I have reached a milestone. 10000 miles since March, I seem to be stacking up the miles like its going outta fashion atm ( now sitting at 32k ). Still, I think I have the measure of the Ignis now.
Originally I loved the car. I still rather like it, but in all honesty, its one of those cars, rather like having an extremely pretty girlfriend who isnt quite what you want, but for the time being, she is good enough, although in the end, someone who is abit softer round the edges is what you really want.
I still adore the practicality, it has all the space I currently need and its a good design. Its comfortable to sit in, everything is simple in a traditional jap way and there is no design feature that you look at and hate it. Its workmanlike really although the splashes of carbon effect trim give it a lift aswell as the leather bits which are nice and soft to hold when driving.
Its been economical. The combined figure of just shy of 41 mpg is easily beatable and I get 45mpg without effort and ive seen 48mpg on my usual mix of country lanes, a-roads
and town work. One annoyance is its tendancy to drink petrol on the motorway due to turning over 4100 rpm at an indicated 80 as mpg drops to around 39. This makes any journey over 250 miles a bit of a pain because you need to be filling up before you arrive, which became clear when I took it to Bodmin this month.
Other than that my only real complaint is the ride which on reasonably good roads is fine, but there are so many potholed, speed hump ridden streets these days, it makes the hard ride difficult around town and my next car will certainly be more comfort focussed, my wifes car feels pillow soft after the Iggy.
I still enjoy the performance, especially the handling which is still superb, but does require the right tyre pressures as if they get a bit low, it tends to dull the sharpness to a noticeable degree. It does make me smile and the rasping exhaust adds that little bit to the soundtrack.
In terms of reliability, its been perfect, no so much as a bulb. It will require tyres in the next few thousand miles which are looking at £70-90 each - ouch, thats alot more
than Im used to but they are decent quality and the car deserves proper rubber.
It had a full service, including brake fluid, coolant and oil/filter in August which came in at a reasonable £170, next year it just needs an oil/filter change for around £60, the big plus of having no cambelt is no big service. I also changed the air filter which was a bit shabby, bit pricey at £27 but it was a Suzuki only part.
The white wheels have grown on me. they have at some point been repainted and in another year, may need doing again as theres a few chips now, but I wont bother unless they start to look especially shabby and I want to sell it.
The tinted windows add £150 a year to my insurance which seems alot but they are useful and look 'right' so ive left them in although the ones on the front windows are long gone,
what moron thought they were a smart idea I do not know.
I still get alot of young lads eying up the car, usually the ones in some poorly modified Clio etc, who must look at my car the same way I look at a Lexus.
Ive still got another 6 months before Im even allowed to look around at changing it, but on current form and with the used car market so sparse, it would be difficult to
find the right replacement. Im looking at something along the lines of a Renault Scenic, although more the general idea than an actual Scenic. Ill see whats about at the time, Xsara Picasso looks great but not sure about the quality of it, my neighbour has one and it does look an ideal all round car from the outside.
Overall, as an ownership proposition, 8/10, only loosing points for the ride and lack of 6th gear which it could really do with. Still a love-in though, id miss it if it were gone.
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Why would having tinted windows increase your premium?
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Keep it for a few years yet, otherwise you will have to go through the entire whine on 2nd gear thing again!
The car has been good to you, just keep it a lot longer and relieve yourself of all the stress :) Or maybe you just enjoy swapping cars, but for me it is just a nightmare.
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Usually if a car sticks with me for a year its sticks with me for a second, but I feel settled with it and im certainly using it although if I really do put on 20k by next March, that will be the most miles ive one in a year since I drove for a living which was a decade ago!
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Didnt ya see it when I bought it? Can get some sorted later if it pleases ya.
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Yea! I did see it 'back then', I was more interested in seeing these ere dark tinted windows again.
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Dont know I have any pics before the front tints were removed, but just for you ill fling a piccy on here later when im home. They are so far as I can tell, limo tint types as you can barely see through at all from the outside.
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>>They are so far as I can tell, limo tint types as you can barely see through at all from the outside<<
Sounds good to me for the Lancer Estate then :)
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Cost is £40 a window, not bad really although cheaper on a 3dr obviously. Costs the same to remove them nearly though.
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Is it a sticky on film type product like the mirror type window films of olde?
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Yes, but mine has been so well done, you have to look very hard to see it.
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Suzuki Ignis I - Iggy Interim Report - captain chaos
