2003 Suzuki Ignis GL review from UK and Ireland

A drunk driver coming the wrong way down a motorway slip road wrote it off for me. Aside from that, absolutely nothing went wrong with the car in the year I owned it.

The car handles better than you'd think it handles - it feels high, but it can still corner really well if you push it, but you'd have to overcome your fear and trust the handling.

The fuel economy is ridiculous - I mean, I consistently did 300 to 350 miles on a tank on both motorways and city roads.

The cabin is incredibly roomy for a small car, and there are all sorts of nooks and crannies all over the cabin.

On very long journeys the driving position could get a little uncomfortable, but then I was used to the much lower seating in a Ford Ka before this one. I did get used to it over time, though.

The back seats fold flat to give a big load area - came in very handy when moving house.

It's not as quick off the mark as some cars, but the higher gears do make up for it, and the fuel economy doesn't match up to it's performance at all.

When she was written off, the car was hit in the driver's side door by a much bigger jeep-style vehicle, and the car flipped three times. despite this, both myself and my passenger walked away from the crash with only minor injuries. The safety features obviously work pretty well!

She sometimes suffered from crosswinds on open roads because of its high sides, but on the flipside it does make it easy to spot in car parks, and it gives a fantastic view of the road.

Overall, though, this is a fantastic car. It's practical, but still has an aura of fun, and it's very easy to drive. I'm planning on getting another one, although the new Sport model looks like it has my name written all over it!

If you're looking for a slightly different car that won't let you down, is easy and economical to run, and you don't want to trade practicality for style, look no further: the Ignis is the answer you've been looking for.