Cheap to buy. I guess it proves you get what you pay for (Chevrolet Matiz)

Member Name: Immlang

Product:	Chevrolet Matiz
Date:	14/05/08 (287 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Insurance group 1, easy to drive and park

Disadvantages: Too numerous to mention here

The Chevrolet Matiz is a rebadged and updated (2005) Daewoo Matiz. It is marketed as a town car and it is inexpensive, listing at £6995 for a 1.0 SE manual. This review is of the 1.0 SE manual, with optional air con at £400.
Sadly, this review will be pretty scathing.

Inside the car

In spite of its diminutive proportions it is perfectly possible to fit 4 adults in a Matiz, though they will have to get on well with one another as the car is noticeably narrower than practically any other car on the market. The boot isn't bad either; you can get an average hold-all in it, unlike, say, a Ford Ka.

The trim is robust, rather than luxurious. The plastics are hard and so are the seats. It all wears well but the seats are narrow and uncomfortable for anything other than short journeys. I bought aftermarket carpet mats as the original fit stuff was woefully thin. My car does have electric front windows. You don't need electrically controlled mirrors as the car is so narrow that you can comfortably lean across to adjust the left door mirror without removing your seat belt. If you have a front passenger you need to adapt the way you hold the gear lever when you change, to avoid contact with the passenger's right leg. The car has bins, shelves and storage galore. This narrowness does add enormously to the car's ability to squeeze through tiny town gaps and park where other cars do not have a chance.

The performance is deceptive. Below 3000 rpm the car has no go at all, but between 3000 and 5000 there is a noticeable power surge. Honest! It easily keeps up with town traffic (let's not forget it is marketed as a town car) and it will cruise at 70 even fully laden, but it rapidly runs out of puff on uphill inclines and you have to change often to maintain pace, even when running with driver only. The brakes, with standard ABS, are perfectly matched and the car stops on a sixpence, even from speed. The steering is very light. Some reviewers have said it is too light but I find it very comfortable. Driving at motorway speed is a noisy experience. Back on country roads, this is not a car to chuck around as it quickly loses grip at the back if you fling it into a bend with enthusiasm. The lack of handling is not compensated by silky smooth ride as the ride is harsh at all speeds on anything other than perfectly surfaced roads.

Now for the fuel economy. Oh dear, what a sorry tale. My tiny, low-powered Matiz will reach 45 mpg if I nurture it, but it is more likely to achieve about 41. That's the same as I get from my 1.8 Nissan. The dealers have fobbed me off with attributing this to my poor driving technique; this is a bit of a mystery since I am the original fairy-footed driver, brought up with eking the last 100 yards out of any gallon of fuel. Equally mysterious is that if you visit a Matiz forum, all the other drivers must suffer from similarly poor technique as they all report equally rotten fuel economy. Let's face it: it's a pretty ancient engine design and it is not up to modern standards of economy or performance.

It is just as well that this vehicle comes with a three year warranty. I have had an emissions control valve changed twice (the design has now been changed so it could be that the last change will prove a bit more durable) and had to return it to the dealer for a repair to a seat belt stalk that flopped uselessly down when the seatbelt was removed. It's great that it comes with three years' servicing thrown in, though.

Would I buy another one? Not a chance. The fuel economy, the poor ride and comfort, the poor reliability and mediocre performance are serious switch offs. About the only good things about this car are the low purchase price (though they depreciate like stones) and the insurance group 1. That's why I bought it, for my sons to learn to drive in, but even so I wish I'd paid a couple of thousand pounds more and got something better or even paid the same and acquired a second-hand "proper" car.

Summary: Avoid

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Driving comfort: