1996 Fiat Cinquecento Sporting from UK and Ireland - Comments

The pipe behind the cat separated and had to be replaced and my front left tyre keeps running low.

There is a plethora of creaks from my dash... but as the Italians would say it gives the car character!!

I fitted a lovely Magnex end box which is too heavy for the back hanger and needs plastic ties to persuade it to stay horizontal with the rear valance.

Very capable on a twisty road and will give the driver confidence. I feel I know exactly where its limits are.

It is useless torque wise when my mates are in the car and broom yellow has my heart broken for tar remover.

The engine loves revs and on a dry road she will hang on a lot longer than others (Fiestas) despite bodyroll. Pull in fifth is surprising!!

True.

That's crap, my Fiesta can go on longer than that piece of rubbish.

Fiesta's are just sooo boring they don't have character. Boring and pants!

Unless your Fiesta is a 1.25 I would keep quiet mate. Everyone knows that they are a piece of junk. Unless you are a 17 year old whose idea of enthusiastic driving is based on how many megawatts his speakers output, rather than how well his car goes and handles.

I've got an R-reg Cinquecento and my girlfriend has a W-reg Fiesta (1.25). If you sit 'em side by side you can't even hear mine 'cos of hers, it sounds like a cement mixer. The performance blows the Fiesta away every time too, I have to fight her for the keys half the time.

I own a Sporting, and believe me, I can blow away bigger cars (Opel Corsa, Daewoo Nexia, some VW Golfs).

I want to buy a Fiat Brava, but I can't leave my Cinque behind, I love it!

I don't happen to like either the Fiesta or the Cinquencento, but it is a matter of FACT that the 75hp Fiesta 1.25 would murder the puny 54hp Cinquencento any day.

Cinquencento: 0-60 14 seconds, 95mph

Fiesta: 0-60 12 seconds, 103mph.

Read that and weep, and no I wouldn't own either of them if they were the last cars on earth.

That is my car that I was writing about and I never said that it would blow a 1.25 Fiesta away, the 1.1 of the previous generation yes, but so would my Granny in her slippers.

What I meant was that thanks to its tighter chassis and springs, it is much more flick-able and responsive than any Fiesta!!!

I love the cinq and it looks fantastic. The fiesta is a nice car but nothing special, whereas the cinq has a bit of style and class.

Not owning either, I would DEFINITELY go for the fiat.

I wouldn't say any fiesta, you forget to mention the 1.6 zetec s.

Got decent power nothing to special.

But the handling is to die for. show it some twisties and you'll have the time of your life!

I also don't own a fiesta or fiat. But I have to agree that fiesta's are dull and boring. Everywhere you look you see them, the Fiat cenq sportings appear a lot rarer, especialy in that nice blue and silver. Personally I wouldn't buy either due to the space butI think the little fiat has more character, style and credibilty than any crappy ford.

Remember, the Cinque was designed for the town. If one had the opportunity to drive the Cinque Sporting... (s) he must have noticed that the gearbox is really a sport (short) one!!! The car has just a "sporting" character.

I bought one two months ago and I must just smile when I sit in my car (for many reasons...). It is really a nice car for the city!!!

Seriously, can we just leave the fiesta and come up with some more useful input for those of us actually trying to find out about the car?