I have now had my Marea 1.6 for about 16 months, and am still very impressed with the overall performance.
It was bought second hand for £7995, when the current price for the new model was in the region of £12000, so I thought the price was good.
The interior of the car is very comfortable, ... Read review
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I have now had my Marea 1.6 for about 16 months, and am still very impressed with the overall performance.
It was bought second hand for £7995, when the current price for the new model was in the region of £12000, so I thought the price was good.
The interior of the car is very comfortable, and more than spacious enought for the average family size - with my 2 little monsters and almost half the toys they own in the back, we ... ...found the cubbyhole to be smaller than I would like, with only enought space for the logbook and not much more. Definitely room for improvement there.
The leg room in front and back is good - with all the adults in my family being around the 6foot mark, I should know!!
The boot space is sufficient for the normal grocery loads, and/or baggage for short holidays, but not quite enough for longer holidays(and the larger suitcases that go ... more
I have now had my Marea 1.6 for about 16 months, and am still very impressed with the overall performance. It was bought second hand for £7995, when the current price for the new model was in the region of £12000, so I thought the price was good.
The interior of the car is very comfortable, and more than spacious enought for the average family size - with my 2 little monsters and almost half the toys they own in the back, we can still have a comfortable ride.
I found the cubbyhole to be smaller than I would like, with only enought space for the logbook and not much more. Definitely room for improvement there. The leg room in front and back is good - with all the adults in my family being around the 6foot mark, I should know!! The boot space is sufficient for the normal grocery loads, and/or baggage for short holidays, but not quite enough for longer holidays(and the larger suitcases that go with!). This is covered in the fact that the car comes standard with roof racks, so we bought a roof carrier for less than £100, which gives you more than enough room - even for all the toys owned by the kids(!), and the assorted suitcases. The roof racks are designed in such a way that they do not deter from the car's streamlined look, but rather enhance it. What is very convenient is that the tail gate opens down to allow you easier access into the boot. The back seats fold down allowing extra load space, and what I find usefull is that they fold down individually.
I am very comfortable with the road handling, and for want of a better phrase will have to say that it "sticks like glue to the road". DH enjoys putting a car through its paces, and after closing my eyes on a few occasions, I am now quite happy that the car can handle very well, even in wet conditions. (We will not comment too much about slipping down an ice encrusted hill in the middle of winter.)
The fuel consumption is only slightly better than average for short journeys, at roughly 10km to the litre, but is excellent on longer journeys - I recently did 450 miles on a tank of £40.(and may I add that I tend to have a, er, slightly heavy foot when it comes to long distance driving(cough))
The only problem I have had was at the cars first MOT this year, when they found that the rear exhaust was loose, but not a problem, I was told, we can just weld it back for you. Ok, said I, and when got home was yelled at by hubby!! True enough, days after a 600mile journey(on 1,5 tanks I do need to remind you)the rear exhaust fell right off!! Apparently, DH informs me you can't weld exhausts as they could bend and cause stress elswhere.(mm, ok then) So the major expenses to date, at a total of 42000 miles is replacing the exhaust and rear brake pads. This apart from 2 services at £120 each.(in my 16 months at any rate - log book shows 7 services before my time)
I am dissapointed that the exhaust system barely lasted 3 years, but other than that I am most impressed with this vehicle.(kids love it too)
Advantages: Cheap, Roomy, Resposive, Nippy Disadvantages: Engine can be noisy at low reves, insurance
The Fiat Marera Weekend 1.6 sx is the larger estate version of the Brava. Fiat are not known in the UK for their larger cars whcih is quite surprising as this is an excellent 2nd hand buy.
I picked up my 8 month Marea Weekend for &7499 with 12,000 miles on the clock. The inside is roomy and the seats comfortable. The ride is smooth and the handling excellent due to the 14 x 185 size tyres.
The dials on the dashboard are easy to read (especially ... ...The stereo is excellent and has a facility to add a CD changer. There is lots of room in both the front and rear and the car can carry a high volume load when the rear seats are down. Even though an estate the car is very good looking on the outside as well as in. There are no annoying rattles The engine is responsive and is nippy although only a 1.6 but can be a little noisy in low revs.
