[BluesTrainRadio]

Well...thank you for that thorough run down!

Anyhow...a car has now been found and bought...bit sooner than I was expecting but we think it was a good deal. 2008 C1, 3 door, one owner, via Motability, just 16,000 miles on the clock. Recent MOT, all good. Gave it a test run and it was fine, it actually got near to 60 without too much hassle going up a hill, which was a pleasant surprise. It has the split seats in the back as well, which is better for us. Its immaculate throughout.

I have great parents and so they've sorted it all out, my car in p/x leaves the C1 at £4k. Picking it up next weekend and really looking forward to it! Thanks for everyone's advice....those that bigged up the C1 better be right now!

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by BluesTrainRadio

Well...thank you for that thorough run down!

Anyhow...a car has now been found and bought...bit sooner than I was expecting but we think it was a good deal. 2008 C1, 3 door, one owner, via Motability, just 16,000 miles on the clock. Recent MOT, all good. Gave it a test run and it was fine, it actually got near to 60 without too much hassle going up a hill, which was a pleasant surprise. It has the split seats in the back as well, which is better for us. Its immaculate throughout.

I have great parents and so they've sorted it all out, my car in p/x leaves the C1 at £4k. Picking it up next weekend and really looking forward to it! Thanks for everyone's advice....those that bigged up the C1 better be right now!

Really pleased for you op, have fun, and don't forget to give him a funky name, mine was bippo

[station31]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Connors

They have known faults that Suzuki refuse to address. For example.

The engine mounts will fail when the temperature goes below zero. I've had mine replaced 4 times now, and yet they have failed again - so now I drive around with the fault making a dreadful noise (my warranty has expired) It's common.
http://www.suzuki4u.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8699

When the rear washer freezes (as most cars do) the hose will burst off in the drivers foot-well and flood it. Mine has been replaced 3 times now and the car has damp as a result. Having given up with the dealer, I fix the damned thing myself now,
http://www.suzuki4u.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8334

The whole car rattles like a bag of spanners. It's so badly built. The paintwork. You only have to brush against it with your coat and it scratches.

During the three years I have had it - it's been back to the dealership 14 times for various problems. Clutch, steering, starting (yes it fails to start too) All common faults as many owners suffer the same problems.

The worst thing though. Their network of dealerships has to be the worst I have ever come across. They're just useless.

The only good things about it. The running costs are v cheap (but so are many other cars that are trouble free) and the air con is amazing. That's about it though.

I rue the day I bought it. But don't let me put you off BTR.

Edited to add. I am referring to the seventh generation (2009–present) model of Alto. The older generation models may have been built to a better standard.

I must be the lucky mines at nearly 100.000 miles the only thing replaced was the wheel bearings, but thats normal for that mileage

[alanwarwic]

Originally Posted by TotalShopaholic

...was that it was so light. Driving on motorways on a windy day was often terrifying!
....

The lightness also has its advantages. Driving in snow is one of them.
Its far harder to get stuck with little weight to pull.

The 3 cylinder engine in the 107,C1, Aygo was well proven from Toyota. (the Daihatsu factory?)

[Jimmy Connors]

Originally Posted by station31

I must be the lucky mines at nearly 100.000 miles the only thing replaced was the wheel bearings, but thats normal for that mileage

Is that the current model or the previous model (pre 2009)?

[Jimmy Connors]

Originally Posted by BluesTrainRadio

Well...thank you for that thorough run down!

Anyhow...a car has now been found and bought...bit sooner than I was expecting but we think it was a good deal. 2008 C1, 3 door, one owner, via Motability, just 16,000 miles on the clock. Recent MOT, all good. Gave it a test run and it was fine, it actually got near to 60 without too much hassle going up a hill, which was a pleasant surprise. It has the split seats in the back as well, which is better for us. Its immaculate throughout.

I have great parents and so they've sorted it all out, my car in p/x leaves the C1 at £4k. Picking it up next weekend and really looking forward to it! Thanks for everyone's advice....those that bigged up the C1 better be right now!

Good luck with your new car OP.

[station31]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Connors

Is that the current model or the previous model (pre 2009)?

Current,

[U96]

I love the new VW Up!,Mii,Citigo.
Waiting for the new Up! GT.Out this Summer.Looks like the new Lupo GTI.

[BluesTrainRadio]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Really pleased for you op, have fun, and don't forget to give him a funky name, mine was bippo

Bippo?!

[Scratchplate]

Originally Posted by BluesTrainRadio

Bippo?!

He was the other Marx brother that nobody knew about. They kept him locked up and never talked about him in public.

[Jimmy Connors]

Originally Posted by station31

Current,

Keep hold of it - it's a rarity.

Seriously though, that's impressive.

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by BluesTrainRadio

Bippo?!

My son loved hippos (but was three and called them bippos) when he saw the car he shouted 'BIPPO'! And he was bipps from there on out

[BluesTrainRadio]

It all makes sense now!

[BluesTrainRadio]

Ok...one more daft question...this £30 a year tax thing - do they give an option to do six months still? I had 5 months of my tax left so the garage told me they would put the same on the new car for me. I had assumed that if its just £30 for the year, you wouldn't need to do it for six months??

[Jimmy Connors]

Originally Posted by BluesTrainRadio

Ok...one more daft question...this £30 a year tax thing - do they give an option to do six months still? I had 5 months of my tax left so the garage told me they would put the same on the new car for me. I had assumed that if its just £30 for the year, you wouldn't need to do it for six months??

No you can only buy one year. There's no 6 months option.

Take your old disc (5 months worth) and send it back for a refund. What was the cost of the disc on your old car? I suspect it was not a £30 disc?

[BluesTrainRadio]

To be honest, I think the negotiation was a straight swap, so I guess then that he has put a full year tax on for me. He told me today that he's got the tax so it must be a year. He found a couple of genuine faults on my car that need fixing, nothing major but for the sake of £40 odd, I am going to just leave my car taxed as he saw it. I was just enquiring!