Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007) Review
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Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007) At A Glance
Clever rear seat design increases its versatility. Good looks.
Short lived in the UK. Not many left.
Fiat's Idea is a very interesting little car. It's cutely good looking, it isn't gimmicky and it is all about packing as much versatility as possible onto the same size footprint as the Punto.
And it succeeds. The first pleasure is the central dashboard. It's not quite as good as the Panda's, but it works in the same way with every switch and knob falling naturally to hand without having to take your eyes off the road.
Reviews for Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007)'s top 3 rivals
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Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007) handling and engines
- Engines range from 1.3 16V MultiJet to 1.4 16V
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 30–63 mpg
Mine came with Fiat's clever little chain-cam 1.3 Multijet diesel that stumps up 71bhp and 133 lb ft torque. It doesn't drive like a diesel, though. No sudden lurch as it gets on its torque curve. Just modest, fairly linear performance with very little diesel clatter. And, according to the display, I was getting 46mpg, which is okay, if not outstanding.
Corners aren't much fun, though. I had the seat as low as it would go, yet I still experienced that uneasy fall-over feeling you sometimes get with the small and tall. It's not dangerous or anything like that because it discourages you from ever trying to find the car's limits. But it could never be called fun to drive in the way the new Panda is.
So is it a good Idea, or is it a bad Idea? My real problem with the Idea is the Mitsubishi Colt. While the Idea has one or two tricks up its sleeve that the Colt doesn't, the Colt comes over as the better car. And it's cheaper, too, the equivalent diesel by about £900.
They are even almost exactly the same length. So whether you go for the Idea over the Colt is really down to how much you value the folding front seats, the 40/20/40 rear backrest, the reclining rear seats and, of course, the looks.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 16V MultiJet | 55–58 mpg | 12.5–15.4 s | 130–135 g/km |
| 1.4 16V | 43 mpg | 11.5 s | 157 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
93%
Real MPG
30–63 mpg
MPGs submitted
19
Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007) interior
- Boot space is 320–1420 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3930 mm |
| Width | 1698 mm |
| Height | 1660 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2508 mm |
The seating position is adjustable up and down, the steering wheel adjusts for reach as well as height. Though tall people won't be as comfortable as I was because the squabs aren't long enough for them. (Any longer and they'd rob the back seat of legroom.)
It really is very clever indeed in the back. The seat squabs slide backwards and forwards, and tumble, and recline 60/40. But the backrests fold 40/20/40. And while there is plenty of headroom for three to sit across the back seat, they'd better not have been eating too many pizzas because three big bums won't fit.
The front seat backrests also fold fully forward into tables. But the table tops slope, so you'd have to park facing downhill to get a level surface.
Fiat Idea (2004 – 2007) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3930 mm |
| Width | 1698 mm |
| Height | 1660 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2508 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1155–1200 kg |
| Boot Space | 320–1420 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Servicing | 12000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £10,360–£13,260 |
| Insurance Groups | - |
| Road Tax Bands | D–G |
| Official MPG | 42.8–57.6 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | 4 |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | 1 |
| Overall | - |
| People Carrier | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.3 16v MultiJet Active 5dr | £11,145 | 55.4 mpg | 15.4 s |
| 1.3 16v MultiJet Active 5dr Auto | £11,145 | - | - |
| 1.3 16v MultiJet Dynamic 5dr | £13,045 | 57.6 mpg | 12.5 s |
| 1.3 16v MultiJet Dynamic 5dr Auto | £13,045 | - | - |
| 1.4 16v Active 5dr | £10,360 | 42.8 mpg | 11.5 s |
| 1.4 16v Active 5dr Auto | £10,360 | - | - |
| 1.4 16v Dynamic 5dr | £11,810 | 42.8 mpg | 11.5 s |
| 1.4 16v Dynamic 5dr Auto | £11,810 | - | - |
| 1.4 16v Eleganza 5dr | £13,260 | 42.8 mpg | 11.5 s |
| 1.4 16v Eleganza 5dr Auto | £13,260 | - | - |
Model History
February 2004
Attractive Punto based mini-MPV, on sale in UK. 3,930mm long x 1,658mm wide x 1,660mm high rising to 1,690 high with roof bars.
Five versions with three trim levels (Active, Dynamic and Eleganza), along with two engine options: a 95bhp 1.4 16v petrol, or Fiat's 70bhp 1.3 16v MultiJet turbodiesel. Dash has centre instruments. Unique rear seat offers 40:20:40 split, 60 degree reclining backrests and a 60:40 split folding and sliding seat base. Offers 1,420 litre of loggags space loaded to the ceiling, which is 10 litres more than the Vauxhall/Opel Meriva. Also no less than 27 separate storage compartments.
1.4 16v petrol FIRE engine offers 95bhp at 5,800rpm, 94 lb ft torque at 4,500rpm, top speed 109mph, 0-60 in 11.2 seconds, 42.8mpg combined and 157g/km CO2 which puts it in Band B (£125pa) VED.
1.3 16v Multijet turbodiesel has 70bhp at 4,000rpm, 133 lb ft torque at 1,750rpm, top speed 99mph, 0-60 15.1 seconds, 55.4mpg combined and 135g/km CO2 which puts it in Band A diesel (£115pa) VED.
Active1.4 16v£9,995.00
- Active1.3 16v MultiJet £10,895.00
- Dynamic 1.4 16v£11,245.00
- Dynamic 1.3 16v MultiJet £12,145.00
- Eleganza 1.4 16v £12,495.00
January 2006
Revised for 2006. Five versions, priced from £10,295 – £13,195, three trim levels: Active, Dynamic and Eleganza, and choice of three engines: more refined version of FIRE 1.4 litre 16 valve 95 bhp petrol and 70 bhp and 90 bhp versions of 1.3 litre 16 valve MultiJet diesel.
What to watch out for
One owner reported the earth lead rusting through.
