Hi,

I've been looking at the Doblo for a while now, considering whether the chances of malfunctions are worth the evident strengths of the vehicle. I now notice that Doblos with the 1.3jtd engine are very reasonably priced from new, which could sway my decision.

Has anyone got a Doblo with this engine? I'd be a bit worried about being able to overtake on the motorway with five passengers and luggage - and maybe getting out into traffic from junctions.

Advice would be welcome.

Hi,

I presume that by the 1.3jtd you are refering to the 1.3 multijet turbo diesel? I purchased a new Doblo family 7-seater with the 1.3 multijet 5 days ago. So far I am very pleased with both the vehicle and the engine.

Beforehand, I thought long and hard about the pro's and cons of this engine relative to the 1.9jtd. In the end I opted for the 1.3 for the following reasons i) It is cheaper by around £500-£700, ii) It has 10% better urban fuel econony (most of the time I will be using the vehicle for commuting accross town in the rush hour), iii) Peak torque is only 12% lower than the 1.9jtd (180Nm cf. 205Nm), iv) The latest diesel engine technology, multijet fuel injection (reduced noise and emmisions), 20,000 mile oil change interval, steel chain fan belt (no belt change @60,000 miles), v) 160,000 mile design life.

As for performance, joining traffic at junctions is no problem with really quite impressive torque for such a small engine ( this is a seven seat MPV!). On the motorway, not surprisingly, power and torque start to drop off above 70mph and more time and anticipation is needed for overtaking. However, once up to speed it will cruise well at 80mph no problem.

To put these comments into context we are a family on a budget more interested in getting from A to B than burning rubber. We can live with the realtively slow acceleration on the motorway, although for some poeple I can see it may be a problem. Overall, the 1.3 multijet is a cracking little engine although if motorway performance is very important you should consider the 1.9jtd.

Hi Dobloanalyst,

Thanks for a full and considered reply. Yes, I meant 1.3 multijet - stupid of me.

A couple of points: The design life of 160,000 miles is interesting. My local fiat dealer says that there are plenty of Fiat petrol FIRE engines about with that sort of mileage on them. Honest John, of the Saturday Telegraph and www.honestjohn.com, confirms this. Now my understanding is that diesel engines last longer than petrol ones so this bodes well for the 1.3mj.

The service interval of 20,000 miles is a bit worrying. Honest John, surely one of the most knowlledgeable men in the industry, says that extended intervals are a marketing ploy aimed at fleet buyers. They don't keep motors long enough for degraded oil to show up damage to engines. It's the subsequent buyers who cop the problems.

So, you may want to consider changing the oil and filter more often than recommended, certainly if you intend to keep your vehicle for any real length of time.

I think I'm coming round to your idea that the 1.3mj is the way to go. The chain driven cam is a good point.

You've helped. Best wishes.