Chevrolet Matiz (2005 - 2009) 1.0 SX 5d (2006/06) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Happy, enjoying life, not in a hurry, not interested in breaking the speed limit and happy not to compete with the tailgaters in the BMWs!

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They can see how happy my daughter is with it. Friends like riding in it because they say it is comfortable and my daughter drives it well.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Only reason for not buying another one is we hope to keep this one longer than I was originally planning, we like it so much. We definitely prefer it a lot to the Aygo/C1/Peugeot107.

What are you likely to buy next?

My wife's Peugeot 5008's Motability contract will expire in a couple of years, at which point we would either replace it with something similar or keep it and get an all-electric or hybrid.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£2,295

When did you buy the car?

July 2014

Did you get a good deal and why?

The price was near the top of my budget but the car was low mileage with a good warranty and breakdown cover (only 3 months though) and was prepared very well with no fuss and a new timing belt.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Exactly what I wanted for my daughter to learn to drive, including a long 3-day journey during the summer holidays. Low mileage and good main dealer confidence were also a big factor.

What was the dealer like?

Made it easy for me to buy the car, which was exactly what we needed. Very helpful and friendly but without being pushy. Hurried me a bit by saying the car was booked to go to another dealer (and was indeed already on their website) but I didn't want to take a lot of time anyway and was able to think about the purchase overnight despite the rush.

What's it like to drive?

Easy to drive as long as you get the right gear and think ahead, i.e. easy to drive well so perfect for learning. Great in narrow lanes and in town. Surprisingly good on motorways - cruises effortlessly at 60 m.p.h. and will hurry to do 70 when required.

What's it like to park?

Great turning circle will park almost anywhere. At first I would find I turned too quickly and had to adjust!

Have you had any problems with the car?

None. I am just going to get a rattle in the suspension looked at while it's still under warranty.

What's most practical about your car?

Low insurance group for my 17-year-old daughter, excellent fuel consumption, and surprisingly comfortable on any kind of journey for such a small car.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Has more cupholders and more interior storage cubbyholes than my wife's MPV!