Faults:

I have owned this car since new. It has never had any mechanical failure of any kind. Mind you it is serviced every 6 months as per the recommended schedule.

In the time I have had the car (2001-2014), there have been only a few minor issues: fuel pump sensor - this had to be replaced. I believe due to a bad batch of petrol - the warning signs for this problem at the time were a lack of power and and shuddering. Once the sensor was fixed - no problem ever again. Note - this car DOES NOT take the new ethanol blend petrol - you must use only UNLEADED petrol, and it is best to buy at reputable petrol stations only. It costs a bit more, but I believe from reports that I have read that you get better mileage per/km anyway on pure unleaded petrol.

The brakes and tires seem to be the main items that have had to be replaced over the years, but I would say this is wear and tear, not the fault of the car.

Also some non-mechanical things have broken down over the years inside the cabin. The cover for the luggage compartment fell apart after 10 years of use. One sun visor had to be replaced, but luckily I found the part secondhand online. And the cover for the console compartment between the front seats has come off its hinge. So all very minor.

Suspension can feel a bit rough when going over speed bumps. I think modern cars are better "padded".

General Comments:

The body of the car has a very solid feel unlike modern cars. Once a larger car rolled into the side of my car in a parking lot, but there was no dent at all.

I have the wagon model - it is super easy to load things into the spacious luggage compartment.

My model was made in Japan.

General Comments:

With upgraded suspension and 17" low profile alloy wheels, the car handles amazingly.

Fun to drive with plenty of power.

Faster than most cars on the road.

Power to weight distribution provides quick acceleration.

Looks attractive with the right modifications.

Very comfortable although the interior is plastic and looks rather unappealing.

Sounds good, loud and proud.

Cheap to run (37 miles to gallon).

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

The car is good, however I need to know how do I find what year the car was built and if the car has been sold as 2002 when in fact is a 2001? I do have the VIN number.. where can I inquiry this on my own?

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

Perfect second car; enough room for a family of 4 yet small, cheap and fun.

Value for money; and since it IS cheap, not very refined or luxurious. I call it "Exactly Enough" so just perfect. It's minute compared to our familycar (Voyager) but then it's also much cheaper to fill up, tax and insure.

Because of it's light weight the 98 HP 1.6 engine is more than enough for spirited city driving, though highway miles get tedious doing 80 at 3500 revs; the engine is not the smoothest or quietest I've experienced...

Faults:

No problems as yet for the first 1000 miles.

General Comments:

Attractive, soft, yet sporty exterior styling. Comes complete with a big rear spoiler with brake light and 15" alloy wheels.

Interior has too much dull grey plastic, but this is made up by the excellent Ricardo style sports seats which hold you in tight. A light blue cloth also makes the interior more pleasing to the eye.

It has a very nice smooth gear box, with sensitive pedals, but maybe the steering wheel is too large, although I might be used to my old Punto's smaller wheel.

The turning circle is tiny with nice light power steering which make it great for parking.

Visibility is good forward with a large windscreen, but it's quite poor looking to the back quarters and rear. This is probably due to the full height front seats and small rear window.

I got the car with a very adequate Clarion stereo, which provides more than ample bass and volume.

The ride is smooth, particularly over bumps and small pot holes, but does not feel sporty as the GSR badge denotes. Roll around corners seems too high and the car rocks too heavily for my taste when changing gear, braking and accelerating. This would be an area I would definitely upgrade with springs and shocks soon.

Performance is good and is similar to my old Punto Sporting in acceleration, 0 - 62mph in 10 seconds, and has a excellent cruise speed of 100mph at a mere 4,600rpm and then goes on to approx 118mph.

But beware! It is a thirsty engine. The 1.8L 16 valve will only give you about 30mpg. So a lot of high revving won't last you very long although it does come with a large 51 (11.2 gallon) litre tank.