3 ms·

I'm in the UK and I've have a couple of vehicles, both European and both diesel. Not VW! They are great. I wouldn't buy anything else. Fuel here is expensive so

I'm in the UK and I've have a couple of vehicles, both European and both diesel. Not VW! They are great. I wouldn't buy anything else. Fuel here is expensive so it's a good idea to keep it simple. I had a 2006 Citroen C3 diesel. Even with the air con on full whack, I could get 64mpg out of it on an average ~60mph journey. In London traffic, I got 52mpg out of it. I now have a 2006 Fiat Doblo 1.3 diesel van/people carrier. This is a much larger vehicle but it's genuinely hard not to get at least 46mpg out of it with 5 people and a load of crap in it. On my own, 58mpg. The latter had a timing chain replaced for around £500 but apart from consumables, no problems in several years. I really don't get it when I see someone in a Dodge Ram (suddenly become popular in the UK?!?) hammering it up the motorways with no load or passengers.

rdouble 13y ago
I'm not sure about the UK but in the USA it is easy to write off trucks over 6000lbs as a business expense.
barking 13y ago
FIAT, fix it again tomorrow. Fiats have a lousy reputation and this is deserved in my experience. Also Puntos are the car I see most often abandoned by the roadside
- sergiosgc 13y ago
  Fiat produces quite reliable engines. Their multijet engines are unbeatable in the small gasoline engine class (1-1.2l). The JTD engines, while not Mercedes-quality, fare better than VW's TDIs. Now, if you are talking about electrical wiring problems in their cars, I'll have to concede. It's the XXI century, and they still can't get wiring right.
- harrytuttle 13y ago
  Well based on the timing chain replacement alone, I'd agree but I've done 40k miles in it and that's been the only problem. Some people don't get the luck I have out of a Doblo: http://www.ausmotive.com/images/Fiat-van.jpg http://www.ausmotive.com/images/Fiat-van.jpg :)
timw6n 13y ago
1 US mpg = 1.2 UK mpg and the EU method for calculating those numbers is, so I hear, more lenient than its US equivalent, so those numbers sound more impressive than they really are.

rdouble 13y ago

I'm not sure about the UK but in the USA it is easy to write off trucks over 6000lbs as a business expense.

barking 13y ago

FIAT, fix it again tomorrow. Fiats have a lousy reputation and this is deserved in my experience. Also Puntos are the car I see most often abandoned by the roadside

sergiosgc 13y ago
Fiat produces quite reliable engines. Their multijet engines are unbeatable in the small gasoline engine class (1-1.2l). The JTD engines, while not Mercedes-quality, fare better than VW's TDIs. Now, if you are talking about electrical wiring problems in their cars, I'll have to concede. It's the XXI century, and they still can't get wiring right.
harrytuttle 13y ago
Well based on the timing chain replacement alone, I'd agree but I've done 40k miles in it and that's been the only problem. Some people don't get the luck I have out of a Doblo: http://www.ausmotive.com/images/Fiat-van.jpg http://www.ausmotive.com/images/Fiat-van.jpg :)

timw6n 13y ago

1 US mpg = 1.2 UK mpg and the EU method for calculating those numbers is, so I hear, more lenient than its US equivalent, so those numbers sound more impressive than they really are.