DAEWOO MATIZ SE 5dr (1998)

The Daewoo Matiz - Fine runner for small families

Best thing: the Matiz SE is cheap to buy but not going to fall apart immediately (like I had with a second hand Vauxhall Astra) and also very cheap to run, with fuel costs very low (well, as low as possible) and insurance lovely and cheap too.

Worst thing: bit cramped inside for some of my bigger passengers, and the paint work has chipped a bit easily in places.

I got the Matiz like I said after I had a second hand Astra that required seven different repairs in a year! Ugh, never again! The Matiz doesn't exactly feel top quality, but a friend had one already for a couple of years and it hadn't given her any trouble. Mind you... I met someone at a training day last month and they said they had one too (I don't usually have 'car conversations'!) and that it had all manner of things go wrong with things like the brakes and the heating system. I'm not sure what that was about.

It's a doddle to drive around town, I like the view from inside the car, very clear and easy to see everything. The power steering is great. Easy to park too, very easy. I don't mean to go on about the Astra but the difference was amazing. I could see all sorts that I couldn't see before. I don't often go on motorways if I can help it but when I do it's a bit shaky. I'm usually in the slow lane anyway but if a lorry goes past or something it doesn't half rattle and blow about, not very reassuring!

It's also not a very happy little bunny going up steep hills at all, or if it meets any really muddy or sludgy conditions. It gets easily upset is what I'm saying, so fine for normal errands and things but not for adventures.

I said the Daewoo Matiz is a bit cramped for taller drivers, but it's quite big inside for the size of it, but me and the girls don't have any complaints when we go out in it, and it's just fine for me and my partner and our little boy when we go places. Although my partner does complain sometimes that he hasn't got anywhere to put his arms. The thing is I'll be wanting a car with head rests in the back when he gets bigger, that's a safety worry for me really, in the future.