1.0T 105ps SRi ecoTEC Start+Stop 5dr Hatchback

Beyond my expectations . .

This is our 'rescue' car, that is to say it belonged to Europcar for the first 11 months of its life and it's first 11,000 miles. It was in an Arnold Clark showroom for £10,480 with 3 years servicing and a first MoT. Now, I don't mind buying a nearly new ex-hire car because these cars are washed, cleaned, topped-up and checked over every time they are rented out, maybe twice a week, and because of that they are generally better cared for than 'normal' cars provided you are careful and selective in what you buy and who you buy it from. I checked its history with Europcar and they gave me all the details, mileages and the dates of a couple of repaired bumper sc***es.

That's the car, now the model. I am astonished by it having traded in a car that was designed ten or more years ago and is still in production. Now I have petrol, not diesel and I easily achieve over 60mpg which I never expected. This tiny motor gets me to 60 in 10 secs and leaves most 1.6's and diesels behind. It is quiet, smooth and a totally amazing bit of technology. For me the car is very comfortable, there is room in the back for passengers legs, the boot is a good size and the seats fold down to create a huge flat space for camping gear. I get the delightful stop-start, lane-changing warnings, collision warnings and goodness-knows what else that I haven't yet found. I have even got a real spare wheel, and with it being a very shiny red, people look at it and say 'What a car.'

They are right. It is. Beyond my expectations, in fact.

I have not felt so satsified in many years.

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