Fiat Marea Weekend 2.0

...a 2nd hand estate car, Fiat wasn't the first manufacturer that sprang to mind. However thanks to a simple eBay search (any estate within 100 miles under £2000) I unearthed a much overlooked car that I had never even heard of. The low price tag of £1100 for a T (99) registered car with 79,000 miles seemed like a bargain so after a quick test drive I brought the car and was soon cruising back up the M6 in my latest acquisition, first impressions were ...
...5-cylinder engine found in the Fiat coupe the car is surprisingly quick (for a large estate car), 0-60 in around 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 130mph.
The HLX model is well speced with 4 electric windows, ABS, driver airbag, electric sunroof, front fog lights, alloys, remote central locking, immobiliser, alarm etc.....
Load space is also relatively good but not on par with a Volvo, unlike a traditional estate where the boot meets ... more

As the title states why not stand out from the crowd and swap the predictable Volvo/Vauxhall/Ford estate for an Italian workhorse. I must admit that when I was in the market for a 2nd hand estate car, Fiat wasn't the first manufacturer that sprang to mind. However thanks to a simple eBay search (any estate within 100 miles under £2000) I unearthed a much overlooked car that I had never even heard of. The low price tag of £1100 for a T (99) registered car with 79,000 miles seemed like a bargain so after a quick test drive I brought the car and was soon cruising back up the M6 in my latest acquisition, first impressions were good. Eight months down the road here are my conclusions.

O.K first the good points:
I'll start with the engine which is an absolute peach, using the 20 valve 5-cylinder engine found in the Fiat coupe the car is surprisingly quick (for a large estate car), 0-60 in around 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 130mph.
The HLX model is well speced with 4 electric windows, ABS, driver airbag, electric sunroof, front fog lights, alloys, remote central locking, immobiliser, alarm etc.....
Load space is also relatively good but not on par with a Volvo, unlike a traditional estate where the boot meets the bumper the Marea utalises a more saloon/hatchback type boot system however this drops down to allow easy access to the boot and is helpful as an additional load platform. The Marea also includes 60-40 split rear seats as standard which are almost essential for any good estate car.
The styling is definitely on the sporty side with the slightly flared side-skirts, low front spoiler with fogs and very funky rear lights.
Handling is very impressive and body-roll seems minimal even through tight corners.

Now to the bad points:
Fuel consumption is satisfactory to poor, whilst cruising on the motorway yields high 35-40mpg town driving sees that drop to mid 20's and spirited driving may drop that even further.
Maybe I'm doing FIAT a diservice and it's included in the standard-spec casette/CD player (which my car didn't have) but the car has no clock, a small point but it is hugely frustrating!
The engine that I love so dearly has its downsides, any problems with it can be expensive. As mine had done nearly 80,000 miles and came with little service history I decided to have the cam-belt changed at my local independent garage, a ten hour job (as the whole engine has to come out) that set me back nearly £400. Take it to a FIAT dealer and that figure would be a wallet sapping £1000.
Maybe it's just my car but the brakes seem very poor, even with brand new pads they lack bite. With discs front and rear I would have expected them to shed speed quicker than they do.
Although there is ample room for the front seat passengers the poor people in the back are cramped in the tight rear seats.
A couple of common faults to the range that have also affected me include the rear wiper not working (probably a dead motor) and a boot that can only be opened from the inside, not particularly desirable on an estate car. Both problems could be rectified for around £120 is desired.

In closing then despite all of the problems I've had with car these are outweighed by the benefits, I have been really pleased and surprised by the car. It may not be as comfortable or as large as a Volvo but it is still roomy, reliable (mechanically speaking) quick and a little bit different!

 

...less