‘ I BOUGHT ONE’

‘ I bought my Swift Sport new in 2015 and it’s now covered more than 26,000 miles. I chose it because it would be cheap to run and reasonably practical. It’s loaded with kit that’s normally extra, it outhandles many more expensive machines, it looks smart, and it shifts – if you’re willing to rev it. It genuinely makes you want to go for a drive just for the hell of it. My Auris never did that, despite the mountain of torque it had!

‘ What’s it not so good at? The boot’s small, there aren’t a lot of modifications available for modest money and it has an annoying “engine on hold” restrictor while it warms up. But that’s about it. It doesn’t suffer from any glaring faults, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg at servicing time and insurance is only Group 9. I see an average of around 40mpg during winter, 44mpg in summer, though a spirited drive will see that drop into the mid- 30s. ‘ Garage bills have been very reasonable. I have my servicing done at Inverness dealer Dicksons to keep the warranty intact. The first service was £ 138, the second £ 235, but that included a front brake strip and clean. The only thing that’s needed attention was a sticking rear brake caliper: a cheap fix at £ 43. ‘ I run my car on Goodyear Eagle Asymmetric 3s, as do other SSOC forum members, on a slightly upsized 205/45 x 17. The only modification I’ve made is a change of back box. It’s now running an Ulter that has a nice little growl at idle and is a bit more vocal under acceleration. ‘ There’s a strong following for the sporty Swift. Most owners are considering another or are already on their second. The new turbocharged Sport is very controversial – not just because it’s going to cost more, but the fact it’s forced- induction.’