I have put a refundable deposit down on a 64 plate 500 TA, it has just over 21k on the clock and its going for £6800. Does this sound over priced? Theres a few minor marks on the car, where the doors have been opened onto things, scratches on the speedo cover etc, apart from that generally tidy.

My big concern is that i do alot of a1 driving - i drive 28 miles one way to work so in one day i do 56 miles. Would this be too much for the engine?

Quite new to this, please be kind

Thanks in advance!

These cars are much more rare than 85BHP TAs, so they will be more expensive. Saying that, it looks a tad too much comparing to other on Autotrader- for example
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201706286849306

I don't know where you are in the country, but it pays to travel to get the right car... Good luck!

Hello and welcome to the forum.

GingerMonkey said:

I have put a refundable deposit down on a 64 plate 500 TA, it has just over 21k on the clock and its going for £6800. Does this sound over priced? Theres a few minor marks on the car, where the doors have been opened onto things, scratches on the speedo cover etc, apart from that generally tidy.

Click to expand...

It's impossible to value a car properly without seeing it. Once quick check you can make is to pretend you're selling it - just type the number into WBAC and see what comes up. Add £1500 or so for the dealers profit and you'll get close to what should be the main dealer forecourt price for the car. Remember to account for the damage; it can reduce the value by more than you might think.

GingerMonkey said:

My big concern is that i do alot of a1 driving - i drive 28 miles one way to work so in one day i do 56 miles. Would this be too much for the engine?

Click to expand...

Your proposed mileage won't be a problem as far as the engine is concerned, but IMO there are more comfortable cars for doing that kind of journey. It all depends on your preferred driving style; just remember that what might feel sporty and fun on a short test drive can be tiring and wearisome for regular commuting. At least two people here have traded TA's away very shortly after purchase (at considerable cost) because they just couldn't live with the engine in everyday driving. If you find you don't like it and sell it in six months time with another 10k on the clock, you'll drop a lot of money. If you're young with not much driving history, I'd also suggest you check the insurance pricing before committing to buy.

GingerMonkey said:

Theres a few minor marks on the car, where the doors have been opened onto things, scratches on the speedo cover etc

Click to expand...

That would put me off as it suggests the previous owner didn't care about the car. If there's visible signs of neglect, the less visible stuff might have been neglected too.

I'll summarise by saying it's better to pay a little too much for the right car, than to get the wrong car at a bargain price.

No issues with the driving even our 1.2 ok ok on the motorway if you keep the speed up, as for price will let's others say but with nearly £7k to spend your choice of car is vast from brand new to a comfy family size caror sleek sporty (if you can insure it!)

After driving both 105's that came in for service
I have to say i wasnt that impressed. They didnt seem to have any more poke than my 85. I think the 6 speed box isnt a good match on the TA. My 85 has plenty of power for all my needs. Quick on the motorway and never feels lacking.

Bluetruck said:

After driving both 105's that came in for service

I have to say i wasnt that impressed. They didnt seem to have any more poke than my 85. I think the 6 speed box isnt a good match on the TA. My 85 has plenty of power for all my needs. Quick on the motorway and never feels lacking.

Click to expand...

Interesting, as is very often the case the smaller or less powerful version of an engine turns out to be the sweetest, like you my 85 has never left me wanting.............well maybe a 595!

jrkitching said:

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Your proposed mileage won't be a problem as far as the engine is concerned, but IMO there are more comfortable cars for doing that kind of journey.

That would put me off as it suggests the previous owner didn't care about the car. If there's visible signs of neglect, the less visible stuff might have been neglected too.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, I didn't want to overwork the engine - I currently own a 1.4 grande punto which seems high revving in 5th gear so I wasn't sure on how the 500 would fair on a good A1 journey. I could only test drive it on a 60 road

My main concern is that they might have neglected it, as you said the less visible stuff might be neglected too. But then I really like the car so Im stuck on a decision at the minute, especially as they are a rare find.

Do you know if you can replace the speedo/display cover? I had a quick google search which wasn't too successful.

Oh and the insurance quotes I have for the 500 are cheaper than the insurance I have now for the punto by just shy of £100, plus I'd be saving £135 a year on tax too.

Thanks for your advice

Bluetruck said:

After driving both 105's that came in for service
I have to say i wasnt that impressed. They didnt seem to have any more poke than my 85. I think the 6 speed box isnt a good match on the TA. My 85 has plenty of power for all my needs. Quick on the motorway and never feels lacking.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, do you feel as if you have enough with the five gears? I was worried that i would feel the need for a 6th gear with doing a lot of A1 driving - my punto definitely feels as if it needs a 6th gear!! Haha

Gear 5 on a 5 speed is more than likely a similar ratio to gear 6 on a 6 speed. The 5 speed 85 TA is a cracker, the later 1.2 500's aint brilliant as the Euro 6 map makes them slugish in low gears. Downside of any TA is the sevice costs. The correct oil, oil filter and plugs are expensive but working at a dealers has perks.

