Hi All,

I've currently got a Stilo MW and am being tempted with a Croma 2.4JTD (auto) Prestigio I've spotted. Nice wheels indeed.

I do have one big concern - the DPF. Can I assume that all Croma 2.4s have a DPF? If so, is there a recommendation not to buy these cars if you mostly do town driving? I ask as this is what VW say about their DPFs (recently an issue for us as we bought a new Touran 2.0TDi for my missus - we made sure we got one without a DPF).

Also, do the 1.9 Multijets all have DPFs? If not, how easy is it to tell which ones do and which ones don't? And is a DPF an issue on these if used for mostly town driving?

Cheers all!
Steve

2.4 Croma is a lot of car for town driving! 200bhp and 400Nm!

Surely if you bought that you could find 20-30 minutes every now and then to take it for a good hard drive?

My 1.9 Mjet 16v has a DPF. If a car is fitted with a DPF your CO2 emissions are lower = lower road tax.

The guidance that I have read for the DPF is that it does not like it if you only do short journeys and the engine and exhaust system do not get up to temperature.

Like Hellcat says, town driving ok if up to temperature, but you need to combine that with dual carriage way driving and motorways to flush the system.

If they are damaged by speed humps or you hole it or you ruin it by short cold journeys and short distances a replacement will cost you according to Eper £746.00 inc VAT before a discount and fitting!!

But at the same time someone could drive out of a junction and write your car off.

Get the car, enjoy it. Croma 2.4 Prestigio was on my to buy new list - until the Bravo was revealed.

Thanks, guys. So they all have a DPF, right? 2.4s and 1.9s?

I can certainly give it a blast on the motorway once a week if that would help! No probs doing that.

The one I'm thinking about has 18000 miles on it and is a 56 plate - is there anything I should look out for when viewing and test driving? Rear tyre wear is one question I've gleaned form other threads - any others?

check it's been serviced. If it's a private sale, do they have any technical knowledge - can be a sign of forgotten services and driven with problems. I'd guess though that it's an ex Fiat fleet vehicle - most 2nd hand Cromas are!

Check for knocks from the suspension. Check all the electrics work (there's a lot of them).

Cheers Hellcat. It's on sale at a Fiat dealer, on the Approved Used scheme. I will certainly check provenance - imagine you're right that it's ex-Fiat. Will check the things you mention.

Please don't anyone look it up on the Fiat website and buy it before me!

My best advice is get a decent test drive. When we bought the Mrs's Croma we were given the keys and pretty much told to bring it back before they closed.

We took it down dual carriageways, country roads, through 30mph zones. Did a bit of parking, roundabouts. Played with ALL the electrics and by the time we got it back we were satisfied it was a good buy. The thorough test drive uncovered a couple of tiny issues which we agreed to have resolved for when we collected the car.

8 months on and it's still the best value car we've ever bought.

Cheers, good advice again. Here is the devil in question:

http://usedcars.fiat.co.uk/used-fia...estigio-5-door-hatchba-1952706-502151194.aspx

Good value? Have a look at the picture of the interior - there's a "No Smoking" sign on the driver's window. Could this be a clue that it's ex-Fiat Fleet?

Oooh nice wheels

Nice spec with the skyroof. Cuts a nice shape in silver/grey.

Yes HC. Quite a rare spec I imagine. Kind of a strike now or forever regret it moment.

Argh. What to do, what to do. Like I say I don't NEED it, and I still really like my Stilo MW (apart form the horribly stiff clutch pedal)..........

Does it look a good buy at 8.5k? Room for negotiation? I dread the dealer sucking his teeth and telling me the Stilo ain't worth nowt.

The other option I fancy is a Seat Toledo 2.0TDi DSG. Not many of those around, either.

8500 seems pretty good. Paid about the same for our 150 eleganza.

I have had mine about 2 months, getting about 37 mpg with no traffic driving, hoped for more. The new one in Italy is quoted with better fuel economy. A lot of 2.4 159's are complaining about consumption. If you do a lot of short journeys it will be worse, it only takes about 3 miles to warm up, but this hits the economy. I have had 2 regens, I reckon about half litre extra fuel a time.
I have just fitted Michelin Primacy 17's which will run cooler than the Bridgestone Potenza 18's.
The Aisin 6 speed sequential auto is amazing. Lot of car for the money.
Hope this helps.

Sorry to be a bore, but the model you quote with 18K is only worth £5700 retail. Check www.wisebuyers.co.uk

FiatFleetFamily said:

Sorry to be a bore, but the model you quote with 18K is only worth £5700 retail. Check www.wisebuyers.co.uk

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Ok, anyone with a 2.4 prestigio with 18k on the clock want to sell it to me for under £5700?

The 'book' price for cars is rubbish. You try finding some of the cars for book price. It's all guestimates with no basis on real world prices and market forces.

Since the Croma was pulled, this has filtered down to the trade and values are falling very fast. Mine alone has plummeted £1000 in last 2 months.

Valuations at the moment are very hazy. Only trust www.whatcar.co.uk and www.wisebuyers.co.uk for a very realistic value. www.parkers.co.uk are over inflated.

What the trade know with the CAP and Glass's Guide is another matter in itself. I would push for a big discount on at least £2k minimum!!

Croma was pulled best part of 3 years ago, surely this has filtered down already?

Probably Yes...Probably No.

Hellcat. I am only being honest here, a neighbour near me, has driven my Croma, liked it so much has bought one. a 1.9 mJet Eleganza with Leather on a 56 Plate with 16k on the clock and was advertised at £6495.00 and got it for £5500.00 at a bloody dealer!!! What does that tell you, they are just cheap..very cheap now.

Cheers, fellas.

What Car says 7340, trade in for my Stilo at 3245 (yikes).
Wisebuyers says 5622, trade in for mine at 2533.

I'd be better off with the second set of valuations, obviously.

What's the best way to approach the dealer? Ask for a p/x value for mine, then make him an offer, or make an offer on the Croma first and then get a p/x value? Hmm.

Alanovich said:

What Car says 7340, trade in for my Stilo at 3245 (yikes).
Wisebuyers says 5622, trade in for mine at 2533.

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£1718 difference is a huge 23% difference in price. It's all guestimates and hearsay. I wouldn't be suprised to find brown envelopes trading hands in order to keep up car prices.