By darting
on 29th Jun 2005
darting's Ratings| Year Manufactured | 1991 |
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| Length of ownership | 2 years |
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| Doors | 3 |
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| Performance | 8/10  |
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| Practicality | 10/10 |
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| Reliability | 7/10 |
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| Value for money | 10/10 |
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| Overall value | 8/10 |
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 darting's recommendation |
Good Points
Excellent fun, cheap to run, good reliablity if looked after.
Bad Points
Flimsy, pretty unsafe by todays standards, brakes are awful on the MK1 and not much better on the MK2's.
General Comments
I started off my driving career with the Citroen AX MK2 Forte 1.1, and have just upgraded to a J reg MK1 GT. These are fantastic little cars and brilliant fun. Make sure you get a good one, and keep it well maintaned and you will have little trouble. The GT is seriously quick for what it is and has been able to beat several more "desirable" and powerful cars really rather easily. The short ratio gearbox makes it difficult to get all the power down sometimes, and takes some getting used to.. but rewards when you master it. The handling is excellent aswell, although it is a little "rolly polly" without lowering spings. Turn in is great and it digs in more and more, with the back compensating. My GT is down 35mm and more at the back and it feels like a go kart.. point it and it just turns, no fuss.. makes it looks easy when you see other cars squirming trying to do the same thing! Build quaility is, however, poor. The whole thing does feel cheap, but not in a Proton way.. it does have a certain character that almost makes you think of the flimsyness in a fond way. Be prepared for the fog lamps to not work, and plastic bits to fall off. The engines and mechanics though, are really rather robust.
If you want a fun, cheap to run, quick car, then you've come to the right place. If you want luxury gadgets, and solid, honda-like quality, then this isn't for you.
Personally I love the little thing.
