Vauxhall Agila (2008 - 2013) 1.2 VVT SE 5d (2013/62) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

There is more to me than meets the eyes. refreshingly unknown.

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

Shocked that they had never known about the car and amazed at its capacity and unusual shape.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Would you buy this car again and why?
Yes - without a doubt. I am ashamed to say I fall in love with it each day. More so due to the fact that I was quite clear I was not going to buy a Vauxhall when I set out to buy a car - my clear choices were - Ford fiesta, VW Polo or UP or a Citigo. I wanted economical, I wanted small, I wanted it to cope with the motorway, I wanted it to take all my sisters Uni things. I wanted it to have all the latest trims, and also to fall within the lowest insurance and tax bracket. I got so dizzy from all the wants and there it stood - the Agila, the Suzuki’s twin, but with more colour. After months of traipsing up to car ports, websites, Cargiant, I found what I wanted within minutes of decision making.

What are you likely to buy next?

Same car within this price bracket. It is satiating - nice word eh?

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£8,000

When did you buy the car?

September 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

It felt good value - and after spending months on car hunting it was starting to cost me to shop anymore.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

It met all the criteria I had for my budget, including insurance cost and real fuel efficiency (as per ‘ask john’).

What was the dealer like?

Informative, not pushy, but would not discount the actual base car price though threw in a couple of things such as mats, coating on the car and free delivery - I was exhausted from months of unsuccessful shopping so not prepared to haggle much when I found what I did not know I was looking for.

What's it like to drive?

Quick and nippy around town. But it is not powerful so you do not inadvertently find yourself doing 60 in a 30 mile zone. It is just ok on the motorway, albeit a bit light and so you I drop my speed quite a bit to ensure you stay on terra firma, particularly on windy days.

What's it like to park?

I feel like Ross in friends when he has scored a point, you know the face he makes when he is trying not to smirk, poke his tongue out and say ‘ told you so’. The Agila has a short snout, flat high back and small turning circle making parking a cinch.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The first time I saw the car I had never driven it so I was not sure how it should feel but it did not feel right so I got a local branch to test drive it. The brakes used to make a dragging sound and it used to pull slightly to one side. The brakes sound was a feature of the car so I was told - I no longer hear it as much as I try. The pull was adjusted through tracking. I now love to see how far I can drive without holding the steering - its very good.

What's most practical about your car?

It is small enough to enable get on with everyday essentials without taking up unnecessary space, particularly on my drive, yet big enough internally to take 5 very comfortably (not like some 4 seaters pretending to be 5) and rear seats fold completely flat giving an ‘estate car’ feeling for maximum space. Love it!!

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

It does not have any gadget worth talking about - now that I am asked! So why do I like it?... The steering - its effortless making the whole point of getting into a car, i.e. for driving, a real joy.