Faults:

Considering the age not much has gone wrong with this car, mostly wear and tear.

Nearside wheel bearing replaced in 2014, nearside CV joint replaced in 2015, although this wasn't normal wear and tear because of the CV boots splitting. September 2015 the rear brake drums, shoes and wheel bearings were replaced and so far that is it.

A few things that need attention are the clutch (will be buying a clutch kit soon), water pump is making a noise (will be replaced at 122,000 miles when the cambelt is replaced unless it goes sooner), new bumper needs replacing due to a little bump last year, and finally the battery is slowly dying, I get about 3 days before it needs jump starting, but considering it is the original battery I can't complain.

A mate of mine works in a garage so I can get trade prices for all the parts I need.

General Comments:

The car was bought in 2013 for £800 and apart from wear and tear it has never let me down; I love this little car and will not be parting with her. I'm saving for another car, which I hope to get by around September/October 2017, which will enable me to do more work on the little Alto.

The seats are quite comfortable unless you drive for more than an hour. The performance is OK considering that it is only a 1,061cc 62bhp engine, but does move pretty well. I haven't done any fuel calculations lately, but I'm averaging around the 45 MPG mark, which I'm happy with since I do a lot of town driving. On a decent run I'm closer to 50 MPG.

Faults:

Drivers door handle was pulled off by vandals

The foam on the drivers seat side support collapsed.

General Comments:

Seems faster than the manufacturers state.

I get an average of 58 miles per gallon, I use the car for driving instruction and personal use.

Wish it had air conditioning.

Faults:

Nothing has seriously went wrong with this car (yet). The only grumble that I have had so far is that one day when I went to fill up the water compartment that sprays the windows clean, the cap completely snapped off. It wasn't a major thing, but it did make me think twice about how delicate the car is.

General Comments:

The greatest thing the Alto can boast of is running costs.

They are cheap to buy, cheap to tax, cheap to insure and they practically run on air. They do 70 to the gallon, however I'm not to familiar with gallons so from my experience a 260 mile journey costs about £15.

It is quite a dinky looking car with a very simple design. However the interior could do with a few minor adjustments.

I think that anybody who looks to buy a Suzuki is looking for something reasonably priced and practical. And the Alto is precisely that.

It does the job in getting you from A to B. And it does is cheaply.

You also get a lot more as standard compared to equivalent cars in the same price range.

I would probably say that the Alto is more suited to a female driver as the pedals are quite close together, making it an easier drive for people with small feet.

The driving position is a bit higher on the road compared to my other car.

The stereo also sounds quite 'tinny'. Nevertheless, it does the job.

I have also found that the car doesn't actually have any fog lights. Unless I haven't discovered them yet, in which case they are not very visible/accessible.

As a first car it is great and I would recommend it to most.

From the outside the Alto can be quite deceiving. But the inside is quite spacious and the boot is a nice size too.

The sheer size of the car is great for parking and allows you to fit into the tighter spaces you would normally drive past.

If you are thinking of buying this car, be prepared to get a lot of grief from other smart-ass drivers who think their car is better than yours.

In summary, the Alto is better than what you would expect. It's a nice little runaround.