Would you buy a Fiat?

DerekM1974

I think Fiat has made some steps in the right direction of late. The newer models have flown under the radar a little but from what I've seen are a marked improvement on anything else they've produced such as the 500x and the Tipo for example.

They don't seem to sell in great numbers with the exception of the little 500 (the wife drives one and loves it) and I was wondering why that is?

So, my question is would you buy a Fiat and if not why not?

colm_mcm

500 hatch is desirable and unique. The rest of the range is generic and gives buyers no reason to buy them over brands with an actual dealer network.

Ardennes1944

500 and Grande Puntos are quite popular over here, as are 500 Abarths.
500l, I see a few around, hardly ever a 500x, although in that bright red colour I think they look very nice.
We have a Grande Punto ourselves and its been reliable.

Would I buy one new? No chance.

kmb

Ha Ha I saw the heading and had to see if colm would be first in knowing his love for the brand. I was not disappointed.
For me, I have always had mostly fiats and while I agree that the dealer network has changed, I wouldn't be tempted by other brands easily.
Take a look on boards for Fiat posts looking for help,how many will you find?
I was tempted by the new Tipo lounge but the only thing stopping me was that my own bravo 2008 sport has been faultless in the last 8 years.
For example the girl at work has a very low mileage 142 i20 and finally got the heater matrix swapped out last week,this has been going on since last November.
Do i need a headache like that?

dar83

kmb wrote: »

Ha Ha I saw the heading and had to see if colm would be first in knowing his love for the brand. I was not disappointed.
For me, I have always had mostly fiats and while I agree that the dealer network has changed, I wouldn't be tempted by other brands easily.
Take a look on boards for Fiat posts looking for help,how many will you find?
I was tempted by the new Tipo lounge but the only thing stopping me was that my own bravo 2008 sport has been faultless in the last 8 years.
For example the girl at work has a very low mileage 142 i20 and finally got the heater matrix swapped out last week,this has been going on since last November.
Do i need a headache like that?

I think you'll find that's more to do with actual sales numbers in recent years compared to anything else. Seeing a Fiat on the road these days isn't the same as it was in the 90's, there are a few 500's around but not in the same way of the Punto/Bravo/Brava back then. Other manufacturers (such as Hyundai that you also mention) have taken chunks out of the Fiat market here and people naturally gravitate towards those brands now for cheaper motoring.

To answer the original question, would I buy one? No, I don't think I ever would, new or second hand. The only exception to that rule would possibly be for an Abarth, but the rest of their offerings hold no desirability for me.

colm_mcm

kmb wrote: »

Ha Ha I saw the heading and had to see if colm would be first in knowing his love for the brand. I was not disappointed.
For me, I have always had mostly fiats and while I agree that the dealer network has changed, I wouldn't be tempted by other brands easily.
Take a look on boards for Fiat posts looking for help,how many will you find?
I was tempted by the new Tipo lounge but the only thing stopping me was that my own bravo 2008 sport has been faultless in the last 8 years.
For example the girl at work has a very low mileage 142 i20 and finally got the heater matrix swapped out last week,this has been going on since last November.
Do i need a headache like that?

I don't hate the brand. I used to buy them back in the day. The brand has amazing heritage.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Dord

I own one currently ('11 Panda) but would hesitate buying a new one from a FIAT dealer. If I did buy another one it'd be used and not from a main dealer.

Their dealer network is really letting them down IMO. I'm speaking from experience here.

In contrast, the indy I go to (Auto Maintenance Services in Finglas) is the best garage I've ever dealt with. If the attention to detail and customer service from the indy were prevalent in the main dealers it'd go a long way to helping them.

nosilver

Never would touch them again.

Wife's fiat lost steering in middle of road. It transpired that it was a known issue with the model.

Car was 4 months out of warranty and dealer and fiat refused point blank to fix it until we lodged scc papers.

The attitude of dealer and of fiat distributor themselves was utterly shocking and disgraceful and I would never even contemplate purchasing from them whilst current distributor manages the brand.

With motors, I firmly believe aftersales care is of extreme importance when choosing a car.

Toyotafanboi

I wouldn't not buy one on reliability grounds. They're probably of a similar level of unreliability to most modern stuff.

As pointed out in this and other threads, the dealer network isn't amazing, the finance rates aren't competitive and on models other than the 500 you're pretty much guaranteed to lose your shirt come trade in time which probably influences a lot of people's decisions.

That said, mam has a 141 500 that she bought when it was 6 months old, it's very fond of engine oil, various bits of the interior have broken off, all replaced under warranty, the stereo broke which was replaced under warranty and main dealer servicing is very expensive but she loves the car, I'll admit it does have charm, the price is right on them and they seem to hold value well.

chocksaway

i love my grande punto. nicely styled in my opinion and touch-wood it's been very reliable

kmb

dar83 wrote: »

I think you'll find that's more to do with actual sales numbers in recent years compared to anything else. Seeing a Fiat on the road these days isn't the same as it was in the 90's, there are a few 500's around but not in the same way of the Punto/Bravo/Brava back then. Other manufacturers (such as Hyundai that you also mention) have taken chunks out of the Fiat market here and people naturally gravitate towards those brands now for cheaper motoring.

