Hi- looking at replacing our '02 1.0 Yaris, which is driven mainly by SWMBO, and she's very keen on the Colt. However she likes the spec of the CZ2, but that only comes with the 1.3, which I've read is inferior to (although faster than) the 1.1 of the CZ1. If we went for the latter, we'd have to add on AC as a minimum.
Has anyone driven a 1.3? Might go for a test drive this weekend, but others' opinions would be welcome.
Also under consideration is the Grande Punto, not least because you can get a brand new 1.4 16v Dynamic Sport for £8k from Drivethedeal. Bit of a left field choice, but with those looks and at that price...
If it was for me, I'd go for a new Yaris 1.3 T3 (£8.4k from DTD). But it's not, and my wife doesn't like the look of the current model.
Budget is (currently) around the £8k mark - might consider low mileage used eg. Trade Sales look like they've got a batch load of Grande Puntos at the moment.
Cheers
John
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I think the main problem with them is not the car but the dealers and the lack of them.
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I think the main problem with them is not the car but the dealers and the lack of them.
Not for us- there's one about 2 miles away. Otherwise yes, we might not be so keen.
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I've never driven 1.3 model but I've had 2 1.1 models as courtesy car. The last one which I had couple of weeks ago was 08 plate 1.1CZ and I had driven it around 600 miles while I had it. I think a brilliant car round town, good road holding, good view all round, fun to drive, nice smooth gearchange etc.. but on the motoway above 60 the engine sound changed considerably and the road noise was quite a bit! But for round town I think its really good, oh and the MPG I was getting was quite impressive. It was around 45-50mpg.
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Drove a Colt 1.1 on Saturday, and I was really disappointed. Not smooth and not at all lively on urban roads, although on the motorway the enigne note changed for the better and it was reasonably quiet and refined. Compared to our mk1 1.0 Yaris we drove to the dealer in, the Colt felt stodgy and slow, although it had low mileage so perhaps needed a few more miles to loosen up.
Apart from the engine, car seemed ok - stable on the motorway with nice controls. Interior looks cheap though.
Today went over to a Vauxhall dealer for a spin in a Corsa 1.2 Breeze. Engine was a big improvement over the Colt in terms of smoothness and refinement, but I really had to work it up some of the hills near the dealer. Again, compared to the Yaris, it felt a lot slower, albeit more solid. The Corsa is about £1k more than the Colt and it does look classier inside.
We were about to leave when SWMBO spotted a new Agila on the forecourt, and liked the look of it. So we went for a quick spin in that, also a 1.2, and that felt a lot closer to the Yaris, partly because they both have a high-ish driving position. Not quite as refined as the Corsa, but nippier and more fun. Only had 89 miles on it but the engine didn't feel at all tight.
After the Agila it was over to the local Toyota dealer for a drive in a Yaris 1.3 TR. I was expecting this to be easily the liveliest, but it wasn't. It was noticeably quicker than the Corsa, and smooth and refined, but not a big step up from the Agila. And a step backwards in terms of facia, ignoring the Agila's silly 'pod' rev counter.
So the Agila has come up on the outside and looks to be favourite at the moment, although we're going to try to get a go in a 1.3 Colt this week, even if it is supposed to be the 1.1's poor relation.
(I know the Suzuki Splash is the same car as the Agila and a bit cheaper, but it's less convenient for a dealer.)
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I took test drive of 1.1 Colt few months back. The car was good till 60 mph. However, beyond that engine became too vocal and I could feel that 3-cylinder engine was trying too hard. I discarded it because I realized that 1.1 is no good for motorway cruising.
Funnily, here HJ said that he doesn't recommend the 1.3 engine!
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Funnily here HJ said that he doesn't recommend the 1.3 engine!
I know - 'game little thing' is how HJ describes the 1.1, and Top Gear magazine say 'for city work it's ideal, with an excellent throttle response and a lively fizz through the gears'. It was none of these.
