1.4 i-VTEC S 100 5dr

Quality, economical, comfortable and practical but lethargic

Marmite styling. Mine’s red and I love it, though it gives the car a really sporting look that belies a performance that couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding.

Nicely weighted steering with very little feedback. Chassis that outperforms the engine substantially, handles competently and can be hustled through twisties. The ride is superb; firm but pliant, soaking up most bumps. Good brakes and sublimely quiet at motorway speed.

Precise good quality gearbox with all 6 gears well matched. Which is a good thing as you’ll need to use it a lot when carrying 4 passengers or going up hills. The eco system works well and the dash gives clear feedback on how you’re driving. It’s not as painful as it might seem on this low power variant - it knocks down the mid range ‘acceleration’ - and for driver or driver + 1 passenger journeys - you won’t really notice the difference at motorway speeds.

The engine is smooth and feels like there’s a bit of flywheel mass, but revs fine. I do a 9 mile round trip to work daily. 6 cross country and through villages, 3 fast A road. Any shopping trips are of a similar type and my other journeys tend to be single carriageway A road crawls behind artics or motorway. Fuel economy is excellent.

Interior quality is good. My car is 6 years old and there’s not a buzz or rattle. Once you get used to the slightly futuristic dashboard it’s easy and logical to use. And it doesn’t take long to get used to: the wiper stalk is more complex. Interior comfort is good for front seat passengers. In the back - its very easy to get in and out - but anyone with feet bigger than size 9 will struggle with foot space - you cant get them under the seats - and 6 footers will run out of headroom. Seats are supportive but firm: the sort that get you thinking your cheeks are on a plank a couple of hours into a trip, but leave you and your back feeling fresh five minutes after you get out of the car.

Luggage capacity is Tardis like, the rear seats also fold flat and its easy to do. There are several well thought through storage spaces and the door bins are a reasonable size.

Rear vision is a bit compromised by the spoiler - but not as bad as motoring journos make out. The lower screen makes it easy to gauge the back of the car for precise parking.

This is the base S trim. It lacks cruise control – the only extra is a heated front screen. If you bought an equivalent base level Ford or Vauxhall from this era the sound system would be adequate, bordering horrible. On this, whilst not audiophile, it’s quite good. And you can hear it because of the quiet engine and cabin. There’s AUX IN, a USB charge point and 2 x 12v charge sockets in the front. Rear passengers get ‘Stop moaning and listen to my music.’ NADA. Both sun visors have an illuminated mirror, the reading lights are a cinch to use – no fiddling with switches in the dark and the aircon is more stable than many climate control systems – but single zone.

The only irritant with this car is the Tyre Pressure Monitoring system. It is finicky to the point of being unreliable, especially the front tyres. Forget using garage forecourt tyre pumps - they aren’t accurate enough. The car come with a 12v inflator (and cylinder of tyre repair gunk) that lives neatly in the rear wing recess. Use this, buy an accurate tyre pressure gauge (£9) and check your tyres cold. That keeps the beast just about under control.

If you can live with the 13 seconds 0-60 and don’t mind using a delightful clutch & gearbox when travelling ‘at speed’ ,this is a great, quality and economical car.

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