Faults:

Planetary set in the gearbox which cost £600.

New starter motor, £25 from a breaker.

Drive shaft, £125.

Very expensive top hose, £21 from a main dealer for a bit of curvey rubber!

Annoying niggles like the central locking not working on the driver's door.

General Comments:

Great handling car, much nicer than a Golf in my opinion but early models seem beset by niggling problems. Go for a later model.

Beware, pattern parts are not widely available and original parts are ludicrously expensive.

Faults:

To date, front CV gaiters replaced, speedo cable, rear wash/wipe intermittent fault (common), a few dash bulbs blown and the heating blower selector was broken.

General Comments:

Provided you buy Michelins, you only ever need to replace the tyres on these things about every 40-50,000 miles (and that's obviously well before they go illegal!)

These cars are terrific - it's never failed to start and I have now passed it on to my sister.

The ride is lovely, the car is sort of 'demure' looking (and looks better in darker colours) and the performance is fine - I've never found myself in trouble overtaking and the engine seems eager enough. In fact, I dare say I have got much more out of the car than the manufacturer would wish to boast, both in terms of longevity and performance!

The car is a joy to drive around corners and sweeping bends and seems much more naturally balanced than other cars. A little gem.

Incidentally I have driven the Xsara and actually found it rather 'tarted up' as though somebody was trying to play at 'BMW's'. The ride had been raised, the balance was rather lost and the whole thing felt rather less eager and more like one was driving to a W.I. meeting. The ZX is no beauty but at least it was doing what French cars do best - being nimble, fast, airy and elegant.