Faults:

Alternator, oil leak, suspension rattle, windows stuck, clutch judder, etc all the usual expected stuff of age and miles.

General Comments:

The Daewoo Espero is based on an old Vauxhall Cavalier and it sure drove a lot like one. I bought mine as I like value for money cars and it provided this just fine with a great used deal at only three years old.

1.8 is the engine to go for, nice balance of power and economy for its time. Rarely any issues if cared for properly.

CD model had enough equipment for me; with alloy wheels I thought it was actually a pretty good looking car.

Nothing special to drive but did the job. Comfortable. Roomy interior. Good visibility.

Sold mine when it was eleven years old and nearly 100,000 miles on it, it was still going strong, but I didn't get much cash in return from it; the value of these cars dropped significantly quicker than rival cars in its class. But I sure got my monies worth out of it, the running costs were very cheap over the time I had it.

Faults:

The water pump failed the day after I bought it. Cost £148 to fix.

Exhaust is now blowing from the front pipe.

Sun roof is not working.

General Comments:

As a whole, the car is not too bad. It's the same as any car; if you look after it, it will serve you well, but if you screw it, it will screw you.

The only real let down of this car is the performance and ride. The 1.8 CDI is a little under powered, and the auto box takes its time changing gears. And the suspension needs to be a little tougher, but in saying that, the underpinnings are indeed Vauxhall Cavalier, and swapping engines over is straightforward and straight in. So any engine mods like filters, cams etc are easy, as the engine is Vauxhall, so the engine is bullet proof.

The only weak point on the engine is the water pump, so check it regularly. If the pump is noisy, replace it. But you can get some serious mods for the engine, as the little scam is Vauxhall parts are a lot cheaper than Daewoo parts.

Faults:

Sunroof Leaked, just after I acquired the car. 87,400 miles.

In the course of normal servicing when I first acquired the car, I replaced the timing belts etc, for piece of mind rather than anything else.

Exhaust fixing missing, I knew was not present before my purchase, so needed replacement straight away.

The Philips CD auto-changer had a minor fault with the head unit, which was due to the intermittent volume control (tarnished contacts). I replaced this myself, as I am an electronics engineer.

General Comments:

I bought a 1996 Daewoo Espero CDXi second hand in the UK for 850 pounds, with a full MOT, and six months road fund license.

The bodywork is immaculate; the only rust on the car was strangely on the windscreen wiper arms, and simply required removal, cleaning, and a spray of paint, job done. (Took about an hour to complete.)

I average between 33 to 38 mpg, which I think is good for a car of the size.

In my opinion the car is as comfortable as most mid range modern cars.

In winter the engine seems to run very cool even after replacing thermostat.

I have had a brand new Astra Estate, on a three-year lease before my purchase, and I enjoy the Espero far more than I did the Astra.

Coming from the new shape Astra to the Espero you don't notice until you get into the drivers seat, but the windscreen is much more restrictive, and driving position initially feels claustrophobic. Having said this, my initial reaction to the Astra and Focus was that you felt as though you were seated too high, and you soon get used to it.

Although the car is very well equipped, the switchgear does not feel as though it was made to be as durable as the rest of the car.

The car is quite sure footed, and handles very well for a larger saloon.

The Espero is not a sports car, and does not pretend to be one, but it has enough get up and go to overtake safely, and ample performance for a car of its size to not be boring.

Although fully loaded its not got the same build as a prestige manufacture, nor does it cost the money.

The boot is huge, although you could fit a lot into it, if the object is much larger than 3 feet in height and depth and over 3 feet in width, you may have a job fitting it through the boot's aperture.

The only thing I really missed when I changed car, (and this is a bit sad,) was the remote control for the central locking.