The car came with a tired starter when I got it. I replaced it, but the new one died 4 months later. Might be the starters fault.
The power-steering rack died a months after I bought it. Expensive to fix at 600 can$.
A bolt that hold the frame, the wheel assembly and the body together broke off requiring a very expensive repair in a body shop, though this is a vrey rare problem that can happen on any car.
The hydrolic system for the brakes has been problematic since day one for me, but I put up with it.
A lot of regular maintenance stuff (timing belt, pads, hoses...)
This car is not the fastest, not the most comfortable, not the most reliable and certainly not the cheapest to keep running, but I love it. It's peppy around town, and a real screamer on the highway. And I have nothing but good things to say about that engine. 234km, still pulls very hard, with good fuel economy, little noise and starts instantly when turned over! Compression and oil pressure still within factory specs too. I change my oil, filters and belts regularly and it has yet to require any serious attention, which is respectable considering I can drive hard sometimes.
I have a brospeed muffler and a K&N intake and my car sounds really throaty at full throttle, which I find addictive! The handling is very balanced, there is some body lean but the car feels light and steering is precise and communicative.
Comfort is so-so. The car is noisy and the suspension is on the hard side, but the seats are very supportive, so long drives aren't tiresome. Heated seats are a blessing in winter too when you live in Canada, same with an engine that warms up real quick. My car came loaded with cruise control, electric doors and mirrors, and headrests in the back.
Overall I would recommend this car to people who really love driving and who are mechanically inclined, or have friends who are. Otherwise you may find the cost outweights the fun of driving it. So far it has put a smile on the face of everyone who had driven it, and for that reason alone I'll be sad to see it go its age catches up to it.
Just a quick follow up. I kept the car for another year after writing this review. I traded it in for a Mazda Protege when it had 280 000KM on it because the clutch was starting to slip, my brakelines were shot, and I was getting sick of repairing the little things that were worn out because of age (heater core, wheel bearings, electrical ect).
The 1.8L was still going strong and only burning about 1L of oil between changes. I was still getting approx 33MPG combined. This is one of the toughest engines out there for sure! Performance was strong untill the end, I could put my foot down on the highway in 5th and would would just PULL. 120KM/H, 130, 140 150 160 170 180 190... It was almost ridiculous, it would pull the redline in 5th just as easily as in 3rd or 4th.
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