Technical Our 5.5 hour ordeal with two month old GP Dualogic

[fiatdownunder]

Think you should sell your panda & buy something else mate!

tut tut tut
Ti that's unlike you, attention to detail. He has GP....

To be honest LuvDuvs it's not on. How does a manufacturer build up clientele in a new country to sell cars and gain a reputation when dealers are like that.
I'd be naming and shaming them....

 

[luvduvs]

Seriously man I'm not bothered anymore. After coming back from the trip its really opened up my eyes to the world and its shown me there really are far more important things in life than say, worrying about whether there's a problem with the gearbox. Sure I'm still concerned about it and will get it sorted, but its no longer near the top of my Things-To-Do list

I think the best way to complain is to tell people about your bad experience (which I've done) and simply vote with your feet & wallet next time :devil:

 

[fiatdownunder]

That's what really annoys me. I think we know it is a good car but due to poor dealer services you are cheesed off with it (more them i think) and would prob not get another when you come to change your car.
That to me is poor salesmanship.

Sorry but i am annoyed even if you arent!
why cant people have a pasion for what they do anymore!
gee's i sound like i'm 25 going on 65! haha

 

[luvduvs]

I really would like to support the Fiat brand by buying their cars and feeding them back problems with the car (so they can improve). But there comes a point where if there are constant problems (that aren't resolved in a reasonable time) and compounded with a lack of service from the dealer, then unfortunately I would need to head off elsewhere. Let's just hope Fiat and the dealers somehow get their act together to restore some much needed faith

 

[fiatdownunder]

that's the key sticking point. dealer attitudes!
some dealers dont give 2 hoots about the cars and try bluffing their way through things.
Sorry but it's a bit of a sore point with me, i take pride in what i do and i enjoy the cars and selling them. I hate to hear of people who like the car but have problems which could've been sorted out first time leading to them wanting rid of the car.:bang:

 

[luvduvs]

You sound like a great dealer - ever considered working in AU?

 

[fiatdownunder]

haha Nah, to big, dry and open for me. I like a bit of greenery around me, I'm a Yorkshire Boy at heart!
I have been there and travelled but not for me i'm afraid.
You'll have to come this way instead

 

[Turbodiesel]

look at the package and nobody can realy beat the GP.
Standard spec is high.
Servicing intervals longer.
best fuel economy.

when you stack it all up yes it may be a little bit more expensive but all in all works out cheaper than it's competitors!

And sorry, the Panda wont be on these shores for a long time yet. we almost got it at the end of 06 but the cost is way to high at the mo.
You Ozzies are holding it back waiting to see how the GP goes before putting your hand up for anymore FIAT's. TBH i think that Ateco will just wait for the 500 instead.

Well if you were working over here I know who I'd be buying from

Considering that I do a lot of mileage (34k a year), I'm not sure whether buying a new car will be the best choice financially for me. A lot of people are telling me I should just keep using my current car until it wears out (04 Pulsar 1.8). Also, I'm not 100% sure that the GP will be cheaper to run in the end.

The thing is I "want" a GP more than I "need" it so it's driving me nuts

What do you reckon of my situation?

 

[T14086]

tut tut tut
Ti that's unlike you, attention to detail. He has GP....

oops!

 

[luvduvs]

What do you reckon of my situation?

If reliability is a key issue then I would suggest going for something with a better reputation, such as a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. They're not as stylish as the GP, but they've proved over the years that they're reliable and relatively cheaper to run than other cars in its class.

 

[T14086]

If reliability is a key issue then I would suggest going for something with a better reputation, such as a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. They're not as stylish as the GP, but they've proved over the years that they're reliable and relatively cheaper to run than other cars in its class.

Corollas suffer from airbags going off by themselves (or not at all),failed steering,gearbox & brake problems.Civics suffer cutting out,steering failure,egr valves & tyre problems............grass isn't always greener on other side however in general I would agree they are more reliable but then again they are more expensive to purchase initially.

