Rocketship! (Fiat Coupé in general)

Member Name: FraserP

Product:	Fiat Coupé in general
Date:	11/02/01 (2294 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast, good value, striking looks

Disadvantages: firm ride, turning circle, minor niggles

The Coupe has a loyal and enthusiastic owners' web site for a good reason; you get possibly the best value 150 mph 4 seater coupe on the market at the moment. It has unique styling, which sets it apart from other Coupes and dynamics which are as impressive as its looks are striking. Used to its full the front tyres will wear out in a matter of 3-4,000 miles and you may get only 22 mpg, but I doubt you would keep your licence long on the public roads if this is how you drive all the time! Typically you can get 15,000 miles out of the front tyres and 30,000 from the rears. The petrol consumption on the turbo model should be 28 mpg or better; the best I have achieved is 35 mpg.

It is a full 4 seater, provided the rear passengers are not taller than average. Insurance is expensive but owners with full non-claim bonuses are getting quotes in the region of £650 for comprehensive cover, which I have achieved with business use too. The non turbo version is quite quick and is of course much cheaper to run, while still offering many of the car's virtues.

It has some common faults such as a tendency for the handbrake cable to freeze on (fixed by replacing the cable at a cost of about £17 per cable, or by getting it greased by the garage before it happens) and the rear window wipers is regarded as poor. There is also an expensive service at 72,000 miles, when it is due to have its camshaft belt replaced (vital). Some garages are now finding ways of doing this belt replacement without taking the engine out, reducing the cost from say £700 to say £240 for this (fortunately infrequent) replacement. Its usual service interval is 12,000 miles and properly maintained it should be reliable and fun. The body comes with the usual long guarantee for rust, but the paint on the bonnet, especially the leading edges, tends to chip. Dynamically its only fault is a wide turning circle and firm ride, but if you resist the temptation to put lower springs in,
it is fine to live with.

Any one who can live with a little Italian "soul" and enjoys driving should try the performance bargain of the decade!

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