Technical 18 Months on still impressed

[dobloanalyst]

Two years ago I didn't even know a vehicle called the Fiat Doblo existed. I was driving a Rover 620 at the time, a nice car but thirsty on petrol and getting a bit old. With tree kids we also felt the need for an extra seat
or two and had our eye on the the Vauxhall Zafira.

Aware that other compact 7-seat MPVs were comming onto the market I decided to consult Google and did a search for '7 seat MPV'. One of the first items to come up was something along the lines of 'Fiat Doblo Family cheapest 7 seat MPV on the market in the UK'. Hmmmm, interesting...., followed the link and my initial rection was YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS. However, having reviewed the specifications and particularly the price it began to dawn on me that this could be the ideal car for us.

Knowing so little about the vehicle and never having seen one on the road the nagging doubt in the back of my mind was, 'why is this vehicle significantly cheaper than all alternatives, is this a lemon and if I bought one would I end up looking like a fool?' In order to answer some of these questions I ended up test driving a Doblo back to back with a Zafira. We were pleasantly surprised and impressed with the Doblo, the Zafira certainly handles better and feels more like a car on the road, however, the Doblo won hands down in all other areas. Suddenly felt much braver about making the decision and decided to buy one.

The good news started when I consulted the used car section on the FIAT website. I found a new pre-registered Doblo Family 1.3 Multijet from Mangoletsi in Cheshire for only £8500 (rrp £10999) - only 3 months old with 20 miles on the clock. Arranged a trade in for the Rover and one week later we were driving home in our new Doblo.

18 months and 15,000 miles later the car continues to impress. Now fully run in she is purring like a cat and running like a dream. I love the comfortable driving position, the feeling of space, the chunky attractive dash design,
the sliding doors, the folding middle seats, the large tailgate, the large wing mirrors and excellent visibility, the solid feel, the smooth running 1.3 multijet, the fuel economy, the cheap insurance and low running costs, above all the shear practicality of the vehicle. When I get into a 'normal' car now I feel as though I am trying to climb into a rabbit hutch, some much more expensive cars feel flimsy and cheap by comparison.

Having said all this, we mustn't get carried away, all cars are a compromise and no car is perfect. This is certainly true of the Doblo. For me some of the obvious issues are the poor indicators, seat covers prone to 'scuffing', poor aerodynamics (fuel economy suffers above 50mph), body roll in corners and a relatively poor NCAP safety rating (3 stars)

However, they have put together an impressive package for the money. I am surprised there are not more on the road. From my own experience I suspect there is a lack of awareness, I also suspect there are many, many fashion victims out there who are blind to the virtues of the Doblo because of its strange appearance.

Overall we have to say 'Congratulations' to FIAT, with the Doblo family they have found a niche and created the ultimate 'family man on a budget car'.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Ozzie1989]

I couldn't agree with you more apart for your statement on there not being many on the road

I see usually between 10 - 15 Doblo's a day, Taxis, Vans, MPV's, Disabled Access, all in different colours and different ages and it's not just the old fogies that are driving them anymore! Heck I'm 17 and I drive one

They are fantastic and I find the 1.9JTD a dream to drive and fuel consumption even at 100mph isn't bad at around 35-40mpg! Also, the handling if you think about it isn't that bad, for such a tall car it handles a lot better than it's Peugeout, Citroen and Renault counterparts and a few times I've been impressed when I've had to get out of a sticky situation or have been testing the handling shall we say

It's a great car, so many people that get in mine love it, and so many people who have seen mine have been convinced to buy one.

Only one problem with them... you can't get much in the way of styling that won't stop the moths flying out of your wallet

 

[fido]

Yes, I've been happy enough with the handling on mine and I do corner hard even if I mainly stick to the speed limits. I suppose people see the cart springs at the back and assume that the Doblo has to be driven sedately. I've not been impressed with the reliability though and will probably go back to Ford next time. They don't seem to do an MPV version of the Transit Connect van so I might just have to buy an ordinary van.

 

[doblo]

Yes, I've been happy enough with the handling on mine and I do corner hard even if I mainly stick to the speed limits. I suppose people see the cart springs at the back and assume that the Doblo has to be driven sedately. I've not been impressed with the reliability though and will probably go back to Ford next time. They don't seem to do an MPV version of the Transit Connect van so I might just have to buy an ordinary van.

What sort of problems have you had fido & how many miles have you done?

 

[Ozzie1989]

Yes, I've been happy enough with the handling on mine and I do corner hard even if I mainly stick to the speed limits. I suppose people see the cart springs at the back and assume that the Doblo has to be driven sedately. I've not been impressed with the reliability though and will probably go back to Ford next time. They don't seem to do an MPV version of the Transit Connect van so I might just have to buy an ordinary van.

They do, it's called the Tourneo Connect (or something similar) go on www.ford.co.uk... completely different do the Doblo though, not as spacious, a lot lot more expensive, and more expensive insurance

 

[Reggie]

poor aerodynamics (fuel economy suffers above 50mph)

The aerodynamics on the Doblo are very good; a drag coefficient of 0.3 is fantastic.

Problem is you've got the 1.3, so the engine is just working hard. The 1.9JTD doesn't suffer particularly poor fuel economy even at Ozzie speed :slayer:

 

[Ozzie1989]

The 1.9JTD doesn't suffer particularly poor fuel economy even at Ozzie speed :slayer:

Hehe, don't tell everyone and just to keep up my point of being a good safe driver, I do not drive at those speeds all the time

 

[dobloanalyst]

Reggie, I take your point about the 1.3 having to work harder at high speeds, the 1.9 would definately be better in this respect.

However, although the Doblo may have an impressive drag coefficient, total aerodynamic drag is proportional to not only the drag coefficient but also the frontal area of the vehicle. All high roof vehicles will suffer in this respect. Both the 1.3 and 1.9 engines would give better economy in vehicle with a lower body profile. A clear example of a compromise which has to be made between interior space and fuel economy.

 

[Reggie]

I agree absolutely, I was just pointing out that the aerodynamics aren't bad.

I was looking at a review the other day, and interestingly the 1.3 does have better urban mpg than the 1.9, but the 1.9 has better motorway mpg.

TBH the economy figures are all so good compared to my previous vehicles I think we're all smiling

 

[hendrik4dnet]

I was looking at a review the other day, and interestingly the 1.3 does have better urban mpg than the 1.9, but the 1.9 has better motorway mpg.

That is -according to my Doblo technique pdf file- only for 1.9 105 model and not for the 1.9 120 model, isn't it?

Bye,
Hendrik

 

[Ozzie1989]

Compared to most cars were all getting really good MPG, even when loaded up with people and goods the MPG doesn't seem to decrease much.

And you're right, the aerodynamics aren't that bad for such a vehicle that takes after the shape of your garden shed however at high speeds you do hear the effect the wind has hitting the front of the car.