USED Fiat Multipla MPV (99 - 04)

My car

I've just bought one of these cars to cope with the amount of accessories small children come with ! Once you get past the quirky looks (I've actually grown to quite like the look of the car), you'll find that you have an incredibly practical family vehicle. Whilst the dashboard isn't the most attractive i've come across, it well laid out and has many useful features. The bootspace is excellent, even with all of the seats in place. The folding seats allow for so many different combinations, the rear ones can be removed easily if necessary. The diesel version has excellent fuel economy for a car of its size. I'd highly recommend the car !

My car

This is our 2nd Multipla and it has been a joy to own. Had it 4 years since new and its one of the very last bug eyed model. Its covered 62000 trouble free miles. Service costs are around £200 - £230 every 12 K. Supplying Fiat dealer was a joke, but found Fiat Picadilly at Wakefield absolutely fantastic. The car has been totally reliable, JTD engine never misses a beat and is a strong performer. Its practicality is its main strong point. All rear seats come out and reveal a huge load area. Its comfortable to drive even with 6 on board as the front middle seat is set back so the drivers shoulders sit in front of the middle passenger. Middle front seat makes a great table and fantastic for drive thru's. Handling is good and despite its width is a doddle to park. Rear seat belt buckles tend to get trapped between the seat and door and all used Multiplas have cracked plastic rear seat hinge covers (minor niggle). Air con is a must in the Multipla as there is so much glass, it heats up fast in summer. I still get amazing looks even after 8 yrs driving Multiplas. You might not recognise your neighbour driving past in a Focus, but I bet he'll give you a wave in the Multipla. As for security - who would nick it ? The facelift model is boring so will look elsewhere when I replace In short, its a cheeky, cheerful car and if you are looking for a reliable, practical family hack and you're on a budget, look no further than a Multipla.

My car

I've my Multipla from new (Jan 2001), when I chose it as my company car. My family and I enjoyed it so much that when the 3-yr lease was up, I took the opportunity to buy it (at a very good price - I think the looks scared the leasing company when presetting residual value!) I can honestly say I have never for one moment regretted choosing the Multipla; it is a consumate all-round family car, having ferried loads of kids - who love its quirkiness - taken many, many loads to the tip and hauled a large folding camper, 4 mountain bikes, 2 adults and two teenagers all over Europe, still averaging 38 mpg. The width has never been a problem, it has plenty of oomph for overtaking (except when the mass airflow meter croaked, but an easy and cheap repair) handles well and has a tardis-like interior. In the early days when there were few around, we'd go out for a ride just to see the look on people's faces when they saw the car! Pity Fiat had to spoil it with a 'facelift'. At 114,000 miles, my Multipla is still going like a train (albeit with a few clunks and creaks), and I've had no major problems with it. When it finally expires, I'm hoping to find a good (pre-facelift) JTD 115 ELX as a replacement and get Angel Tuning to remap it to 130bhp Buy one!!

My car

It handles well for an MPV and can be fun to drive. It has enough power and torque to drag a family and assorted junk around at the same speed as everybody else. The design is brilliant inside, 3 seats in the front to minimise back seat squabbling. Huge windows so all can see out. It's short and can fit in small (if not narrow) spaces.

Bad things:Clutch at 34k, turbo at 45k, fragile suspension (practically all replaced under warranty), aircon leaks & strange dasboard warnings (faulty sensors?). It's a great car, but let down severely by build quality/durability problems. I'm glad we've had one,but it's not all been plain sailing.