Although it's a small car, the Aspire feels bigger inside than its exterior might suggest. there's plenty of front legroom, and the egg-shaped profile provides good headroom. Rear legroom in the coupe is tight, and rear seating requires cooperation from those up front. The 5-door Aspire is pretty good on this score - better than any of its key competitors: Toyota Tercel, Geo Metro or Hyundai Accent.
However, the Aspire's greatest advantage in roominess is its cargo volume. Both the 3-door and 5-door versions of this car have good-sized cargo holds behind the rear seats, and with those seats folded forward, both become spacious mini-station wagons.
Our test coupe was capable of swallowing 37.7 cu. ft. of assorted stuff with the rear seatbacks folded down, and the 5-door holds even more. However, a plus for the coupe is its flat load floor; the seats in the 5-door don't quite go down flush. Either way, though, extra cargo capacity is the key advantage of a hatchback versus a formal sedan with a conventional trunk.
The interior of our test car was nicely turned out with cloth upholstery, a distinct change from the vinyl that covers the seats in base models of some of the other cars in this class. The SE has a fancier grade of upholstery, but we think the basic grade is just fine, and it helps keep the entire cost of the purchase down.
The aspire's seating is well-padded and surprisingly comfortable for a car in this class. there's not much in the way of side bolstering, but then there's not much about a car like this that tempts - or allows - you to hurl it around corners.
Instrumentation falls into the bare minimum category - speedometer, fuel gauge and coolant temperature gauge. The only way you can get a tachometer is to step up to the SE version, which defeats the basic purpose of this car - reliable, no-frills transportation at the lowest possible cost.
The aspire's safety features measure up well versus its competitors. This was the first subcompact to feature standard dual airbags, although key competitors have since followed suit. Other elements include side-impact protection, child-security rear door locks on the 5-door and 5-mph bumpers. Anti-lock brakes, unfortunately, are available only as an option; this is true of almost all small cars.
Our Aspire coupe provided a pleasant blend of comfortable ride, adequate performance and no surprises. It's an easy car to drive, with light, positive clutch action and acceptable acceleration. Power steering is available only with the automatic transmission, but the effort is light enough, even at parking-lot speeds, that we don't view this as a serious flaw.
One negative control element that we noticed was the aspire's shifting, which was a little rubbery and not as precise as it could have been. Basically, it just takes some getting used to. The only real drawback to a car with only 63 hp is in passing on 2-lane highways, a process that requires planning and a long, straight stretch of road.
On the other hand, we were impressed by how quietly this little car went about its business. Like all small engines, the aspire's 1.3-liter 4-cylinder makes noise when pressed, but in ordinary operation, it's surprisingly subdued. Similarly, the aspire's aero shape and flush glass do a good job of keeping wind noise to a minimum.
Fuel economy is also a plus. We averaged 40 mpg in all-around driving, a very respectable performance and exactly what you'd want in a car whose primary reason for being is to keep expenses to a minimum.