'm 6'-2", 230 lb., and for a small car, the Aspire is very roomy for someone of my size. Head room is especially ample for such a small car. Frugal, simple, gets 30-40 mpg. Ride is not the best, but road noise was greatly reduced by a cargo area cover I made (cover not available in the U.S., but trim panels are made to accept a cover made of flat material). The 5-speed manual transmission makes it sporty to drive even though it is underpowered.

Faults:

Absolutely nothing. Granted I've only owned her for 6 months or so, I've put 5,000 miles on her.

The only fault I can find with it is the fact that yes she dents easy, and the plastic parts on her body break easy too.

General Comments:

I love this car. She's a fun little bumble bee and it makes me happy to drive her. I'm a pretty small person (5 foot one) but, my boyfriend is really tall (six foot two) so it's hard to shift when he's in there with me.

Now that I've mastered standard, I get awesome gas mileage and when I need power I can get it.

This is my all time favorite car. Its cute compact cheap and has so much personality.

I'd recommend anyone to get one...

Faults:

Transmission went out at 191,000 miles.

Seat backs are starting to crack around headrests.

Coil pack went out at 205,000 miles.

Fuel pump went out twice. Once at 103,000 miles, again at 254,000 miles.

General Comments:

This car doesn't have much guts, but it'll commute with the best of them.

I would have been much happier with power steering.

Engine still hanging on for dear life, with no oil burning, compression loss, leaks, or noises.

Could use an overdrive gear in the transmission.

If they still made them, I would buy a brand new one. Since they don't, I guess I'll just keep mine and put the time and effort into it to keep it on the road for years to come.

Faults:

The O2 Sensor went out at 60,000 miles.

The Heater is currently broken.

All other problems have been normal wear and tear like brakes, tires, etc.

General Comments:

I have hated this car since the day I purchased it, but unfortunately I am too pragmatic to get rid of a perfectly well-running car.

The O2 sensor ran a total of $1,200 with $900 being for the part itself. I'm afraid to know what my mechanic is going to charge me to fix the heater.

Other than that I've never had a problem with it. I drive about 40 miles per day to work, then my wife drives it several evenings each week as a Visiting Nurse. We haven't done any maintenance to it in the hope that it would finally die, but it only seems to get stronger. It looks like a soap bubble gone horribly wrong to me, but I didn't buy it for the looks. The interior is as cheap as the car and rattles often when the music is at an audible level. The engine has trouble ascending anything more than a perfectly flat road. The transmission barks at low RPM. But, I laugh at all my SUV-Owning friends when the price of gas goes up every summer.