1991 Volkswagen Scirocco Scala 1.8i review from UK and Ireland

Reverse Light indicator failed - £20.

Distributor cap & leads packed up, can't really blame the car for this, they were 10 years old.

Apart from this, only mid section of original exhaust has failed. that's it!

I wanted to hate the Scirocco, a change of circumstances led to me driving this car, after 5 years in new company cars.

However, 3 years on I am still driving it and it still refuses to break down.

Performance is good, surprising in fact. The engine is very flexible, pulling from low revs in high gears. It does become harsh beyond 4000 revs - so there's no real incentive to drive fast.

Handling is interesting... somtimes entertaining, usually just dull and heavy (no PAS). Swapped the aging Michelins for Avon ZV1, this made a huge difference to grip and feel of the car.

Steering is very heavy with little feedback.

Ride comfort is not great, you certainly know about the imperfections of the road beneath you.

Economy is superb for the performance - av 37mpg over 3 years.

Rear seats are for toddlers only, but boot is huge & rear seats fold.

Brakes are a joke - bit apparently this is normal. Beware when you drive a modern car again, you'll be sending the passengers through the windscreen when you brake for the first time.

To summarise, it isn't a great car, but it is fantastically reliable, absolutely everything still works. They are ridicuosly cheap second hand and cost little to run (except insurance which is high).

Be prepared for back to basics motoring though - no PAS, ABS electric windows, central locking etc.