Faults:

Exhaust rattle.

Easily solved with replacement rubbers.

Can't seem to get rid of the excessive tyre noise that this car makes. It gets very noisy at 30-40 MPH then goes quiet again at 60.

General Comments:

A very sensible car for town driving, quite nippy with a bit of grunt when you need it.

This car is everything you need if you are looking for a small family car which is cheap to run and surprisingly cheap to insure.

It's a boy racers favorite as parts and body kits are very cheap to buy and the engine can be serviced by a complete novice as the Bosch 1.4l engine is modeled from a VW Golf, which means you are getting the VW reliability when you purchase one of these little pocket rockets. I have heard that people have put 1.8 and 2.0 litre engines in these cars, for a car that barely weighs in at over a tonne, it just doesn't bear thinking about.

One thing that does get annoying with this car is the excessive tyre noise which I have put down to the design of the car, I have tried new tyres and a wheel balance which didn't solve the issue, I have also had the bearings checked and just gave up, but you do get used to it.

If you are looking for a cheap, reliable runabout and not worried about the comforts that most expensive cars offer, then I do recommend that you at least take one of these cars for a test drive as you will fall in love with these cars very quickly.

Faults:

Indicators failed just after purchase. Indicator stalk replaced under warranty.

Thermostat housing (made of plastic) became warped at 68,000 miles, leaking coolant, but was quite cheap to fix.

Two new wheel bearings at 68,000 miles (common problem apparently)

New exhaust at 68,000 miles (approx)

Window winder cable snapped at 70,000 miles (approx).

Clutch became heavy at 75,000 miles (approx). Replaced clutch cable.

Engine problem 75,000 miles (approx) - often cuts out when idling or applying brakes. The fault is still undiagnosed.

Needs new starter motor - current starter motor is hit and miss. 75,000 miles (approx).

Driver's seat now badly worn (holed)

Some corrosion now evident, on sills, petrol cap flap and tailgate.

Otherwise, body and paintwork still in very good condition.

General Comments:

A good first car, looks more stylish than the Polo and is cheaper to buy.

Poor interior with very basic features, i. e no central locking. Also, the seat fabric (light grey) wears easily and becomes dirty very quickly.

Ride is reasonable, but fuel economy is not as good as I expected for such a small car.

Still looks a lovely car and it has been generally reliable, but I'm starting to have problems now (76,000+ miles).

The engine cutout - every time you dab the break or just when idling from cold - is a major headache as no one seems to know what is wrong with the car.

It still drives, but I will be letting the car go as soon as I can and expect a big loss.

Bought the car for £2,999 in 2002 and it's probably worth about £750 now, so that probably says something about Seat depreciation, compared to a VW Polo which holds value much better.

Just bought an L Reg Vauxhall Cavalier for £650 and couldn't believe how much smoother the engine, gearbox and ride is. Need I say more?