General why a Multipla ?

[landmarker]

First of all - hello.

I hired one in France for a fortnight in 2008 - a diesel...there were four of us, including a child - it was great and helped make the holiday. Visibility was fab. It's a wide car , but as an HGV 1 driver I wasn't too bothered about that but being on t'other side of the road so to speak it took a little getting used to....the missing front offside wheel-trim was evidence others had the same problem.

The time has probably come to replace my beloved Audi 80 - the best car I've ever owned by far and really only the Multipla, the Qasqai,Honda FRV or a couple of Citroen Picasso models turn me on. I especially like the ideaof our Grandaughter (7) sitting up front with us like I used to do wi' my Dad in the dark ages.

Can anyone spare a minute or two to tell me why I might choose a Fiat Multipla over these others? And is there much difference between the Dynamic and the Eleganza ?? If you have owned a Multipla for a long time how is it bearing up???

Cheers.

 

[bertiethebluemulti]

Hi, We are on our second multi and they have both been fab! We have 4 kids and ours also tows our caravan all over too. Our first multi was a petrol the second is a diesel, even my brother bought one shortly after us buying our first one. Ours have been really reliable but to be honest once you own one you would love it so much that you would forgive any little problems that did occur. The diesel is more economical than the petrol and the petrol has a high gear ratio. Go for a multi and I very much doubt you will regret it.Hope this helps a bit.

 

[landmarker]

HI

thanks for that.
We're going to look at two over the weekend.
Both 07 plates - one a petrol with 16k on the clock - the other a diesel with only 12k. The latter is three grand dearer at £9,000.
This represents a huge modernisation programme for us as our Audi is an old '94 'M' Reg (still only 68k).
Could you please expand a bit on the high gear ratio thing - you mean it's longer than usual before a change up? Five gears I'd expect so is the fifth gear more of an overdrive (if you remember those?). Do you prefer driving the diesel? Much difference with interior noise?
I'm going to do more research online but 'tis much better from the horse's mouth (ie:an owner)

These are quirky motors and divide opinion, but I like 'em - a lot!
Thanks for your time.

 

[bertiethebluemulti]

Hi, The petrol is quieter on tickover than the diesel obviously but what I found was when doing 70mph it always felt as if the petrol could of done with a 6th gear. I would quite often check I was in 5th , having said that I did love our petrol one and the reason we changed was that the diesel had a higher towing weight. Economically the diesel better suits our needs but if it hadnt been for the towing weight we probably would never of changed. Please dont let me put you off a petrol version as ours was a fantastic little car but I would try and have a test drive of both and see what you prefer. The engine is louder inside the cabin on a petrol than a diesel at 70mph but only because it feels like it needs a 6th gear. I am sure someone will explain what I mean a lot better than I have. PS. My brother still has his multi and its a petrol version and hes more than happy with it.

 

[Zundapp]

Like most things mechanical - if you get a good one you'll love it. If you get a bad one you'll be spitting teeth.

The diesel's torquier to drive than the petrol and as Bertie's already said has a higher towing weight than the petrol. The petrol handles a bit better due to being a bit lighter at the front, and is usually a bit cheaper to buy than the diesel.

So depending on your expected use of the car, you choose!

 

[landmarker]

thanks again for all the info.
I've been measuring my garage tonight and it will be a bit of a squeeze width wise - hope the mirrors fold in fairly flush. I was amazed when unreeling the tape measure to 1870 mm - this is one wide car.
It would be an incentive to keep the garage free of clutter though and at this stage I'm not letting that put me off.
I will test drive both of 'em.

cheers.

 

[widemouthfrog]

I've had my Multi for about 18 months and the longer I own it, the more impressed I am.

I wouldn't be in a hurry to buy a really new one (by which I mean under 3 years old). They suffer suicidal depreciation. This is what attracted me to them in the first place - compare the like-for-like used price with, say, a Touran and you'll see what I mean. Bear in mind that they were roughly the same cost when new. Let someone else bear the brunt of this and you get a bargain.

