Chevrolet Lacetti The Day-To-Day Choice
When the Fidler family were looking for second car, they werent really considering a Chevrolet Lacetti. Which isnt unusual. Few people who end up buying Lacettis start off with them at the top of their shopping lists. So why are there so many examples of this car plying British roads? You can sum the reason up in three words: value for money.
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The Fidlers have another larger car but they still needed their second vehicle to have more space it in than the type of budget hirecar theyd habitually pick up on their holidays. Theyd almost given up hope for finding anything suitable when it was suggested that they might try a Lacetti. This Chevrolet is essentially as large as a Focus or Astra Family Hatchback but priced like a Supermini. The entry-level 1.
4SE was at first glance slightly above the Fidlers budget, costing £9,995, but a range of ongoing retailer deals brought it comfortably into their budget. It was a purchase dad Terry went into with his eyes open. "I wasnt expecting it to be the sharpest car in its sector to drive or the most up to date in feel. I was expecting strong build quality, good looks, a long warranty, a decent level of equipment and plenty of space for the money. Ive been very impressed in all these areas. Let me give you an example.
I had to pick up a 50-inch plasma screen for the new coffee area in my church the other day. The shop told me before I set out that Id need an estate to get it home. I was sure though that I could do the job in my Lacetti. In the event I was right: it was no problem." In fact, Terrys only issue in this respect is the boots high loading lip which means that items must be lifted and lowered rather than slid inside.
"Inexpensive value for money family motoring in a durable day to day package. Hard to argue with that."
For his wife Laura, the space has been welcome but more important has been the general hard wearing quality of the interior. "Like most kids, ours are messy. This car has survived knocks, bashes, sticky fingers, ingrained chocolate and food fights. And it still cleans up nicely. I reckon manufacturers like Chevrolet should benchmark families like ours in their model development.
" Laura liked the way that storage is never in short supply with no fewer that 25 different places to put your odds and ends dotted around the cabin. Special mention in her book goes to the water bottle holder next to the handbrake thats ideal for those 1-litre bottles often sold at filling stations and the box under the armrest that takes a good handful of CDs. Both the Fidler parents liked the driving position in the Lacetti. This car has only rake adjustment for the steering column but that hasnt hampered them in getting comfortable.
The gearlever is well located as well and Terry thought its action around the gate to be positive if slightly long throw. The suspension they thought to be well judged, giving reasonable composure at the kind of cornering speeds that most owners will attempt and good ride quality. Laura thought that the steering offered a decent balance between a weighty feel at motorway speeds and convenience when parking. "It doesnt offer much driver feedback though," remarked Terry when I press him on the subject. "Still, its not meant to be a sporty car is it?" The answer is no of course. Youre never going to get savage performance from a 1.4-litre engine in a car this size but the Lacettis powerplant pulls well enough. Its been found out on a few occasions, one in particular when a full load of passengers and luggage meant that 1st gear and full throttle had to be engaged to crest a particularly steep hill, but otherwise complaints have been rare.
Refinement is particularly good with the measures taken to soundproof the cabin really paying dividends on longer trips. The fuel consumption hasnt been quite as good as the Fidlers had hoped but an overall average of 35mpg has proved acceptable. When the family has transported adult friends, the larger cabin has come in useful. Theres been no trouble in seating three across the rear bench and legroom is quite adequate so long as the front passengers dont slide their seats to the rearmost setting.
The amount of headroom inside has proved to be more than enough for all but the loftiest occupants and Terry was impressed by the way that the designers had managed to achieve this without giving the car an unpleasantly distended roofline. The Lacetti, despite its regular appearance as the reasonably priced car for stars on BBCs Top Gear programme, is never going to get the car magazine journalists raving. But Chevrolet dont care and nor do the Fidlers. For them, this model is the Ronseal of the car world: it delivers exactly what it promises on the tin. Inexpensive value for money family motoring in a durable day to day package. Hard to argue with that.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Chevrolet Lacetti 1.4SE 5-door
PRICE: £9,995 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 171g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 11.6s / Max Speed 108mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 30.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Heightmm 1925/1452/1180mm
