Daewoo Matiz Reviews from Australia and New Zealand

DAC distributor gave nothing but trouble. Replaced it with the other unit that Daewoo use, and has been trouble free ever since.

This car surprises everyone that drives it.

Acceleration from take off is faster than you would expect from 800 cc.

Room in the cabin is much bigger than it looks from the outside (it's a bit of a tardis).

Broken cam belt.

Bent valve.

Water pump needed replacing.

Thermostat needed replacing.

A pretty underwhelming piece of junk, really, though to be fair, it may have had very little servicing before I bought it.

Incredibly slow and gutless, it just dies completely on hills. It's not particularly economical, either, for such a tiny motor - small, modern diesels are vastly better.

The brakes are terribly underpowered.

It does have a very good turning circle, is easy to park and reasonably comfortable, and the air conditioning works OK.

Immobilizer failed, requiring car to be towed to an auto electrician so it could be disconnected.

Grommet around radio antenna failed, allowing rainwater to enter the roof space where it destroyed the interior light switch.

Flimsy driver's seat adjuster cable broke preventing fore - aft seat movement.

Windscreen wiper linkage broke.

Speedometer began oscillating wildly while emitting a banshee like howl.

Crap brakes and suspension, and a high centre of gravity make for very poor road holding. A very unpleasant car to drive.

Tiny engine provides just enough power for level roads and fair weather. Operating the air conditioner, climbing hills, carrying a passenger or even driving into a stiff headwind seriously reduces performance.

The car is cheap to run, but not as cheap as you would expect with such a small engine. It's only slightly better than our new Mazda 2, which has an engine almost twice as big.

Load carrying capacity is good for such a small vehicle.

While we have not had any really major mechanical problems (yet), the overall build quality of this car is so bad I feel sure it's only a matter of time before something goes seriously wrong with it. We have had it serviced and maintained regularly by the dealer, who has done his best, but the endless minor problems have left me decidedly underwhelmed, especially since the car has only done 81,000 km. The car is currently for sale, and I'll be glad to see the back of it.

I recently had to replace the alternator (generator) - this was a bit expensive at $400 (aud), as I was told that the OEM unit could not be serviced, & a new complete unit was the only option (I'm still not convinced on this though).

I purchased the car from a friend of a friend, who owned it from new, & apart from maintenance, no major faults or repairs have been required. Given the age the car now - it cannot be faulted.

Overall this is a great little city/second car, but you have to appreciate it for what it is; a 0.8 3cyl - so don't expect neck snapping acceleration, particularly when carry additional passengers.

However the performance with just the driver is pleasantly surprising; you will pull away from lights, and merge with traffic without any hesitation - all this, plus twin air bags and very efficient fuel consumption.

I have to admit I was a bit sceptical at first, particularly with the demise of Daewoo in Australia, but this little car has won its way into my heart to such a point that I can't even think of selling it - although I now have a second car for longer weekend trips.

If this were my only car, I would most likely be disappointed by the ride and power that you so desperately want on long drives.

In summary, if you can find a well maintained example, this little car will prove to be joy to own.