 

[fiatdownunder]

You do 34K per year.
How often do you service your current car? and at what cost?
Bear in mind it's on service a year on the GP at that milage... at what, about $400ish.

No cam belt to be changing on it either, it's a chain now.
Would you be looking at buying the car to run forever or just 3 years?!

 

[luvduvs]

Corollas suffer from airbags going off by themselves (or not at all),failed steering,gearbox & brake problems.Civics suffer cutting out,steering failure,egr valves & tyre problems............grass isn't always greener on other side however in general I would agree they are more reliable but then again they are more expensive to purchase initially.

Cool.. and I thought Fiat was bad.. haha

All car makes have their problems (I've mentioned this in other threads), but my point is, relatively speaking, Toyota/Honda/etc are more reliable. Yes slightly more expensive but its better to be safe than sorry.

(Does anyone know much about Lotus, and whether they're problematic just like every other make?)

 

[T14086]

Yes slightly more expensive but its better to be safe than sorry.

Then by that theory buy a Rolls royce,they will fly a tech out to where your car is broken down to fix it.You pay for what you get.

 

[luvduvs]

Then by that theory buy a Rolls royce,they will fly a tech out to where your car is broken down to fix it.You pay for what you get.

Yeh I'm saving up as hard as I can now. At this rate it'll take at least another couple of centuries..

(Hmm.. but if I rob a bank then that should shave a couple of years off..)

 

[fiatdownunder]

Yeh I'm saving up as hard as I can now. At this rate it'll take at least another couple of centuries..

(Hmm.. but if I rob a bank then that should shave a couple of years off..)

just be glad you dont have a Rover that's all i think! least you have a dealer and a car still worth something!

GP's are good, just more in manual form i guess! southern hemisphere people will only drive auto though.... such a shame!

 

[Turbodiesel]

You do 34K per year.
How often do you service your current car? and at what cost?
Bear in mind it's on service a year on the GP at that milage... at what, about $400ish.

No cam belt to be changing on it either, it's a chain now.
Would you be looking at buying the car to run forever or just 3 years?!

I service every 10,000km for about $200 each, spend about $65 on petrol every week. Current Mileage on my car is about 87,000km.

The thing is I'm not just after something to get me from A to B, I'm a car enthusiast and want something good looking, sporty, comfortable, reliable, fun, yet economical. I wouldn't even consider a dull as dishwater Corolla or Civic. I would prefer to wait until the GP has had all of the gremlins sorted out whenever that will be.

I'd probably be looking to keep it for 3 or more years. Hopefully depreciation won't be a big issue.

 

[fiatdownunder]

from that i would prob say a 1.9 Sport then to be fair.
Looks the Mutts Nutts, quick, reliable (I've driven quite a few now quite hard sometimes too, and then when people demo them they dont exactly stay still long) and the way fuel prices are going you should be well in. Costs NZ$35 to fill a tank and i get about 600km per tank, town driving!
the 1.9 is a well tried and tested engine that is almost bullet proof. I had a guy in England who had the same engine in a doblo van, did 180,000 miles in 18 months and it didnt miss a beat. Loved it and bought another fleet of them from me.
Oh, and a price rise is iminent, at least in NZ it is....

 

[Turbodiesel]

The Sport is exactly what I'm interested in. Engine and drivetrain reliability are most important so that's good to know even if it is a van engine

Petrol (around $1.15) is usually a good 10-20c cheaper than diesel over here, so the GP would have to be a good deal more economical to justify the price difference. I get about 6.8l/100km in my Pulsar which is pretty good for an auto.

What are your fuel prices like over there?

 

[fiatdownunder]

diesel over 40c per litre cheaper!
are you out of town driving? with that l/100km i would say so. if so in the GP sport you'd prob be getting approx 5l/100km, i get 5.5 doing 110km/h on cruise. and that's on cars that haven't even done 1000km (arent i the lucky smart as5 with constant new cars! )