1998 Skoda Felicia LXi review from UK and Ireland

Leak in exhaust manifold. Repaired under warranty.

Rusted exhaust tailpipe. Replaced under warranty.

Leak in rear hatch. Problem solved by dealer (after a couple of visits) at no cost.

Thermostat replaced at 60,000 miles.

Front disks replaced at 60,000 miles.

This is car is excellent value for money and overall a pleasure to drive.

The ride is not up to the standard of my previous Xantia, but then it cost about half as much! Like other owners I have also heard the odd strange suspension knock and the steering is sometimes a little vague.

Reliability is second to none. The car has never been garaged, but it always starts without any fuss no matter what the weather is like.

Build quality is almost to VW standards. Under the bonnet is the best laid out engine compartment of any car I have owned.

Performance is OK if you stick to the speed limits. However up hills on country roads it seems to be able to keep up with some of the quickest on the road if you don't mind a lot of noise from the engine. Power steering would be a boon as parking without it is sometimes a little fraught.

The interior is drab and functional, but has a certain charm. I like the "art deco" dashboard and the glove box is the most usable I have seen in any car. The seats are surprisingly comfortable even on long journeys even though they look a little spartan.

Layout of controls, switches and instruments is excellent and the intermittent front wipe (once I discovered how to set it) is brilliant.

My car has been dealer serviced from new. The first three years were free and later services have been cheap. Service from the dealer is first class.

I had the Skoda removable towbar fitted from new. The car has no problems towing my trailer and the towbar is even better than the intermittent front wipe!

I would certainly buy another one.