Faults:

Since I have had this car I have had the elecrtics in the drivers door repaid twice and then replaced.

I have gone though 2 gear box's the first. was the teeth from 3rd gear going though the side off the gear box and the second was the diff went on th recon box that I put in it.

I have had to replace the the lighting units at th back due to the rubber sealers going on them an not being able to buy just the seals from the dealer I had to, but the complete units.

I have ha to have the brakes done times in the 2 years that I have had the car.

General Comments:

Bu saying all these bad points this car is still one off the best that I have owned.

For a 1.4 it is very quick and holds the road like a train on rails.

It does not use a lot off fuel except when I boot it up and down the m6 every day to work.

It has a great load space which in my case is great as I have the boot filled with stereo..

Faults:

Wheel bearing is on it's way out.

Few knocks and bangs from the lowered suspension.

General Comments:

Quicker than I thought it would be, and now it's lowered and has decent tyres, is seriously good fun to drive.

Lacks that certain punch of a 16 valve though.

Looks good and puts up one of the best fights of any hot-hatch that I've owned.

Little bit thirsty for what it is, but the noise from the full stainless mongoose exhaust makes up for it.

Faults:

High oil pressure meant that the oil pressure warning switch kept exploding. This was rectified by replacing the relief valve in the sump costing less than £10 but taking several hours to fit.

Steering rack, drive-shafts, track rods and suspension control rods needed replacing at 140000 miles due to excess play in the steering, costing just over £600.

The brake pedal has developed a lot of travel (about 2 inches) and adjustment to the handbrake is required every six months to compensate.

The remote control for the central locking has never worked since I've owned the car and costs around £200 to replace. It is much cheaper to install your own.

Most of the dashboard bulbs had blown when I bought the car and are not easy to replace.

Older models seem to have a problem with water entering the rear lamp clusters which lead to my brake lights failing. Make sure they are screwed up tight and nothing is obstructing the seal.

The tachometer (rev counter) is unreliable and often jumps or gives a false reading.

General Comments:

On approaching 1500000 miles the acceleration is still impressive even for a non-turbo diesel.

The rear tyres wear very well, but create a lot of road noise on higher mileage models.

The diesel has a very powerful engine and is capable of towing heavy trailers without serious reduction in performance.

Faults:

Drivers seat rattles badly. It also moves a touch under load. I find this very annoying.

Sometimes the clutch feels like it is struggling.

General Comments:

I love the way it points into corners.

It had some very marginal cheap tyres on it when I got it. Didn't seem to matter, though. The handling is phenomenal. Combine the smooth ride with the handling prowess and its the best feature of the car.

The seats are first rate being comfortable and supportive.

I recall reading press reports that this model was slow in a straight line, but I cannot agree with that. It is brisk without being a GTi.

I'm not fond of the dash layout, but who cares once you turn it into a bend?