Hi, i've got the Qubo on my possible next car list & i've a few questions maybe the current owners can help on...

Is there much difference between the 75 / 95 hp diesel?
I keep reading about the front strut bearing issue, is this still a current problem or was this engineered out after a certain date?

I'm looking for nearly new / new are fiat known for having sales or special offers at certain times of the year? My current car is a citroen & the dealers were knocking £2k off every new car by walking in + another £1k after a bit of chat, do fiat ever do this?

I see cruise control is an option, has anyone ever had this fitted? Of all the used car ads i've read I've never seen one with cruise listed.

Is there much difference between the fiat / citroen / peugeot versions, particularly the diesels as I think I've only seen Fiat doing the 95hp?

Thanks, I can't think of any more questions yet...

LC

Hi, Louigi

There's a big difference between the 75 and 95 engines. The 95 is 4.5 seconds faster from 0-62 and has better overtaking times. You pay more at the pump but it's worth it if you do a lot of driving over long distances, tow a trailer or carry heavy loads regularly.

There was a change to the bearing at a certain point (in 2010, I believe) but some people still have this problem on newer vehicles. Perhaps there is/was still a large number of the old ones on hand at the factory and they were used up during production rather than thrown out. Mine's a few days short of it's first birthday with over 31000 miles on it. I've had no problems with this issue. The only problem I had at all was that the Stop & Start stopped working. The car worked fine otherwise and it was fixed under warranty.

Almost all of the carmakers are having nonstop sales. The exact terms may vary from one month to the next but things are going on all the time. The reason for this is that sales are way down across the board. Even the premium brands are starting to suffer. Check the Fiat website for the current promotion and then check with nearby dealers to see who will give you the best price. Keep in mind that there aren't all that many Qubos out there so your choice in the used market isn't very large. Beter to order one the way you like it rather than take something that doesn't fully meet your needs. Also, if I get a really great deal, it will mostly offset the depreciation on a used model and give you a two year warranty.

I've got cruise control on mine and it works well if you're on the motorway and will be there for a while on a regular basis. If not, don't bother.

The biggest technical difference between the Qubo and her French sisters is the 95 HP diesel engine, exclusive to the Fiat version. The base petrol engines are also different between Fiat and PSA. Older PSA versions had a 1.4 diesel that was even less performant than the 75 HP 1.3 Fiat version but now the Fiat 1.3/75 is the standard diesel in all three. Even if all else were equal, that's enough for me to choose the Fiat. Otherwise, the only differences are the exterior colors (some are shared across the three of them) and the seatcovers/interior trim. The level of equipment on each trim level may also vary slightly from one to the other. The French versions and the Fiorino are more for tradesmen while the the Qubo is really a passenger car.

Mine's a 95HP Trekking and I'm quite pleased with it.

Let me know if there's anything else you need.

The Raccoon
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Morning Louigi,
First and very important question.......what type of motoring do you do..........all, and I mean all the small modern diesels can suffer serious ongoing problems with the EGR and DPF systems if only used for short type, stop start runs.......these problems are very costly and will recur if the car is not given good runs on a regular basis.......so thats for you to think about.

Apart from that, in general the Qubo is a great little car, my 75hp pulls well, and returns brilliant MPG. Have a look at members previous posts to get a feel for what these cars are all about.

Take care, Cheers Qube 0.

thanks for the info, I'm doing circa 18k miles a year with a daily motorway round trip of 50 miles + longer weekend runs so the DPF should hopefully not be an issue, my current citroen C3 1.6 diesel offers plenty of performance & economy but I'd just like the extra space the Qubo offers & as I hike every weekend the low slung boot with no lip looks like it'd make a great seat for getting boots on & off with some shelter from that large lid!

Does that boot lid get problematic when parked as it does look long?

I'm going to keep an eye on the market towards the end of the year, see what offers come up. Is there a long lead time for a new Qubo, do they build to order or have a pool of stock?

LC

Louigi,
At least with that kind of mileage the EGR/DPF shouldn't, as you say, be any problem.

As for the tailgate, it is a fairish length, just be aware about things close by when you open it, and peoples heads when you close it........some Qubo has a pair of rear doors, is that any better for you....

As regards stock, the Qubo has never been a volume seller, so stocks are like non-existent. My dealer has, or had, 1 new and 1 second hand, most dealers will be about the same at best. If you order a new one built to your spec, expect quite a wait, best to tie the dealer down on delivery dates before signing on the dotted line.

Take care, Cheers Qube 0.

And Qubos are made in Turkey rather than in Italy or France so there's a bit more shipping time than you would expect. I got mine in about seven weeks from signing the order.

I'll not repeat the excellent advice already from the guys...i've a 1.3D mylife (12 reg)

Hmm Agree with the tailgate it's pretty high thankfully has a handle fitted for fellow short arses! noticed as well the rear wiper can leave a big patch of window uncleaned but will wait till winter to see if its a real issue. Had a couple of issues in the last few weeks as well though, lost dashboard display but thankfully easily sorted at dealer and an issue with stop-start not working as well...thankfully now though all sorted

I've been a long time citroen owner (last one being a c4) and the qubo bless her is far far a better ride & drive to use...weirdly seems to have a lot more space than the c4 had...and its a smaller car!

and one thing I found today.....don't reverse somewhere and expect to open your tailgate without leaving a fair bit of room d'oh!! :bang: