You are quite correct Chris, regular cam belt and pump changes is needed and I have to admit it is a cost I would like to do without but as I said earlier if the car is maintained it is quite a good car given its age. You off set the cost of belts against a cheap car. The cross section of the belt is also small compared to other cars and that may contribute to the lowered mileage change routine.
Gio
rst MOT whilst still under warranty 36K VX changed it and of course did the cambelt and tensioner as well
We had car from new Faults Water pump as above Clutch broke spring fixed under warranty thermostat housing leaked fixed 4th year warranty 50% contribution from VX Otherwise good as gold 60K miles
How kind
Are you saying that you had a top end engine build, a new clutch, and a leaking thermostat housing on a 60K mile car?
Yeah gods! That's more than I've had with all the cars I've owned since the 1980's!
Chris
I've had mine for 18 months and am very satisfied. It's a 1.9 SRi with
150 PS, so it's comparatively lively. Sport mode helps. 0-60 is nothing to write home about, but the flattish torque curve gives good acceleration in the intermediate gears. Not Porsche performance, but you can definitely feel it push you back. It's comfortable and reasonably quiet inside. I'm 6'6" with a gammy knee, but a 4-hour drive is no problem. Motorway, autoroute, snelweg and autobahn: smooth and stable, even at speeds of over 100 mph (where permitted, of course).Yes, there is scant luggage space with 7 occupants, but a roof box helps. Just been on holiday with 4 adults and 3 children. 3 suitcases, buggy, assorted bags: no problems. Space with only 2 up is huge. Middle seat cushion folds up, whole assembly slides forward.
Negative points: 'A' pillar is very thick, extra caution needed. Extremities not easily judged for parking. No coolant gauge. Textured surfaces mean you can't stick mounts for sat nav etc. to them. You might have to as the windscreen is a long way away.
The 1.6 is seriously underpowered, according to friends who have one. The VXR is a bit much for everyday family use, also according to friends.
HTH
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