If the turbo is a bit wonky, the car will smoke a lot and it won't boost very well.
If it's a trade seller (or even a private seller) just go for a test drive. If you can find a clear stretch of road, accelerate the beast moderately slowly in a lower gear until you get to about 3000rpm.. then give it a prod of a bit more gas to see if it picks up strongly from 3000rpm.
If it's too hesitant or not interested, then it could just need a clean out, or an intake leak fixing... or the turbo might be having problems... but generally if it doesn't smoke like a Kuwaiti oil field and doesn't clatter or bang or the dash' doesn't light up like a Christmas tree then there's probably nothing too terminal. The Fiat diesels are pretty indestructible.
It can smoke a lot if it's been sitting around justy being moved around the seller's yard etc. so if you rev it cold and a load of black smoke comes out initially, don't worry. Take it for that test drive and get it hot.. use a variation of revs to give it a bit of a clean out and then somewhere along your route (e.g. when testing the pickup from 3000rpm) have a look out of the left mirror to see whether there is a serious cloud of smoke. If you've been giving it some exercise, the smoke should gradually disappear.
Even if the engine is cold, it should start instantly (3 or 4 cranks of the starter) otherwise the high pressure pump might be weedy... but again, these don't go wrong so often that they ever get mentioned on the forum. If it's hot, the engine should start the same.
Values is tricky. Dealers tend to get all optimsitic when they get their hands on a shiny, good looking Stilo.. and try to sell them for c. £1800 (£2k doesn't shift). A tatty old Stilo bought privately comes in at just above scrap value of £450... so the real value should be in between.
The main thing is condition. If it's clean inside and the oil level is just under MAX and the coolant and washer fluid are nearly full and the brake fluid is topped up and clean (straw coloured) then chances are someone has been looking after it
If the oil is black and thick, there's no screen washer fluid and the coolant is grey and the brake/clutch fluid is dark brown, and the seats look like they've had an ashtray emptied over them, in between someone eating their Chinese Takeaway off them, then the beast has had a harder life and I'd just check the expensive stuff more carefully.
At 87k it should be ostensibly "perfect" (i.e. eveything should work, even though there will be wear and tear). Check the clutch since you're in the window where the slave might be deciding it's had enough.. a low brake fluid might indicate that it's leaking (prelude to a failure). It's inside the gearbox as far as I know (on the 115bhp it certainly is) so it's a "new clutch" if it goes. Clutch will last longer but if the slave fails, there's no point in not also changing the clutch.
I'd say a nice one with that mileage would be good value at £1500. It's worth paying a bit extra if there's new tyres, brakes, exhaust or even clutch.. since at this end of the market, you can buy a cheaper one for £1000 and then spend £800 fixing it. It's better to have one that's a few £hundred more expensive but doesn't need work.
Don't pay over £1900 though... that's a bit dear and pretty much the most expensive Stilo in the Galaxy won't cost that much (maybe the odd 2.4/Abarth/Schumacher etc... but not a humble old MJet).
But if it "smells" good, I'd chip some money off and buy it...
It'll need some regular tweaking as you go but generally Stilo is cheap as chips to run and it'll go on to whatever mileage you decide it's not worth fixing any more...
Ralf S.
