Faults:

The ASR and ESP warning lights are activated sporadically - disarming the respective function.

General Comments:

This is a great, versatile automobile with great brio and personality.

It's comfortable and refined yet is a true dream to drive.

Handling is not brilliant, but then that's part of the fun.

It'll still do Jim Lunn's heap any day (Audi TT V6).

Faults:

I've only had the car 1 week, so thankfully no faults, and I hope none in the future.

General Comments:

I've only owned the car for 1 week, but I felt compelled to write a report.

So far the car has been a wee sweetie. Looks ace (far sportier then it really is), drives wonderfully (VW territory). All this from the "poverty spec" 1.2; it's laden with features for such a cheap car.

I paid a grand total of £7788 for my brand new (but pre-registered) Stilo, that's with metallic paint. All that could be said to be missing from this car are alloy wheels (something easily rectified) and air con, which in the UK we can honestly live without.

I previously owned a Ford Escort TDi; it was a fairly quick car, and managed a reliable 40 MPG, but so far the Stilo has managed to whip itself up to a fair speed (I'm glad it's got the speed warning bleeper thing built in), and has been at least, if not more economical than the Escort.

In fact the car is almost as much fun as my old Saxo VTS was (see review http://www.carsurvey.org/review_21140.html), but the steering could do with having a little more feedback.

Classy looking and sporty with it in 3-door form. 5 door form, I don't like, but I do like the estate.

Faults:

This was a Hertz Hire Drive car that I had for one week.

Nothing appeared wrong with the car when I picked it up, and nothing went wrong in the 900 miles that I covered.

A few bits of trim looked fragile and might not last well.

General Comments:

THINGS I LIKED.

Powerful engine mated to good gear ratios - car accelerated willingly from almost any speed in any gear. At 70mph cruising on motorway there was a lot of power still available.

The high centre armrest that allowed the left elbow to rest comfortably.

Big easy to use controls on the radio/cassette.

The reverse warning radar which bleeped on close approach to an obstruction - very useful in an unfamiliar hire drive car.

Good fuel consumption - driven hard for 900 miles, and with no regard for economy the car returned 36 miles per gallon.

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE.

Although the gear ratios were good, the gearshift was baulky, obstructive and sometimes needed a hard push to engage.

Radio was easy to use, but sound quality was mediocre.

Nowhere to rest left foot to the left of the clutch pedal.

Car tended to wander in side winds and road camber. It was not that it "pulled" to one side - it just tended to wander off the straight line and needed constant correction.

Tyre noise and road rumble quite noticeable at higher speeds.

Faults:

Dealer has been unable to obtain Sim Card Holder. Therefore telephone is inoperable.

General Comments:

Wonderful Italian feel, handles precisely, with plenty of feedback through steering wheel.