The standard kit list on the higher spec Multis is very good. Beware the leaking sunroofs though! On the subject of reliabilty and what goes wrong, I'd strongly recommend having a read of th topics on this forum. Sunroofs, clutches, various engine management bits (especially on the diesel) and some suspension parts are the cars achilles heel(s). Most of these are cheap to remedy (with the exception of the clutch).

On the subject of the width and mirrors - if you go for a higher spec model, they come with electric folding mirrors which (unlike several other cars I've driven) actually reduce the width a lot when folded.

I'd go for the diesel but that's because I like the low rev torque that they offer. That said, the torque of the JTD (diesel) engine is very poor compared to the rival units from Ford and VW. Fuel consumption is reasonable rather than great (40-45mpg is typical for the diesel, which is nowhere near as good as some Peugeot-Citroen HDi cars). The engine is sweet enough and quite revvy for a diesel.

At 50-60mph, the Multi is a very quiet car (one of the quietest I've driven). Testament to this is that it is easy to have a conversation with people in the rear seats without raising your voice. Wind noise gets noticeable above 70mph.

 

[MultiPa]

I'd second all of what widemoutfrog has said, and mine is off the road at the moment waiting for some parts (arrive today or tomorrow I hope)

I don't really understand why the JTD in the multi has such relatively low torque for a diesel because the same engine in other applications has much more. I presume it is something to do with getting reasonable fuel consumption out of what is quite an bulky car? It feel lively enough anyway - it's not exactly the sort of car you feel the need to hustle.

My folding mirrors don't fold, by the way, and I've never had a problem yet. If you do look at older ones (when they were SX and ELX rather than Dynamic and Eleganza) bear in mind that the SX doesn't have air conditioning, which might be something to consider in a car with so much glass. Not sure what the spec levels are on the newer ones, but Parkers.co.uk is quite accurate for that sort of thing.

 

[landmarker]

Thanks for the latest input.
I went to the dealer tonight and took the petrol out on a test drive - not a veryl ong one as there was only an egg cup full of juice in it.
The car has 17k. on and drives like a new motor. It's a darkish blue non-metallic. Black interior (as new really) on an 07 plate.
No sunroof, no air-con, but I'm not into the latter really - just open a window and get the blower on. 3 years old and MOT'd in May - it was put on the road the day before I was 56 ! - asking for a new ticket seemed a bit un-neccesary...but what do you reckon?

I enjoyed the drive, such as it was. It's a one owner ex-motability car (from up in Northumberland) so well looked after. It's affordable but to be honest the guy only offered me £300 for mine - I squeezed another £200 out of him but the missus took a bit of umbrage when he said 'it's only really worth ninety quid' ! In a month or two's time we could buy it straight out for pound notes (bond maturing)...all the other cash is tied up in fixed rate ISA's.

With a couple grand down on it the monthlies only work out at £84 over 3 years. The point about the Touran is not lost on me.

I know what he's driving at with the trade-in value . I'm sentimental about me Audi but not stupid.

I guess it boils down to sleeping on it....the decision.
I really appreciate the feelings, and info submitted here.
Have just texted my daughter to see if she has any objection to the little un (7) riding in the front - no middle airbag on the Dynamic...is there a central bag on the Eleganza? - personally I think an airbag a bit dodgy for a young child but I'm no expert.

Watch this space

 

[Zundapp]

I believe the n/s airbag is of a size which takes account of the centre seat passenger.

As Multipa says, do consider a/c. My first Multi didn't have a/c and I wouldn't have bought another without it. Even in a sunny winters day the car can get quite warm with the large glass area. In the summer, driving down the Mosel valley you can get argumentatively hot!

 

[landmarker]

Cheers Zundapp.
A/C comments noted : I'm as likely to be up your way on the West Coast of Scotland (A830 to Mallaig ) than in France ! However, it was getting warm this afternoon on our little run out.

Didn't want to open the windows for noise gauging purposes....we were eonly on the M/Way for two minutes and it was thronged anyway -
5-00pm.

I'm torn, I really am....might end up holding out for a month or two and look for a diesel Eleganza....we have a 40th anniv. cruise to pay for soon too so it's concentrating the mind !

