HELLO New Woo Drivers, we need your opinion & help.
So what are we after, your experiances of been on the road with your Woo.
Insurance costs, drivability, running costs & anything that you think will be helpful.
Thanks in advance
Bodie
I have 2 of these little guys/girls (0.8L). A Feb '07 model and a '98 model which I bought recently. I have an on-line diary of my experiences with the '97 which we bought new at ;
http://www.oats.org.uk/matiz/matiz.htm
The '07 model; Insurance is costing me £75 (older driver with 5 years ncb), have a service contract with Chev which works out at a about £50/year. It is used on mixed highway/urban and am averaging about 52mpg and the current cost of fuel per mile is 10p. We have dropped our speeds and sit at 60mph on the highway. Tyre pressure is very important (follow the manufacture guide of 30psi all round) for both consumption and handling. This model is a handful in high winds and can be quite scary. This is probably due to it being slightly higher than the older model. The finish in this model I think is better than the older model. It is a really nice basic small car. It is certainly a lot nippier than I expected. If you are expecting 2L performance out of this car you will be disappointed. Overall it is really good value for money and it seems that they are holding their value on re-sale at the moment and we intend trading this before the 3 years is up.
The '98 model; got the same Insurance deal through the Post Office Insurance. The consumption is slightly worse on the same journey (wife and I both work at the same place at different times) and it is averaging at around 50mpg and costing 11p/mile in fuel. The car has been owned by boy-racers and has not been looked after. I am working through the faults at present and have nearly rebuilt the whole front end so far. They certainly respond well to some tlc and she is running much better since we bought her. Had a strange incident recently when my wife went out with our son and the car suddenly stopped and wouldn't start again. RAC came out to help her and after a lot of fault finding, found no power at the fuel pump but power at the fuse box. After some phone calls he found that there is a switch next to the front passenger seat (outer back) that is an emergency cut off in the event of an accident. Pressing the switch restored power. Be aware if you have kids that fiddle! This is not present in the '07 model. The RAC mechanic told her that ours was only the 3rd he had attended over a number years and hence he knows little about them. That says something in itself.
Overall have enjoyed owning them so far. If you are expecting a fun, exciting car this is not for you. They are great in town because they can be parked in very small spaces, ideal for narrow lanes. Spares are very cheap. If you are a competent DIY mechanic they are very easy to work on. I think they are a great deal, especially new ones.
Rob
Thanks, Rob - I really enjoyed reading your online diary.
Mark