When we went back to the Mitsubishi dealer today to ask for a 1.3, I also asked if there was an older 1.1 we could drive that might be a bit looser. But apparently he sells all he can get hold of pretty quickly, so we'll just have to try the 1.3 (on Thursday). I can't believe it will feel worse.
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Tried Daihatsu Sirion yet? 5 year warranty now aswell.
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Tried Daihatsu Sirion yet? 5 year warranty now aswell.
I would be happy to have a test drive, although not sure where our nearest dealer is (Daihatsu website appears to be down at the moment), and not brilliant reviews. HJ gives it 2/5 stars ('Good: More car for your money than a Toyota Aygo; Bad: Not as refined or well-rounded as a Toyota Aygo'), and Top Gear verdict is 'There may be 2 cars to choose from, but there's one verdict - look elsewhere'.
Showed picture of it to SWMBO, as it will be 'her' car, and I'm afraid she just doesn't like the look of it. So that's the end of that :-)
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I do often wonder why anyone takes notice of what a journo says. Always try something for yourself, just to see, you never know. The Sirion has got come very good reviews that ive read, from both journos and owners, hence I suggested it.
Suzuki Swift is a really nice little hatch also.
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Surely the Colt to have is the 1.5 Turbo?
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I do often wonder why anyone takes notice of what a journo says
Couldn't agree more! 2 out of 5 stars things are highly subjective. You may give 5/5 to the same car which journo thinks 2/5.
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I test drove the Sirion 1.0 and 1.3, both are quite noisy but great fun. The 1.3 was much happier at motorway speeds. I ended up buying a 1.4 Nissan Note which is much more refined than either. Refinement and economy were my main concerns as i was trading in a Mk 2 Focus 1.6 I detested.
The Note has an amazing amount of room, is quiet and averaging 48mpg. I'm well pleased, paid £7400 for a year old one (SE) with 13K.
Personally, I wouldn't take any notice of TOP GEAR type journo write-ups, they don't have to pay for or live with the cars they test! By the way, the Sirion is a Toyota by another name, sharing the 1.0 3 cylinder with the Yaris (in a lighter body). Daihatsu are largely owned by Toyota.
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Like I said, I would be happy to have a drive in a Sirion, but there wouldn't be any point because SWMBO doesn't like the look of it (ditto the Swift). She's the one who's going to be driving it on a day to day basis, and to her looks are very important - it's got to drive well as well, but that's not enough. That's the way it is!
The Top Gear magazine I've got is their test drive directory, so hopefully is a bit more practical than the 'normal' magazine (it was the only one in the shop, I'm not a great TG fan).
Edited by Focus {P} on 05/05/2008 at 12:08
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Surely the Colt to have is the 1.5 Turbo?
Agreed- if it wasn't for the fact we can't afford to buy it or run it :-(
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>> Surely the Colt to have is the 1.5 Turbo? Agreed- if it wasn't for the fact we can't afford to buy it or run it :-(
You are obviously not short of a few bob if you've got £8k kicking around and can justify the purchase of a brand new car with the associated costs of that.
There are plenty of Colt 1.5 CZT's on the used market for less than your £8k budget. It's still only a 1.5 so it isnt expensive to run.
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You are obviously not short of a few bob if you've got £8k kicking around and can justify the purchase of a brand new car with the associated costs of that.
We've got a lump sum of about the cost of a new small car, but once it's gone, it's gone as they say. So yes, we could buy used and save some for running costs, and we might still do that, but at the moment we're looking at buying new (with broker discount) and hopefully looking forward to at least 3 years peace of mind and something left over each month.
On the normal income, I don't think we could afford the running costs of the 1.5 Turbo, or at least we're not prepared to take the risk for the extra pleasure of having a fast car. We did splash out on a new Leon FR a couple of years ago with another lump sum, but that got replaced by the current Y reg Focus estate (which is great BTW) when things got tight again. Obviously others would manage their finances differently, and end up with a better bank balance, and good luck to them.
