Faults:

The intercooler is too small and insufficient, causing heat buildup and performance loss.

As for the turbocharger, it needs rigorous maintenance, frequent oil changes, and regular checkups, since heat can be a problem. Luckily, that's not my experience. But in very hot climates, it's a problem; some summers I've had turbocharger issues.

Air conditioning is not without its problems, with leaking condensers and faulty sensors causing it to stop cooling.

It may feel soft for track use and generate noise; the upper strut bearings are a weak point.

General Comments:

The Ralliart version is the sportiest Colt, although in Europe the car is slightly less powerful than in Japan. Even so, the 1.5-liter engine with 150 hp is more than enough to make it a powerful and spirited car.

The Rallirt retains the same suspension setup as the CZT, although it has been revised with the introduction of a thicker stabilizer bar and stiffer damping. These changes result in greater stability on the road.

Safety is also a strong point, incorporating features that help reduce potential injuries to pedestrians, such as a new hood, energy-absorbing trim, new bumpers, and headlight housings with a programmed crumple zone. These features are complemented by others that enhance active safety, such as emergency brake assist and an emergency stop signal system, which activates the hazard lights during sudden braking to alert other drivers and help prevent a rear-end collision.

This sporty version also includes stability control. Inside the cabin, safety is further enhanced by front airbags for the driver and passenger, as well as front side airbags.

The interior has adequate materials, though not of the highest quality, which is to be expected in cars of this class anyway. Up front, the seats with their new upholstery provide the necessary support and firmness to ensure comfort. In the back, two passengers will travel comfortably, although a third might feel cramped due to shoulder room.

The car is easy to handle and quite stable, a bit noisy at high speeds but nothing serious. Being turbocharged, fuel consumption is quite low considering it's a petrol engine.

Over all these years, the problems I've had haven't been very significant. Most importantly, the car has proven to be quite reliable, as well as fast and economical.

Faults:

Nothing so far. Really, nothing.

General Comments:

Bought this one after endless investments related to the reliability of my 2003 1.8 Dynamic Stilo. Couldn't get it to start reliably every time, swapped it in for the Colt.

Engine:

- The 1.3 ClearTech is reliable, good in the city, moderate on highways (90-110km/h, after that it gets too loud in the coupé). According to the onboard computer, average consumption is 8.2 litres/100km, and that's because I'm a bit heavy on the gas pedal; if you're a cheapskate and drive like a grandpa, I'm sure you can get that down to like, 6-6.5 litres/100km. So that's really good. Also, the only thing I've had to do so far is change the oil and filter, everything else is tip top.

Comfort:

- This is the weakest link for me, as someone who drove a Stilo, which is a synonym for comfort compared to this one. The quality of plastic in the Colt is meager, like Mitsubishi really tried to save as much as possible on this point; unfortunately, it just spoils the feeling for a driver completely. A far cry from ie Polo, Golf, Peugeot 206, Renault Clio, Toyota Yaris or whatever may fall into the same category. Except for the wheel and the gear stick, everything else just reeks of a budget solution. Very bad design when it comes to compartments, knobs, isolation in the doors and the rest of the car.

Space:

- It's okay for a driver, 4 people can ride in it without much sacrifice for the front passengers in regards to the leg space for the front passenger and driver. The boot is quite small and will not really be useful for anything else than grocery bags. I've transported smaller sorts of IKEA cabinets with folded back seats, and that's about it as far as practical goes.

All in all, if you're looking for something with cheap cost per km when calculating repair costs, maintenance, mileage - it's nice. Beware of higher consumption that comes as soon as you hit the gas pedal a bit harder. Also, the second hand value drops like the stock market in 2008. So it's a good buy if you plan on having it for like, 2 years or more. Pretty cheap to acquire too.

However, if you want some comfort in your ride and prefer something with a bit more car in it, go for the VW Polo, it's a 10 times better buy.