Very good car
Some little problem at cooling and electric system.
Driving position is quite comfortable.
The heating, without air conditioning, is a little bit weak.
Brakes are not so good without ABS.
The car is quick and handles like it's on rails although suspensions and wheels are original.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd December, 2002
Good for slow paced commuting
Brake pump wasn't working properly requiring you to manually pump brake fluid by repetitve pressing of the brakes. Dangerous fault easily sorted by dealer, but only after I explicitly told them to do so. Merely pointing out that brakes were malfunctioning wasn't enough.
Ventilation system motor broke due to clogged pipes. Problem rectified quickly and cheaply.
Seat upholstery seems to be coming apart, but rest of the interior is faultless.
The 1.4 model is desperately slow and overtaking is a notion requiring a bit of consideration.
Handling is good and so is interior room and comfort from the suspension.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th February, 2002
It gets kicked a lot!
Rear windscreen wiper only works when it wants to.
Tracking & bushes are OK, but it still eats front tyres.
Central locking packed up in 1994.
Very difficult to start in damp weather.
Annoying flat spot on acceleration.
Hand brake ratchet doesn't hold.
Component changes: alternator, starter motor, clutch cylinder, front arms, 3 exhaust rear pipes, 4 distributor caps, 4 rotor arms, and an engine sensor.
When it runs well it is a nice car to drive, but it is totally unreliable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 19th January, 2001
Low running cost, big space car
So far, so good. Nothing.
Some oil leaks from the gearbox due to wornout boots both sides.
Left side wiper front lights have been a little off and on.
Very good space.
Very low running costs.
Petrol is very expensive in Norway... like everything else is. Average consumption pr.10 km is not much more than 0,55, even during these cold months like December.
Very good handling on Norwegian winter roads.
Fiat dealers in Norway have been a sad story, but now things are looking mutch better, since they joined up with Mitsubishi, Alfa Romeo and Daewoo. I agree... best FIAT ever.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th December, 2000
Hi there,
Great review!
I'm Rach from the UK. We just bought a 1990 1.4 Tipo DTS, our first car! On the first day we drove for hours, up hills (more like mountains!) and down (worse!).
Your comments increased our belief in the Tipo's reliability, and now we're also confident that she'll start in all weathers!
Hi!
I have a '92 Tipo 1.4. Gone 136000kms. Going on my second year now, driven 30000kms since I got it. Had serious troubles to begin with due to a faulty alternator. Thought it was something wrong with the electrical system, like a shortcurcuit from the syptomps. After this was changed it has worked perfectly. Also changed the water-pump and front suspension. Odometer is stuck. Starting to get troubles with gear, "falls" out when turning right. This is due to engine fittings being worn. Clutch really hard to press in. A bit worried about that one. Have some leakage in the distributor, there is oil coming through. Changed the gadgets, but is still doing it. Causes the car to cough a little at low revs. Other than that it is a wicked car. Excellent to drive. Stuck to road in turns at high speeds.
Great car to recommend!!!
Miraculix.
I think he means gaskets, and I refute the topmost comment as obviously the best Fiat ever is the 125!
One or two rattles, but since the car had exposed screwheads for all the trim panels it was surprisingly easy to rectify trim problems myself!
Brakes wore out very easily.
For a car with a 1.4 engine, tremendous fun to drive. The car's rawness added a real fun factor. Despite this, it was still a good motorway cruiser. Tremendous cabin space for its size eg has more rear legroom than an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series!
It's just a shame the quality of materials used in the car was so poor. Also the stereo positioning at the bottom of the dash was a real pain.
In many ways a landmark car - certainly one ahead of its time considering it was designed in the mid-80s. You can even see certain attributes of the Tipo eg ultra-spacious cabin in modern hatchbacks like the Focus.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 14th July, 2000
15th Apr 2001, 18:28
I bought a Fiat Tipo 1.4 in 1989. I drove 311.000 km with him till 1998.
I hope you have fun with your Tipo like I had with mine.
dirk.viroux@pandora.be