| Long Term Test | Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart |
Been anywhere interesting?
Busy then not; spending the odd week doing little then being pressed into service to cover huge miles, quickly. With a move of house - and office - the little Colt hasn't been able to match the many vans I've been using to shift stuff, but it has surprised a couple of times by fitting more than I thought it would in the back.
Helpfully the back seats fold quickly and easily and the rear accommodated my prized Barcelona chair with little fuss. Buoyed by this I thought I'd give the Colt the ultimate test - an Ikea Billy bookcase. It had to fit, as I'd bought it and got it out of the store, my only measurement being that as I'd fit lying flat in the cabin with room to spare then a bookcase only about 30cm taller than me would squeeze in. It did, though I only discovered when loading it that the passenger seat back doesn't fold forwards or back more than about 15-20 degrees.
Anything stand out...?
On one occasion we got an indicated 36.7mpg out of it. That's not far off the 40.9mpg official combined consumption figure, and achieved without driving it with any thought to economy. Perhaps a bit slower on one journey given the bookcase load, but otherwise ragged as much as ever. As much as I love it on fast flowing roads I really enjoy the Ralliart around town; a visit to London underlined how capable it is in the city. The peppy engine delivers courier-bike beating traffic light pace, and the upright seat and decent all-round visibility make it a cinch in traffic. Then there are the tiny dimensions that fit in the tightest gaps in traffic and parking spaces.
...and for the wrong reasons?
I'm rather worried about the state of the fabric on the front seat. In one area it looks a touch stretched and like it'll eventually give. The radio continues to frustrate with its inability to stay tuned when on RDS, and why should you have to choose between a clock and the name of the radio station on the display? Ideally, I'd like both. The seat back doesn't adjust enough, the ratchet rather than twist dial adjustment meaning the backrest is either too upright or too reclined. The Billy bookcase might have fitted, but it demonstrated that the passenger seat back only folds forward and back a small amount - not ideal if you want to carry something long in it by using the passenger foot well.
A recent oil check revealed it's using no oil, but while under the bonnet I filled up the empty washer bottle too. Why cars cannot accept the full four litres of washer you buy is an annoyance, so the Colt's rear foot well typically contains a bottle with an inch or two of washer left over - though the same is true of my girlfriend's Fiesta.
Finally, selecting reverse isn't as easy as it should be, it often requiring two attempts to get it into gear.
Where next?
After a bit of an on and off month or two the Mitsubishi is being pressed into more regular daily service. Now based in Hove it's spending some more time on motorways than before, but that's something it's rather good at. It's good at the back roads too, the Colt the perfect way to go and explore the roads around my new place.
