Fiat Cinquecento - what's the verdict?

Lorrs33

I saw this car and I really want to buy it, I'm 19 and it'd be my first. Any opinions?

Tipsy Mac

I would get something else, nearly anything else

Jimbo

No No No No No

Stephen

Do you mean Cinquecento as in the boxy yoke from the 90s or the new 500? I quite like the new 500.

chris85

Would stay away, no power steering which is a pain to drive without. no real comforts. They are a real struggle to drive

Since you are learning maybe try a Punto instead, they are simple and easy to drive. I think they are a good learner car.

It all depends how much you have to spend! Spend a little more and it will be worth it in the ling run

mike65

The old model had the 903cc engine from the 127 if I remember rightly. Ah that brings back (bad) memories.

Mike.

Fast_Mover

'Cinquecento a c*nt to get into'..lol, I know an old woman who had one and called it this.

Back on topic..Oh dear lord, no! Get ANYTHING else!

Wouldn't consider than safe tbh..imagine the damage if you had an accident in one of those yolks even at a reasonable kph

ninty9er

Looked, but didn't buy as my first car, didn't feel at all safe or grounded. they're for city and suburban driving only (i.e 60km/h and under)

Jimbo

Is that the official Fianna Fáil stance on the car?

Saruman

A 19 year old saw this car and really wants to buy it? It just defies logic, and everything we know about teenagers! Especially since Lorrs sounds like a guy.

Unless.... http://www.fiatforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12871&d=1143454533

Yaris body kit ?

Jimbo

Exactly. Why not a 1.1l glanza-replica with the fake dump valve, etc.?

woop

pedals are real close toghether, least of youre worries really

if you crash you die

ninty9er

jimbo78 wrote: »

Is that the official Fianna Fáil stance on the car?

As there isn't an Ard-Fheis anytime soon I'd have to refer it to the Ardchomhairle, and since at least one of the 106 members probably has one it could be difficult to reach a verdict ;)

but it would be my personal opinion on the car

Jimbo

They can be made look cool though :rolleyes::

Saruman

In fairness... i have seen some of the sporting models in yellow and they can actually move on a motorway. I have been overtaken by them while i was doing 130kph.

Max_Damage

chris85 wrote: »

no power steering which is a pain

For Christ sake, it's not a bus he's driving. How did people manage without power steering many years ago? :rolleyes:

As for the car itself, I'd go for something else. Pressing the brake pedal, you'll probably end up pressing the accelerator and clutch at the same time. And as for crash safety...

Fast_Mover

and there's no chance of it taking up two spaces either!!:D

cantdecide

NO NO NO NO..... NO

Budget and rough outline of your usage please (ie, 10km round trip to college, or 50km commute, social life etc etc.)

eringobragh

Most points have been made, crash asafety ,pedals ,etc

But at the end of the day, ITS A FIAT..run for the hills. Get something Jap or German.

L1011

eringobragh wrote: »

But at the end of the day, ITS A FIAT..run for the hills. Get something Jap or German.

Nothing wrong with bigger Fiats. Any bigger Fiat.

I wouldn't touch a Cinquecento with a bargepole, and I drive its eventual replacement (Panda)....

Recon

Fast_Mover wrote: »

Wouldn't consider than safe tbh..imagine the damage if you had an accident in one of those yolks even at a reasonable kph

I friend of mine had one of these and was in a crash around 5 years ago. Since he had to sit so close to the steering wheel (small car, and he's 6'4) he smashed his ribs. And they're still ****ed.

E92

jimbo78 wrote: »

They can be made look cool though :rolleyes::

I hope you're taking the piss because that thing is hideous looking. The Cinquncento is a sh1te looking car as it is without this being done to it!

And OP if you want your back seat passengers to live don't even consider it. I'd rather not sit in a cars' crumple zones thank you very much!

Ask doctors in A&E what they call these cars!

Jimbo

E92 wrote: »

I hope you're taking the piss because that thing is hideous looking. The Cinquncento is a sh1te looking car as it is without this being done to it!

And OP if you want your back seat passengers to live don't even consider it. I'd rather not sit in a cars' crumple zones thank you very much!

Of course I'm taking the piss, thats what the rolley-eyes signify...

E92

jimbo78 wrote: »

Of course I'm taking the piss, thats what the rolley-eyes signify...