The only problem I have is that it is a group 10 insurance ...
markcrook 13.11.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Fiat Marea Weekend 1.6
Advantages: Value for money, performance ,equipment Disadvantages: Not as spacious as some, a few rattles, fuel consumption only average
Whilst the Fiat Marea Weekend is not normally a car that you would consider buying new, it makes an excellent secondhand purchase. I recently bought a 8 month old 1.6SX with 11,000 miles and 2 years warranty from a main dealer for £7995. The cost new was over £14,000. The Marea is reasonably quick with a lovely responsive Italian engine, a very slick 5 speed gearbox (better than a Ford Focus that I drove recently)and I'm averaging around 36 mpg. ... ...4 who have no idea how to travel light,but not as big inside as a Mondeo, and has excellent seats, which are very comfortable on long journeys. Mine came equipped with power steering, sunroof, climate control, twin front airbags, ABS, and electric front windows. There are cubby holes everywhere to stow all those bits and pieces and a very clever fold down tailgate which makes loading heavy loads very easy. Its quite well built (doors are much less ...
JTunnard 09.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Fiat Marea Weekend 1.6
Advantages: Roomy, good loading space, nice to drive Disadvantages: VERY expensive on parts and insurance :-(
...bought a 1997 R reg Fiat Marea 1.6 elx auto estate, with 70,000 on the clock. Prior to this I owned a Jaguar XJ6 and was shocked when the insurance company wanted MORE to insure this !!!!
The Fiat, however, is very nice to drive with lots of creature comforts, although Fiat did not put a cd player in the car which I think is a bit of a shame.
Although the car is only 6 years old there is already some signs of rust - on the roof and wheel arches ... ...starter motor was knackered and Fiat wanted around £170 for a new one (at first I thought the price must have been in Lira !!!!), but I managed to get a reconditioned one for about £100. Be warned Fiat parts are notoriously pricey :-(
If you are planning on buying one, also ensure the car has the red master key, without it you may come a cropper if the car needs anything electrical to be tested !
Apart from the above shortcomings, the car is roomy ...
Buenosdias 19.11.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Fiat Marea Weekend 1.6
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Quick review of Fiat Marea Weekend 1.6
i have owned my fiat marea ( on a "y" reg) 1.6 sx weekend for around 6 months now. i find the car comfortable and very good to drive although at times i find the ride a little hard. i get 30 to 35 mile to the gallon on average and recently bought front brake pads and discs ( i fitted them myself) for £29 (pads) and £38 (discs). the car is nippy and accelerates well through good, smooth gear changes, however in 5th gear find revs a little on high side (3000 rpm at 60 mph??). on the whole though happy with car. ( also no sign of rust anywhere.) ...
dennisdriver 06.04.2008
Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Fiat Marea Weekend 1.6
Advantages: Nice looking car for an estate. Fold down tailgate giving a flat bed boot area Disadvantages: None, for me
I purchased my marea second-hand when I was looking for a replacement car after becoming disabled due to a stroke. I needed a car that could accomodate my wheelchair and/or electric scooter.
I came across it by chance while visiting a dealer to view a different make of car recommended by the disabled driver's association.
I was attracted by the drop-down tailgate which allowed the use of ramps to get the scooter in. It also makes getting my wheelchair ... ...The inbuilt anchor points enable the scooter to be securely tied down for safety.
The scooter easily fits in with the rear seats folded down, with enough room for additional luggage, shopping, etc.
The loss of the rear seats is rarely a problem as most of the time it is only two of us travelling. It is possible to get the scooter in with the small seat upright, but takes more precise positioning. When all the rear seats are needed the boot easily ...
anntics 28.10.2003 (08.11.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Fiat Marea Weekend 1.6
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Advantages: Comfortable to drive. Roomy. Disadvantages: Very expensive to run. Spares difficult to obtain and expensive. Reliability questionable.
I bought my Marea second-hand from Stoneacres in Doncaster. From the outset, I have had numerous problems with the car. Many of these were sorted out by Stoneacres and I am grateful for the assistance given by their staff. However, since I bought the car in November, it has required 3 replacement injectors, 2 seat-belt buckles have failed, the rev counter works when it wants to and the windscreen wipers operate when I turn on the headlights. Some spares were difficult to obtain, therefore the repairs were delayed longer than average. The car is not economical with fuel and its powerful 16 valve engine means it is expensive to insure. Because of the adjustable driver's seat and steering column, it is ideal for disabled drivers (which is why I bought it). ...
brimidd 02.02.2003
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