Faults:

Radiator replaced; otherwise, usual wear and tear only.

General Comments:

Exceptionally reliable.

Used as a hearse for a charity, with the passenger seat removed.

Unfortunately, someone drove into my 14 year-old car and wrote it off. Need another for the charity's work, unless there is a modern car, equally small, equally economical, equally reliable, in which the seats can be laid flat for coffins.

John Bradfield.

Alice Barker Trust.

Harrogate.

01423 530900

Faults:

Nothing, absolutely nothing! Just amazing.

General Comments:

What a fabulous little car bought by chance. It takes me on a 50 mile round trip each day to university. The 1.4 engine in so small and light a body helps the car feel lively, although it does get harsh if revved. Comfortable, if basic. Quiet and easy to live with. Incredibly cheap to buy.

Points to watch - body corrosion mostly caused by lack of owner care! Look around the bottom of the windows on 3 door cars. Check the leading face of the front inner wings where the bumper is mounted.

I've put waxoil all over the underside of mine and also have removed the rear quarter interior trim to rust proof inside the car below the rear windows. Sounds a bit keen, but why let corrosion prematurely kill off a brilliant and otherwise easy and cheap to maintain machine.

Faults:

Rear exhaust box blew at 38000 miles, but only cost £30 to replace.

Seat frame cracked, but two minutes with a welder fixed that.

Trim fragile, but nothing actually broke.

Head cracked at 45000 miles, fixed with some Rad weld shortly before selling it!

Thin bodywork dented easily.

General Comments:

A town car should be light, easy to park and economical and the 5 was all of those things. Not a brilliant cruiser, but was happy enough at 80mph on occasional 50 miles runs on the M25.

Visibility was absolutely superb, as was the fuel economy. I used to get 40mpg irregardless of how I drove it. I replaced the car with a Fiesta 1.25 which NEVER exceeded 29mpg.

If I found a good one which was well looked after, I'd buy it straight away.

Faults:

Since I've owned it (and I don't want to tempt fate by saying it...) nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

This car is great!!

It's my second car - owned a Fiat Cinquecento beforehand, which was good, but a bit too slow.

Wasn't even looking to change car when I came across the Renault - but it was so smart and well priced it seemed rude not to buy it!!

It's a 1.4 - 60bhp (I think), which in a car of this weight is pretty good. I often use a Vectra for work - and the Renault never feels a lot slower than that. (Though I'm sure it is) It overtakes well, and will do 95mph on the motorway. No, sorry - it would never do 95mph on the motorway...officer.

I get about 40mpg as an average, closer to 50mpg on a long run.

The car isn't overly comfortable. Fine for short journeys, but the seats are too soft on long journeys. That said, the ride is very comfortable (for a car designed when flares were last in fashion)

It handles brilliantly - and really can be thrown around back roads (when you learn to hold your nerve through the body roll!)

Incredibly cheap to run. Get this - I had a whole new set of tyres for £79 all in!!

I'm not even going to pretend it's in the same league as a new Clio - but I paid £1100 for this car 18 months ago, it starts first-time-everytime and is a bit of fun.

...now just let me try a GT Turbo...

Faults:

The de-misters keep going on and off, I was told it was a bad connection, but it cannot be fixed.

General Comments:

Great, nippy little car, would definitely buy another one.

Good on miles to the gallon.

And for a 17 year old first car, quite cheap on insurance for a 1.4.

Faults:

Heater motor needed replacing at 60,000 miles.

I'm having problems with getting it into first gear.

Rear light clusters fail.

General Comments:

The car is quick for a 1.4, 70mph in third gear, top speed 100mph (where permitted).

Very comfortable.

I regularly get 40mpg.

Very cheap compared to a Metro or Citroen AX.