Didn't see it when I made my previous post, my apologies!

Jimbo

Ill let it go this time cause your from Cork

BostonB

In know they are rubbish, and when I drove one once I found the pedals too close together. But for some reason I think they are a good laugh. I prefer the original boxy one to the later one. Not not much safety in one which would put me off buying one now. I doesn't handle all that well. You could get something like a Zetec Fiesta that would be far better in every way.

OP why the Cinq?
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ajwebster/car.html

L1011

"the later one"? There's *only* the original boxy one; the replacement was the (bigger) Seicento and the replacement to that was the (bigger and available much, much, much faster) Panda.

BostonB

By the later one I meant the Seicento. The same engines (mostly), chassis and general dimensions as the Cinquncento so its hardly a completely different model despite the name.

eob

Depends on what you're priorities are. Most of the boards folk, no offence, know about as much about cars as I know about folk music.

The downside with the Cinq is the poor crash protection. I suspect that it's actually pretty heavily based on the outgoing Uno but you'll have to research it for me.

However, I've driven pretty much everything at this stage, from GrpA WRC spec Celica's to Ferrari F360's and the Cinquecento Sporting is right up there on my list of memorable drives. It also has the advantage of returning 55MPG if you're gentle and the handling is right up there with the great 80's hot hatchbacks like the 205 GTi and Mk1 Golf GTi.

Unreliability wise.. they can suffer from head gasket failure but it's actually quite rare. Parts are cheap. Supremely cheap (Again, that Uno DNA ) and it's from an era where it's easy to fix itself.

There's some feedback from drivers here:
http://www.octane.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=8804&highlight=cinquecento

BostonB

Can't say the one I drove was anything like any of the 80's hot hatchbacks I've driven/owned. Under steered and rolled a lot, not much power. Was fun chucking something so small around but that was it. A guy at work had one and he had a lot trouble with it, and parts were expensive. That was 5yrs or so ago. Maybe these days its different.

There was a previous thread on these
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055121138

woop

However, I've driven pretty much everything at this stage, from GrpA WRC spec Celica's to Ferrari F360's and the Cinquecento Sporting is right up there on my list of memorable drives. It also has the advantage of returning 55MPG if you're gentle and the handling is right up there with the great 80's hot hatchbacks like the 205 GTi and Mk1 Golf GTi.

I havent drove it mate but if it was anything like the 205 gti, golf gti there would be a lot more talk of how good it was, well there should be unless its some sort of fiat drivers secret

I would like to hear if anybody else thinks its as good as these cos if so, its a bargain

I see thy are going quite cheap so a bit of a poke about i one might be in order

eob

BostonB wrote: »

Can't say the one I drove was anything like any of the 80's hot hatchbacks I've driven/owned. Under steered and rolled a lot, not much power. Was fun chucking something so small around but that was it. A guy at work had one and he had a lot trouble with it, and parts were expensive. That was 5yrs or so ago. Maybe these days its different.

There was a previous thread on these
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055121138

Perhaps you drove the standard version and not the Sporting? The standard version is easily beaten (as a pure A-B transport proposition) by something like a Mk2 Starlet (that's the one with the square headlights for the office boys) but the Sporting is in a different league entirely.

There's a bit of a craze on at the moment for guys with more expensive roadcars to buy up Cinquecento Sportings for something to turn to when a VW Passat TDi is sucking their will to live and they need some steering feedback and the ability to induce oversteer at will

Secondly, I'd put it right up there with the Mk1 Golf GTi 8V. Most of the motoring columnist said the same thing, in fact, I have a hazy recollection that CAR published something I wrote on the subject and then turned it into a feature the following month.

BostonB

I've only ever driven the Cinq sporting. Never an unmodified Mrk1 GTI though so I couldn't compare the two.

Masada

their a great little car!., they go like a Go-Kart and are great fun to drive.,
but im afraid thats it really, as a day to day car it wouldnt be very useful, they squash like as if they were made from coke cans and the pedals as others have said, are way to close together., the last time i was driving one i was wearing work boots and i couldnt brake without reving at the same time.,

DublinWriter

E92 wrote: »

The Cinquncento is a sh1te looking car as it is without this being done to it!

I've seen a couple of heavily 'customised' Cinquncentos on the NCR.

Passers-by actually pointed and laughed.

