Fiat Marea Weekend 1.9 JTD

...a FSH from Reg Vardy Fiat in Darlington. This included 6 months tax (£60), new mats and 18 months (or 36,000 miles) of manufacturers' warranty.

What’s gone wrong ? Well nothing so far, He commutes about 400 to 500 miles a week and so far it hasn’t let me down in any way. He have purchased a 2 year (24,000 mile) servicing package (2 x 12,000 mile services) from Arnold Clark Fiat in Dundee for £ 265.00 which is a much better deal than ...
...cost of £110.00. The Fiat tow bar would have cost £138.00 + £150.00 fitting! Please note that a special detachable tow bar is required for the Weekend due to the split tail gate. The rear seats fold completely flat thanks to head rests that retract into the seat backs and child seats are easily fitted to the relatively flat rear bench seat. All five occupants get 3 point seat belts and there is even a controllable aircon/heat vent to keep the back ... more

W bought our Y reg (March 2001) Marea 7 months and 10,000 miles ago as a replacement for my hubby's ageing but very economical (60 mpg) Peugeot 309 diesel. His main reason for buying this particular car was the excellent value for money they represent as a used buy. We paid £6900 for an 18 month old example with 15,000 miles on the clock and a FSH from Reg Vardy Fiat in Darlington. This included 6 months tax (£60), new mats and 18 months (or 36,000 miles) of manufacturers' warranty.

What’s gone wrong ? Well nothing so far, He commutes about 400 to 500 miles a week and so far it hasn’t let me down in any way. He have purchased a 2 year (24,000 mile) servicing package (2 x 12,000 mile services) from Arnold Clark Fiat in Dundee for £ 265.00 which is a much better deal than the £236.00 per 12.000 mile service, offered by Reg Vardy Fiat. The 24,000 mile service has just been completed and no major problems were encountered, although a slight rattle from the drivers seat could not be traced. They washed and waxed the exterior but left the interior untouched.

What’s it like to drive ? We think it’s a drivers car and quite sporty for an estate. The engine is very smooth for a diesel and produces most of its torque (turning force) at low RPM which leads to a very relaxed drive. The wheel base is quite short and the suspension is on the firm side. This means that body roll is minimal and therefore the car can be driven faster than you’d expect, on the more demanding ‘A roads’ (like the A68) that we both prefer. At motorway speeds (80 mph +) the firm ride can lead to a slightly nervous feel which is totally at odds with the relaxed performance of the vehicle in general. Talking of speed, He does a lot of driving at night on unlit ‘A roads’ and the head lights on both main and dipped beam are outstanding. The only other areas of concern are the excessive brake pedal ‘slack’ (normal according to Fiat) and poor driving ergonomics for people with long legs (32” inside leg). The brakes actually work very well but ½ the pedal travel is used before they start to work! The driving position is typically Italian, long arm, short leg, firm seat! He has the seat as far back as possible and even with the seat reclined somewhat, his poor legs are still cramped. Still, the seat itself is excellent, supportive without being hard and the cloth material appears to be very hard wearing.

What’s it like to live with ? It’s a comfortable roomy load carrier with a large boot and a very low load height courtesy of a split tail gate facility. Two covered side pockets allow stowage of a first aid kit, torch and foot pump. The load area is ribbed for protection and there are 4 lashing eyes to help secure heavy loads. The spare is under a hatch in the load floor with the wheel change kit. Unfortunately the spare is a space saver, fortunately we haven’t needed to use it yet! There is a folding load cover to hide valuable items from prying eyes and the head lamps can easily be adjusted from the drivers' seat when carrying heavy loads or towing. I had a Tow Sure tow bar fitted by an independent mechanic at a total cost of £110.00. The Fiat tow bar would have cost £138.00 + £150.00 fitting! Please note that a special detachable tow bar is required for the Weekend due to the split tail gate. The rear seats fold completely flat thanks to head rests that retract into the seat backs and child seats are easily fitted to the relatively flat rear bench seat. All five occupants get 3 point seat belts and there is even a controllable aircon/heat vent to keep the back seat drivers happy. Each door has its own switchable courtesy light and all have useful pockets for oddments stowage. Up-front, the seats have excellent electric lumbar adjustment and in my vehicle optional passenger and side airbags are fitted (the drivers is standard). The high level standard fit radio cassette player is easy and safe to use thanks to the steering wheel controls. Unfortunately, the only compatible 6 disc CD auto changer that will fit this head unit costs £200.00. Hubby fitted a complete Kenwood system for £150.00 including new dashboard adaptor plate. The climate control system is easy to use and the auto defrost setting is worthy of particular mention as it activates the aircon to remove the moisture from the screen as well as turning on the heated rear screen and mirrors, all with the twist of one dial, fantastic! The drivers controls are all well positioned and well lit at night with adjustable brightness control, and most importantly the driver gets a clutch foot rest which he uses a lot due to the engine's top gear flexibility. On the down side the glove box is a little on the small side for a family car and there are no proper cup holders for the driver and front seat passenger to use. (selectable at purchase?)

Running costs: Low emissions = low road tax of £110.00 pa, and fully comp insurance for a 38 year old with 6 years NCD living in NE England is £192.00. Fuel consumption is 45-50 MPG no matter how you drive and a full tank is good for nearly 600 miles! Tyres (Pirelli P6000s) are half worn at 24,000 miles and give excellent grip wet or dry. The engine uses no oil between services and the original front wiper blades were replaced at 20,000 miles (£11.00 a pair at Halfords). Original Fiat roof bars are over £100.00 a pair, Paddy Hopkirk bars cast £30.00 and have the same load rating (75kg).

The future: Hopefully many more trouble free miles, and possibly a power chip (extra 20 BHP) when the warranty expires.

Would we recommend one to a friend? We already have! Several times!!. Would weI buy another one?. Yes but we'd hold out for the 5 cylinder 130 BHP 2.4 Ltr diesel and live with 35-40 MPG and 130MPH!.

But only secondhand !!. The 1st year depreciation is nearly 50%.

So, there you have it - the definitive guide to our Marea Weekend (110) 1.9 JTD. Hope you found it useful. 

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