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Had a test drive today in a Fiat Stilo JTD diesel, thought it was a really nice car to drive, but I could do with some feedback as to anyones expreriences with the Stilo as ive added to the Stilo 1.9 JTD 115hp 3 door Dynamic to my shopping list.
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We had a petrol Stilo for a while at work and , yes it was nice etc, but nothing special. On a personal level, I would only ever buy one if it was a really good deal as I don't think residual prices are great.
Regarding the diesel, I previously posted that I couldn't catch a diesel Fiat Doblo in my Mondeo 2.0 which pulled away from me at a roundabout onto a motorway slip road, so , assuming its the same engine, it looked good to me!
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Its a really good engine. The GF has an Alfa 147 with that same engine, it is quite quick, and she gets 50mpg. Also the engine has been around for a while, which is good.
The comment about the residuals is a good one, but if you get it at a good discount, then it shouldnt be a problem
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Hi John.
Did you ever watch a BBC programme called "Blue Peter" when you were young?
You could make anything from Sellotape, cardboard and Fairy liquid bottles.
The Italians did and learned lots.
If you want a Stilo, get one with twin exhausts and a heated rear window. Whenever it dies, your hands will be warm as you push it, and when the eror of your ways is revealed, the exhausts will resemble a wheelbarrow, so you'll get some use out of it.
If you're determined, buy the best one you can. It will be very cheap. Expect to get nothing back on resale. You won't.
Good luck, mate.
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Sean, I appreciate you have a minor bias, but come on! The Fiat Group diesels are pretty fine engines. It's just a shame that the rest of the car doesn't always meet the standards set by the oily bits under the bonnet.
That said, although I drive an Alfa JTD I would hesitate at going as far as owning a Fiat. The flimsy assembly and electrical niggles would have me tearing my hair out. Some Alfas share this trait but it seems, thankfully, that I got one where they used loctite on the screws holding it together. There is also the small matter of the Stilo looking like it was made for Playmobil people.
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I ran a Stilo 1.9JTD dynamic for 5 months and 8000 miles without a single problem.
The engine was fantastic, build quality was ok.
The only problem was the seats, no matter how much adjustment I made it was never quite right and the material was very 'scratchy'.
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The Stilo is a nice car, better made than most people give it credit for & the Dynamic version has a few toys on which are worth having. JTD by far the best engine, the petrols are too thirsty for my liking.
Two fairly obvious points that I would make, based on own experience:
1) There are lots of pre-reg and demo models about, for about £4k off list, and a lot have had extra bits put on by the dealers that ordered them.
2) Ex-rental ones are not the best examples.
HTH
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Okay, thanks for the comments up to now, The reason the Stlilo JTD got considered is because Jamjar.com are doing them cheap at the moment, Full retail is £13250, and jamajr are doing the 3 door JTD 115 Dynamic for £9967 including metallic paint, with me first owner on the log book. The only other deal to come anywhere near this is on the Nissan Almera 1.5 Flare 5 door (petrol) which has a retail of £12100 and is availible preregistered from www.motorprovider.co.uk of Sheffield, for £9200 including metallic paint. Im funding this through a compensation settlement and some of my own money, but im having to be very strictly "cash limited" on this deal and 10k is my top limit. I know these are very different cars, but im considering anything up to 10k availible via the net. My ownership and journey "profile" are that I commute 3 miles each way every day to work and do about 30 miles at weekends so im only looking at an annual mileage of 7k, I tend to hang onto my car for a long time if they are reliable and theres the crunch. My job means that lateness and breakdowns cannot be permitted, I HAVE to be at work for set times. My previous expereince of Fiats was a nearly new Tempra(mental) in the mid 90's which was massively unreliable, spent about 3 months in incompetent dealers (not) being fixed and eventually caught fire writing it off. hence the request for opinions and advice. SO does the Almera look the best bet? Bear in mind im a bit wide and dont really like superminis...........LOL
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With your mileage take the Almera.
And that's from an Alfa driving diesel fanatic.
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ND's dead right. Pointless having the higher servicing costs of a diesel for such a low mileage, you'll not really get the benefit of the MPG difference and with the engine scarcely getting warm in the week it'll get so bunged up that it'll feel like driving a sack of coal. If you were doing ten times that mileage then yes, it would be worth getting the diesel.
And that is from a Fiat diesel fanatic! ;-)
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My brother has had a 1.5 Almera from new for 3 years.
Not a single problem, just routine servicing and has averaged 40 mpg.
Madness to risk a Fiat with Japanese reliability a viable alternative.
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No other deal comes close? Try this little lot, all five doors with air con and most with alloys...
Focus 1.6 LX 5d - £9550 from www.newregcars.co.uk or Ghia £10132
Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-3 in metallic black - £10099 as above
Renault Mégane 1.6 Expression - £9899 from www.best4cars.co.uk or Dynamique £10199
Honda Civic 1.6 SE - £10300 from www.motorprovider.co.uk
Or, if you can still get one, the cheap, base model Almera you were looking at.
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I haven't come across many others bigger than myself and I find the Focus quite comfortable. For the price listed above I would suggest considering it.
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I would try the new megane 1.5dci in dynamique trim not amazingly fast but it is a nice drive and well specified car. Alternatively the 1.4 petrol may be worth considering but I havent driven that.
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I have driven the 1.4 Mégane and I liked it a lot. More than the Corolla anyway, although there have been lots of reports about questionable quality which means that I might be a little bit hesitant about choosing one with my own money for long term ownership.
Subjectively though, the Mégane handles more sharply (I drove a 1.4 Extreme on 15" wheels), has a nicer tactile feel, and a good engine with plenty of pick up if you give it 4k revs - as it should from 98 bhp.
The Corolla is a good car, though the T-2 is a bit too basic, like the Mégane Authentique to be fair. However the reliability is there, which is important, and the styling is certainly more conventional.
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