Hello everyone!
I'm pretty new to this forum, or any forum for that matter so please excuse any mistakes I may and probably will make.

Well here's a question that is probably asked 100 times a day but I am really at a loss.

I passed my test what seems like eons ago (3 months) and I'll finally be able to afford a car somewhat soon. But my problem is what to get.

I have my eye on these:
Cinquecento Sporting
Seicento Sporting
Panda 100hp
Punto Evo MultiAir
Bravo

The car will be used mostly to commute to and from work. And the odd journey on weekends.
Insurance is surprisngly not an issue as these cars all cost near enought the same, give or take a couple hundred quid.

So if anyone has any tips or advice for me or any other suggestions, it would greatly.

Thank you very much!

Hi, and welcome,

the cinq / sei / 100 hp,
you'll struggle to find one that hasn't been boy racered,

the GP is o.k., 1.2 is underpowered

Bravo all down to which engine / spec,

Charlie

varesecrazy said:

Hi, and welcome,

the cinq / sei / 100 hp,
you'll struggle to find one that hasn't been boy racered,

the GP is o.k., 1.2 is underpowered

Bravo all down to which engine / spec,

Charlie

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The 100hp would be my best bet out of the three as a low miler can be found pretty easily I guess. As for the Bravo, I was looking at the 1.4 unit

Welcome to the forum

Do you plan on doing your own maintenance? I passed in 2008, got a Sei Sporting and have been doing all the jobs on it myself (with no prior experience). Everything is really simple so it's a great way to cut your teeth (so to speak). There's also the added bonus (sic) of it having one of the worst NCAP ratings ever, which certainly helped focus my mind as a new driver and has made me less reliant on in-built safety features.

The 100HP would be the logical successor to the Cinq/Sei. The Punto/Bravo are obviously a lot bigger and safer options, but (in my opinion) lack the feel of a fun Italian car.

Eklipze3k said:

Welcome to the forum

Do you plan on doing your own maintenance? I passed in 2008, got a Sei Sporting and have been doing all the jobs on it myself (with no prior experience). Everything is really simple so it's a great way to cut your teeth (so to speak). There's also the added bonus (sic) of it having one of the worst NCAP ratings ever, which certainly helped focus my mind as a new driver and has made me less reliant on in-built safety features.

The 100HP would be the logical successor to the Cinq/Sei. The Punto/Bravo are obviously a lot bigger and safer options, but (in my opinion) lack the feel of a fun Italian car.

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Thank you

Yeah, I'd probably do all the maintenance myself. I've heard the 100hp is particularly easy to work on?

I'll be honest, I'm not too fussed on the safety rating. I just want something that'll be fun to drive!

Datasianguy0 said:

Thank you

Yeah, I'd probably do all the maintenance myself. I've heard the 100hp is particularly easy to work on?

I'll be honest, I'm not too fussed on the safety rating. I just want something that'll be fun to drive!

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We have both 100hp and Seicento Sporting. The 100hp hasn't been boy-racered.........


100hp is a fun car - but has a firm ride and awful turning circle. It's a civilised motor though and cornering grip is staggering. General parts are reasonable - body parts unique to the 100hp are definitely not. So don't bend it.


Seicento is also great fun and nippy - less so on hills. It'll bomb along on the motorway but is noisy. Better over road bumps than the 100hp. These cars are getting a bit old now but still a hoot to drive. The cost of all parts is virtually free.


Both cars do 37mpg.


Choose whichever one you need the least finance for. It's just a car at the end of the day.

Cinquecento Sporting
Most will only be fit for the scrappers. Most older, low insurance grouped cars haven't usually had the best of lives and have often been thrashed and abused.
As they're getting on in years they tend to feel a little lightweight with not much in the way of safety kit on them either compared to newer stuff and that tends to show in insurance quotes.
Saying that, they drive great, light, nimble, the 1.1 Fire engine is perfect for it and one of my all time favourite engines, due to it's willingness and simplicity.
If you can find a straight one that hasn't had a hard life and not been mucked about, could be worth investing in as "semi classic".

Seicento Sporting
Ditto, maybe look for a mint Schumacher.

Panda 100hp
There's a lot to be said for the 100hp and most of it is well written on this forum somewhere (as it's a Panda Forum!), though I would select one very carefully, they seem to hold their price well and I'd seen plenty of thrashed dogs out there for silly money.
If you're considering long commutes or live in and area covered in traffic calming "humps", you really need to consider if you can live with it for any length of time as the ride is bouncy to say the least.

Punto Evo MultiAir
All the latest Punto's I'd had on loan or hire seem undress themselves and all the trim etc end up thrown in the boot!
Never really liked them since they've got a bit bigger over the years, bigger car's aren't what Fiat do best in my opinion.
Also, could you really diagnose and fix the more complex engine and engine management systems, otherwise a pretty penny could be spend on the odd issue or problem.

Bravo
Not had much involvement with these, but again I'm put off by it being a bigger Fiat and the fact they didn't do too well in sales volume.

As it's your first car, I would consider other models until you've got a bit of exprience and NCB.
What Fiat do well is the small, basic, underpowered car that's simple to fix and work on and just begs to be driven as if it was much sportier.

