After regular problems similarly described on this site with either the clutch or the electrical systems on this car, "the big one" finally came when the engine suddenly performed very roughly, along with the check-engine light. We were able to get the car to a dealer, where a compression test showed 38 p.s.i. in cylinder #3. It was further determined that the cylinder head was either warped or cracked due to the turbo (the cooling system is fine). The exhaust valves were also found to be burnt. The cost of repair will be over $6,000. There is ONLY 77k miles on the car. Alas, this is a bridge too far. We are not going through with the repair, will be throwing in the towel, and plan on donating the vehicle. Had this been the only problem, or perhaps if there was more support from the maker to address this parade of issues, I'd likely feel differently. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.

I love this little car. I could not have taken better care of it. I had it maintained by the DEALER (expensive, I know, but I wanted all the bases covered). The design is amazing. Lots of room despite it's small size, incredible visibility, a great panoramic sunroof, the BEST sound system, and fun acceleration and handling feel.

We bought this car knowing the poor reputation of this maker, but figured we'd risk the investment in favor of the incredible design. As this will be the end of our ride with this car, we've spent about $320 per month to purchase, own and operate this car for the past 7.5 years. I would like to eek out a better ROI ratio by holding on to it longer, but one can't put a price on reliability. As such, I hate to say it, but must: "Ciao, bella!" =(