This certainly is the Daewoo (Daewoo Matiz SE+ A/C 5-door)

Member Name: pandora peroxide

Product:	Daewoo Matiz SE+ A/C 5-door
Date:	25/04/04 (1851 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap to run, good driving position, looks great

Disadvantages: none

This review is of a Matzi EZ+ a limited edition version of the SE+

BACKGROUND

I passed my test last month having learned in a Fiesta. As my husband has a Fiesta I had been using that a bit whilst we looked for a car for me to drive. I liked the idea of a Fiesta and a number of other cars. My shopping list was not a Ka(k), nor a Micra, preferably little and cute and I don't hink I want a red car either. Not helpful really!!!

I did some digging on line and in magazines checking out reviews here and on other sites and checking out book values on the Parkers website. I still couldn't decide what to buy - well it is a big decision. I figured I was used to Fiesta's so I'd get one of those. Last day at work I finished early and hubby had found a good deal on a Fiesta and agreed to meet me at my cousins house over the road from work.

I walked into the house and was greeted by my hubby and my cousins hubby pointing at a Matiz asking me what I thought. Cute and not a bad price but nowhere round here sells them was my response. I begin to feel a bit cornered as my cousins hubby (a mechanic, natch!) tells me how his dad has a Matiz and it was so good he has bought himself this silver number from an import place. To top that my cousin has recently had her car written off and they found a delaer locally who did her a good deal on a used Matiz. I got mpg, horepower, litres of space you name it all the facts and figures came spewing out. Not being mechanically minded my eyes glazed over and I went into nodding dog mode (hmm, yes, nod, nod, really, nod, nod).

When we lft hubby informs me they had been for a spin round the block and he thinks I'd handle a Matiz well so we went off to the dealer and had a test drive. hubby on the town centre ring road. Me a new driver on the car park for the sake of my sanity!!! Sold to me a red (!) Daewoo Matiz.

FEATURES

Three weeks later I am the very h
appy owner driver of a Daewoo Matiz EZ+. It is a limited edition model only sold in 2002. It has similar features to the SE+ hence I slotted the review here. My car has electric front windows which glide smoothly and both windows can be controlled from the drivers side allowing you to get a through draft without leaning. It has a Sony CD radio with rear speakers which is a cracking set up. Shoul I wish to I can set the bass levels high crank the volume and drive around sounding like a boy racer!!! At lower volumes the sound quality is impeccable. The passenger side mirror is controlled by a little cursor on the driver door which makes it easier to adjust then all the leaning and checking buisiness in my husbands car. Alloy wheels are standard although they are dinky and you can't really tell they are alloys they look like tasteful hubcaps. The EZ+ also comes with parking sensors. These are shiny discs on the bumper which see how close you are to objects. When you put the car into reverse you get a sound signal they are working as you approach objects they emit a series of bleeps to tell you how close they are. I am grateful of these as our car park at work is tight and I haven't had much practice at reversing into car spaces. For a more experienced driver in such a small car they may not be needed.

DRIVING/ECONOMY

The drive in the car is incredibly smooth and quiet. Whilst it only has a 0.8 engine it is capable of pulling away with ease at junctions and deals well with whatever driving I need to do. To be honest it takes me 10 mins max to work and it's other uses are shopping trips and visitng family who all live fairly close. It's being used a city car which is what it is built for and it is doing the job well.

The driving position in the Matiz is elevated almost reminicent of driving a van. As a shorty (I'm 5 foot tall) this is a great advantage as I get a greater view of the road in front of me which
makes driving so much easier.

Fore test purposes my husband drove the car up the motorway to Manchester and it handled itself very well. It easily drove at 70 and a brief burst at 80 was fine, too before hubby was warned about speeding!!!

Economical is not the word for the Matiz, it goes forever on a tank of petrol. The Walsall to Manchester journey used around £5 worth of fuel about 1/2 that of the Fiesta. I am very impressed at how little the running costs are.

GEARS

As with all cars the Matiz has it's little quirks. First gear is extremely short prompting a quick change into second. A couple of days driving and the adjustment is now automatic so easy is this car to drive. Changing down to second can only be done below 17 mph although I'm not sure why a little faster and it simply growls or springs out. The first couple of times I drove it felt like I was making a pigs breakfast of the whole affair and would never be able to drive. Now it is second nature.

OVERALL

I know it is natural to love you first car but I never thought I would be this happy. Would I buy another - hell yes and so would cousing and her hubby who are more than happy with theirs.

Summary: