2005 Fiat Doblo Family review from UK and Ireland

Nothing major has gone wrong with the car other than a crackling noise from one of the dash speakers. I have upgraded these for better quality speakers and everything is fine.

My main concern when purchasing the Doblo Multijet was.

Would this little 1.3 diesel engine be strong enough to power this non-aerodynamic, heavy (1475Kg unloaded) 7 seater?

Answer: The 1.3 Multi-jet is incredible, while it will not blow you away in speed terms. It has ample power for most motoring tasks and if you push it, it is not slow. It has a power rating of 70 HP, this may seem quite low for a car of this size. However, driving and living with the Multi-jet would lead you to believe you were driving a 1.9 or 2.0 liter diesel, now I am referring here to the older generation of diesels pre common rail.

I personally think a lot of modern cars have more power than they need theses days, wasting fuel and pumping out high emissions. The Multi-jet engine supplies a nice balance of power, lots of torque which I think is the key to its success.

My previous car was a Peugeot 206 SW 1.4 Hdi diesel; the engine in this car had a very similar specification on paper. The Peugeot lacked torque, this was very noticeable when you’re driving in the city, resulting in lots of gear changing which I find very annoying.

I have to say I love the Doblo, it is really comfortable to drive, great visibility, very economic and I have averaged 45 MPG on the last 6,000 miles which included all types of driving.

The Doblo Multi-jet is not an attractive car; it is a 100% practical car.

I am delighted I bought it.

I would say to anyone who is looking for a spacious car, and does not like to look of the Doblo, do not knock it until you try it.