Faults:

I got the car when it had a 'whiny' gear box, could have lived with it, but it was getting worse so I bought a reconditioned one (£130 delivered, not fitted).

I've got a big back box on the exhaust, which is a large weight being thrown around at the back of the car, so it occasionally snapped the joint between back box and the middle pipe, as the middle pipe had gone rusty and let's face it, rotten too. So I had to replace that.

General Comments:

Just to point out, I've had lower and stiffer suspension put in, which makes the ride comfort mark a bit unfair.

This car is a joy to drive, it really picks up speed fast, and sticks to the road like you wouldn't believe.

Back tyres seem to never wear, I've got about loads of miles out of them and they are still looking new. Front ones still last, but not as good as the back.

The economy is very uneven, if you drive sensibly you can make the petrol last all year, but if you drive erratically, you need to fill up every other hour.

Faults:

I've had a few reliability issues. The engine cut out on the motorway and doesn't like wet mornings, it adds to the personality, for some reason it doesn't seem to start too well if left for any period of time over 2 days, especially if you've been in another car. The engine management system is a manufacturing fault, it does not seem to supply enough fuel. Causes jerky starts after its been left. Of course it seems to work fine when you get people to come out and sort it.

Brake Callipers stuck. Handbrake stuck. No real big issues though.

General Comments:

Very nippy car, Acceleration is good for the engine size and age, the fuel economy is great, managed 500 miles to a full tank on a trip to Scotland and generally 400 miles on usual local commutes and trips. Interior is nothing too special it serves a purpose.

Feels safer than my last car, responsive.

Faults:

Both rear brake cylinders went together.

Throttle cable snapped.

Gear linkage broke.

General Comments:

A comfortable, reliable car which is cheap to run. Easy to work on, excellent dealer services, a real workhorse with the diesel engine.

Faults:

Nothing really. First service was very expensive because the brake pads & discs had to be replaced. Garage should have noticed this before it was sold.

General Comments:

A very good car, although by reading a lot of the reviews, I think it it over-hyped a bit. The Punto HGT is considerably quicker, albeit without the reliability. Brakes are also weak. The car has fantastic mid-range pull though (ie-between 60 and...ahem..100)

Heavy clutch, so traffic is a pain.

Gives you a great driving experience, great handling, chuckability, looks fantastic, especially in red.

Have upgraded to a Subaru Impreza Turbo, but will miss it!!