Funny, but this car has become the most important car ive ever owned - mainly because I have always loathed Fiats and I have now relented after ten years and am two weeks into the ownership of one.
Its actually not anywhere near as bad as I expected and I can see why people like them.
Handling is great, nimble and the supple suspension means it handles mid corner bumps and cambers very well, unlike my mums Hyundai Coupe. The steering is very direct although doesnt seem to self-centre much which is disconcerting at first.
Its not that fast for sure and the high gearing means you often need a lower gear than instinct suggests, but its acceptable and the first fuel consumption return was 55 mpg with a mix of town and A/B roads, which is impressive and a trip to Lincoln on Sunday will be a real test for economy.
Great car in town, very easy to park and visability is great.
I find mine very quiet - its hard to hear the engine unless you rev it, so its quite a relaxed crusier, but never really know if you stretching it unless you really hold onto the gears.
Reliability, THE Fiat issue. Aside from the fuel tank issue, Im gaining confidence in it. Problems so far are minor - very slight grumble from the NSF wheel bearing and a slight rattle from the exhaust ( which was replaced in Jan so perhaps just needs tightening ). The is also a slight hestitancy when at low to mid revs under load - perhaps just needs a tune? Its not that noticable except when its very cold, once warmed through its only ever so slight.
Th Cd player is odd. It wont start to play a CD if the car is moving, but start the CD when your stationary and it plays fine, most odd, but its not a Fiat CD player ( Clarion ) so not directly linked to Fiat.
I have decided to get the cambelt done a year early as it cant do any harm and then i wont be worrying about it ( I dont always trust manufacturers recommendations aimed at the fleet markets running costs ).
All in all, Im actually very happy with it - certainly you get what you pay for, but on initial impressions, you get a fair bit more too.
|
They are supprisingly good cars, I didn't realise how good until started to look new cars a while ago. The fuel consumption sounds very good if that's a 1.1.
IIRC the 1.1's have a flat spot at around 3000rpm, maybe that's the hesitancy you have?
|
They are supprisingly good cars I didn't realise how good until started to look new cars a while ago. The fuel consumption sounds very good if that's a 1.1. IIRC the 1.1's have a flat spot at around 3000rpm maybe that's the hesitancy you have?
I think its an example of the italians doing what they do best which is stylish and fun to drive small cars. Anything bigger than the Punto and they always seem to cock it up but small cars, reliability aside, seem to turn out rather well.
It is the 1.1 yes altho I should point out that Im a very gentle driver and on several occasions I have managed to better the best quoted economy returns for cars I have owned on long runs. I got 59 mpg average out of a Matiz 800cc I had when they were quoting an extra urban average of 54 I think it was back in '98. That was about 20% town work, 80% main roads. I now do closer to 40% town work.
I think the comsumption is directly related to the gearing as even at 40, its quite laboured in 5th on all but the gentlest of slopes and the car appears to have serious inertia - lift off the gas and it hardly slows at all, much like an auto in that respect and unlike any manual car ive owned before.
Any ideas what the reason for the flat spot is? It its prob around 2500-3000 rpm I think yes.
|
Ah yes, I think the 1.1 non-sporting versions had taller gearing. The sporting and 899cc ones had short gearing. I've only driven my 899cc one, but I think the 1.1 non-sporting actually got about 1mpg more on the combined cycle and was still faster than the 899cc one. On the motorway I get about 57-60mpg (depending on traffic), so you're likely to get a bit more than that.
IIRC I think some people have fixed the flat spot by fitting a performance air filter, eg. K&N.
|
|
|
|
|
Just helps to prove what I`ve always known. They are no worse reliability wise as any other make-their problem is in the dealers who could do with a kick up the gluteus maximus.
|
|
|
|
It might be worth putting in some high detergent petrol like shell and some injector cleaner before your blast up to Lincoln. This should get rid of any built up crud from short journeys or being sat around at a dealers. Cambelts usually should be changed every 3 years or 36k with most fiat engines. The hesitancy while cold might be just the emissions control making sure you don't flood the cat. Check the spark plugs and see if they are a good colour. If they have been in for a few years it might be worth spending the money on a new set. Champion or ngk preferably as I have found italian cars don't seem to like Bosch plugs for some reason.
teabelly
|
"I have decided to get the cambelt done a year early "
IIRC these are a non-interference engine, so if it lets go it shouldn't do any harm.
|
>>It might be worth putting in some high detergent petrol like shell and some injector cleaner before your blast up to Lincoln. This should get rid of any built up crud from short journeys or being sat around at a dealers. Cambelts usually should be changed every 3 years or 36k with most fiat engines. The hesitancy while cold might be just the emissions control making sure you don't flood the cat. Check the spark plugs and see if they are a good colour. If they have been in for a few years it might be worth spending the money on a new set. Champion or ngk preferably as I have found italian cars don't seem to like Bosch plugs for some reason.
teabelly <<
Ive only just filled it up although its last tank was running BP Ultimate I think it was, now its running regular Tesco stuff ( without free silicone hopefully! ).
