Daewoo Matiz > Reviews (58)

I bought the Matiz in September 2007 and I have used it as a run about ever since. The mileage when I bought it was just under 10k which I thought was very good for a car was only 7 years old. It was bought new by an old lady who did not use it much so it was left in the garage for long periods of time un used. I went to view the car and the condition was excellent, inside it had the new car smell, all the seats were new and inside the car no wear and tear was evident.

Myself being quite tall, (6'1") I did think, how am I going to fit in that. Well I sat in the drivers seat and and moved the seat fully back, I was now seated very comfortably, I had plenty of leg room and the seat felt very supportive, apart from the head rest which when adjusted fully it still is no where near the back of my head. The pedals at first did feal very flimsy but this is probably because I am used to driving a van. They were wide enough spaced so I could use them easily even with size 11 feet and work boots on. My OH who drives a company car also likes inside the Matiz and finds it very comfortable when I drop her off sometimes.

In the back of the car there is enough room for two people mainly the two kids but I have had 3 kids in the back. Two adults can fit in the back with out getting the crushed in feeling.

The next thing I noticed when I reversed the car out of the garage was how light the steering is, this makes it very easy to park in tight spaces and nipping about in. At high speed such as on motorways the steering can feel abit light but I got used to this. It is quite fun to drive, it does roll somewhat in long bends but as long you don't over cook it on a sharp bend you should be ok.

The engine at 800cc is small, I thought it was going to be slow but I was mistaken, it is very nippy and can easily cope in traffic and does not feel out of its depth on the motorway. I can drive around 30 in 4th gear but when on a hill a change into 3rd is needed and if its steep 2nd might be required. I find it very economical and this can be improved if you don't rev it too much, I usually set off in 1st, then straight into 2nd and then straight into third, then gradually build up speed, it does not labour the engine in 3rd at around 15mph.

The Matiz SE+ does come with Air-Con, this is very nice feature to have especially on hot days, allowing you to travel nice and cool. It does affect the engine however, I find it does not pull as well but this is not really a massive problem.

The Matiz also came with a Sony cassette and radio, I bought this attachment which allowed me to attach my mp3 player to it, so I can now play songs from my mp3 player using my cassette player, how good is that! The sound is very nice, the bass is not that good but I still find the speaker system very good on the ears.

The fuel consumption is good also, I can get about 50-55 on the motorway if I go at a steady 65. Every day running about I get about 45-50 mpg which is good even if I do rev it. The fuel consumption figures don't seem that good compared to other newer small cars such as the Toyota Aygo, but for £1200 I am not complaining.

All in all the Matiz is a nice small runabout which is reliable and economical, easy on the motorway and in town.