Hatchback Recommendation - and do I dare buy a Fiat Tipo?

Dazed2020

Hi all, looking for some good advice as is often doled out here.

To give some background I won't be driving frequently - an 80km round trip one day a week, mostly main road/motorway. And probably once a month a 290km round trip, again, predominantly main road/motorway. And then the odd 5km drive to the shops etc.

I was hoping to spend ~€15-16k on something that can comfortably cruise along at 120km/h and isn't a complete poverty-spec.

Also looking for reliability/peace of mind - I've set arbitrary filters of 2017+ and sub 60,000km but can flex around those if I can get confidence in a better older car than what I seem to find.

With that in mind it seems a 2-3yr old Megane looks decent. about ~2k cheaper than an equivalent 308, Focus or i30. Kia Ceed & Opel Astra in a similar price bracket but interior/spec don't appear nearly as good.

Obviously a terrible time to buy and stock is low but am I missing anything obvious here?

If i go for the Megane would people recommend the 1.2l petrol or 1.5l diesel?

The other car that cropped up was a Fiat Tipo. Can get a 2017 1.4 petrol for about €13k or a 2019 for about €15k. The lower price is certainly of interest but I'm (naively?) sceptical of the reliability. Does anyone have insight/advice on them?

Cheers all

dmigsy

I just bought a 2017 1.6 diesel Auto Tipo. Not many of them about but from all the reading I did prior to purchase their reliability seems good. They will depreciate like a stone though. I got mine for €12k with only 32k km on it and a FSH. It will be doing lots of motorway miles and I'll keep it well serviced until it dies so I'm not too concerned about the depreciation in the short term. It's nice to drive. Not exciting but comfortable and quiet at motorway speeds if a bit noisy when you put the foot down in a low gear. The DCT auto is nice.

There are a few cheapo plastics on the interior but the higher-spec ones have decent kit. Mine's the Lounge trim and has auto-lights, auto-wipers, electric lumbar support, cruise control. The infotainment screen is comically small if you care about that. I don't. I can connect my phone via bluetooth and take calls/play music so it'll do.

In summary, you do get a lot for your money with the Tipo but don't expect to get much back if you're going to change again in 2 or 3 years.

Dazed2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117737328#Comment_117737328

Cheers. Agree that it's tricky to get much insight on them as they're pretty rare so thanks for that.

Depreciation is a fear tbh as I expect to move jobs & thus car needs will change in maybe 3-5yrs.

The Megane, Ceed and i30 are the clear winners in that class. If it's spec your after the Dynamique / GT Line Meganes are loaded with extras. Tipo are definitely not the worst car by any means but I wouldn't pick it over a Megane.

You can get the 1.2/1.3 petrol engine in the Megane or a 1.5/1.6 diesel. Only thing to be weary of is the clutch in them so if it's a main dealer your going to ask for a health check to be included as part of the deal if your going for a manual. The auto box is good as well.

road_high

I think the Tipo is a great buy and that’s generally backed up by anything I’ve read- it’s just the car itself is a little more “budget” in terms of fit and finish with lots of cheaper hard plastics. If that’s not an issue for you. I like the look of them myself. Think they’re built in turkey and have a Dacia style simplicity and utilitarian feel to them which means cheaper bills long term than something more sophisticated

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058203414/hatchback-recommendation-and-do-i-dare-buy-a-fiat-tipo

Buy the Fiat ,those Tipos are cheaper second hand than a Dacia and a far more luxurious choice relatively speaking

They are great value used

L1011

Been told that its quite important to make sure the software is updated on them, except I can't remember why. Some dealers will have done it at service and/or before sale on a s/h model but some just never bother.