Skoda Citigo 1.0 MPI 60PS Monte Carlo 3-door

[Solocle]

Not exactly a performance car, I know! I do believe that horsepower is useful. But you've got to know how to use it.
So, this is my first car. Dead cheap insurance (well, £1000 with Admiral telematics for first year, £900 renewal).
Quoted specs:
59 bhp 3 cylinder engine (999cc).
0-62: 14.4s
Top speed: 99 mph.
A nice interior on the Monte Carlo. It's no spaceship, but the trim is reasonable. Sporty seats and wheel (the cat's stretching her legs on a long drive). 0-120 speedo.

[Solocle]

[Max M4X WW]

A great first car, these drive well and sound nice (to me!) and this on in MC trim looks smart too - things lime the leather steering wheel make a big difference.

[Solocle]

Max M4X WW said:

A great first car, these drive well and sound nice (to me!) and this on in MC trim looks smart too - things lime the leather steering wheel make a big difference.

Agreed, the handling has a really good feel, and they have decent acceleration at lower speeds. I once had cause to go for it and I hit 110 leptons on the speedo (about 104 leptons really)! With the aid of a downhill stretch.
When we were test driving I didn't really like the SE citigo, but the Monte Carlo just looked the part - and it wasn't the outside, it was the inside that made the difference.
Sound wise, it ain't a V8! But very quiet until you really hit the power band, and that isn't too screamy.

Edited by Solocle on Monday 29th May 15:50

[CanoeSniffer]

Not to be harsh, but if this is your first car boasting it's mighty fine 59bhp, where has your knowledge of horsepower and more specifically 'how to use it', come from?

0-120 speedo

[V8Taxi]

Got one of these (well, a Colour Edition) as my daily runabout and I think it's great. About 1/7th of the power of my other car but it's actually decent fun and handles pretty well.

Great first car, OP.

[Solocle]

CanoeSniffer said:

Not to be harsh, but if this is your first car boasting it's mighty fine 59bhp, where has your knowledge of horsepower and more specifically 'how to use it', come from?

0-120 speedo

It comes from having several times given cars with more power a surprise. For example, a tailgating BMW in a 30 zone. As soon as it went to 60, 2nd gear saw them dropping back quite considerably! I also kept up with a floored Fiesta Zetec (I know the driver). He was in 3rd, I was in 2nd. There are times I really do make the most of the power I have. Of course, at higher speeds, overtaking generally involves taking a run up around the corner before the straight, then deciding.... And of course, my mum has an Audi. (As Audi drivers go, she's very good!). A floored A1 really does have kick to it next to a Citigo

[Justin S]

Got one in black. We all love it. Will be my sons first car in 3 years. We just thought we'd run it in for him. Not been heard before, but the wife said she wants one for herself when he has it, maybe in VRS version if Skoda make them like the VW GTI .

[Maty]

Sorry to piss on your chips but the BMW driver didn't bother....

Top first car though! I had a Metro in 2000 that cost me £600.

Had one of these as s courtesy car whilst my Oct VRS was being repaired, ended up being 2 weeks, a trip to Scotland and 1500 miles. Great cars they are but fast they are not

Enjoy!

[Solocle]

Justin S said:

Got one in black. We all love it. Will be my sons first car in 3 years. We just thought we'd run it in for him. Not been heard before, but the wife said she wants one for herself when he has it, maybe in VRS version if Skoda make them like the VW GTI .

I hear tell of a 117 bhp version... sheer madness in a car of that size!
my parents ran in mine for 2 months before my 17th. Did over 2000 miles in that time!

Maty said:

Sorry to piss on your chips but the BMW driver didn't bother....

Top first car though! I had a Metro in 2000 that cost me £600.

Had one of these as s courtesy car whilst my Oct VRS was being repaired, ended up being 2 weeks, a trip to Scotland and 1500 miles. Great cars they are but fast they are not

Enjoy!

The point I was trying to make - people with lots of hp often don't bother. They are surprisingly stable on the motorway given their size, and when it comes to bendy roads there is plenty of fun to be had. A trip to Aberystwyth by the A roads taught me that.

[Ruffy94]

Ive driven my flat mates VW UP! (essentially the same car) and to be honest i didn't really like it, although saying that i have to admit the citigo does look better visually to me!

And i hate to break it to you but these are pretty slow cars and will not be pulling away from bmw's or even zetec s's as mentioned This is based on my experience of 75bhp engine (and just looking at basic performance figures) fine in city traffic but very gutless otherwise.

Here is my flat mate's UP!

Edited by Ruffy94 on Monday 29th May 20:34

[V8Taxi]

Worth a quick mention that the Citigo has shorter gearing than the Up and as a result feels noticeably livelier. I drove both back to back and there's a clear difference.

[Maty]

V8Taxi said:

Worth a quick mention that the Citigo has shorter gearing than the Up and as a result feels noticeably livelier. I drove both back to back and there's a clear difference.

Not BMW and Fiesta Zetec beating difference though.....

[CanoeSniffer]

OP, we've all been there before- nothing can match the enthusiasm you'll have for your first car, and there's some real fun to be had in wringing the neck of a little buzzbox, but.. Come on now, really?

[V8Taxi]

Maty said:

Not BMW and Fiesta Zetec beating difference though.....

Well, no...

[Justin S]

Maty said:

V8Taxi said:

Worth a quick mention that the Citigo has shorter gearing than the Up and as a result feels noticeably livelier. I drove both back to back and there's a clear difference.

Not BMW and Fiesta Zetec beating difference though.....

If it was then first time drivers wont be driving them............. you are missing the point of the car..............

[p1stonhead]

Didn't think they made cars without rev counters!

Nice first car OP. I had a polo once as a company car with the 59bhp engine. Slow as walking but was all about keeping momentum! Don't ever try to overtake anything though!

[ISO51200]

p1stonhead said:

Didn't think they made cars without rev counters!

Look again! the award for car with smallest tachometer goes to.....

[p1stonhead]

ISO51200 said:

p1stonhead said:

Didn't think they made cars without rev counters!

Look again! the award for car with smallest tachometer goes to.....

Bloody hell yeah!

[Solocle]

p1stonhead said:

Didn't think they made cars without rev counters!

Nice first car OP. I had a polo once as a company car with the 59bhp engine. Slow as walking but was all about keeping momentum! Don't ever try to overtake anything though!

Oh, it'll pull off overtakes, even on single carriageway! It's all about planning. Just drop back, accelerate towards them around the preceding corner and if there's something coming on the straight, brake. . I passed two at once one time (of course, non-overtaking land rover behind a driver slower than a tractor )