When I was in Germany I couldn't get over the number of FIATs I saw on the roads, but then again Germans do have a wee masochistic streak.

I never saw any on the Autobahns, probably because they would have ended up being a hood-ornament for a BMW 7-Series.

Myself? I'd avoid buying any FIAT (Fix-It-Again-Tomorrow).

Lorrs33

Saruman wrote: »

A 19 year old saw this car and really wants to buy it? It just defies logic, and everything we know about teenagers! Especially since Lorrs sounds like a guy.

Unless.... http://www.fiatforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12871&d=1143454533

Yaris body kit ?

I'm a girl, thank you

grasscutter

Recon wrote: »

I friend of mine had one of these and was in a crash around 5 years ago. Since he had to sit so close to the steering wheel (small car, and he's 6'4) he smashed his ribs. And they're still ****ed.

sorry to hear about your friend.
My missus overturned one a couple of years and walked away from it without hardly a scratch (prob doing around 40-50 mph ). The car body crumpled a good bit but stayed intact around her and the worst injuries were caused by the seat belt. I am 6'7 so thank god I wasnt in the car because I would have been f**cked

pete4130

I've driven the Sciecento. It is small, it is tight, the pedals are close together. Remember it IS a small car, designed for the city from getting from A to B and not for coverig serious miles all the time fully loaded with people. If what you need is a cheap car with no frills and lower running costs then it could tick all the boxes for you. I'd definitly recommend the Sport version with the P/S and if they have a bit more poke in them if you are considering getting one.

galwaytt

well I bought a new one in 96 - a yellow one - and it still ranks as one of the best cars I ever bought.

It never broke down, but did have a crappy handbrake, and it was a hoot to drive. Whoever said it's for 'up to 60 kph' doesn't know what they're talking about. I got 140kph out of mine flat out on a motorway with a good wind up.

Cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to fix - if necessary.

Quality of paint was no worse than anything else, and it didn't need PAS - the car is too small.

If I came across a minter, I'd buy one again. Dammit, if I came across my old one and it was reasonable, I'd buy that one again!

When I sold it, I got more than I owed on finance for it, so for me it was, a win-win car.

What's not to like?

BostonB

galwaytt wrote: »

...
What's not to like?

Dying...

Max_Damage

BostonB wrote: »

Dying...

Don't crash then!

BostonB

Max_Damage wrote: »

Don't crash then!

Keep the day job.

groupb

The sporting was rated highly by most mags of the time. I think our adversion to fiats is an Irish thing. We must be the only country on the planet that has people that want to own starlets / glanzas. If I cared about my image I'd much rather be seen in a sporting than a nuns car with spoilers.

Nightwish

One of my friends was given one for his 19th birthday by his parents. The problem was he is 6 foot 2. It was horrible for him to get in and out of. He had the problem with the pedals being too close together too. Also he had loads of problems with it. The gearbox had to be replaced after 6 months, the handbrake went and had horrible suspension.

L1011

Nightwish wrote: »

The gearbox had to be replaced after 6 months

Sure that wasn't due to being driven by a 19 year old learner?

Gearbox on that era of Fiat was HORRIFIC admittedly

LuckyStar

OP I think you should get a Punto instead, they are bigger.

dereko1969

are you all not talking about the old cinquecento? there is a new one coming out which isn't available here yet. i think it's great looking, the only problem will be the cost and availability
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6268522.stm

L1011

We're talking about the *only* "Cinquecento", the new one is called the 500, all numerals, no words...

There was a previous 500 also but its a bit hard to mix them up!

craichoe

Great for city driving and parking though, almost as small as a smart car !

cantdecide

Nightwish wrote: »

The problem was he is 6 foot 2. It was horrible for him to get in and out of. He had the problem with the pedals being too close together

Why won't they just seperate the bloody pedals. It's baffling.

My uncle had a friend who was almost 7' tall (no joke, he was local bouncer) and my uncle had a little yellow cinquecento sporting about 10 years ago. He was seen on at least one occasion with the passenger's head sticking out of the sunroof.

Slane 2003 (or 04? the year all teh good bandsplayed- QOTSA etc) following a friend home in his missus' cinq. 40mph all the way to cork in case he broke down. Partly cos it's a POS, partly cos of a bad fog. I still remember his reg. no.- I'll never forget staring at it all the way home.