Faults:

ERG valve failed at 14000.

Gear change cables bushes failed 13000 (rubber).

Rear tyres lasted 41000.

Front tyres lasted 20000.

Centre and rear exhaust sections failed at 30000 and 20000.

A few bulbs have blown.

General Comments:

My second Matiz and I am not disappointed. A brilliant little town and short distance car with low running costs.

It is well designed inside and makes use of every inch of internal space. The seats will take 4 adults easily, or 5 if there are 3 children in the back, but there is only a centre lap strap.

The rear seat also fold 40/60, which is versatile and allows larger loads to be carried with one rear passenger, and the other portion of the seat folded.

The boot is however tiny, if the seats are up, so luggage space is limited.

It is comfortable to drive but the gear change is notchy going through 2nd gear and this was the case on my other Matiz also. Cornering on bumpy roads makes the handling skittish but straight line stability is fine. The turning circle is amazing and makes parking in the smallest space easy.

The cam belt must be changed at 40000 miles and is easy to do as a DIY job with no special tools and takes about 2-3 hours.

One major thing lacking with the Matiz is the fact that it cannot be fitted with a towbar. Other small cars such as the Rover/Austin Metro and Reliant Robin had no problem with light towing, so I cannot understand why the Matiz cannot. Daewoo do however, make roof bars and a top box for the Matiz if extra carrying capacity is needed.

Fuel consumption is 42mpg on mixed urban dual carriageway, with 49mpg on a long motorway run, which is not fantastic when you consider it only has a motorcycle sized engine.

Faults:

Only minor faults, for example the glove box rattles and I have had difficulty in getting the key into the drivers lock.

General Comments:

This is a lovely little car.

It's fantastic on fuel and has all the mod cons. I was looking for a small car with as many luxuries as I could afford - what I got was a 14 month old car with electric windows, power steering, ABS, air conditioning and a fun feel for less than £3500! Cars in a similar size / price band were extra with these features.

It doesn't look at all cheap, despite the price, and I find that it is much more fun to drive than any other car I've owned - the fact that it does 45 miles per gallon is a bonus.

Faults:

Speedometer failed at 18,000mi.

One central lock is playing up.

Engine lamp on, exhaust gas valve failure.

Crash repair center messed up the airbag.

General Comments:

Assorted minor failures, but it's never failed to start or stop (the ABS is good!).

Cabin is definitely for 4 people, not 5, though the folding rear seats make hauling kitchen appliances around easily possible.

Performance is more than you would expect, a slight stirring of the gearstick will see the little engine takeoff, and it's very 'throw-able' round the twisty bits.

Effortless cruiser at motorway speeds, to forget about minor road overtaking. Adding passengers and luggage is definitely felt in the performance.

Economy, I'm averaging 47-48mpg and have managed 60+ on a long run with a light foot (but that's no fun).

Power steering & good visability makes city driving simple, and the smallest gap is yours to take.