Faults:

Indicators sometimes stop working, however switching the hazard lights on and off quickly fixes this.

Broke down on the second day I had the car when I was half way from driving from Manchester to London. Called out the breakdown assistance people only to find that the alternator had got wet. Car started as soon as the engineer tried it.

Windscreen washer/ Drivers side electric window and rear wiper all don't work (from when I bought it). Possible electrical fault. Fuses are fine though.

Did have a slight problem with a very reduced power output. Was fine next time I started the car (thought it might have been a carburettor fault)

General Comments:

Overall (despite all the faults) I am very happy with the car. Bought it for under £500 from a dealer who wanted it off his forecourt as it was not quite up to standard with the rest of his line up (generally 2-3 year old cars)

Performance and economy are both good and never have a problem getting in front from the lights. This can be a bit worrying sometimes though when you suddenly realize that you're doing 40 in second!!

Car is very spacious considering it's a 3 door hatch. Motorway driving is easy although the car does seem to be a bit on the noisy side, but this is easily fixed by turning up the stereo. Cruises at 80-85mph with ease.

Handling is OK - under-steer has caught me out a few times, getting used to it though and it can handle roundabouts pretty quickly just make sure that you have the right speed before turning.

Given the faults with the car I'm actually looking forward to selling it for more than I paid. Electrics are easy to fix and the dents in the side should beat out especially as the internal trim looks like it will come off easily.

Faults:

Alternator needed replacing x2

Under cat exhaust bracket replaced

Rotor arm flew off and broke

Balancer belt broke after 30k.

General Comments:

Generally speaking I was happy with this car.

The 8v 2.0 is fairly quick, the ride & handling good and the overall practicality of the car excellent.

The styling is love-it or hate-it although the alloys and metallic paint make it much more attractive.

Fuel economy is just acceptable - low-mid 20s around town rising to about 32 on the motorway. BUT, the parts are very expensive and this is exacerbated by the fact that many of them are FIAT only on this model.

The dealers are nothing short of shocking - I don't know whether it's the age of car, but they just don't seem to want to know.

Also, when the cambelt needs replacing so do the balancer belts - budget for 200 pounds. The balancer belt broke after 30k (not 56k like Fiat say), thank god it wasn't the cambelt.

Faults:

Clutch had to be changed at 120000 kilometers.

Minor electric system problems from time to time.

General Comments:

Note: my car is a special version manufactured only for eastern Europe. It doesn't have any extras and also lacks fuel injection (which I think is a good thing because it's 10 horse power stronger).

Handling is great. The car is wide and has two anti-roll bars. In fact it's so stable that most newbie drivers can get out of skidding by just letting the steering wheel loose. On the down side the suspension seems to be too stiff when driving on snow (under steer) but on the other hand on tarmac or gravel it works perfectly. The main problem for newbies would be heavy under steer when pushed too hard. It gets worse when the road is slippery. But let the accelerator alone and the car will start to behave normally.

The engine is enough when driving in the city, but overtaking on highway can be difficult and often requires downshifting. It also likes high revs very much (Italian car...). Gearbox works nicely and the gears are quite short. Also the engine sound is very "Italian" especially at high revs.

Comfort... The seats are comfortable, but the interior is well... stripped. It has nothing but a lighter. If you are a "family" driver you'll say that the suspension is somewhat too stiff. The dash doesn't look very modern and lacks rev counter which is a shame with such small engine. The interior is huge. I've compared it with a Volvo 940 and while the interior of Tipo is shorter it's exactly the same width. Also it's noticeably higher.