Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 70%

Top Gear's 'Reasonably-Priced Car' is the most modern Chevrolet to date. Its European styling flair has set it apart from other vehicles from its Daewoo past.

But does it drive as well as Europe's best? Read on for our full review, or click the links to skip to a section.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs |Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks
It’s a little like the previous generation Astra, which is hardly surprising given Chevrolet's (nee Daewoo) history of warming over old Vauxhalls. It would be cruel to call it ugly; but it could never be regarded as cutting edge, despite being penned by the Italian styling genius Giugiaro - creator of the Lotus Esprit. There are glimmers of hope, such as the fancy rear light clusters. Our test car came with a set of 15 inch multispoke alloys, which lent a sporty look.

7/10

2. Looks inside
If the exterior looks dated, then the interior is positively ancient. The Chevy Lacetti is better than the Daewoo version, but not by much. An acre of hard grey plastic is periodically broken up by cheap feeling switchgear. Having said that, everything is clearly labelled and easy to use. The velour seats look like they have been lifted from a 1980s Cavalier, but are comfortable. There's plenty of rear legroom; more than enough to carry three adults in reasonable comfort.

6/10

3. Practicality
The Lacetti hatchback has a 275-litre boot - which expands to 1,045 litres, and if space is your thing, there's an estate version to consider. There's a decent amount of cabin storage space too, especially with a cubbyhole under the radio, which would be filled by a top-of-the-range CD changer if specified.

7/10

4. Ride and Handling
At slow speeds, the Lacetti is a reasonable performer, but crank up the pace and it starts to reveal its limitations quickly. The chassis has been tuned for comfort, so there's a fair amount of body roll and tyre squeal around bends. The ride is pretty good though.

7/10

5. Performance
The performance is adequate considering its handling shortcomings, with a top speed of 109mph and a 0-60mph time of 11.6 seconds. Our 1.4-litre test car provides just 95bhp and 131lb/ft of pulling power, meaning the Lacetti needs to be thrashed to get the best out of it.

7/10

6. Running Costs
At almost £10,000, the Lacetti isn't cheap especially when a brand new 1.4 Focus is available for around £8,000. Having said that, would-be buyers can haggle plenty off the list price. Our 1.4 SE returns an average of 35mpg, which was slightly down on the official figures. Chevrolet offers fixed priced servicing, so for a one-off payment of £145, all your servicing is covered for three years or 30,000 miles, whichever happens first. The biggest problem is depreciation, with the average Lacetti shedding around 70 per cent of its value in the first three years.

8/10

7. Reliability
The Lacetti feels well built, and the lack of features means there's less potential for things to break. We’ve heard little evidence of common problems, so should be a good bet; particularly with the guaranteed service history from models covered by the fixed price servicing.

8/10

8. Safety
All Lacettis come with ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, driver and passenger airbags, but it's only the posh SX and CDX models which get side 'bags. No EuroNCAP results yet, either.

7/10

9. Equipment
Our entry-level 1.4 SE is spartan to say the least. There's no air-con (it's £400 extra). There is remote central locking, an engine immobiliser, electric front windows and optional rear parking sensors however.

6/10

10. X-Factor
The Lacetti is a cheap car, which is actually fairly expensive. But if you try a bit of haggling, you should be able to get one at a reasonable price.

The fixed priced servicing is a bonus, and it should be a faithful, if a slightly dull companion.

7/10

Rivals:
You might also want to consider:

Seat Ibiza
Ford Focus
Mazda 3

Click here for more car reviews