Well... as the tittle says i test drove a 1.9MJTD GP sporting today! Heres what i fort about the car in comparison to my stilo; which is a 1.8 Dynamic - pushing around 150hp!

I test drove a stock 1.9MJTD, this is what i thought about it:

- the steering feels lighter than my stilo and also felt more reactive! Which i was quite suprized with as i would have the diesel would have weighted more than my 1.8 block? So this is defiently a thumbs up

- handling wasn't to bad, if i remember rightly the sporting is slightly lower and stiffened up! In comparisson to my stilo it dosen't hold to the road as much (i have strut brace and -50mm lowering) as when i tested it round a roundabout in comparisson to speed in can go round in my stilo without the rear end coming out, the GP's back end was sliding round at about 70mph when i was going round the roundabout :devil: . Although the salesman look like he was gona **** his pants (oh plus i wouldn't never buy the car i test drove as i redlined it all the time in the test drive lol )

But after that he did say atleast i was testing the car properly not like most OAP's he gets that take it round the block once not exceeding 30mph!

- The power delivery is quite different to my stilo obviously because of the turbo, the plus point was the torque which i really like! But then as soon as you get some power the car runs out of puff at 4.5k and is just dead reving really and not going anywere! Also 1st gear seems so gutless. Initial i would say it wasn't as fast as the stilo - but im sure with getting use to it and getting the timing of gear changes correct in line with the boost of the turbo the pick up would be much beta! But i only got to do 50mile in it in the test drive!

- another point was the ASR seems to work differently to that of my stilo as when i went into corner were i know the ASR flashes on my stilo i sort of get the light flashes and not really a loss of power and the wheel is corrected, but the ASR came on in the punto it seemed to loose its power which was abit poor! I didnt know if they use a different system/program used?

- the interior wasn't as bad a i thought, abit weird having the bonnet pull on the passengers side! Dont really know what the point of this was? Any suggestions? The seats aren't to bad for holding you, as in i mean you dont slide out your seat when you go fast into a corner - although not sure if they are as suportive as the stilo :chin: ! Generally quite comfy...

Dont really know what else to say about it.... oh apart from the suspension sounded abit like it was knocking if that makes sence and it was brand new - if this common

Also i know it was probaly because the engine wasnt run in properly but after my test drive i check the mpg return and it was only 29.4mpg - which seemed extremely poor


Now about my offer and deal i got........ just got to go back and sign but i wanted to think about it for a while!

Ive been offered... a brand new 1.9MJTD sporting in black, apparently its a special order as the manager of the branch was going to have it (whom i was dealing with!)! As it has the leather seats, rain sensors, cruise control, reverse parking sensors and panoramic sunroof - which he told me wasnt avaliable at the minute and wont be till the end of this year and will be the only one in the uk with it! didnt know if to believe him, anyone got one on here?

Also to sercure the deal i got them to put in a years road tax, which they initial wouldn't give me and extended warrenty for 5years and some floor mats!

Now for the price £13975? This didnt seem to bad as it is a higher spec, the only opition it dosent have was the Climate control!

Ive currently got it reserved for a few days to make my mind up? Decisions, decisions........

Anyone else finks this is a good price, got any tips for the accelration and runing out of puff! Think i'd get a remap nearly immediatly as it didnt seem as quick as the stilo and generally owners opinions who have the 1.9MJTD sporting!

The bonnet puller is on the other side because fiat we too lazy to move it to the right hand side when they made RHD versions of the car. I've seen it before in Renaults and Citreons...

You do have to change your driving style completely with a diesel. Theres no point in revving it to redline all the time. I very rarely take my sporting near 4k! Its quicker changing gear and keeping the car in its power band. Diesels are never as good in low gears because of the small rev range its the mid range accelleration and in gear grunt, which makes them fun. I think the ASR system is the same as the stilos but the GP sporting has the added ESP (electronic stability program) Dunno if the 1.8 stilo has this? which keeps the car in check when your really hammering it into the corners. I took a motorway slip road round about slightly too fast the other night and it took over. Impressed me quite a lot as the car kept grip all the way round, i even thought it was gonna let go but it didnt!

The fuel consumption will get a lot better than that as well. The day i picked mine up with 0 miles on it, it was only returning 32mpg. Over the first 500 miles or so it got a lot better and now it averages around 46 to 52mpg depending on how gentle i am with it and where im driving.

I find the seats in the punto a lot more comfortable than the stilos! Also if the one you looked at buying has leather seats it also means it adds electric lumber support on a switch under the armrest.

The deal you been offered sounds pretty good, if you bought that car for list price with those options it be a lot more than that and with the extended warrenty as well, it cant be bad! The car will have climate control you just mean it hasnt got the dual zone automatic climate control yeah?

I dunno about remapping it straight away either. Surely it be better to let the engine run in quite a bit, before considering doing anything like that.

As for my opinion on the sporting, i love it and i can pretty much say there isnt anything else on the road that i would rather be driving at the moment. (except stupid cars like ferraris and lambos )

EDIT: Theres a few cars with the sky roof around, ChirsUK has got one with it as well. I know though that it was not availabe right away when the car was launched though...

I pick mine up today!! . I'll get some pictures on so you can see what the sun roof is like to help you decide.

As for reving a diesel to 4.5k, thats very naughty and very very baaad!. Like bob said you need to totally change your driving style to get everything out a diesel (took me about 4months to get right) but now I can easily keep up with a Stock Subaru WRX until about 95mph anyway

ChrisUK said:

I pick mine up today!! . I'll get some pictures on so you can see what the sun roof is like to help you decide.

