Seat Arosa 1.4s

Fantastic car, well built and well engineered. Very reliable. Quick for a small engine. Cute. Easily parked.

The Seat Arosa 1.4s 3dr was a major disappointment because I really wanted it to be good. But after 45000 miles and 2 years of constant problems and frankly rude staff at the garage, I had to sell the car. That was 18 months ago now and although I still miss the car, I am glad to be rid of its problems and I know that I will never put up with such terrible customer service again.

Enjoyable to drive and the road holding is acceptable. It is good for scooting around local shops, and short day trips are not too exhausting. However, watch out for release bearing problems in the first 6 months! This happened on my previous Arosa, and also on this one leading to reported burnt out clutch after 4000 miles, and less than a years use. (30 years driving experience, not a problem of riding the clutch)! Steering the car is positive, however, watch out for clunks and grinds, as the steering linkage had to be stripped down at the same time as rectifying the bearing problem, which meant a week off the road!