I got 2019 T-jet wagon (base model) and it does not need clutch to start. Now in the winter I start it just by reaching in and clearing snow while it is running. Haven't tried starting with gear in.

Basemodel radio is not great, has handsfree profile but no music profile. Swapped mine.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Thanks for the info on the wheel sizes/spares JTD. With my boy's budget it's likely to be quite an early example we'll be looking at and unlikely to be a top of the range spec - we would prefer not to have the larger diameter wheels with their low profile tyres so maybe it will have a full size spare.

I really do hope we like this car when we eventually get a test drive - luckily there is no pressure as the Astra is still going Ok - There is just so much about it which appeals to me.

I've been browsing videos on you tube and came across one which showed a turbo and exhaust manifold with cracks in them. It said that this was a not unknown problem with them, anyone know if this is a substantial problem? I wonder too if there is any appreciable turbo lag? (I ask because my Ibiza has this when pulling away from low revs. I notice it especially when accelerating away from speed bumps.) I do very much like that the engine is a cast iron "lump" of well proven design with not too much by way of complicated "features". Simple MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam rear axle does it for me too. No electric parking brake too! I don't see much reference to "silly" features like automatic city braking either and I like that cruise control seems to come on all but the base version? By the way, do you have to push the clutch to the floor to operate the starter?

I'm not a lover of "infotainment" in cars so the fact that the screen is rather dated doesn't worry me at all - my boy's never had a car with one so he won't know what he's "missing".

The one factor that seems to be defeating my "master plan" is that there don't seem to be many T jet estates for sale in the used listings and I actually can't find one at all up here anywhere near to us!

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Mid spec Easy Plus has a good spec like air con, touchscreen with DAB, Electric windows all round, remote locking and electric mirrors, and 16" alloys, without the extra niceties like auto lights and wipers, climate control, 17" wheels and sat nav of the Lounge model. The small 5" touchscreen was replaced with the better 7" one from late 2018 on mid & high spec Tipo's (Easy and Street models kept the radio without touchscreen throughout) but it took a while to filter through due to older stock cars hanging around.

I've not seen any reports on here about the manifold. I guess it must've happened at some point to get onto YouTube, but given how widely used the T-Jet engine is, I'd have thought it'd be showing up on here and other owners forums like Multiair issues, if it were particularly common.

My 2018 T-Jet only asks me to press the clutch if I turn the ignition on when it's left in gear. I tend to press the clutch regardless to reduce effort on the battery etc, but it must only ask for it on some models or years.

There's barely any lag at all on the T-Jet providing you're not a couple of gears wide of where you need to be, and even then it doesn't make a lot of fuss providing you're patient! If you struggle with finding the T-Jet then the diesels are not particularly problematic as far as DPF are concerned. The 1.6 diesel is very torquey and you almost row it along at low speeds because of the sudden shove of power. The 1.3 diesel is obviously not going to go like the 1.6 or even the T-Jet, but having used the engine in other vehicles it's probably a better bet in a Tipo estate than the 1.4 95bhp, which having driven in hatch form I can imagine will feel inadequate, especially when loaded up.

Gearbox issues will depend on the unit used. If it's the same as the Alfa Giulietta with the T-Jet and 1.6 diesels then it'll be occasionally obstructive (especially in 1st and 2nd) but largely fine up to higher mileages. The only recent common(ish) issues I can recall are on MiTo, Bravo and Stilo models with the 1.4 16v 95bhp engine and associated 6 speed box which can self destruct after a while, but as I don't think that box is suitable for the more powerful engines I don't think it'll be used in the Tipo beyond the base 95bhp petrol, if at all.

puntofan01 said:

I must admit, I did wonder if perhaps it might've been a demonstrator, as it's an Eleganza in resale friendly metallic black? The bloke who had it before me was only the 2nd registered keeper, who like I say, got it when it was a year old.

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I can't think of their being a Camden Group Fiat dealer and I reckon with the W plate and being sold at a year old, it was probably more likely to be on a fleet of some sort, but the Eleganza was rare so it might not have been a hire car - most of the hire cars were Active and Dynamic spec. My Giulietta was the same (WV plate, sold at 12 months to me) but it was actually a Fiat Group company car, so they don't all end up on hire car fleets.

I must admit, I couldn't imagine it having been a hire car: Eleganzas were expensive cars, plus I'd imagine the depreciation would've been rather too steep as well.

I must admit, when the very sad day comes that I have to part with it, I'm hoping to get a Tipo for my next car... [emoji846]

Still looking at everything I see about the T-jet engine and the estate variant. So far I've only spotted one thing I don't like very much, It uses a Dual Mass Flywheel. Admittedly I've never been involved with a D M Flywheel on a petrol engine, and I can imagine that it will be considerably less "stressed" on a petrol, but I've had several problems with them on diesels and I would never now replace a clutch on a diesel with one of these without doing a new flywheel too. Anyone heard of their reliability/durability on the T-jet engines? Fuel consumption seems a little disappointing too but maybe I'm prepared to accept this trade off for a simpler, and possibly more reliable, engine - when compared to more modern offerings. The firefly looks a little bit "frightening"?

The FIRE/T-Jet engine is pretty much bullet proof, its right at the end of its development life and therefore at its most reliable.

The Abarth version of the engine pushes 145 to 180 bhp reliably, so a 120 bhp version is not really being stressed.

And you don't have the complication of the Multi-Air system the Alfa versions of the engine have.

I don't think you'll find a car with a 1.4 litre turbo engine with 120 bhp that is more reliable.

Thanks Richard, exactly my thinking. There's so much about it (timing belt renewal, brakes, etc etc, with which I am already so familiar to say nothing of my having MES up my sleeve for those "awkward moments) Just this D/M flywheel that makes me slightly "twitchy". On the other hand I haven't come across any posts related to problems with it which probably speaks volumes. Must say I'm very keen to see my boy in one if/when his Astra throws in the towel. In fact I could easily rather fancy one as my own car if the Ibiza decides to start acting up. Because of it's complexity I've already decided I'm not going to be throwing any money at it if it starts to show any signs of "premature aging"

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Still looking at everything I see about the T-jet engine and the estate variant. So far I've only spotted one thing I don't like very much, It uses a Dual Mass Flywheel. Admittedly I've never been involved with a D M Flywheel on a petrol engine, and I can imagine that it will be considerably less "stressed" on a petrol, but I've had several problems with them on diesels and I would never now replace a clutch on a diesel with one of these without doing a new flywheel too. Anyone heard of their reliability/durability on the T-jet engines? Fuel consumption seems a little disappointing too but maybe I'm prepared to accept this trade off for a simpler, and possibly more reliable, engine - when compared to more modern offerings. The firefly looks a little bit "frightening"?

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Back I the early 2000s around 2004/5 I worked in the motor trade and at that time they started used DMF a lot in bigger petrol cars, I remember especially the 2001my Ford Mondeo’s where regularly wrecking their DMFs on relatively low mileage and I remember transit vans of the same era used to wreck them regularly as well, things have improved a bit since then but fiat have even very slow on the uptake of DMF but even on my old low mileage Punto HGT (diesel) it wrecked its flywheel and clutch at about 6 years old