Save your "hundreds" on insurance and paying over the odds on some sporty number for later.
A Panda Active or Eco Active is one of the only group 1 insurance rated cars that aren't new (or nearly new), you can get one as old as 2004.
Most other G1's are later stuff like Ups, C1's and 107's.
They are plentyful, without any really expensive or serious faults, easy and cheap to fix and service (my last one was £38)

You can have a much fun out of one of these as you would out of any of the others, the fun is keeping it buzzing along and cornering on it's skinny tyres rather than out right speed or 0-60.

I would also consider what the actual difference in insurance is between cars.
Yes it may appear only a few hundred difference, but if you insure a car and within 2 weeks write it off, that's in, the insurance will pay out (minus a massive excess no doubt) and the policy is up, paided out and finished.
So it's another car and another policy (with a claim on this new one)

Until you have some NCB, keep it cheap, keep it simple and drive safely.

quite agree..!!,

I'm not anti little FUN FIAT's, as that's what they do best,
but I know nowt about your experience or situation,
so I meant a word of caution.. avoiding TIRED / ABUSED little cars

my son had a punto 55 = 1.1 heavy body , low on power so slow + cheap to run , insure ( + mend)

didn't wreck or bend it ,( £15 coil pack was biggest outlay)

so upgraded to a sound Cinq sporting - 1.1 MORE power, less weight, AWFUL BRAKES..!!

fantastic FUN car, again dirt cheap.

the Schumi SEI would be a sound buy, as they are still LOW- TECH, BUT ride is a bit go-kart'ish :spin:

WHATEVER FIAT you buy,
make sure it has at least 2 x ignition keys that actually work

can be £100 + to replace


Charlie

I'm honestly finding myself drawn to the little 100hp. I do live in an area with traffic humps but they themselves ar3 very low down and not enough to cause any real damage I guess.
Thanks for all the advice thus far. Really appreciate it guys!

Datasianguy0 said:

I'm honestly finding myself drawn to the little 100hp. I do live in an area with traffic humps but they themselves ar3 very low down and not enough to cause any real damage I guess.
Thanks for all the advice thus far. Really appreciate it guys!

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you are very welcome,
thanks for donating

good luck in your SEARCH,
search main dealers / traders for 100 HP's, as it's good to look at several before parting with your cash.

maybe look at joining "FIAT Scotland" too,

Charlie

Hey no problem, I can tell I'll be using this forum a good while so only seemed right to.
Thanks and I certainly will do!

My own experience is somewhat different to most here - I can`t do my own servicing ;( So I`m reliant on a good garage (which I have) but it`s not cheap over here.


So, I started with a standard Cinquicento, was basic but a good car to learn the road on. You don`t have any protection from airbags (dunno about the sporting version) and you are VERY aware of other road users because you don`t want a crash. Good from that perspective but quite basic.


I moved onto a brand new Seicento Sporting (not the Schumi model) which had a bit more substance, 1 airbag and a great feel. I had it 11years and again, a good car to learn in because of all round visibility. It lost a bit of power going up big hills in France but you learn to change down gear and keep the speed up that way. It goes the distance without any effort.


3 years ago, I traded it in for a new Panda. The Panda is a little bigger again but the seating is so much better for me and I like the positioning of the controls better.


I`ve never been in an 100HP but I would definitely recommend a good Panda, you can get one with a few more bells & whistles for not much cash, plus it`ll be newer than the others you`ve mentioned. I personally would try to get a younger car with less mileage, & don`t worry about the "boy-racer" looks.


Just my opinion

One thing, insurance companies rate cars with good safety kit lower, which tend to be newer stuff.

If you're a new driver and/or young, you haven't much going for you except selecting a very low insurance group car. (1,2 or 3)
A pass plus course could drop a premium 20% or so depending on which company, so that's also worth considering for around £120 and 6 hours or so.

New cars tend to be offered lower premiums, probably due to the fact you may be a little more careful having forked out all that money for it.
Also, there's less chance of it being written off because of a small ding on a wing or door.
They're more likely to write a £1000 car off for a couple of hundreds worth of damage (filling and spraying a small dent), where a £12000 car would need a lot more expense to put right before they consider writting off.

They just aren't mad enough to think you'll drive more safely because it's missing an airbag or two!

My boy is now starting lessons and we've looked into the costs of a cheap car and insurance, there ain't nothing cheap!
Quotes on a newly passed driver for an '07 Panda Active for him start at around £3200 all the way to £9600 and he's dreaming of a Mini Cooper!

Over 3 years it's far cheaper for him (well it'll be me and the Mrs won't it) to go for a new car on a young driver PCP deal that includes insurance. (Fuel & Go)
http://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/cars-for-young-drivers
A small deposit and a contribution to the first years insurance (around £380) and £180 a month sees a Fiat 500 pop on the door step fully insured!
I could probably shop around and get this a bit cheaper too.

After which he'll be 21 and hopefully have three year NCB, then he can consider a Mini Cooper!