As for reving a diesel to 4.5k, thats very naughty and very very baaad!.

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So the dealer was lying then he told me the sunroof wasn't avaliable till the end of this year and would be the only 1 in the uk :nono:

.....plus i rang them up this morning and they just aren't very helpfull or should i say there knowledge of the car is limited :bang:

4.5k, i was reving the test car into the redline to around 5.5/6k so it was pinging :devil: jus sound like it was gona die and not goin anywere!

I know what you guys mean about changing your driving style, i found the boost from the turbo kicked in around 1.5/2k to around 3.5k to keep it in the power band for best accelaration...... but i fink im going to be cheecky and ask for another test drive to make my mind up!

Some pictures would be nice dude!

1.8Stilo said:

So the dealer was lying then he told me the sunroof wasn't avaliable till the end of this year and would be the only 1 in the uk :nono:

.....plus i rang them up this morning and they just aren't very helpfull or should i say there knowledge of the car is limited :bang:

4.5k, i was reving the test car into the redline to around 5.5/6k so it was pinging :devil: jus sound like it was gona die and not goin anywere!

I know what you guys mean about changing your driving style, i found the boost from the turbo kicked in around 1.5/2k to around 3.5k to keep it in the power band for best accelaration...... but i fink im going to be cheecky and ask for another test drive to make my mind up!

Some pictures would be nice dude!

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Yeah you do have to change your driving style, changing up early to keep the turbo on boost. low end power does get much better when there is a few miles on the car, but if you do remap ecu (chip) power does stay on for longer (much longer).
MPG i get about 43MPG i do drive that quite hard most of the time
but you could get an extra 10MPG if you drove like an oap, not likely tho.
I would say price is about right although when i bought in feb i never got a £ knocked off as the the car was so rare.
If the cars in stock i would buy it myself great car for focus base money

do you have your GP remapped shaun?

As i fink the extra length in the rev range would defiently be worth the cash.... and im comparison to BHP gained to the cost of a remap now adays you cant bet it value really?

Just to confirm is it 40bhp gain from the remap or 50bhp or is there a choice like the stilo JTD can have 155 or 170! And would the 50hp require an induction kit or did i read that the MJTD dosen't really need any induction modifications as it dosen't benefit from them? were's oldschool & alfangie when you need em?

EDIT: also oldschool and alfangie would you recommend to do a certain amount of miles before you have the remap done? as the car is brand new dose it need to be run it much?

I believe the re-map goes from 115-155 for the Stilo anyway, the 170 requires exhaust change/mod afaik.

Having had my Stilo JTD for 9 months I can honestly say I have never gone above 4k. Never had too either, you must shift earlier to get the rev range working for you. Take it easy 1.8, it's a journey, not a race

1.8Stilo said:

do you have your GP remapped shaun?

As i fink the extra length in the rev range would defiently be worth the cash.... and im comparison to BHP gained to the cost of a remap now adays you cant bet it value really?

Just to confirm is it 40bhp gain from the remap or 50bhp or is there a choice like the stilo JTD can have 155 or 170! And would the 50hp require an induction kit or did i read that the MJTD dosen't really need any induction modifications as it dosen't benefit from them? were's oldschool & alfangie when you need em?

EDIT: also oldschool and alfangie would you recommend to do a certain amount of miles before you have the remap done? as the car is brand new dose it need to be run it much?

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Haven't got my GP chipped yet but as i said my last car was and gained 30BHP - more you pay more get depends who does it - but beware of over streching the limits of the engine if you do get it done and with all that extra torque the clutch is under pressure too -
May get mine done after next service - still waiting for something to go wrong with the car - not a problem with it since march 1st 06 ( not supersticious about these things)
I have to say that my old scenic was transformed - and knocked at least 2.5 sec off 0 to 60 - top speed i never reached, quite scary in a scenic - but no more saxos embarrassing me at the lights thats for sure
The only downside i did notice was emisions from exhaust went up - when you blast it you do get a lot of soot from it - but that does stop tailgaters too.

bozzy said:

Take it easy 1.8, it's a journey, not a race

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Dont get me wrong on a normal day i take it quite easying going, its just nice to have the power there

1.8Stilo said:

do you have your GP remapped shaun?

As i fink the extra length in the rev range would defiently be worth the cash.... and im comparison to BHP gained to the cost of a remap now adays you cant bet it value really?

Just to confirm is it 40bhp gain from the remap or 50bhp or is there a choice like the stilo JTD can have 155 or 170! And would the 50hp require an induction kit or did i read that the MJTD dosen't really need any induction modifications as it dosen't benefit from them? were's oldschool & alfangie when you need em?

EDIT: also oldschool and alfangie would you recommend to do a certain amount of miles before you have the remap done? as the car is brand new dose it need to be run it much?

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I've heard of a remap to 170bhp so far but its early days yet and as the 1.9 JTD can be remapped to 170bhp, i should think the 1.9 MJTD can go a bit further. I have heard 190bhp but i cant remember where and whether this has been confirmed. Only time will tell

Bob in disguise said:

I've heard of a remap to 170bhp so far but its early days yet and as the 1.9 JTD can be remapped to 170bhp, i should think the 1.9 MJTD can go a bit further. I have heard 190bhp but i cant remember where and whether this has been confirmed. Only time will tell

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Yeah, look at the VW TDI unit thats getting on a bit now and Jabba Sport can get around 190 bhp and 320 ft lbs of torque with a custom remap.