Fiat Stilo ? Good car/Bad car

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gempip · #1 Post by **gempip** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:19 pm

I know its nothing to do with m/bikes but is there anybody out there that owns a Fiat Stilo 1.6 16v Dynamic as I am thinking of getting one, a 52, and I would be interested to know what you think of them before I take the plunge. I have an old Punto at the mo but she is ready for the scrapyard. Cheers.

Fat Harry · #2 Post by **Fat Harry** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:31 pm

Mate of mine had 2, wouldn't have bought the 2nd if the 1st wasn't a good un !!

& has just got a new Grande Punto so he must have faith in Fiat !

gempip · #3 Post by **gempip** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:33 pm

Fat Harry wrote:Mate of mine had 2, wouldn't have bought the 2nd if the 1st wasn't a good un !!
& has just got a new Grande Punto so he must have faith in Fiat !

Cheers m8, I must admit Fiat get a bit of stick but I had my 97 Punto for 6 years with no problems at all barring normal wear and tear, (maybe I was lucky)

lazarus · #4 Post by **lazarus** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:55 pm

Its a Fiat, and if its anything like the one I had it will fall to bits. Not the basics like engine and body, but all the other bits from seats to electrics. The JD Power surveys confirm this and makers dont get the sort of rep that Fiat have (or Cotroen for that matter) without deserving it.

Fat Harry · #5 Post by **Fat Harry** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:59 pm

Checked the 2006 JD results. These are the worst !
Some surprises here, expensive models normally associated with reliability !!

#6 Post by **Kwackerz** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:08 pm

Totally off on a tangent..

this looked good (well the design) when looking for a car

http://www.vcars.co.uk/usedcars/norfolk/Norfolk.htm

Gio · #7 Post by **Gio** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:33 pm

Fat Harry wrote:Checked the 2006 JD results. These are the worst !
Some surprises here, expensive models normally associated with reliability !!

No surprises there, except the BM its actually applicable across the range, ie the engine is good but the rest of it is shite, especially the paintwork.

The Fiat Punto since 2001 has been very reliable and it doesn't have the electrical problems it used to have.

#8 Post by **Kwackerz** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:51 pm

http://www.carsurvey.org/model_Fiat_Stilo.html

Stilo, not Punto...

Gio · #9 Post by **Gio** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:55 pm

Kwackerz wrote:http://www.carsurvey.org/model_Fiat_Stilo.html

Stilo, not Punto...

So good to see

2005 Fiat Stilo reviews, the most well written

and the reply

Absolutely good car I ever had at all

Nice to see some people are consistent

gempip · #10 Post by **gempip** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:42 pm

Well these replys have been very informative and I also have looked at Parkers reviews and Auto Express and What Car and as everybody gives conflicting reports (although some in Parkers and What car really slated the Stilo) I suppose its a case of you pays your money you takes your chance!! The one I was interested was a 5 door 1.6 16v Dynamic 23000mls on a 52 plate but at £5000 I reckon it was well overpriced so for the mo I will still look around for a bit, but thanks for the interest.

Fat Harry · #11 Post by **Fat Harry** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:39 pm

Gio wrote:
Fat Harry wrote:Checked the 2006 JD results. These are the worst !
Some surprises here, expensive models normally associated with reliability !!

No surprises there, except the BM its actually applicable across the range, ie the engine is good but the rest of it is shite, especially the paintwork.

The Fiat Punto since 2001 has been very reliable and it doesn't have the electrical problems it used to have.

SAAB's & Audi !! Bloody surprised me as being amongst the worst out there !!

lazarus · #12 Post by **lazarus** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:27 pm

I dont know how many Puntos were reported on nor how many 7 series there were. Stats get more reliable the bigger the numbers, and since most reliability problems are down to production quality rather than design, I reckon that the stats by manufacturer are a better guide.

This site shows the bottom 5 manufacturers, two of which are Fiat group, one is Landrover and one is Peugeot . Mostly the better makers are Jap as you would expect.

http://www.jdpower.com/presspass/pr/ima ... 4afull.gif

Fat Harry · #13 Post by **Fat Harry** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:58 pm

Mercedes & VW below average ! Well there's a thing !

BikerGran · #14 Post by **BikerGran** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:02 am

I know nothing about the modern Fiats but I have to say one of the best small cars I ever had was a Fiat 127 - that was the one that looked a lot like the early Fiesta.

It had a tiny engine - can't remember the size but I know it was smaller than the datsun Cherry I had which was 988cc - and it pulled up a steep hill near here with 4 of us and the dog, just like the hill wasn't there! Put the rear seat down and you could get 2 pushbikes in the back without much difficulty.

Reliability wasn't bad but it was a nightmare if you needed a part cos they changed the parts many times during a production run so the VIN number was no guide to which part you needed! The only reliable way to get the right part was to take the old one off and take it along to the Fiat dealer - and even then they might have to order it from Italy!

moletrap · #15 Post by **moletrap** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:39 pm

The second-hand car market is very price-sensitive, the perception of unreliability makes Fiats, Citroens etc particularly cheap even if the reality differs. It's rare to find a modern car with any major faults, but minor electrics and build quality can still vary loads.

I wouldn’t rule it out if it was priced accordingly, ie it’s not worth very much. In 4 years it’s done most of its depreciation and you could easily get 5+ years decent use out of it.