Bluetruck said:

After driving both 105's that came in for service
I have to say i wasnt that impressed. They didnt seem to have any more poke than my 85. I think the 6 speed box isnt a good match on the TA. My 85 has plenty of power for all my needs. Quick on the motorway and never feels lacking.

Click to expand...

I even had the same experience with a tuned 105 TA up to 120 hp.
85 TA and 105 TA have both 145 Nm of torque as standard.

Ah yes Fiat must be lying about the 105's, obviously the 85 owners have sussed them and are now feeling less inferior :rumour:

Can't imagine the trip you make will be too much, I don't understand that idea, maybe if the car was under powered it could have an effect but the 105 is in larger heavier cars desidned for families, try telling the person buying a new family car that they can't use it for trips over 50 miles......
70mph is a doddle on the motorways, i beleive the top speed is around 115.
The engine characteristics of a twin air aren't everyones cup of tea, my wife has a 1.2, mine is a TA 105, they are like chalk and cheese.

Regarding the value of the car you are thinking about, mine was from a dealer with 12 months manufacturers warranty still on it, no marks or damage at all, it's an 'S' with 16" wheels and a white stripe and 14k miles, I paid £7365 including £400 off for buying my wifes car off them two weeks earlier.

Hope this helps.

The 105 500 is fine at higher speeds on motorways etc. It pulls even in 6th gear from 60MPH as it is quite a low revving engine anyway and the power is lower down the rev range.

I find it more annoying around town where there is turbo lag as you accelerate away from standstill.

But it is not the quietest car at speed I have to say.

TA's are geared like a diesel, impressively low revs so you won't hear the engine at all at higher speeds. The TA is absolutely fine for longer drives, much better than an equivalent NA 4 cylinder, which will be buzzing away frantically past 3k rpm all the way home.

It's not even a small engine by today's standards, my Trafic is a 1.6 that's rated to 5 tonnes GCM.

Can't comment on the 105, but the 85 I had was perfectly up to the job of motorway cruising. The engine is not too noisy, the slightly bouncy suspension is fine on a smooth road, and I found the seats quite comfy. I used to have a 24 mile each way commute, and it was fine for that. A minor coolant leak was the only problem with the car in 46,000 miles.

Downsides? As others have said, it's important to have regular services done, with the correct oil and plugs etc, and this can be pricey at main dealers. And don't expect sky-high mpg. I used to get around 50 in mine, driving sensibly but not slowly. The engine is a hoot when you give it some beans!

Mercky said:

Interesting, as is very often the case the smaller or less powerful version of an engine turns out to be the sweetest, like you my 85 has never left me wanting.............well maybe a 595!

Click to expand...

After some time of owning both a TwinAir (85hp) and a 595, I'm actually unsure of which one I like more. The TwinAir is more amusing when driven normally, but every now and then I find myself hoping it had more power. The 595 is more boring in normal traffic, but when I get to it drive more aggressively, the pace is intoxicating.

Bluetruck said:

Gear 5 on a 5 speed is more than likely a similar ratio to gear 6 on a 6 speed. The 5 speed 85 TA is a cracker, the later 1.2 500's aint brilliant as the Euro 6 map makes them slugish in low gears. Downside of any TA is the sevice costs. The correct oil, oil filter and plugs are expensive but working at a dealers has perks.

Click to expand...

I was given a 1.2 Euro6 as a loaner, for free, while the TwinAir was in for service. I was somewhat looking forward to trying out the new interior, what with the new steering wheel and centre console display, but the gutless, dull engine ruined the whole car for me. I disliked it so much that once I heard the TwinAir would have to stay in for days to wait for some parts, I immediately returned the 1.2 and went to get my 595.

The Pretender said:

I even had the same experience with a tuned 105 TA up to 120 hp.
85 TA and 105 TA have both 145 Nm of torque as standard.

Click to expand...

Since the max torque of both is 145 Nm, the main difference is in max power, meaning high revs. Thus I guess the two engines would feel mostly similar in normal driving, with the extra 20hp only coming into play when merging on a motorway or such.

TrevC said:

Can't comment on the 105, but the 85 I had was perfectly up to the job of motorway cruising. The engine is not too noisy, the slightly bouncy suspension is fine on a smooth road, and I found the seats quite comfy. I used to have a 24 mile each way commute, and it was fine for that.

Click to expand...

I've found the TA 85 perfectly ok on fairly long motorway trips (1-2 hours), it's surprisingly gutsy even in 5th. Actually, it's more relaxing on motorways than my 595, which feels twitchy and nervous. It's probably down to faster steering and wider tires (tramlining).

Thanks for all the advice...I mulled it all over and decided that the 105 TA wasn't the best deal and I was worried that it might have been neglected mechanically too!

So instead I bought an 85 TA only 5k more miles but tidier and I as some of you have said - the 85 and 105 don't seem all that different and my concern about 5 gears really didn't matter!

There are tuning companies out there that can dial up an 85 to 105 and the torque from 140 to 167nm for around £250.