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We have a Colt 5dr 1.1 CZ1 with a/c and I'm pretty impressed with the car (but not the dealer). It's mainly used around town but I have driven it 4 up at motorway speeds and it was fine. I have to say that I think it feels "cheap" particularly as we also have a Jazz which is considerably more solid feeling, although the Colt probably rides better (perhaps because the car flexes where the Jazz doesn't!).
We did look at other Colt models as I was concerned about the 3cyl engine - we also have a Seat Ibiza 1.2 and the 3cyl VW engine is awful around town, although improves considerably at higher revs - however I think it's only the CZ1 Colt that makes sense, the other models are just too expensive.
Maybe it's too much of a stretch from £8K, but Honda dealers are offering deals on Jazz now as the new model approaches.
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Thanks BP. We're quite keen on keeping the cost down so Colt 1.1 at £7500 inc a/c (list with current £500 off offer) is cheapest of our options by about £1k at the moment, but as mentioned previously the one I test drove felt slow and rough in comparison to 1.2 Corsa/Agila and even our old 1.0 Yaris. Either it's a duffer or the running-in must make a big difference. Also, dealer said it hadn't been PDI'd (brakes were very squealy).
However, as it's going to be for SWMBO, she's decided it can't be as bad as I say and has decided to test drive it herself - hurrah! If she thinks it's ok then we'll go for it. If not... well, we haven't got a plan B yet.
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We paid £7500 for ours (5dr with a/c in solid red) in March 07. There was £500 off list offered by Mitsubishi and we basically also got the a/c free.
I'm not sure where the prices are now - I think they dropped and have gone back up since we bought ours - the £5999 deals for 3drs seem to have gone now. If Mitsubishi are still doing the 3yr service deal for £150 (we bought just before they offered that) then that's a useful saving as Mitsubishi servicing isn't cheap.
Only annoying issue with ours is the gear change is quite baulky - dealer says it's fine. Some people say their's are OK, others report that all Mitsubishi boxes are baulky. It seems worse in our car as our Jazz's gear change is effortless and also when the girls are driving they have a habit of trying to ram the car into first when approaching give-ways, roundabouts etc. If you catch it just as the car stops then it's much better.
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List price for basic 3 door 1.1 CZ1 is £6999 at the moment, which includes a £500 Mitsubishi discount, with £500 extra for the optional a/c. 3 years servicing is currently £185. The 5 doors are another £500, so yes, you did well by today's prices. I don't know how much the dealer would be prepared to haggle on a new one; it's not something I'm very good at. Might have a look at what's around used, but there don't appear to be many 1.1s with a/c.
SWMBO had her own 1.1 test drive this afternoon and decided it was alright- a bit gruff and no ball of fire, but probably ok for her given the price. Hopefully if we go ahead and get one it will loosen up, or it might be better than the demonstrator anyway.
Still booked in for a go in a 1.3 tomorrow for comparison, but it's a big step up in price - no special offers on those at the moment, and list is £8999, or another £1500 over the 1.1 :-(
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Gallaghers in Chester are still advertising the 3dr at £6499 so it should be possible to repeat the deal I got (I bought from Grenson in Nantwich / Crewe).
Try to test drive a model with the number of doors you intend to buy - the 3dr body is much stiffer than the 5dr.
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Gallaghers in Chester are still advertising the 3dr at £6499
Yes- I rang them up last week. That's pre-reg though, and a brand new one is still £7k + £500 for the air con list. They do say that they'll beat any other price so might come back to them if/when the haggling with the local dealer starts.
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>> Gallaghers in Chester are still advertising the 3dr at £6499 Yes- I rang them up last week. That's pre-reg though and a brand new one is still £7k + £500 for the air con list.
...I think that was for their 'sport' version which includes alloys, so a bit better than a standard CZ1.
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Yes- I rang them up last week.
Their website says "new Colts from £6499": www.gallaghers-cars.co.uk (let it scroll through the offers). Clicking on link brings up the Sport version, although I would expect them to deny they really mean that, however friends of ours bought a new 3dr "Sport" from them 1st March and paid £6499.
