Faults:

Only thing I have needed to replace was a joint in the front suspension, about £50 ish (for MOT)

General Comments:

Great performance and handling from a 1.4.

Interior lights shorted, but the problem was quickly rectified.

Lots of space in the front although tall adults may struggle in the back.

Drivers seat is a pain in the 3dr as they don't go back to the same position if you let someone out the back (lots of fiddling required.

Now looking for a GTI !!!!!

Faults:

Nothing has ever gone wrong with the car in the time that I have owned it.

However, the driver's seat has started to show signs of wear, especially at the sides.

The panel on the stereo has started to bleed badly.

General Comments:

Although the car looks bland and unexciting, the bland looks mask a competent car. It handles predictably and the performance from the 1.4 16v engine may not be earth-shattering by any means, but can keep up with traffic although downchanges are often needed. The engine is nippy around town and the light power steering makes parking a one-handed doddle, but out of town the engine suddenly doesn't feel as fast and struggles to keep up, especially on inclines.

The engine is coarse above 4,000rpm and the level of road noise is frankly awful, as one has to raise one's voice to be heard at speed.

The car is parked outside every night and the car has started first time, every time, even in -10C.

The seats are not uncomfortable as such, but you do feel tired after a long journey.

The cabin is well laid out and all the switches fall easily to hand. The lack of cup holders sometimes proves frustrating.

The reliability of the car has simply been outstanding. Since I got the car in January 2001, I have travelled nearly 23,000 miles and there hasn't been even as much as a rattle from the car.

If I were to change the car tomorrow, I'd probably buy one of the last old shape Almeras, built in 1999, in GTi spec. I'm definitely an Almera fan and the GTi looks great and the engine must be a scorcher, but I would definitely need ABS as the brakes do not always inspire confidence.

Faults:

In general, the car has been OK, but lately their has been rattling noises coming from the car.

The noises seem to be coming from the the front wheels. I brought the car to a garage to have a look at it, and I was informed that it was the shock ab-sobers and it was a common problem with Almera's.

Another major problem with the car, is that if you have to break at speed, then 2 out of 3 times the car will go in to a skid.

General Comments:

In General the car has been reliable for the year that I have had it, but for comfort it is middle of the road.

The car is not very sturdy when driven in heavy winds, the car sways a lot and gives the feeling that it is not very secure.

Faults:

Indicators fused twice when fitting a new car stereo.

A rattle under the front driver side wheel arch under high revs.

General Comments:

The Almera 2.0l GTi is a very fast and reliable car, I find it will power past any Golf GTi and BMW's.

The looks and sounds great, especially when I got a induction kit and magnex exhaust system.

One bad point is it doesn't start lifting until you get over 5000 revs, but loves to be taken all the way to 7500 revs, which pushes you back in your seat when you change gear, as it keeps on top of the twin cam.