General Comments:
I recently decided to downsize my car after being faced with high fuel bills on a 55 mile commute to work.
I looked at a range of other small, economical cars (KA, FOX, PANDA etc), after which I came across this little car from Suzuki.
The test drive was surprising. The 1.0 litre 67 bhp engine feels punchier and more refined than I expected, even brisk, although the weight of the car is only 800kg, so it doesn't feel strained at all. It has a great balance between ride and handling - the suspension is on the softer side and soaks up bumps brilliantly, but neither does it go sideways in a tight bend. It doesn't feel jittery or bumpy at all - quite the opposite - it feels very planted.
It will happily cruise along quietly at 70 on the motorway all day, without leaving you exhausted. I actually think it is a better car at higher speeds, because it does need a steady input of revs when pulling away or driving around town.
I like the fact it has 5 doors and yes - it will seat 4 people in comfort. This is not a g-wiz style citycar, it's a proper 5 door hatch.
I notice that certain reviews are damning of the interior, but I like it, and it feels very well put together, no rattles etc. To be honest, a soft touch interior will only ever be important to me the day I plan to live in it - and I don't.
What tipped it for me was the price: £5800 with an old trade in - brand new! For that you get air conditioning, electric windows, Special edition trim, front fog lights, MP3CD, 4 x airbags, remote central locking, ABS, EBD, emergency brake assist, 3 year warranty, 65mpg and road tax of 20 quid a year.
This is a far superior car to my old C1. I can fit the family (+ car seat and pram!) in easily. For motoring on a tight budget, there aren't many cars I can think of that rival it at this price.
4th May 2014, 17:31
I wouldn't be too quick to wish you'd gone for a Hyundai i10... I was going to get an Alto in Sept 2012, but there was a few weeks wait for one, so I went for an i10 Classic instead.
I've had a lot of problems with both the car and the dealers. It's honestly been the worst car I've owned in 23 years of motoring, and I have just traded it in for a Dacia Sandero, which will hopefully be better.
The Hyundai had pin-pricks of rust coming through in various places, splitting paint around the rear window, was drinking coolant before I got rid of it, and had engine management problems with it over-revving. It was a horrible car to drive.
I used 2 dealers for servicing, and both of them were at it - telling me that my brake pads & discs required replacement when my own mechanic measured them with vernier calipers against Hyundai's own tolerances and found them to be only 40% worn. The second dealer also damaged my Bluetooth Parrot Hands-free kit (which they had no reason to even touch!).
I hired a Suzuki Alto in Greece a month ago, and it was a much nicer drive; so much so that as soon as I returned home, I decided the Hyundai had to go.