General TwinAir Thread (including MPG)

[grimwau]

You could have a members motors thread that says "Finally satisfied the missus, no! I really have this time!"

Ha! Ha! If only. :devil:

 

[grimwau]

Glad to hear you've got it back.

Interested to see your economy figure to date, i've just got 38mpg out of my abarth 500 which now has 400 miles on the clock. That included a fast motorway trip from Portsmouth to Poole.

They do do an abarth tintop auto, unfortunately it's the tributo Ferrari with price tag to match !

Cheers, Neil

I saw one in Westovers showroom today, luckily for me it had already been sold.

 

[DraigFlag87]

For the record, the "auto" box found in the Abarth 500 convertible will be available for the tin top in the next few months. A manual box for the Abarth 500 convertible will also be available at the same time

 

[306maxi]

Hi guy's thought you might like this review from the sun .

IT'S a long time since I drove a car powered by a dinky 875cc engine and I wasn't looking forward to it one bit.

Even the fact it was fitted to a Fiat 500 - a car which always puts a smile on my face - still left me unimpressed.

I expected a gutless performance - but how wrong I was.

The Twinair engine is a revelation and perfect to make the Fiat 500 the complete city car - cool, green and ultra-economical.

Fiat are getting slightly carried away when they say the Twinair "reinvents the petrol engine".

But it does a very serious job in taking it to a new level.


Tear the roof off ... 500 is impressive performer
In fact, the 875cc delivers better performance than a 1.2litre as well as significantly better miles per gallon and C02 emissions - so good it beats most diesel engines.

Fiat say you can get 68.9mpg. I managed 63mpg but the engine was brand new and not run in. So there is no doubt you will average well above 60mpg.

Go for the Dualogic robotised auto-gearbox and Fiat say you will get a wallet-friendly 70.6mpg.

It is claimed that no other petrol-production model betters that, and the same goes for the C02 emissions of 92g/km for the dualogic and 85g/km for the manual - both of which exempt you from road tax and congestion charges.The fantastic figures are down to the ingenious two-cylinder engine and Fiat's Start and Stop system which cuts out the engine in traffic to save fuel and reduce C02 emissions.

But the real surprises are the performance - 0-62mph in 11 seconds and a top speed of 100mph - and the peppy sound of the engine, like that of the original 1950s 500C.


Classic ... the interior reflects 50s style
Sporty The engine's gutsy sound is rather like an out-of-control sewing machine. That sounds naff but it isn't.

In a strange way, it's quite sporty. It never feels strained, unless you try and hang on in fifth gear.

The rest of the package is pure retro 500C - a little car which outcutes the Mini for sheer charm, inside and out.

There is a price to pay for this clever little engine - which goes up to £10,665 for the Pop version and £13,365 for the Blackjack - finished in matt black paint. Then £15,065 for the top-of-the-range Lounge Cabriolet.

So it's all down to what price you are willing to pay to be super-green and super-cool! But Fiat have comprehensively proved size does matter, just in a very different way to what you'd think.

That review almost made me vomit. Sounds like the "journalist" is trying to score themselves a free 500 or something.....

 

[jrkitching]

That review almost made me vomit. Sounds like the "journalist" is trying to score themselves a free 500 or something.....

Ditto. Reads like something written by FIAT's marketing department. Perhaps they gave the journo the copy for the review along with the car.

 

[babbo_umbro]

And obviously thinks that the 500C was the air cooled, rear-engined 500 when it was actually the early-1950s, final - overhead valve, alloy head - version of the pre-war Topolino. Must do his research on Wikipedia.

 

[Advanced Driver]

That review almost made me vomit. Sounds like the "journalist" is trying to score themselves a free 500 or something.....

63mpg from an engine that hasn't been run in is rather impressive. I wonder why no other journalists have managed to achieve that?

 

[306maxi]

63mpg from an engine that hasn't been run in is rather impressive. I wonder why no other journalists have managed to achieve that?

Perhaps they just didn't even drive it? OR as many others have said, perhaps IT WASN'T MINUS 300 FREAKING DEGREES WHEN THEY TESTED IT!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[grimwau]

Found one of the rattles from under the bonnet, a loose heat shield above the exhaust manifold which has made a little difference. However, I am still not sure about the loud engine roar, it could possibly be what the SUN reporter likens to a runaway sewing machine, but ..................... mines on steroids. :devil:

I checked all the air intake hoses and turbo pipe connections and they were all OK so perhaps I just never noticed it before. Mind you, both times I have collected it from the dealers it was motorway all the way home and the last couple of days were the first that it has been driven in traffic, to all intents and purposes.

Perhaps when I take it back to have a new microphone I'll re-aquaint myself with the demo car and see if it is the same. If it is then I can see my next purchase being a soundproofing kit.

