Mitsubishi Colt Hatchback 2004 - Present

The Mitsubishi Colt is a thoroughbred of a car from the sometimes overlooked Japanese stable.  It offers family size driving in a supermini frame, while keeping the driver entertained and the passengers comfortable.

The front seating has more than a passing feel of a van about it.  It's tall and fairly upright.  Although this does feel a little odd when you're first in the Colt it soon starts to feel perfectly normal.  The seats are reasonable but nothing really more, the padding a bit too thin to really loose yourself in the car.  The rear seats are pretty versatile with the ability to slide, recline fold down or even be removed if required.  The rear seat's position depends upon the amount of room required in the boot so if you've got a packed boot you're unlikely to have much legroom for the rear passengers. 

Driving the Colt is a pleasant and rewarding experience.  The handling is light and lively, the only real criticism that could be levelled would come from the somewhat detached steering feedback.  The ride is set up to offer good levels of comfort for all of the occupants and control for the driver.  The suspension is able to smooth out the roughest that the roads have to offer, while retaining a great sense of poise and balance on the road.

Engine options are much livelier than they sound.  The entry level 1.1 petrol engine offers more performance than the 12.5 seconds 0 - 60 time suggests, but it can feel out of it's depth on the motorway.  The 1.3 petrol engine still can't break post the 10 second 0 - 60 sprint, but again feels pokey and good to drive.  The 1.5 L engine is a better bet if you're looking to drive fast and it's turbo charged brother the 1.5 Turbo with a 0 - 60 time of 7.2 seconds and top speed of 131 mph is the pick of the bunch.  All of the engines are frugal and represent good value at the pump.  The 1.1L engines are consistently in the low fifties mpg with the 1.3 in the high forties.  The 1.5L returns 46 mpg for it's 9.5 seconds and 118 mph vital stats, while the turbo engine sucks up a bit more only delivering 41 mpg (only!).  The Colt is a rare thing among modern car ranges, a model that doesn’t have diesel engines at the top of their range.  The 1.5L oil burner is a good engine but feels a little flat when compared to the lively petrol options.  It does still return 58 mpg , with the a 0 - 60 time of  9.6 seconds and top speed of 112 mph, so can still hold it's head up in terms of performance. 

The equipment delivered as standard is good, as is the finish in the cabin.  Built in CD player comes as standard and the stereo is more than good enough for the car.

The Colt has grown since it's early years, but it hasn't grown old.  It remains a fun and frisky car to drive and own.  You could argue that it looks a bit bland but that really just makes the quality of the ride even more of a surprise.  Sit down, belt up and enjoy the ride.

Leave a comment

Type into the box below