Vauxhall viva or hyundai i10

HoofeHearted

I am going to have trouble going to sleep tonight.

I had a Vauxhall Viva in the late 70s. 

Spent more time underneath it, or under the bonnet than in it.

Worst car I ever had.

JGB1955

born_again said:

Anyone else read the thread title & think that's a strange choice of cars to compare.
One new ish one & one throw back to the 70's. Was the 1st car I drove after passing my test.

>>The original Vauxhall Viva, which went on sale way back in 1963, was marketed as a practical and affordable small car. ... The Viva is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and buyers can pick from SE, SE Nav and SL trims. There's also a range-topping Rocks model, which brings a light off-road-style makeover.<<

Likewise - my parents had a Vauxhall Viva SL90 and I learned to drive on it back in 1973.  I never did master the hill-start until I progressed to the 1974 Ford Escort (with a driving instructor as opposed to my father).  Those were the days my friends!

ontheroad1970

Goudy said:

I've lived with a Viva for a short space of time and found it very uncomfortable. It's obvious once you're sat behind the wheel the seats were designed to fit in the space rather than support a human being.
They're a bit "last nights left overs", as already mentioned they car based on a old model from Chevrolet. Sure they cheap, but that doesn't mean you should settle for awful and it is a bit below average.

The i10 is a much better car all round, particularly the models from 2013 onwards. They drive like a much bigger and more expensive car, miles better than the Viva. The only niggle I found was the smaller engined 1 litre did tend to feel a bit over geared in 5th, the 1.25 litre is far better.

Another option might be the Kia Picanto, it's an i10 in a different suit, underneath they are identical.
All Kia's came with a 7 year warranty (Hydundai 5) so a late used Picanto should still have a good few years warranty left on it.
Again the 1.25 engine is the pick and like the i10 you'll even find proper automatic versions if that floats your boat.

The Kia warranty is 7 years but limited to 100k miles.  Hyundai is unlimited 5 years.

Grumpy_chap

Assuming the OP is referring to the modern Vauxhall Viva, or the Hyundai I10, then the i10 is the only choice.

I am not sure this is entirely correct though:

born_again said:

>>The original Vauxhall Viva, which went on sale way back in 1963, was marketed as a practical and affordable small car. ... 

My Grandad had a Vauxhall Viva, in exactly the colour of the one in this article:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/features/vauxhall-viva-5529952.html
That was not a small car then, it was quite an aspirational car, particularly in a road where the majority of houses would not have had a car of any kind.  I certainly felt spoiled if my Grandad took me out in the car and remember those trips fondly - particularly visiting the maze at Hampton Court and laughing on the way home that he took a "short-cut" but the end of the road had been blocked off so no saving at all turning back form the dead end - it seemed to me like he was just recreating the "maze" experience again

oscarward

A friend of ours had an i10, daughter borrowed it one night and managed to roll it 3 times. It landed on its wheels and she could still open the doors. 

She bought another i10 says it all really.

AdrianC

Grumpy_chap said:

I am not sure this is entirely correct though:

born_again said:

>>The original Vauxhall Viva, which went on sale way back in 1963, was marketed as a practical and affordable small car. ... 

My Grandad had a Vauxhall Viva, in exactly the colour of the one in this article:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/features/vauxhall-viva-5529952.html
That was not a small car then, it was quite an aspirational car

As that article says...
"The Viva was shaped by two important factors. Firstly, Vauxhall envied the success of small cars such as the Ford Anglia and Triumph Herald."

It was the smallest car in Vauxhall's range, throughout all three versions - HA, HB, HC - from the launch in 1963 to replacement by the Chevette in 1979 (they'd been on sale alongside each other for four years). It was Vauxhall's first small car - and the HC was the last British-developed Vauxhall, although there'd been some commonality with the Opel Kadett right from the HA.

Remember, for all Vauxhall's ad shouting about "A British Brand", they were saved from bankruptcy by being bought by America's GM in 1925, and every single Vauxhall since the 70s has been a simple badge-swap for just the UK.

Lemonadedrinker

Thanks for all your advise.. Im now thinking either a kia picanto or hyundai i10 would be the best option for me due to the great warranty available 

zagubov

olgadapolga said:

I absolutely love my i10 which I've had from new. It's never let me down and drives well. It's small but not cramped and the loading space is more than adequate. Fantastic little car. The first year I had it I was commuting over 200 miles to work, these days it's used for short distances around town with occasional forays beyond that. It's comfortable and cheap to run. And you can actually fit three adults in the back, although it doesn't look big enough...

Another vote for the i10. Had mine for years now.
Most puzzling thing about it is how roomy and spacious it is on the inside considering how compact it seems on the outside. It might be the only five-seater city car on the market.

[Deleted User]

The i10 is a little bit bigger than the Picanto. A 5 seater v a 4 seater.

lordmountararat

Deleted_User said:

The i10 is a little bit bigger than the Picanto. A 5 seater v a 4 seater.

My wife has had both and they are virtually the same size. The Picanto is a five seater, though a bit of a squash.