Faults:

To be fair the only problem I have had, is finding one which has not been boy raced.

The only fault I could say is the ride is rather noisy, but you should expect this from a little hot hatch.

Would not advise this car for people with long legs, as myself find it rather hard to fit.

General Comments:

Superb handling, my father drives a 2004 BMW M5, he took the VTR out and was amazed by the road holding, and estimates to be as good round tight bends as the M5.

The 1.6 engine really does pull in 1st 2nd and 3rd, and really does put a smile on your face. Gearbox can be a bit "hit and miss", but overall a great box when you get used to it.

Faults:

Three weeks into ownership the car made weird clonking/squeaking sounds from underneath towards the front of the car. I first suspected it was damage to the gearbox as it usually clunked when the car pulled away or reversed from stand still, but I later found out that it was the sprung loaded exhaust gasket which connects the catalytic converter to the exhaust manifold downpipe. The clonks and squeaks are heard when the car moves as engine movement pushes/pulls the exhaust downpipe slightly, causing the gasket to clonk/squeak. I replaced my exhaust gasket for about £8 which cured the problem for a couple of weeks then the noise came straight back again, but I just ignore it now as it's nothing to worry about. It seems to be a problem that a lot of Citroen Saxo owners put up with.

The interior ultrasonic sensors (which only the Saxo VTS alarm systems have) stopped working properly on mine at around 19,000 miles. When I asked my local Citroen dealer for the replacement parts they told me the car doesn't come with interior ultrasonic sensors??? Anyway it's best to fit an after-market alarm system for good measure.

General Comments:

Despite the couple of problems I've had with this car the pro's seriously out way the cons. This is an excellent little car and a true second hand bargain.

The handling is unbelievable and the car is very quick off the mark. Its the most fun I've had in a 1.6 litre 16v.

The car does rattle a bit as there is a lot of cheap plastic interior. The pedals are very close together and can take a bit of getting used to.

The fuel economy is very good for its engine size, but I would say that as my previous car was a petrol 2.0 litre turbo.

This is a much more insurance friendly car (insurance group 14) compared to my previous car (group 17).

Faults:

One of the threads in the rear drum has worn down, meaning only 3 bolts will tighten the wheel up. However the car is still safe and it only costs roughly £10 for a new hub from the scrapyard.

General Comments:

The performance of the car is very surprising for a 1.4 8 valve engine. I had a Saxo 1.1 before this car and it is quite a step up. Acceleration is very quick, 0 - 60 can be achieved in roughly 11 seconds. Top speed is quoted at 109 mph, but I have achieved 115 without particularly straining the engine.

Handling is generally good although not in wet conditions. Extreme care needs to be taken in wet conditions as the car tends to slip easily on corners at anything over 30mph due to the car being so light. I have bought a lower strut brace that will tighten the car up which will make the handling more tighter, although I haven't fitted this yet.

The interior of my car is very nice, it has blue carpet with blue seat belts, and matching blue and black seats, and looks very smart. However some models of the car I have seen very gaudy multi coloured seat belts and sickly patterned seats. It is very comfortable, the pedals are close together, this isn't a problem for me, but it might be for others.

Overall I think this an excellent first or second car, it has all the looks of the VTR and VTS, but without the sky high insurance, and still performs reasonably well.