Citroen Saxo
With popular sporting models, keen pricing and a great drive, Citroen's baby has plenty of Saxo appeal
The most popular models are the sports-oriented VTR and VTS, plus the warm 1.4 Furio. Saxos are not immune to wearing out, so trim and consumable parts need checking carefully, a fact borne out by our Driver Power survey, where the Saxo was worst built car in the Top 100.
Saxo checklist
* Look at bodywork, as the thin metal picks up parking dents easily. Check panel gaps for signs of crash damage.
* Spare wheel is vulnerable to theft, so make sure it's not missing.
* Engines are usually good for more than 100,000 miles, but service history is vital, especially on diesels.
*A few minor electrical faults have been reported, such as blowing fuses, especially on the rear wash/wipe. Electric windows might appear slow, but they were never that fast!
* Check steering and suspension for signs of a hard life. Diesels, VTRs and VTSs may have been abused. Power-steering pump may suffer leak.
Glass's Guide view
The trade bible says big discounts when new mean the Saxo depreciates heavily. Two-year-old models are good value. All are in low insurance groups, so appeal to younger drivers. The VTR or VTS are wise buys as they are easy to sell on at a good price.
My Citroen Saxo...
When Rebecca Southgate's Citroen 2CV collapsed in 1998, she realised it would be cheaper in the long run to buy a new car than keep patching up the 'tin snail'. But the primary school teacher from north London thought nothing could match the character of her old car, until she saw her Saxo in a local showroom.
Not only did the bright yellow Open Scandal special edition look suitably wacky, but it even had a full-length fabric roof, similar to the 2CV's. She said: "The top is great in summer, but leaks in heavy rain." The car has been reliable, but the spare wheel was pinched from beneath the boot floor and cost GBP100 to replace.
Verdict
They may be popular with boy racers, but the VTR and VTS are our favourite Saxos. While they may not offer quite as much fun as their Peugeot 106 GTi cousins, they're cheaper, great val-ue and still a real hoot to drive.
