USED Suzuki Alto Hatchback (97 - 06)

My car

I have had the Alto new since May 2005. In that time no real complaints. I have heard people describe it as noisy, I was very supprised as I do not find it noisy at all. Its biggest fault is in the size of the boot space, and wind noise is a problem. Other than that it has been a good and reliable car. My next car will actually be the Suzuki Swift. Mr.M.F.Brown

My car

This is the second Alto I've bought new and I've owned my current 1.1 GLS since 2003.

I think it's an excellent little car and the improvements made in 2003 really helped with comfort and the general look of the car. I've driven mine every day since I bought it, and it has proved 100% reliable. I'm not a little person and neither is my hubby, but neither of us has ever had any cause to complain about comfort. We often drive over 250 miles in one day and our holidays take us up into the mountains which is excellent fun! Irish roads are known for their bumps and, yes, it's bumpy, but hey, the positives far outnumber the negatives.

It's cheap to run, cheap to insure and at £40 a year for road tax it can't really be beaten. It has electric windows, nice comfy seats, and plenty of storage, including cup holders, and we've even moved house using it. We've had no problems fitting everything from flatpack furniture to a stepladder and bicycle in it.

I find it nippy in town and easy to park. It has a bit of wind and engine noise when you go much above 60mph and can be a bit slow to accelerate, but if you're not afraid to rev it a bit, then it's fine. After all, if you want a car for motorway driving, you wouldn't choose this nippy little number anyhow.

At the end of the day it's one of a kind. It's nice to look at, extremely economical and very reliable. It doesn't promise to be anything more!

My car

I was bought this car brand new in 2003 by my gran and within 2 months my monther forced me to sell it, it made her bad back worse and had to have extra physio. needles to say my gran was upset but after being driven in it she knew exactly why. The car is uncomfortable its crampted im only 6ft and the seat doesnt go far enough back. The interior is bleak to say the least, yes its a cheap car but its not that cheap. the seats are much to small and the backs are curved away from you meaning that only parts of your back have support. whilst driving it is so noisy i get headaches easily and even whilst driving from the village to the town the noise of every bump every gust of wind every rev is appalling. As for the driving the steering is twitchy but strangley unresponsive and takes corners apallingly the clutch is sloppy the biting point moves regularily , meaning that it revs badly and jerks. Its difficult to get into gear especially reverse. motorway driving is dangerous to say the least it seems to stop acellarating at 55mph the only way you can get past this glass ceiling is the exstencive use of 3rd gear this is not enjoyable. the only good thing i can see about this car is that fuel efficiency i have never had 55mpg but i have had 45 but what you sacrafice for this is comfort and an enjoyable quick ride. i have had 2 differnet car since i have had a 2000 reanault clio and 53 Vauxhall corsa both small cars i would recomend as second hand alternatives to a brand new Alto.

My car

Ignore the What Car ratings, the Alto is an absolute bargain. Bought ours new as a second car 2 years ago and it's a delight. Drives like the old Mini but with the latest safety gear and equipment and a reasonable amount of space. The Alto is nippy around town, fun to drive and economical but, most importantly, exceptionally reliable. I suspect the journalists don't take it seriously because of its 'grandma' image. I recently took ours on the country lanes south to north Wales and haven't had so much fun since I did the same in my Mini 30 years ago!. Not brilliant on the motorway, but not unbearable either. If you want an ultra-cheap, fun-to-drive runabout, the Alto is unbeatable.