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Estate

Picture a Chevrolet and chances are something huge and all-American springs to mind. However, in reality, the cars sold on these shores were all a sensible size, aimed at budget-conscious buyers.

The early cars, for example, started life as Daewoos but were rebranded after Chevrolet’s owner, General Motors, bought the ailing South Korean firm’s car division. Meanwhile, later models were based on Vauxhalls.

Chevrolet withdrew from Europe in 2015 after struggling to make an impact, but used examples do at least have the virtue of being incredibly cheap.

CHEVROLET

LACETTI

The Chevrolet Lacetti Estate is an affordable small family car, but it's definitely not for the driving enthusiast.

Used Chevrolet Lacetti Estate 2005 - 2011

One of the Lacetti's strongest points is value for money, which is bolstered by a generous three-year servicing, warranty and recovery package from new.

Insurance won't be a big worry, even if the Lacetti ranks a group or two higher than Ford's Focus. You'll fare respectably at the pumps, too; the 1.6 and 1.8 return 36.2 and 38.1mpg respectively.

As an example, a typical 1.6 SX is slightly cheaper per mile to run than a more expensive Focus 1.6 LX or similarly priced Kia Cerato LX, but servicing costs – when you do finally have to pay them – can be around 30% more expensive than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ford">Ford</a>'s. They're still cheaper than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/kia">Kia</a>'s, however.

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The Chevrolet Lacetti Estate is an affordable small family car, but it's definitely not for the driving enthusiast.

You won't have a lot of choice when you're buying a Lacetti estate, as the range never included more than two models - and even that was eventually trimmed to just one.

The one constant through the car's life was the 1.6 SX. Still, that has everything you need, including air-con, alloy wheels and electric windows all round. Like all Lacettis, it comes with power steering, central locking and a CD player.

You might also track down the short-lived 1.8-litre model, which came only in Sport trim. However, apart from a few extra horsepower, a slightly quicker 0-60mph time, traction control and a sporting bodykit, there's not a lot to choose between it and the basic 1.6-litre car.

Of the two, we think the basic car is the better buy. It doesn't feel that much slower than the 1.8 on the road, and gives you everything that's good about a Lacetti estate for the least expense.

You'll find plenty of Lacettis in the Chevrolet dealer network and the small ads.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

As with any used car, the Chevrolet Lacetti Estate requires a keen going over.

From the top down, check the bodywork for damage and look for misaligned body panels, which may indicate a crash repair. Look at the exhaust for signs of excessive rusting, and at the alloy wheels for damage.

Inside, check that the seats are still adjustable and reasonably supportive, and the locks and the various switches all behave as expected.

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Born in 2004 as a Daewoo and rebranded in 2005, the Chevrolet Lacetti is a mid-sized family car that's slightly smaller than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/review/n37">Ford Focus</a>. It's cheap to buy and has a splash of style, having been designed by the Italian studio Italdesign.

The range was available initially as a hatchback and saloon, and this <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/estate">estate</a> was introduced when General Motors rebranded the range as Chevrolet.

Like any Lacetti, it's reasonably practical, with generous rear leg room and a large boot. The rear seats split and fold, but overall it's still no match for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/estate/review/n8">Focus Estate</a>.

The interior design is straightforward, with a good, widely adjustable driving position and plenty of stowage.

On the road, the Chevrolet Lacetti Estate is reasonably comfortable, but it doesn't like being hustled through corners.

On top of that, the steering lacks feedback, the gearbox is far from slick and refinement is disappointing, with plenty of engine and wind noise entering the cabin.

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Used Chevrolet Lacetti Estate 2005 - 2011 review

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