To answer the original question, would I buy one? No, I don't think I ever would, new or second hand. The only exception to that rule would possibly be for an Abarth, but the rest of their offerings hold no desirability for me.

Hi dar83,

Which model of Hyundai are you referring to and what is the current price compared to the Tipo?
Is 4-5 months acceptable for Hyundai warranty work in your opinion?

Stallingrad

No. Styling I find mildly repulsive (500XL), interiors are poor, and they just don't seem relevant anymore. What do they offer that the Germans/Koreans/French don't do far better? Pity as we all want the Italians to do well, but they still have a long way to go IMO.

boardsuser1

My first car was a Fiat Brava, I loved it but wrecked it.

I also had 4 Fiat Punto's.

I liked the older Fiat's.

Have no experience of the newer stuff but yes I would buy one.

kooga

my first car was a brand new fiat punto sporting in 1998 followed it up with another punto sporting in 2000.

continued my love affair with Italian cars with a 1.6 147 in 2001 and a 2.0 147 in 2003.

I have to agree the brand has lost its way- and this is down to the irish distributor and the dealer network!

chicorytip

The new Panda is excellent and, crucially, now has the full range of safety features which were lacking in the previous model.

I'd be tempted possibly by a 3 year old Tipo 1.4 turbo in a few years but I'm thinking a 1.5 turbo Insignia might not be too much more

Four Phucs Ache

My dad had a Fiat 128, several 127's a tempra and mam had unos , tipos and punto after punto.

Over 30 years of ownership nothing went bang.Nothing other than general service and rusty tailpipes in the 90's.Not even a clutch went.

Mother's current punto 08 is a flyer with180k on the clock now.Every panel is spurious though coz she's a sh*t parker.

blingrhino

i had an X19 ,a 127 , 128 first car ! loved it, a punto 45 elx with a sunroof all of which give little or no Trouble unlike some of my more recent cars .

New tipo seems allright for that type of money ?

Horrendous residuals unfortunately is par for the course.

Patser

I'd fecking love a new Fiat 124 but not sure if that's in the ethos of the OP since it's pretty much a rebadged MX5, built in Japan etc.

pa990

i wouldnt buy one, but thats because i'm a snob.

However, i would have one over a Dacia.

CalamariFritti

No

JohnBoy26

kmb wrote: »

Hi dar83,

Which model of Hyundai are you referring to and what is the current price compared to the Tipo?
Is 4-5 months acceptable for Hyundai warranty work in your opinion?

Just because one i20 has an issue doesn't mean they all do. Hyundai's are generally very reliable.

JohnBoy26

kooga wrote: »

my first car was a brand new fiat punto sporting in 1998 followed it up with another punto sporting in 2000.

continued my love affair with Italian cars with a 1.6 147 in 2001 and a 2.0 147 in 2003.

I have to agree the brand has lost its way- and this is down to the irish distributor and the dealer network!

It's not though really, well it's not the main reason anyway. Poor past experiences with the brand and a model linup that doesn't stand out from the competition are more of a factor.

meeeeh

I have 2009 Bravo with about 130000km on clock. I had no mechanical issues with it at all and it's pleasant to drive. I don't overly care about top speed but I like the car that is quick joining the traffic and dynamic to drive and in that regard I find it great. I got it after Opel Astra which I hated from bottom of my heart. It was a car that killed any joy of driving.

Next time probably won't be Fiat, it will be something a bit bigger than Bravo and I never liked bigger Fiats. I did own or drive quite a few Alfas before and I might stick with Italians. ðŸ˜

blackbox

Yes.

I've owned 3 in the past.

127
X1-9
Uno

jimmy blevins

Patser wrote: »

I'd fecking love a new Fiat 124 but not sure if that's in the ethos of the OP since it's pretty much a rebadged MX5, built in Japan etc.

The best of both worlds, Italian design and heritage and Japanese engineering.

dar83

kmb wrote: »

Hi dar83,

Which model of Hyundai are you referring to and what is the current price compared to the Tipo?
Is 4-5 months acceptable for Hyundai warranty work in your opinion?

Im referring to any Hyundai in the same classes available as today's Fiat's, or even more generally any of the Korean manufacturers (or even Dacia now in fact). They all offer a more attractive package to the Irish market than Fiat does, including the support network and even such things as marketing and finance options.

I'm not sure what your question or point is about warranty work, I don't own or have ever owned a Hyundai so I have no experience of it and didn't bring it up for discussion...

A petrol i30 is €23k... even factoring in scrapping bonus etc that's some way from the €17k tipo sedan.

