are fiat really that bad ?

grid_locked

my mother ( mid sixties ) is looking for a new car , MPG is her biggest priority , she likes the look of her neighbours diesel ford fiesta but also likes the look of the fiat punto 1.3 diesel multijet

according to carzone, both cars are similar in size and everything else( engine size - bhp ) but their is nearly 3 k in the price difference , on top of that the punto 1.3 multi jet has a five year warranty verus a 24 mth on the fiesta

retail value is not important as my mum will keep either for ten years

my question is , are fiat as awfull as most people seem to believe ?

thanks

Bpmull

My last car had that fiat 1.3 Diesel engine and I couldn't complain there a good engine once serviced with the correct oil. As for fiat cars in general I couldn't really comment as I've never had one. We had fiat vans before and they didn't cause any trouble.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Puntos have been reliable cars since their introduction to the market and Fiat Diesel engines are generally reliable so long as they're properly serviced. If your mum is buying new and lives near a dealership then I'd go for the fiat as 3k is a considerable difference in two similar sized cars.

dgt

grid_locked wrote: »

my mother ( mid sixties ) is looking for a new car , MPG is her biggest priority , she likes the look of her neighbours diesel ford fiesta but also likes the look of the fiat punto 1.3 diesel multijet

according to carzone, both cars are similar in size and everything else( engine size - bhp ) but their is nearly 3 k in the price difference , on top of that the punto 1.3 multi jet has a five year warranty verus a 24 mth on the fiesta

retail value is not important as my mum will keep either for ten years

my question is , are fiat as awfull as most people seem to believe ?

thanks

No

Keep on top of servicing and all will be grand

grid_locked

CJC999 wrote: »

Punts have been reliable cars since their introduction to the market and Fiat Diesel engines are generally reliable so long as they're properly serviced. If your mum is buying new and lives near a dealership then I'd go for the fiat as 3k is a considerable difference in two similar sized cars.

perhaps carzone is wrong but its a huge amount on a small car

OldmanMondeo

They used to be that bad. Seem to be more reliable then some big name now. The only down fall is the build quality, cheaper plastics pn the interior.

Mr Benevolent

No, they're generally good value cars and run well.

grid_locked

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

They used to be that bad. Seem to be more reliable then some big name now. The only down fall is the build quality, cheaper plastics pn the interior.

are kia and hyundai not accused of also having plasticy interiors

Fizman

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

They used to be that bad. Seem to be more reliable then some big name now. The only down fall is the build quality, cheaper plastics pn the interior.

I couldn't fault the build quality of my girlfriends 500. Yes, it's not made from the same materials as a modern Audi for example, but it's one very sturdy little car.

dgt

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

They used to be that bad. Seem to be more reliable then some big name now. The only down fall is the build quality, cheaper plastics pn the interior.

Chipboard would have been better than the metals they used in the 70s and 80s which seemed to crumble like muffins :pac:

The creaky dashes and trim began to disappear when the Punto came out in 93, a let down to the Tempra, Tipo, Croma etc which were pretty damn good cars but the flimsy feeling dashes that would creak and squeak every chance it got would rive some people mad! Interior noises are quite low nowadays, even with the older models there's very little road or wind noise

grid_locked

sounds like their in reality underrated

theidiots

I have an 03 1.2L petrol punto for the last four years years. Drive it a lot and on long distances, never once had a problem with it. Not really made though to go over 100 km as they start drinking petrol like mad then and can feel the engine struggling. Otherwise I still get 45 mpg out of it, maybe 30 over the 100km

CiniO

I have a 12 year old fiat bravo 1.2 with over 200k kilometres on the clock, and it's running perfectly.
I've had it for last 5 years, done half of it's mileage and never had any serious problems with it. Mostly just regular servicing and some work with suspension and exhaust. That's it.
It's way better than any other car I've owned.

kneemos

Would a small petrol engine not be cheaper and more suited to her needs,presumably she's not doing huge milage at age sixty five?

CiniO

kneemos wrote: »

Would a small petrol engine not be cheaper and more suited to her needs,presumably she's not doing huge milage at age sixty five?

But hey, she likes the look of diesel fiesta, and she likes the look of diesel punto, so it looks like it must be a diesel.

ba_barabus

CiniO wrote: »

But hey, she likes the look of diesel fiesta, and she likes the look of diesel punto, so it looks like it must be a diesel.

She needs a go of a TwinAir 500.

Cracking little car.

kneemos

grid_locked wrote: »

my mother ( mid sixties ) is looking for a new car , MPG is her biggest priority , she likes the look of her neighbours diesel ford fiesta but also likes the look of the fiat punto 1.3 diesel multijet

according to carzone, both cars are similar in size and everything else( engine size - bhp ) but their is nearly 3 k in the price difference , on top of that the punto 1.3 multi jet has a five year warranty verus a 24 mth on the fiesta

retail value is not important as my mum will keep either for ten years

my question is , are fiat as awfull as most people seem to believe ?

thanks

The diesel will also take a lot longer to warm up which might be a consideration for your old mum.

grid_locked

kneemos wrote: »

Would a small petrol engine not be cheaper and more suited to her needs,presumably she's not doing huge milage at age sixty five?

my mum was a farmers wife , if petrol was free , she,d still have to have a diesel

grid_locked

kneemos wrote: »

The diesel will also take a lot longer to warm up which might be a consideration for your old mum.

carefull

my mum is 65 in november , not 85

MuppetCheck

grid_locked wrote: »

my mum was a farmers wife , if petrol was free , she,d still have to have a diesel

Diesels used on short runs have the potential to cause issues in the long term. Couple that with a lower purchase price and the petrol is often the smarter purchase.

grid_locked

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Diesels used on short runs have the potential to cause issues in the long term. Couple that with a lower purchase price and the petrol is often the smarter purchase.

completley agree but like i said my mum wouldnt buy a petrol if petrol was free and diesel was a tenner per litre

MuppetCheck

grid_locked wrote: »

completley agree but like i said my mum wouldnt buy a petrol if petrol was free and diesel was a tenner per litre

That's her choice sure.

kneemos

Only ever been in a Doblo lately and I must say it was very solid and reasonably comfortable,the dash was a bit Fisher Price however.Don't know if these bear any relation to a Punto though.

Hitchens

grid_locked wrote: »

my mum was a farmers wife , if petrol was free , she,d still have to have a diesel

hard to bate d'oul green diesel

Nissan doctor

grid_locked wrote: »

my mum was a farmers wife , if petrol was free , she,d still have to have a diesel

She might be in for a shock with a new generation Diesel.

If she only does short trips then it very unlikely she'll have it for 10 years.

sean1141

As above. Modern diesels have come a long way from the diesles of even 10years ago. Its not the millage that counts its the type of driving.

grid_locked

Hitchens wrote: »

hard to bate d'oul green diesel

you got it

farmers are rich for a reason