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£2700 — 3 years old
£1900 — 5 years old
£700 — 10 years old
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General description
Introduced in 1996 as a 3 door, 4 seat hatchback. Visually and mechanically altered very little during life means they all look similar. Kas in insurance group 2 have dark grey bumpers which are cheaper to repair if you have a scrape. Ones with painted bumpers are 2 insurance groups higher.
The original engine was an 'old skool' 1.3 overhead valve petrol engine which had enough torque but didn't like revs that much. It was replaced with a quieter, more refined overhead cam engine in 2002, at the same time as a slightly revised facia.
Things to look for when buying one
Generally pretty reliable but could have been abused by earlier (learner ? ) drivers.
Service history is always good but less likely the older the car is. Look for signs of abuse – does it change gear smoothly with little notchiness?
Watch for rust in early cars, they're now 10 years old, look around the sills and under the floor. Check for engine bay leaks - look at the ground where it's parked.
Very early cars may not have Power Steering fitted, it was optional - you'll notice and so will any other potential buyers, so best avoided unless you want a workout or aren't that worried about selling it on.
The good bits
They’re everywhere, they’re cheap to buy and run, and great to drive.
Being quite short, they're easy to park.
Recently voted 'Small Used Car of the Decade' by CAP - the used car pricing specialists.
The not so good bits
Not much space in the rear seats and there’s only 2 seats (and belts) back there.
Previous owners may not have treated it so well.
Only a 3-Star EuroNCAP score which looks a bit low compared to more modern cars.
