A fiat Seicento has been our cheap runaround for over two years.

The 1.1 engine means that its cheap to insure, cheap to tax and pretty good on fuel!
It also means the engine struggles on the motorway, it can hit 60 & even 70mph but it has to really push for it, and the noise of the fan sounds like a jet engine in this small car when its working hard to cool the engine.

The body is very nice for a cheap car, but causes it a lot of problems. The tiny 15" tyres and low slung suspension mean that every speed bump taken at more than 3mph has you hitting your head on the roof and smashing the undercarriage on the tarmac.

Another inherrant faul with the sporting is that the bottom lights on the front bash against the radiator making holes in it, until we had them removed when we finally figured out what the problem was, we went through 6 radiators in two years!

The bodywork is also very fragile, just placing a heavy shopping bag on the roof can dent the metal in, so I dread to think what would happen if it was involved in an accident, most likely it would crumple like a sardine can!

The car is quick to start, and very nippy in towns and streets, though not great for long haul rides, its great for doing a roundabout at speed and taking off when the lights change.

With a boot space of practically none, and a seating space of not much more its a great car to get you through your test, and run you about for a couple of years until your insurance gets cheaper, but this little go-er was not built for the long run, or the family shopping.

Its a great car to learn in, but once you're an adept driver, its best passed to another learner, in favour of a larger and sturdier car.