 

[pig]

Hi
just noticed this thread. I've had two (pre-facelift) Multiplas, a petrol and a diesel. In my opinion the diesel is the far better car.
Both cars had air conditioning, and both really needed it! Even on a mild sunny day the interior can get quite uncomfortable, and there's too much noise with any window open at motorway speeds.
The petrol fuel economy is dire, the diesel much better. The diesel pulls really well at low revs. I never noticed a great difference in handling between the two.
My diesel has now done 115000 miles, I've done 30000 of them. The main expense has been a new clutch (£400), but overall it's been a reliable car. It's great strength for me is it's long journey comfort. The seating position is just right. I've done single day journeys of over 600 miles and not felt any discomfort. Once we went from Yorkshire to Bergerac in a day- we were supposed to share the driving but I ended up doing it all, and would have done more if needed.
People are genuinely surprised when six adults are in the car - each with a full size seat and plenty of elbow and legroom- it's a great design.
Good luck!

 

[Zundapp]

Cheers Zundapp.
A/C comments noted : I'm as likely to be up your way on the West Coast of Scotland (A830 to Mallaig )

Cracking road!

Well on a bike, anyway.

 

[landmarker]

Thanks 'pig' - you info and opinion re-inforces my own and it was tilely too. The dealer has just rang (I was in the shower) apparently he wants to offer me more money for the Audi.

I fully endorse your comments about the driving position lending itself to endurance. We're not averse to long hauls ourselves and as Albaphiles frequently holiday in Scotland either on the west coast or much further up (In a Big Country etc...) around Ullapool, or even Tongue on the north coast. We tend to do it in one hit...with a brew and loo stop so it can be nine hours or so depending how quickly we can exit Mancunia, and its traffic.

The Multipla feels a bit like an upmarket van to drive - hope nobody considers that statement sacrilege, blasphmeous or even plain silly.

Impressive stats from you on mileage and fuel - I'd already talked my self into hanging on for a diesel and your thoughts re-inforced my own.

Zundapp - we know the roads up there on two wheels also - until 2006 when we sold our last bike(which looked a lot like this one) - another quirky design and not everyones cup o'tea...but we loved our 800 Drifter !

er.

 

[ukmike2010]

I had one of the original (W reg?) JTD Multiplas when they were brand new to the market. In that lime green metallic! I chose it and I loved it. The reason for getting it was that I was fascinated by the design and how they got so much into such a small space - inspired!

Only problem I had in its first 40,000 miles was an electrical fault with the immobiliser which required a couple of tow-ins in its early days.

I don't think I have ever owned a more versatile vehicle. Really comfortable to travel in, superb tow car (high, almost zero overhang), and when my son moved to a new flat, we took the rear seats out, packed a fridge freezer and his gear into the back and drove 3 up in front from Yorkshire to Cheltenham, then bought a new bed and transported it in the Multipla. Brilliant.
In those days, people used to stop and point at it, but I loved its frog-face.

To the best of my knowledge, the car served its next user to about 140,000 miles without a murmur, and is now still driving around Cornwall.

Very clever car - loved it to bits.

 

[Zundapp]

.
Zundapp - we know the roads up there on two wheels also - until 2006 when we sold our last bike(which looked a lot like this one) - another quirky design and not everyones cup o'tea...but we loved our 800 Drifter !

er.

As quirky as the Multi!

 

[QinteQ]

£30 quid aircon works brill, reduces noise too

- make sure you get the G3's and be prepared to spend ages fitting this version of aircon it will tale nearly a whole minute to do both front windows

 

[Matthen]

I had one of the original (W reg?) JTD Multiplas when they were brand new to the market. In that lime green metallic

W wasn't new to the market... We had a Green 1.6 sx (With AC) which was V reg.. Haven't ever seen one so old.

We also got one of the last pre facelift ones... 80% discount cause the dealer was desperate to shift the stock 1.9 jtd ELX... - still got it

The old multi was a brilliant car, with unique looks and a good enough engine, my only complaint is it could really use a 6 speed gearbox... And, as previously mentioned, watch the sun roofs!