Faults:

Nothing serious - Handbrake cable changed, clutch, power steering belt.

I've always treated the car well with regular services and respect for it when cold and prior to turning off when the turbo needs to run down, and it was rewarded me with no problems, no smoke, good oil consumption etc. Look after it and it'll look after you.

There have been some minor faults which I quickly came to ignore - the indicators don't self-cancel, and the intermittent wipe can be, well, intermittent! But it's all part of the Italian car fun.

General Comments:

Probably the best looking car made in the 1990s, and stunningly quick. It's the only car I've owned where after a few months the power hasn't seemed "normal".

Very few things on the road are quicker, Boxters, 330is, Audi TTs etc are easily embarrassed by a standard spec coupe.

The handling is also very good for a FWD car with lots of steering feel, quick responses and surprisingly little torque steer thanks to the clever "viscodrive" front diff.

The seats are comfy and ride hard, but not as harsh as might be expected. I've also found the air conditioning to be very good.

It's far more fun than other cars I've owned, including a BMW 325i and Audi quattro.

I'd happily have another one.

Whilst it has been reliable, the fiat coupe forum has been an invaluable source of knowledge and removed so called 'coupe paranoia syndrome' where owners worry about phantom faults.

The reliable ones are the un-modified ones, and my advice would be to keep in standard and as Fiat/Pininfarina intended.

Faults:

Clutch plate broke (fingers).

General Comments:

I have just got rid of this car, but I thought I would share my experiences from a year of ownership.

I have owned about 15 cars over the last 8 years, and this is the only one that continued to feel special every time I got into it!

It is a superb performance bargain, and if properly maintained, can provide years of reliable service. Just one thing; don't try and run this car on a budget.. it costs to keep it mint!

Things you need to consider for a car about 6 years and 60k plus would include:

Cam belt + all auxiliary belts (£400 - £800 from a specialist).

Front wishbones (£200).

Clutch (£500).

As voiced elsewhere on here, check out www.fccuk.org; it really is an invaluable source of information.

Faults:

Nothing!

General Comments:

Great car, lots of torque. The acceleration from 120 or even 180 km/h on-wards is amazing.

The handling is OK, but not the best. It is more like a GT tourer than rally car. There is also quite a lot of under steering. Also the seats doesn't support you enough for trashing through corners.

Costs; tires are expensive and they don't last long. Fuel consumption is very good for such a car; my average is 11 l/100km, my max was 15l/100km, and the lowest was 8,5l. And this for turbo 220HP!

You cannot get more car for the money; leather, air-con, great performance and a lot of space compared to TT, GTV and co.

Faults:

REPLACED THE STEERING PUMP

Steering felt hard and made a wierd noise. Cost USD $250 to replace with a second hand pump.

A/C blower switch is faulty.

Haven't changed it as yet. sometimes the blower starts automatically. mechanic said it was only a loose connection.

General Comments:

Awesome performance. better than cars twice it's price. looks are very impressive. people constantly stare at the car.

Nothing to complain.

Faults:

Nothing at all. Perfect condition inside and out, only owned it for 1 month, but it's a real credit to the previous owners.

Buy a well maintained mint example, and it should last the distance.

General Comments:

Great looks and stonking performance.

It's deceptively fast. You may think it's not that quick, but watch that speedo and you will soon realise it's faster than you thought. Very easy to drive quickly. The 5 cylinder engine sounds superb under full acceleration.

The ride is slightly harsh, but with the looks and the performance, it's more than acceptable.

The bodywork is prone to chips, especially the leading edge (useful haggling tool). Truly a beautiful looking car.

Interior is fantastic, leather seats are very comfortable, and the Pininfarina styled interior looks great.

It uses oil so keep an eye on it. Keep her well serviced and don't skimp on consumables i.e. oil (buy the best) etc...

Oh one final thing; ENJOY it, it's a great car, faster than most things on the road.

Check out www.fccuk.org. The forum is an invaluable source of information.

Faults:

The airbag ECU has failed

The steering column bush has worn in 28k miles.

General Comments:

Once the turbo spins up, the car accelerates in an amazing way, leaving just about everything else for dead.

Build quality is as good as most cars and at the top end for Italian machinery.

I was originally looking for an Alfa GTV, but, in just about every way, this car is better and it's cheaper.

Faults:

Air Conditioning problems early on, not covered by warranty, Fiat dealer slow to fix. Cost me approx £1000.

Threw a rod at 38,000 miles. Repair (needs new engine) may now cost almost as much as the car is worth. No warnings on the guages i.e. high temperatures. Just bad luck?

General Comments:

The Coupe is one of the finest looking around, nice power, and in the dry the handling/grip seems almost surreal.

Faults:

Engine undershield came loose.

Central locking stopped working (fixed easily by me).

General Comments:

Superb - beautiful car, storming performance and lovely engine note. Suspension a bit hard, but the handling is excellent.

Most people don't know it's a Fiat! The only let downs are the dealer network, the lack of tuning parts and the petrol (and tyre) consumption when I'm having fun. Insurance reasonable for a Group 19 car (£700).

Faults:

New dashboard cluster.

New alarm.

New stereo.

New wheel nuts (due to rusting).

Broken passenger door handle.

New clutch (faulty manufacturing in clutch springs), repaired for free kindly, just out of warranty by a different dealer!

CD changer broke (not fixed as yet).

General Comments:

Original dealer quite poor. Late delivery and took ages to finally fix anything.

Looks superb, handles great.

Perhaps a Turbo Plus next time!!