Faults:

Changed time belt after 100.000 km.

Bought new tires after 85.000 km.

General Comments:

Much more economical than handbook figures suggest, It consumes about 7 liters pr. 100 km, based on 4 years general driving.

Everything is original in the car, even the exhaust system and the brakes.

Its common to see 20 years old Carina's in original condition, driven more than 500.000 km.

Faults:

Nothing really.

General Comments:

I bought this car secondhand after my Peugeot 405GLD had done 235K km.

It's not the quickest (even for a turbo-diesel) or sexiest vehicle in town, but it has been a very reliable companion until now.

Very cheap to run also; I visit my mechanic (an ex Volvo and Alfa Romeo employee) 2x a year for a quick checkup and apart from changing oil, he has never had to do any work on the car.

Reasonable fuel economy (7 liter per 100 km), not as good as my previous Peugeot (5.7 liter / 100 km)

Downsides?

* door rubbers tend to loosen quickly

* occasional rattle in the dashboard

* occasional rattle in the suspension.

I feel this car will do at least 250-300K without major problems.

Faults:

Disk brakes warped at c.50K - while repair as covered by the extended warranty I was charged for costly "sundries" to the same value.

The standard CD player is "Pants" - or maybe mine has an intermittentfault... it will only start to play when going downhill on an smooth road - thereafter... fine!

Brakes had parts replaced at service under warranty (can't remember what.)

General Comments:

In 1999 I was looking for a reasonably priced (slightly-sporty) car to replace my ailing Peugeot 405. After spending too long messing about I finally decided the Ford probe was OK but had an interior made from toilet roll holders and sticky backed plastic. I realised I couldn't afford a decent coupe - so miffed, with a very poorly Peugeot, I contacted a friendly Toyota garage with my budget: "Find and sell me a 2L car which won't ever break down. It mustn't leak oil or ever annoy me! I sent a cheque and bought the Carina without ever having knowingly seen the same model (I hadn't been looking!)

For a "normal" car I now really like my Carina - a car of compromises. Mine's the hatchback, and while the curved profile limits load capacity... I still managed to transport a new double divan bed (in two sections, two journeys) in the back! The engine is quiet and (while I'd prefer something nippier from a standing start) it out-performs most cars from the lights. On the motorway, it effortlessly tackles hills and gives confidence you've always acceleration to overtake - it was an especially fantastic choice during the months I regularly drove between Bristol and Edinburgh in an evening. While car-obsessed friends find this next remark "hopelessly-girly" - I think it's remarkably easy to drive - almost idiot-proof... maybe because it's front wheel drive? (So was my previous car - maybe I find the steering responsive?) When I do something silly (say make a turn too quickly or drive a tad to aggressively in the ice) I get to know about it without serious consequences - while I check I'm wearing my "sensible head," the Carina magically returns to full control remarkably quickly.

The CDX variant was a positive move too. Apart from the exterior styling - about which I don't give a hoot - I think the main distinction is that this one has air-conditioning. I can't imagine driving a car without now - no condensation is great! In the interior, I like the seats (cloth/velour) but the remainder of the trim lets the car down in my opinion - functional but lacklustre. Oh... I seem to wear out front tyres rather quickly too (maybe that's my driving... least said eh?)

All in all, I've been very pleased... and now, as I tentatively look for my elusive replacement I find I'm hard pressed finding a credible 2 or 3 year old alternative. The competing "family cars" have become bigger (harder to find parking space) and slower - while the coupes seem to have become "trim only" small engine runabouts or lardy, 3L gas-guzzling monstrosities.