The service guide for the car has the cambelt @ 5 years or 72,000 miles which sound too long to me, hence its being done next week.
I shall get my mechanic to check the plugs and change if needed. Thanks for the tip on the make of plugs to aim for.
"I have decided to get the cambelt done a year early " IIRC these are a non-interference engine so if it lets go it shouldn't do any harm.
Yes it is, but it would still be a pain in the backside if it snaps on my drive on June from Northants to South Cornwall for my holiday!
|
>Yes it is, but it would still be a pain in the backside if it snaps on my drive on June from Northants to South Cornwall for my holiday!
Isn't that what the RAC is for?
|
Isn't that what the RAC is for?
im sure parked up on the road with a broken cambelt and going no where is a super start to ones jollies
not
|
The cam belt is no more likely to go on the M5 than on his local roads, and it's non-interference, so it'd be a quick job to fix.
Had to be RAC's off the M5 last hols but one - engine blown on the VW camper. Ended up in Tavistock as a result as the best VW garage I know is there. Great time, and excellent fish and chips at Jack and Jills, award winning chippy.
Life is what you make it.
|
I used to have an 1800 Vauxhall Magnum - great car, but used to have a misfire that I could never cure.
One day the missus was asked by a complete stranger if the Magnum suffered from a misfire?
Turned out he also owned one and proffered the advice to use NGK plugs. Result. A perfectly sweet running Magnum from then on...:-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
Must admit I've used Bosch plugs in the past (the fancy ones with 4 earth electrodes), which promised smoother running etc etc. Never again - the car had a persistant misfire which was only cured by buying a new set of Denso plugs (at less than half the price of the Bosch ones)! The NGK and Denso plugs I've used are similarly priced, and are vastly better than Bosch. Having said that, NGK seem to last longer than Denso ones, so they'd be my choice too. Funny how they're both Japanese, and are better than the German ones..... ;-)
|
The Bosch Super 4 range of 24 different plugs are a rationalised range that are a compromise on certain applications. They were developed for garages and retailers that didn't want to stock umpteen different types. People are also wowed by the 4 earth electrode design that gets around the problem of faster wearing cheaper materials.
If you use their OE specification Super Plus plugs you shouldn't have any problems as they are matched exactly to the engine often using higher specifiation materials such as Yttrium alloy.
HTH
|
|
|
|
>Yes it is but it would still be a pain in the backside if it snaps on my drive on June from Northants to South Cornwall for my holiday! Isn't that what the RAC is for?
No, they are for unforseen problems, not things that you can easily prevent.
Why anyone would prefer to be stuck by the side of the road and arriving late to your holiday is beyond me. I will have my disabled grandmother with me and she cannot be stuck by the side of the road for too long.
|
|
Point taken StuN, but changing it a year early? That's what servicing schedules are for.
|
Point taken StuN but changing it a year early? That's what servicing schedules are for.
Changing it early does no harm, its only £100 and it means I havent gotta worry about it again for the forseeable future.
Service schedules are stretched somewhat to reduce running costs to fleet buyers, thus making the cars more attractive and I have seen cambelts fail BEFORE the recommended age/mileage.
I also seem to recall VW changed their recommendations on cambelt changes?
What that suggests is that caution is the best prevention of problems and while it may well be ok till 5 years, if I can get it changed now, whats the harm? Over the lifetime of the vehicle, the additional cost of changing it early is minimal, hassle avoided far more substantial.
|
Did my Lincoln trip, followed later that day by a Northampton to Rutland Water run, all in all, 260 miles in a day.
I havent worked out the fuel consumption yet, but it did the whole 260 miles using a half tank of fuel according to the gauge but it will be interesting to see how much fuel I get in it later when I top it up.
Only thing I noticed was that at idle and under load at low revs, theres a 'chattering' noise from the engine which gets a lot quieter, almost silent again, when you dip the clutch - any ideas? Didnt notice it before yesterday.
|
|
Release bearing same as my Fiesta, nothing to worry about.
|
Glad you said that as it was my first guess! Infact it was my only one!
Why would it only show up after doing a long journey though?
Once the car had cooled down and I took it out in the evening, it wasnt doing it anymore.
|
Just filled up my Seicento - cant quite believe it but I got 58.6 average, which includes the main A-roads to Lincoln for Northants but also a good twisty section up to Rutland Water which is alot of tight corners and steep hills on the way cross-country to Uppingham, plus a little town work this morning.
Certainly makes me think that on a steady motorway run, it will exceed this comfortably and its certainly the cars most impressive feature.
My trip to Cornwall in June should be the real test as it will be, traffic aside, a straight steady run the whole way. Another woner told me they had managed over 65 mpg on a long run which I didnt believe until today, but it seems possible now.
|
|
|
|
