My relationship with this car has been pretty complex, frustrating, but also rewarding. This was my first car, bought used at 120k miles when it was already 8 years old. The cons are, it’s given me a LOT of problems. The pros are, despite all these problems and attempting to fix them in ways that wouldn’t break the bank, it still runs to this day at 16 years old with 200k miles. It’s a sickly workhorse of a car, but a workhorse nonetheless. It will definitely get you from point A to point B, but the interior leaves a lot to be desired. The plastic parts are definitely not holding up past 10 years. Center console will collapse if you look at it for too long. Handles regularly break. The air control knob will eventually break, so if you’re particularly unlucky, you’ll have it stuck to blowing all the air towards the floor of the cabin. Don’t pull too hard at the lining in the trunk, because the adhesive dries out quickly and the liner will pop out, but you can just tuck it back into place (usually). The car may very well be held together with superglue by the time you make it to 150k-200k miles. I’d definitely recommend an overly-protective maintenance schedule. If I could do over the last 8 years, I’d learn the ins and outs of this car and keep a tight schedule on checking fluids, wear on parts, and replacing parts that need replacing. For example, you don’t want to be stuck with an alternator that unexpectedly goes out; it’s located behind one of the front wheels, so the labor in addition to the part will eat a hole in your pocket. That goes for almost any other part - a tiny car like this means the parts have been shoved into all sorts of nooks and crannies to make them fit, so getting to them will be very labor intensive. If I had patience and a few weekends and a driveway with enough space, I’d replace everything myself. This is a great car to putt around town in, or for someone who’s just getting into auto repair work. A weekender hobbyist’s car. My biggest recommendation, that I was unable to do before I got a new car, is to change the motor mounts. This car is a jackhammer, and it only gets worse with age. It will feel like the car is coming apart when it’s running in park. And it just may, if the mounts are worn enough. I’ve heard many say new motor mounts make it feel like a new car. If you’re the kind who doesn’t mind having their car jacked up every now and then, and you’re willing to learn how to listen to it and anticipate the repairs, then this is not a terrible car by any means. I would definitely NOT recommend it if you have a semi-regular commute that’s more than 3 hours one way. I made two trips that were over 4 hours in two years, and things started really going downhill immediately after the second one. She’s a sprinter, not a marathoner.

Bought new in 2007 and still runs and looks like new. As reliable as they get..only needed routine maintenance for 16 years. It's a simple car without much that can go wrong. Handles great, reasonably peppy and good fuel mileage. Still love it after all these years..not interested in a new car!

Bought my 2007 in 2011 and still driving it today (April 2023) with over 265,000 miles. Thought about trading it in in 2022 the Lord said keep driving it and I will take care of your next vehicle just like I have the last two.