Faults:

New radiator; was leaking so just replaced the lot. A bit heavy on brakes; replaced discs and pads front and back twice in my ownership, but otherwise normal wear and tear for the mileage.

The car had full history when bought in 2018; older car now but shows no signs of abuse. Very quiet, smooth-running engine.

Climate control a bit hesitant to switch on. A/C never worked in my ownership. Electric windows can be slow-moving.

General Comments:

The standard Lancer is nothing like its more famous rally car Evolution model that everyone knows and loves; however the base car is a smart little sedan with great reliability. I have had this car four years and it has never let me down despite getting very old now.

Elegance model is well trimmed with electrics, nice seats, and alloy wheels. My car is silver and shows no signs of rust; clearly a looked-after car. Inside, the black interior is also very smart for its age.

Not the most comfortable however; ride is rather firm, space can be limited, but as long as you do not drive very long journeys every day, the car is fine to be in and use daily. Seats are leather but feel a bit cheap.

Visibility is excellent; car is very boxy despite being a 2005 car, it looks like something from the 1990s and is very easy to drive and judge parking spots. 1.6 petrol is adequate but no more. You will see about 40 miles per gallon; not bad. Gear-change feels a bit stiff, but shifts OK. Boot space is all right for a car this size, and I love the white dials on the dash.

A very cheap to buy and run car, but you will fool no one into thinking it is a rally car! But that is OK with me, as I do not like pretense. The car is what it is - a typical mass-produced Japanese daily driver.

Faults:

Nothing so far and I confidently expect that to remain so.

General Comments:

In the UK, new or used this car is seriously cheap, We paid £5000 for a two year vehicle with a years manufacturers warranty remaining. This was around £2.5K cheaper than either of the Focus/Astra Estate competition. Whilst its performance and economy are on a par with those two, the dull fascia design with its fiddly radio/CD controls is well behind the times. Paintwork, panel fit and the rest of the interior are all of a very good standard.

Initially the steering feels disconcertingly light in slow corners, belying the amount of grip on offer, but is otherwise good and commendably light for parking. The ride is supple on bumpy country roads and the handling reassuring. The exceptionally smooth 1.6 engine gets raucous at the upper end of its rev-range, but is only noticeable for a few seconds when overtaking. Likewise cruising can get noisy much beyond 80mph which seems a natural cruising gait as it corresponds to peak torque and will return over 40MPG. Equipment is includes 3x3 point rear belts, Air con' fog-lights ABS and EBD heated mirrors a full size spare and alloys wheels (which I would happily fore-sake for a pair of headlamps washers). Whilst passenger space is good the class, the boot floort is high and the rear seat only folds flat instead of double folding. Most competitor's have substantially bigger boots even allowing for the extra 40 litres found in hidden compartments to the side and floor of the compartment.

In summary then, not the cutting edge of its class, but substantially cheaper, and from a maker with great reputation for reliability, which to me is worth a lot more than a flashy fascia.