Hi,
Went down yesterday to try out the Sirion as some of you suggested.
The basic (1.3, manual) is going for 53k. Found the car to be quite
good for a small car. The fit and finish of the car is pretty good
and it looks like it would be able to stand up to some abuse, at
least better than the Hyundai or Picanto. That said, the dash is
still plasticy, but at least it looks solid. The engine is perky,
and doesn't mind being reved hard, which is good since you would
have to rev it a fair bit to actually get up to speed quickly. But
since few owners of a car like this is going to actually try racing
a WRX or outrun the police, I guess it suits city driving well. The
car is very manouverable and steering is light, making parking dead
easy, which is much aided by its small size. Visibility is good,
and storage spaces are all over the place.
Downsides are the gearshift, the soft suspension and the lack of an
ashtray (trashbin). The gears seem a bit too tight and notchy, and
requires a fair bit of effort to stick it in gear. The SE said that
this will loosen up over time with use. I suppose there might be
some truth in that..... The upshot is that the clutch is light. The
soft suspension does provide a comfy ride over bumps, but try to
get around a few corners too quickly and the soft suspension
becomes way too obvious... but I must note that it's never enough
to make you panicky. The high seating position aggravates body
roll, I suppose. The lack of an ashtry is kinda odd (there is a
ciggie lighter) but I suppose it will prevent pple like me from
hoarding trash. Oh yeah, and the signal stalk is on the left, like
the Euro cars. This may be a problem for some, but I think most
will be able to adapt after inadvertantly seeing their wipers come
on every time they turn.
Overall, I'd say its a good car on a budget against the Getz. But
if you afford a more, the Suzie Swift would be a better driver's
choice. You get what you pay for, i guess. Worth a look if you are
looking for a small car.
