O
Ozric-Al
Guest
Part 1: -
Well, picked up the keys to my Black 1.2 Active 5 Door 6-Speed Stilo today so here's the story: -
Picked it up and thought "My God! That's even uglier than in the pictures but let's keep an open mind". Have to admit that after all the other cars I've had as hire cars I realished the chance of some new Torino-Metal.
Anyway, had to go home first to pick up my stuff for my bidness trip (Yes Alan, I'm still to pissed to spell it properly!!lol).
So, go to hang my suits and shirts in the rear and notice that the passenger side door is open. Lo and behold, the central locking doesn't work on the passenger door! Fault 1.
Anyway, hang my suits in the back and the handle falls off! My God Fiat, the build quality on this thing is already seriously suspect!. So, go round the other side of the car to hang my shirts up and the door handle comes off in my hand! Jesus! The plastic that the handle is made of reminds me of the coffe stirrers we use at work. And we complain about the Bravo handles. I tell ya, the Bravo handles look like they are made of some serios space-age material compared to this.
So, how does it drive? well, as per usual it's extremely nippy and I can't believe it's just a 1.2. The sixth gear gives you a nice quiet ride on the motorway at naughty MPH but unfortunately means lots of gear changing at the mereest sign of a 1:2000 incline. Shame. Handling is vastly superior to the 307 and Golf that I have recently driven and the 1.2 engine is actually much more refind and responsive than the 1.6 in both of the others.
So, let's forget the exterior as we all know what I think of that and move on to the interior. There are some nice touches like the contoured bottle holders in the door pockets that are ideal for the 500ml bottles of Diet Coke that usually litter my car but unfortunately the handle restricts access to the bottle making it difficult to extract. The interior colour scheme is very drab but subtle and the lack of a CD player is quite infuriating. Never-the-less, the stereo isn't too bad. far too many German influences in here though including the dials, door lock pins and the horrible rubber dashboard! Very much like sitting in any other VAG car.
Considering it's a 1.2 the spec is very good: - Electric windows and mirrors, air con, trip computer(although the fact that it is always flashing at you is really annoying), ABS, PAS (far too light at speed but great for parking), and warning lights for everything bar "Your bowels are full - please take a ****!"
Now, down to the last word and here's some advice for anyone thinking of "Upgrading" their Bravo/a to a Stilo: - DON'T!!!! Having driven a Leon and Toledo earlier in the year they are by far superior to this Stilo. I hate having to say that as I am an Italian-Metal fan through and through but if this is the best that Fiat can do then they should scrap the marque and seriosly push Lancia to the fore.
More updates to come as I have this for the next 5 days while I am down in sunny Hove.
Shabash!
http://ozrics.co.uk/
Well, picked up the keys to my Black 1.2 Active 5 Door 6-Speed Stilo today so here's the story: -
Picked it up and thought "My God! That's even uglier than in the pictures but let's keep an open mind". Have to admit that after all the other cars I've had as hire cars I realished the chance of some new Torino-Metal.
Anyway, had to go home first to pick up my stuff for my bidness trip (Yes Alan, I'm still to pissed to spell it properly!!lol).
So, go to hang my suits and shirts in the rear and notice that the passenger side door is open. Lo and behold, the central locking doesn't work on the passenger door! Fault 1.
Anyway, hang my suits in the back and the handle falls off! My God Fiat, the build quality on this thing is already seriously suspect!. So, go round the other side of the car to hang my shirts up and the door handle comes off in my hand! Jesus! The plastic that the handle is made of reminds me of the coffe stirrers we use at work. And we complain about the Bravo handles. I tell ya, the Bravo handles look like they are made of some serios space-age material compared to this.
So, how does it drive? well, as per usual it's extremely nippy and I can't believe it's just a 1.2. The sixth gear gives you a nice quiet ride on the motorway at naughty MPH but unfortunately means lots of gear changing at the mereest sign of a 1:2000 incline. Shame. Handling is vastly superior to the 307 and Golf that I have recently driven and the 1.2 engine is actually much more refind and responsive than the 1.6 in both of the others.
So, let's forget the exterior as we all know what I think of that and move on to the interior. There are some nice touches like the contoured bottle holders in the door pockets that are ideal for the 500ml bottles of Diet Coke that usually litter my car but unfortunately the handle restricts access to the bottle making it difficult to extract. The interior colour scheme is very drab but subtle and the lack of a CD player is quite infuriating. Never-the-less, the stereo isn't too bad. far too many German influences in here though including the dials, door lock pins and the horrible rubber dashboard! Very much like sitting in any other VAG car.
Considering it's a 1.2 the spec is very good: - Electric windows and mirrors, air con, trip computer(although the fact that it is always flashing at you is really annoying), ABS, PAS (far too light at speed but great for parking), and warning lights for everything bar "Your bowels are full - please take a ****!"
Now, down to the last word and here's some advice for anyone thinking of "Upgrading" their Bravo/a to a Stilo: - DON'T!!!! Having driven a Leon and Toledo earlier in the year they are by far superior to this Stilo. I hate having to say that as I am an Italian-Metal fan through and through but if this is the best that Fiat can do then they should scrap the marque and seriosly push Lancia to the fore.
More updates to come as I have this for the next 5 days while I am down in sunny Hove.
Shabash!
http://ozrics.co.uk/
