Mitsubishi Colt

[crazyman50000]

When I first set out to buy my car, I had a criteria. It was :

Must have

Driver + passenger air bag

ABS

At least front electric windows

Power steering

Central locking

Air con

On board computer

Insurance group 5 or less

Not made in France

5 doors

Not cost more than £5000

After all that you're left with

VW Polo

Honda Jazz

Nissan Micra

Vauxhall Corsa

Ford Fiesta

Ford KA

Ford Focus

Vauxhall Astra

Seat Ibiza

Skoda Fabia

Toyota Yaris

Honda Civic

Fords and Vauxhalls an do one because they're more common than...anything else on the road

Ibiza can do one because it's made in Spain. And leaks.

Skoda can do one because the interior is about as boring as you possibly get.

I hate Micras.

I already had a Polo at the time.

Civic was bigger, dearer to run, dearer to insure.

This left the Jazz and the Yaris.

So I bought the Yaris and it's served me with 10 months of happy driving. As the Jazz was too big to fit in my garage.

But I can't help but feel on this quest of no frills driving perfection, I overlooked the Colt.

Still made in Japan, similar power, similar features for the money, similar size. In fact it's generally a very similar car. But £5000 on a colt also gets you leather seats, electric rear windows, climate control among other bits n bobs.

So how exactly does a Colt contend with a Yaris - spec and reliability wise?

[kimi]

i know a couple of people with the new colt ,

Jerry on here [another supermod] his wife swapped her yaris tsport for the czt,

she loves it .

the other is a work friend hes had his for over 2 years, never missed a beat, no squeeks rattles

loves the car his only complaint is the service costs are a little high.

[crazyman50000]

See because I figured I will eventually need to part ways with my Yaris. Probably in quite a few years time mind.

I don't like the look of the newer Yaris. And when I found out the engines built in France I baulked at it and decided I wouldn't be having an upgrade.

Colt still ticks all the right boxes though and while the back of a 1.3 elegance isn't brilliant - it still has a lot to say for itself.

[T V O R]

Still made in Japan

Sister model to the Smart Forfour (the two share some 40 percent of components and are built in the same factory in Holland)

[Alcdrew]

I don't think you should rule cars built in France with the same brush as French cars, the likes of Toyota have very tight quality control and wouldn't just let any old rubbish off the production line.

[kangzy]

I had a 2 colts before i got my compressor! fantastic first car and a wicked car in general.

i had the mirage model with the sportier body kit.. done a few good mods which included

recaro buckets seats

lowered 30mm

strut braces

induction kit

alloys

momo steering wheel

hks full system exhaust

hks induction kit

the car handled fantastically on springs... one of the best handling cars iv driven actually.

never let me down.

very very highly recommended