2000 Fiat Marea SLX review from Venezuela
"Doesn't shine at anything"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Driver's side front window (electric) stopped working about 2 months after buying the car (fortunately the window was up). The dealer took 16 weeks to get the spares to fix it.
At about 17.000 Km, the car developed a noise in the front suspension which the dealer has not been able to fix. The noise consists of a thud, from the front left part of the car when letting off the accelerator abruptly while accelerating quickly or going up a hill. The noise has gotten worse with time. It is not noticeable if the car is driven at VERY smoothly.
General comments?
The car has good acceleration and a reasonable top speed (205 Km/h), but I expected more judging from the power and the weight (manufacturer's specs).
The gas consumption is unacceptably high for the performance and the size of the car. I find it difficult to get more than 9Km to the liter even on the highway at relatively slow speeds (140 Km/h).
The Alfa was of roughly the same power and of the same engine capacity, but used much less gas and was quicker all around.
I'm 1,85 mt. in height and the car is a bit cramped, again compared to the Alfa.
It is not a bad car, but after the Alfa it was a let down.
Recommended reviews
  | 2000 - Marea 155 hlx 20 litre 20v If BMW built it a superb car |
| 2000 - Marea JTD 105 SX 1.9 JTD Excellent car, shame about the suspension |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 petrol unleaded Manual |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 10 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 27000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Alfa Romeo 146 |
| Date of Entry | 24th November, 2001 |