Chevrolet Matiz (2005 - 2009) 1.0 SE 5d Owner Review

It's not a car I had ever looked at or considered in the past but I was looking for a cheap run about and I test drove one... I bought it that day. Its fun to drive, no thrills campact family car. It's nippy when you need it to be and cruises at motorway speeds quite happily. Steep hills are only an issue if you don't change down to 4th or pick up a little momentum beforehand. Fuel economy is good, 53 MPG (over 400+ miles on a tank) if motoway driving (at 60mph), and an average of 43 MPG (about 320 miles per tank) city driving. Also cheap to insure. Road tax is £135 which is little high for a small engine but not too bad. My other car is a Citroen Picasso so I don't mind the Instrument cluster being in the middle like some other owners. And it allows me to mount my mobile right in front of me on the dash (Where I run a OBDII program, which lets me to see my MPG, and makes me drive more economically!). The boot isn't massive, but it's not tiny either. I keep an air compressor, tool box, camera bag and a baby buggy in it. I only had to take the parcel shelf off because the buggy wheels stick up a little. The kids fit in the back fine (all three of them) and they tell me there's more leg room than my previous car (A 2003 KIA Rio, which had a massive boot but no leg room in the back). The car is quite narrow but I don't feel cramped and I'm 6 ft and 17 stone. It has a high roof and a long wind screen which helps it feel roomy. Gears change smoothly, I've never felt it sticky like other reviewers. I would definitely buy another if they still made them. I might go for the Spark next time as I think that is what replaced the Matiz. Overall a great little car. If you don't have a big wallet (or a big ego) this is a good choice if you don't do a lot of miles and don't feel the Need for Speed. It would be a great first car for any new drivers.