2004 Fiat Stilo Reviews

Bulb illuminating console centre blew & CD changer (Blaupunkt) failed.

Great looking in 3 door trim - well built & reliable. Lots of cat for your money.

Changed from the excellent Ford Focus... and never regretted for a second!

Better looking and more exclusive than a rep-mobile also.

Only usual wear and tear, which I was aware of when buying the car.

I'm not too sure about the other Stilos in the range, but if you're looking for a cheap, good performer, you can do no wrong with the JTD.

I have the 3 door version. It has a full length sunroof, air con, good safety features etc, but the most amazing thing about the car is its engine.

I've driven similar 1.9 TD lumps, but the JTD is an absolute winner in terms of torque.

On A roads it's staggering how quickly you catch cars ahead up, and overtaking is so easy. The same goes on motorways as well, always a burst of power available when needed.

On the downside it can be a noisy engine when cold, and the car needs a regular thrashing when warm to keep economy/refinement up.. which is not necessarily a bad thing!!

I'd recommend anyone to consider getting one.

Front drop links have died, but they weren't hard to replace, and only cost £20 quid for the pair.

Rear suspension bush needs replacing; that's £12. Not bad for 3 years driving.

Brilliant car, massive boot, bigger than all the competition. Better than other brand new estates I've driven, including the Volvo V50, the Passat with its silly handbrake, and a Mondeo estate; all were rubbish, couldn't wait to get my Stilo back.

I got the best version with the incredible JTD engine. You can hardly tell it's a diesel, it drives like a petrol engine.

Also I have the sky roof, which is massive and opens up wide, unlike the silly Peugeot green house model that doesn't open.

I had a Tempra before, and I'm now hooked. The only trouble is Fiat don't make an estate car any more; something I'll never understand, as the Tempra, Marea and Stilo are such good cars. Hope they bring out a new version in time for when my Stilo is run into the ground, which is probably a very long time from now, as my Tempra had over two hundred thousand miles on the clock when I got rid of it.

Headlight bulb failing continually.

Low oil pressure warning activates when the engine is switched on. Problem unresolved after almost six months.

Excellent fuel consumption.

Good ride.

Great fuel consumption.

Good load carrier.

A few minor faults on collection - evident of inadequate pre-delivery checks.

A/C gas cylinder never worked form start, though dealer re-filled free of charge.

Some trim quality can be sub-standard.

This car has to be the most under-rated in its class. If this had a Ford/Vauxhall/VW badge, it would have sold three times as many, and probably won Car of the Year.

The trim levels and comfort/driving position are the best I've known and, whilst the looks are not mainstream, it's a smart looking car and stands out on the road.

Looks solidly built and, despite the few comments above, build quality is generally impressive. Fiat have come a long way since the 70s: I've had three in a row since 1997.

(Thursday 10th August 2006) The engine caught fire while the car was parked in our driveway. It had been sitting there unused for over a week while we were on holiday. We had not even been in the car since returning, it simply self combusted damaging the car beyond repair and causing extensive cosmetic damage to our new house.

No problems up until the above incident.