It always bugs me that Mitsubishi themselves run adverts in the national press showing a top of the range Colt but showing the basic price, without the usual disclaimer on the bottom of the ad. However, from my experience, and that of other contributers here, the UK arm of Mitsubishi is not the most straightforward of organisations.
Edited by Bill Payer on 09/05/2008 at 16:16
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Thanks BP, but too late. Drove dealer's 1.3 ZC2 yesterday, which I liked a lot more than the 1.1, and started talking figures. But cheapest option was (allegedly) £8k for a new CZ1 with a/c but also a 2 month delay, and my wife wants air con *now* :-)
However, Trade Sales had a single CZ2, silver 3 door 07 reg with 7k miles for £5999 (dealer quoted £10k OTR for a new one), and we went over there this morning. Young, not pushy salesman, clean looking car (although wife isn't that keen on colour), deposit paid - easy! I'm happy because we got the engine I prefer in car that's only a year old and saved a load of money that we can put to good use.
No problem with Trade Sales trying to sell me anything I didn't want - he offered gap insurance and car protection stuff, but I just said no, and that was it. I didn't try to haggle much because a) I'm carp at it, and b) I believed him when he said they're prices are already pretty low. He did reduce the cost of the first year service it needs from £100 to £50 though (result! :-). (BTW first 3 services at a dealer are £220, £280, £220.)
A relatively pleasant experience, although perhaps I should reserve judgment until I've actually driven the car...
Feel a bit guilty and sorry for the Mitsubishi dealer though, a nice chap, having given me and SWMBO 3 test drives between us. But at the end of the day they didn't have what we were looking for at the right price.
Cheers
John
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Sounds good.
New CZ2 (and CZ3) make no sense at all, price-wise. £10K for a CZ2 is absurd - you're in new Jazz territory there, especially with the current model coming to the end of its life. As we own both, I can say that for fit & finish, Jazz is in a different league to Colt.
Those service quotes are high, even by Mitsubishi standards. Where is your local dealer?
I was quoted £180 for 1st yr service before I bought the car. When it was booked in they said £125+Vat, then cheerfully tried to charge £200 when I picked the car up. One thing that bumps the price up is the schedule calls for the pollen filter to be changed every 12mths. That's arguably relevant on Mitsubishi's typical 4x4 models but not on Colt.
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Those service quotes are high even by Mitsubishi standards. Where is your local dealer? I was quoted £180 for 1st yr service before I bought the car.
Reading (Winnersh), but I might try ringing somewhere else if there's that much difference; thanks for the info. Pity the dealers are so thin on the ground.
Do you think having the first service done by Trade Sales for £50 (normally £100) is ok? For example I guess they're not going to change the pollen filter; I think the salesman said it's just 'oil and filters'. The lack of a main dealer stamp doesn't bother me too much.
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Do you think having the first service done by Trade Sales for £50 (normally £100) is ok?
While the car is under warranty I would always get it serviced at a franchised dealership.
I know Trade Sales have good car pricing, but personally I wouldn't want them to be doing servicing. For the warranty to remain valid they'd have to use genuine Mitsubishi parts and carry out the full service schedule and not miss bits out.
Although I hate pretty well everything about all franchised dealers, I have to say that I've always chickened out and had ended up using them for servicing. Usually there's an item or two to be looked at under warranty (our Colt's seat height kept dropping and I wanted them to review the baulky gear change). Also the dealer will know if there are any service bulletins that need doing.
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For the warranty to remain valid they'd have to use genuine Mitsubishi parts and carry out the full service schedule and not miss bits out.
You got me worried, so I just rang up TS (they always answer pretty quickly, human receptionist as well) and got put through to chap in customer care. He told me that they do use genuine parts whoever the manufacturer is, and they do whatever the manufacturer stipulates needs doing. I asked if anyone had ever challenged them and he said no, because they always do it 'properly'.
Call me gullible but I believe him, so thanks for the advice but I think I'm going to risk it this time.
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