best running car?

You can expect all of them to run well for 3 years IMO. I'd still not buy any of them - most cheap cars don't actually work out cheaper to run when you consider the shocking depreciation, but the new Swift might not suffer too badly as it actually looks like an alright car.

FWIW, I've got a Hyundai Getz which I've had for 3 years with no problems at all. Any car bought new has shocking depreciation[1], but Hyundai have a stonkingly good warranty and service package. As an aside, I got my Getz for £6500 brand new. I couldn't find anything else close to its standard equipment nor anything that was better to drive for the price.[2]

Hyundai - Five Year warranty. Kia - Five/Seven year 100,000 mile warranty. Suzuki - Only three year warranty, surprisingly, but run like swiss watches and all have timing chains I do believe. And they're Japanese.

You don't give warranties like that if you don't have faith in your product.

UK car industry (RIP) - if it breaks down before it leaves the forecourt we'll repair it at cost. Otherwise tough.

Ian

My Swift's been in and out of the garage like nobodys business - but it could just be a friday special

Lots of intermitant problems, not helped by an incompetant garage staff who couldn't give a monkeys!

Spooks

There is ALWAYS a rotten apple no matter the rep of the company.

"gazzafield" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@pipex.net...

Last 2 years is just engine / drivetrain IIRC.

Indeed. I didn't say they'd all explode at the 4 year marks. Anyway. The point about depreciation still stands (the Picanto does fairly well, but I'd much rather have a Fabia VRS for £50 more a year):

In fairness, now it's fixed, it's a good little motor - I've just lost a big old wodge of confidence in it (6 months of warning lights coming on intermitantly will do that to you!)

I'd guess it's the garage not being able to find their backsides with both hands thats mostly the cause of my ire - I'm a patient person, but even I'd had enough when I kept getting fobbed off.

Suzuki UK were no help either when I rang to complain about the length of time the dealership were taking to fix the repair - they just told me I should go through the dealer, there was nowt they could do.

It's a shame, cos it's put me off another one - but I agree - there's always a bad apple somewhere - guess I just managed to pick it up this time!

Spooks