 

[keeforelli]

Found one of the rattles from under the bonnet, a loose heat shield above the exhaust manifold which has made a little difference. However, I am still not sure about the loud engine roar, it could possibly be what the SUN reporter likens to a runaway sewing machine, but ..................... mines on steroids. :devil:

I checked all the air intake hoses and turbo pipe connections and they were all OK so perhaps I just never noticed it before. Mind you, both times I have collected it from the dealers it was motorway all the way home and the last couple of days were the first that it has been driven in traffic, to all intents and purposes.

Perhaps when I take it back to have a new microphone I'll re-aquaint myself with the demo car and see if it is the same. If it is then I can see my next purchase being a soundproofing kit.

you need the mic replacing already?

 

[Mikey1985]

If noise is an issue I don't think you should have bought a twinair. They are famously noisy, I personally like it, others may not. Incidentally Grimwau, if you don't mind me asking who drove the car on the test drive? how come none of these issues with the way it drives/sounds were noticed then? just curious.

 

[grimwau]

you need the mic replacing already?

Yeah! I thought I would wait 'til I got home to set the car up and it didn't work. I've arranged to have it replaced when I take the car to let them do a follow up check on the oil leak problem.

 

[grimwau]

If noise is an issue I don't think you should have bought a twinair. They are famously noisy, I personally like it, others may not. Incidentally Grimwau, if you don't mind me asking who drove the car on the test drive? how come none of these issues with the way it drives/sounds were noticed then? just curious.

I don't mind anyone asking a question if they are genuinely interested so;

I was aware that the TwinAir had a distinctive sound and I accepted that, what you haven't seemed to grasp is that I am saying that mine "appears" to be a lot louder than the one I took on the demo run. It also appears to be harder to drive smoothly than the demo but perhaps that will improve when everything has bedded in and I also adapt my driving style to the car's character.

However, I don't want to have an argument on why I chose to buy the TwinAir, my reasons were valid and I am now just keeping people informed as to my experience of my car, I am not in any way suggesting that these are endemic and I would in no way discourage anyone from buying one.

 

[jrkitching]

...mine "appears" to be a lot louder than the one I took on the demo run.

Just wondering if there is any possibility something may have been disturbed when the oil leak problem was being investigated/repaired?

Whatever else, I'm sorry that your new car experience hasn't been everything you'd perhaps hoped for when you signed up for it.

 

[Mikey1985]

I don't mind anyone asking a question if they are genuinely interested so;

I was aware that the TwinAir had a distinctive sound and I accepted that, what you haven't seemed to grasp is that I am saying that mine "appears" to be a lot louder than the one I took on the demo run. It also appears to be harder to drive smoothly than the demo but perhaps that will improve when everything has bedded in and I also adapt my driving style to the car's character.

However, I don't want to have an argument on why I chose to buy the TwinAir, my reasons were valid and I am now just keeping people informed as to my experience of my car, I am not in any way suggesting that these are endemic and I would in no way discourage anyone from buying one.

It did cross my mind that the oil problem you had may lead to other things, did the mechanics say how much oil it had lost? it's total sods law that it happend in the spray of a motorway where you can't see a thing. I read somewhere the twinair uses oil as hydraulic fluid for it's piston valves, hope that's nothing to do with it.

I must say Grimwau, I'm sorry if I come across in an argumentative fashion, your input as one of the few twinair owners on this forum is invaluble and I'm extremely greatful. As a new person to this forum I have to say it stands out as one of the better ones and thats because of the people on it so for all those of whom I've come across a bit harshly with I appologise.

 

[grimwau]

I must say Grimwau, I'm sorry if I come across in an argumentative fashion, your input as one of the few twinair owners on this forum is invaluble and I'm extremely greatful. As a new person to this forum I have to say it stands out as one of the better ones and thats because of the people on it so for all those of whom I've come across a bit harshly with I appologise.

No problem Mikey, it's sometimes very hard to tell the manner in which something is expressed when text is the only medium of communication. Thank goodness for smilies.

 

[Mikey1985]

Indeed, it's on similar lines to texting which is another communication minefield

p.s I know you said mpg is hard to gauge currently but does the 500 have an instant mpg function and have you played with that yet? also have you checked out eco drive? it could give feedback to driving efficiency

 

[grimwau]

Indeed, it's on similar lines to texting which is another communication minefield

p.s I know you said mpg is hard to gauge currently but does the 500 have an instant mpg function and have you played with that yet? also have you checked out eco drive? it could give feedback to driving efficiency

I usually drive with the instant fuel consumption display on, throwback to the days when I would be watching for when DPF regeneration was happening.

My experience has been that driving in my normal manner, which is with economy in mind the readout for any given identical situation shows it to be considerably less frugal, eg: on a straight, flat stretch of dual carriageway at 70mph the diesel would indicate 70+mpg whereas the Twin currently hovers around the 40-45mpg mark.

I used the 70mph figure mainly because at lower RPM the Twin might not be fully into it's comfort zone.

ECODrive IMO is something you will try but ultimately never use again.

 

[cjc156]

The dealer says my car is due this week, so fingers crossed should be able to collect on Saturday, all being well.

 

[grimwau]

Hope everything goes according to plan.

I'm sure that we all would appreciate another persons perspective on the TwinAir.