• Summary

    2 out of 5 2.0

    What does this car say about you?

    This car was very much a sensible decision rather than a heartfelt one. It says that I need to keep the costs down on my commute (500 miles/week) and will sacrifice performance and looks to save money (Oh yeah, and the environment).

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    No opinions really, but that is the problem. I used to be told that I had a really nice car, that was comfortable to drive, nippy and safe. Now I just have.... a car. :-(.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    No. I would not buy this car again as it does not appeal to any of my desires in a car. No gadgets, no luxuries and no presence on the road.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    Ford Focus Econetic or a Golf Bluemotion (when prices come down a bit!).

  • Buying experience

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Franchised

    Did you buy this car new?

    No

    What price did you pay?

    £7,000

    When did you buy the car?

    January 2013

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    I got the deal that I expected. Downgraded from a 2006 1.6 VW Golf Match FSI and was given £3500 for that which is what the car had been valued at.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    Fuel Economy.

    What was the dealer like?

    Good customer service. Organised, confident.

  • Driving it

    1 out of 5 1.0

    What's it like to drive?

    This car unfortunately is quite noisy. The whole interior is basically bare metal, and you can hear every stone on the road at high speed. Not very nippy, you will be hanging back at junctions as it does not pull away with any guts.

    What's it like to park?

    Great to park. You are basically sitting over both the back wheels and front wheels, with the chair slid back (I am 6ft 2 so need longer leg room) which makes reverse manoeuvres a dream. The obvious advantage is that it is much shorter than other cars, so you can get into smaller gaps.

  • Living with it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Nothing has gone wrong with the car itself. Mostly motorway driving, has been hit a couple of times and didn't fall to pieces so that's a positive.

    What's most practical about your car?

    Fuel economy. Advertised combined mpg is 62. I am getting around 57mpg, with what admittedly is a slightly heavy foot. Mostly motorway driving.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    No gadgets to speak of with this car, seats and a steering wheel is about the limit. There is an auxiliary input on the stereo, but seems to be linked somehow to the accelerator, as when you push the pedal, you get a whirring noise through the stereo whilst listening to the plugged in device.