Drove all 3 doors on the market, I've owned a few fiestas and it just felt the same plus price
General Avoid the GP like the plague!
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General Avoid the GP like the plague!
Drove all 3 doors on the market, I've owned a few fiestas and it just felt the same plus price
Coz fiat dont even make it to the motorway
Oof harsh! Tbf in 5 years of owning small old fiats and doing some epic trips (longest one being 700 miles in a day) and my experience was if its started it'll run, and stay running. Main issues seemed to be getting it started to begin with or small detail bits like rogue electrics.
Also I disagree with Clarkson, 80bhp is enough as long as the car is not chronically obese.
I reckon rather than sheer power, a power to weight figure is more useful, in which case i'd say 70bhp per 1000kg is enough to be comfortable on a motorway.
Clarkson was talking more in the days of the NA engine.
I think in this day, torque is always going to be the main thing than a drag strip race to 60.
My old GP was good in that respect.
I think in this day, torque is always going to be the main thing than a drag strip race to 60.
My old GP was good in that respect.
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Tbf it never let me down on long trips it always broke at my house
Mine stranded me 7am in the morning leaving for work.
Left, power steering went then the battery light the alternator had failed. Luckily I hadn't got onto the motorway yet. Managed to get it home, and to take my partners reliable 147 lusso instead.
Left, power steering went then the battery light the alternator had failed. Luckily I hadn't got onto the motorway yet. Managed to get it home, and to take my partners reliable 147 lusso instead.
J D Power survey
Latest survey puts Grande Punto and Punto Evo near bottom for customer satisfaction and various VW models at top. What nonsense. I know two Grande Punto owners who have had no trouble despite big mileage. Furthermore the car looks ten times better than any VW. I really don't know how VW manage this trick, which started with some mythological beetle advertising in the 1960s. Golfs are plagued with electronic problems and they cost a fortune. Honest John in the Daily Telegraph reports regularly on "well known" faults in VW group products. The group is selling Audis with Skoda engines at a massive mark up, but of course the source of the engines is never mentioned in Audi publicity. There is something unethical about using the same floorpan/engines over various makes and pretending they are different. Fiat of course indulge in this as well but VW have taken it to a different level.
Latest survey puts Grande Punto and Punto Evo near bottom for customer satisfaction and various VW models at top. What nonsense. I know two Grande Punto owners who have had no trouble despite big mileage. Furthermore the car looks ten times better than any VW. I really don't know how VW manage this trick, which started with some mythological beetle advertising in the 1960s. Golfs are plagued with electronic problems and they cost a fortune. Honest John in the Daily Telegraph reports regularly on "well known" faults in VW group products. The group is selling Audis with Skoda engines at a massive mark up, but of course the source of the engines is never mentioned in Audi publicity. There is something unethical about using the same floorpan/engines over various makes and pretending they are different. Fiat of course indulge in this as well but VW have taken it to a different level.
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Re: J D Power survey
I can only speak from (substantial) personal experience, which tells me Fiats are more reliable than VWs and a lot cheaper to boot.
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Re: J D Power survey
Try telling that to the brainwashed masses lol.
The problem with Fiat in my experience is very poor dealers (certainly in my area). Which probably has a big impact on the JD survey.
One of my best mates had a brand new Golf which had loads of trim rattles then a brand new Polo which needed a new clutch, gearbox and flywheel at 6 months old due to a manufacturing issue.
He now owns a Citroen which is far better built.
Try telling that to the brainwashed masses lol.
The problem with Fiat in my experience is very poor dealers (certainly in my area). Which probably has a big impact on the JD survey.
One of my best mates had a brand new Golf which had loads of trim rattles then a brand new Polo which needed a new clutch, gearbox and flywheel at 6 months old due to a manufacturing issue.
He now owns a Citroen which is far better built.
jameshobiecat
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But I bet the vw dealer put the faults right with very little hassle, where as a fiat dealer would just point to all of the exclusions in the 3rd year warrenty and tell you to cough up.
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Re: J D Power survey
True, he even wrote off the delivery miles Golf they gave him as a courtesy car hitting a deer and they still didnt give him any hassle, which kind of reinforces my previous point
True, he even wrote off the delivery miles Golf they gave him as a courtesy car hitting a deer and they still didnt give him any hassle, which kind of reinforces my previous point
Re: J D Power survey
A local VW dealer has been unable to fix an electrical drain leading to a dead battery on a current model Golf despite 3 attempts. Owner not happy.
A local VW dealer has been unable to fix an electrical drain leading to a dead battery on a current model Golf despite 3 attempts. Owner not happy.
Re: J D Power survey
I agree that VW are no where near as reliable as people think they are.
Unfortunately it's the allure of the badge and that something German engineered must be of good quality because the interior looks nice.
Having recently been in and driven the latest Audi A4 quattro I can tell you the quality has dipped on the newer models, and more disappointing inside recently was an A5 sport back. Didn't feel as solid as the older Audis.
I agree that VW are no where near as reliable as people think they are.
Unfortunately it's the allure of the badge and that something German engineered must be of good quality because the interior looks nice.
Having recently been in and driven the latest Audi A4 quattro I can tell you the quality has dipped on the newer models, and more disappointing inside recently was an A5 sport back. Didn't feel as solid as the older Audis.
OP
OP
I think you have just pin pointed one of the main reasons that Fiat lie (deservedly?) at the bottom depths of surveys.
I did take part in the Auto Express driver power survey a few times.
Our brother in law had a golf, it went through 3dual mass flywheels 2were changed under warranty 1 (although still under warranty) he had to pay for it, they said it must be driver error, it wasn't they basically held his car to ransom,
My own experience was back in the day took our golf mk3 GTi to get mot'd at a main dealership, it failed on 3things drove home did the work 4 days later took it back they said it had to be retested and they failed it again on 6different things, it did 40 miles max and total 4 days away, that and constant electrical faults finished my 10year owner ship of VW, I was even in club GTi,
Owned 5 VW's and haven't been back since
One thing my GP never did was fail a MOT always passed with flying colours. I always maintained it very well though.
Interestingly when I part exed it, it was for sale for about 4months when a guy came from Cornwall all the way to the midlands to buy it because he really wanted it.
Interestingly when I part exed it, it was for sale for about 4months when a guy came from Cornwall all the way to the midlands to buy it because he really wanted it.
I hope you advised as to how 'poor' a car the GP was before you took the guys hard earned cash?
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