Hyundai are more expensive than Toyota & Ford.

DerekM1974

Patser wrote:

I'd fecking love a new Fiat 124 but not sure if that's in the ethos of the OP since it's pretty much a rebadged MX5, built in Japan etc.

If it's a Fiat badge on it it's fair game.

DerekM1974

JohnBoy26 wrote:

Just because one i20 has an issue doesn't mean they all do. Hyundai's are generally very reliable.

Same logic can be applied to all car manufacturers these days?

DerekM1974

JohnBoy26 wrote:

It's not though really, well it's not the main reason anyway. Poor past experiences with the brand and a model linup that doesn't stand out from the competition are more of a factor.

This is where I don't follow the logic, granted I'm not coming from a poor past experience but this is where I disagree: "stand out from the competition" is not a requisite if you're comparable and cheaper, no?

coolbeans

Had an Abarth for a year. Great yoke. I chucked it about and brought it to a few track days. Seemed to love the abuse and nothing went wrong. Would buy again in future but need something a bit bigger

Atlantic Dawn

The stuff from late 90's early 2000's I woudn't touch but the newer stuff like 500 and Bravo really do look like premium cars. I could be 100% wrong but that's my percerption.

corks finest

DerekM1974 wrote: »

I think Fiat has made some steps in the right direction of late. The newer models have flown under the radar a little but from what I've seen are a marked improvement on anything else they've produced such as the 500x and the Tipo for example.

They don't seem to sell in great numbers with the exception of the little 500 (the wife drives one and loves it) and I was wondering why that is?

So, my question is would you buy a Fiat and if not why not?

No,had a few, along side French, electric gremlins(going back 12/13 years)

Sam Kade

Fix It Again Tomorrow, no thanks

bigtimecharlie

Fiat (and Ford) will always be on my blacklist.

StereoSound

What do you call a Fiat with a sunroof? A skip.

No I wouldn't buy one, however I did have a Alfa at one stage and it did break down despite its charming arse.

I don't dislike Fiat, I admit I always liked the Unos and the 500s

ShadowHearth

Never owned one, but there were few that I always liked.
Fiat coupe was really cool looking thing. Normal fiat 500 was always interesting to me, though I hate all those stupid variations of it.
New tipo looks like a big bang for the money and I did looked in to it. Lots of equipment for very reasonable price, just the profile of the car is really meh. No led rear lights even on highest model. Feels very modern and at the same time very aged car if it makes sense.

Do I think fiat is crap? No, just like all manufacturers theu have bad years and good years. Its just after bad years its very hard to get wrid of that public image. French right now are perfect example of it. New citroen and Renault look amazing now and their relaibility went very high in last few years, but people still have this: its french, Le ****.

bladespin

Yes, Fiat or Alfa, have had both before ans will again, super fun cars general and haven't had reliability issues with either, they're ahead of VW and Ford on that front in my experience anyway - mad.

Guy:Incognito

No. I'd buy an Alfa

pa990

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Just because one i20 has an issue doesn't mean they all do. Hyundai's are generally very reliable.

http://giphy.com/gifs/angrybirds-facebook-angry-birds-stickers-3o6gEfIiAQgbDUyg5W

colm_mcm

Yeah, but he's right though.

pajor

A couple of years ago I had a 2002 Punto. 1.2 8V.. 60hp was not enough. It was ecomonical though, 47 mpg.

I got rid of it after less than 6 months after the airbag light came on. I took it took the garage I bought it (indy place), where they just shrugged their shoulders. Also had minor electrical issues, problems with lights and indicators. It hindsight more a reflection on the garage than the car.

My OH hated it from day 1, partly because it was red. Mainly because it was a FIAT of course.

I'm glad I got rid of it, but I'll always sorta treasure it. First car I got here in NL. Would I buy a FIAT again though? Yeah I probably would, they've come along way since 2002.

Kamili

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Got any more classics :rolleyes: Loads of Trouble usually serious (LOTUS) perhaps?

Fails On Rainy Days

Hope You Understand Nothing's Driveable And Inexpensive

Just Eats Every Part

Failed Italian Automotive Technology

colm_mcm

F**king Italians Assembled This

Found In A Tip

Break My Windows

PukkaStukka

I've had 3 Fiats in the last 10 years. A Punto (great) a Grande Punto diesel (bad, due to previous misuse) and now a Stilo (immortal and very reliable!!).

I've also had use of a Bravo which was ace!

Would I buy another Fiat? I would if the deal was good enough. I've heard all the ****e about unreliability and it isn't borne out in my case. They are like any good car and are fine if looked after.

.........

I go by the model not the make. Make is not a very good guide to reliability. There's noting wrong with Fiat if you buy the right models.

Haven't even sat on any recent models but always rave about my old 00' Brava 80 SX. Hilariously revvy 1.2 and a very chuckable handling car that just loved R roads. Red line for good time and it loved it. Best 175 quid I ever spent.