Be careful of some "Good" insurance policies, like those Telemetric insurance deals or All Section Excess, which I think is a con trick.
The Telemetric's insist a "black box" is fitted to the car to record how it's driven.
A couple of parents I know have been striped up with £500 and £750 of built in penalities being added for the odd misdemeanor.

And I've seen people owe the insurance company up to a grand after an accident on an All Sections policy with only a reasonable excess being applied as they had to pay the excess on the third party as well as there own.

You've hopefully years of motoring in front of you, but you have to start somewhere, that's why I wrote keep it low, keep it simple and drive safely, build up some NCB and some roadcraft (and age).
Don't break the bank too soon and loose it due to a silly mistake, you'll not afford to get back on the horse!

You'll soon have a sporty number outside to enjoy.

You would honestly benefit from learning how to service your car yourself. Could save you loads! I think I'm more drawn to the panda now if in honest. I just love it. Plus, I'm 6ft and I'm able to drive a panda comfortably. Judging by the size of the Cinquecento and the Seicento, it may be a tight squeeze. I remember my old MG ZR, even that was a struggle
Thanks for advice

Goudrons said:

One thing, insurance companies rate cars with good safety kit lower, which tend to be newer stuff.

If you're a new driver and/or young, you haven't much going for you except selecting a very low insurance group car. (1,2 or 3)
A pass plus course could drop a premium 20% or so depending on which company, so that's also worth considering for around £120 and 6 hours or so.

New cars tend to be offered lower premiums, probably due to the fact you may be a little more careful having forked out all that money for it.
Also, there's less chance of it being written off because of a small ding on a wing or door.
They're more likely to write a £1000 car off for a couple of hundreds worth of damage (filling and spraying a small dent), where a £12000 car would need a lot more expense to put right before they consider writting off.

They just aren't mad enough to think you'll drive more safely because it's missing an airbag or two!

My boy is now starting lessons and we've looked into the costs of a cheap car and insurance, there ain't nothing cheap!
Quotes on a newly passed driver for an '07 Panda Active for him start at around £3200 all the way to £9600 and he's dreaming of a Mini Cooper!

Over 3 years it's far cheaper for him (well it'll be me and the Mrs won't it) to go for a new car on a young driver PCP deal that includes insurance. (Fuel & Go)
http://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/cars-for-young-drivers
A small deposit and a contribution to the first years insurance (around £380) and £180 a month sees a Fiat 500 pop on the door step fully insured!
I could probably shop around and get this a bit cheaper too.

After which he'll be 21 and hopefully have three year NCB, then he can consider a Mini Cooper!

Be careful of some "Good" insurance policies, like those Telemetric insurance deals or All Section Excess, which I think is a con trick.
The Telemetric's insist a "black box" is fitted to the car to record how it's driven.
A couple of parents I know have been striped up with £500 and £750 of built in penalities being added for the odd misdemeanor.

And I've seen people owe the insurance company up to a grand after an accident on an All Sections policy with only a reasonable excess being applied as they had to pay the excess on the third party as well as there own.

You've hopefully years of motoring in front of you, but you have to start somewhere, that's why I wrote keep it low, keep it simple and drive safely, build up some NCB and some roadcraft (and age).
Don't break the bank too soon and loose it due to a silly mistake, you'll not afford to get back on the horse!

You'll soon have a sporty number outside to enjoy.

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Insurance these days is an absolute joke. The funny thing is, the 100hp is actually the cheapest to insure out of the lot so I think that would be my best bet.

I would never touch a telemetric box with a bargepole. Not with the "oh you accelerated a little too hard now pay us more money" thing they got going on.

I have a family member that got screwed over by just that. Her insurance policy rose by nearly £700 just because she went up to 80 on the motorway

I know people 6'+ who drive Centos so the space isn't really an issue, that said the Panda is a great car a great choice for first car IMO

Eklipze3k said:

I know people 6'+ who drive Centos so the space isn't really an issue, that said the Panda is a great car a great choice for first car IMO

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6 foot is no issue in the Seicento - you don't have the seat fully back at that. Same with the Panda.


I would say the Panda driving position/dash/gear change is superior to most cars if you like an upright seating position. The 1.1 Panda is lively and fun. The 100hp quicker.


Seicento is no less fun and as willing and eager as an amphetamine-fuelled Collie dog.


But on balance........I'd choose the Panda. But I wouldn't spend a fortune on my first car if it meant borrowing.

AB100 said:

6 foot is no issue in the Seicento - you don't have the seat fully back at that. Same with the Panda.


I would say the Panda driving position/dash/gear change is superior to most cars if you like an upright seating position. The 1.1 Panda is lively and fun. The 100hp quicker.


Seicento is no less fun and as willing and eager as an amphetamine-fuelled Collie dog.


But on balance........I'd choose the Panda. But I wouldn't spend a fortune on my first car if it meant borrowing.

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Let's say around 4-5k for a decent one with low miles? That seem alright?

Datasianguy0 said:

Let's say around 4-5k for a decent one with low miles? That seem alright?

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it would need a very good warranty for that money..,
charlie

I see you've spotted the one in the Classifieds The original ad says the tax ran out in June 2014 though so I'd hope the seller has put a new ticket on it.