FIAT SEICENTO

Ixon

Ixon

Ixon

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Joined
30 Apr 2003
Posts
1,489
Location
Wigan
What people thoughts on the Fiat Seicento?

Thinking of buying one as a 2nd car town runabout, work ect, basically something that both cheap to run and tax & insure

I've seen an excellent one near me private sale, a Black Sporting 1.1 on a 51 plate for £850 with FSH, 1 lady owner from new and 56k on the clock & not a blemish or mark on both the bodywork and paintwork.

Not really bothered if it classed as a girly car, if im saving money in the long term, not using my car " Ford Focus" unless for long distances or family outings.
 
Wait, to save money over running a practical, small, economical hatchback, you're going to run a 2nd car?

Can I have some of your funny pills please. It's a Focus, not a piece of Italian exotica.
 
Surely you aren't spending that much on keeping the focus running?

Also, if you want to save money, why choose the sporting? buy a basic model.
 
Winner, so you want to buy a cheap car to save you driving your cheap car.
 
Dogbreath said:
Whilst still paying for tax and insurance, MOT and servicing on your Focus?
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Savings could be made since am currently doing 1k miles a month in a 22MPG car but meh, I've got a motorbike that does 80-100 MPG for when there's no snow, lol, so I'm not in the same boat as teh OP.
 
Mucky_Pup said:
1k miles a month in a 22MPG car
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I'm assuming it's not a normal Focus then (ST?). If the focus in question isn't a "hot" model, then this is a completely fruitless exercise.

Typically anyone who has an ST or an RS would say so (rather than say "Ford Focus"), so I'm guessing the OP has a run-of-the-mill ecobox.
 
Ixon - if you're absolutely set on buying a cheap little runabout, a few things to bear in mind with the 'cento.

1) The handbrake cable will seize up. Doesn't matter what you do. Prepare yourself for an advisory or fail at every MOT regarding it.
2) Get some WD40 into the door lock barrels - I have to do this every damned winter with mine (or leave the car unlocked!).
3) They eat exhaust back-boxes for fun, a legacy of the short trips that they do and barely get up to temperature on.
4) Make sure you keep the seal on the sunroof in good condition, or you'll get leaked on at inopportune moments.

Otherwise, they're cheap to own. I've been driving mine for ten years, in which time it's had a CV gaiter, two exhausts, a battery, some warranty work on the sunroof, recall work on the fuel tank, three handbrake cables and servicing. I average 45mpg, mixture of town and motorway driving, but mine's got the old 899cc pushrod OHV slugger rather than the 1.1 so you'd probably get better economy than that if you drove it in a similar fashion.

I still can't help but think it would be a false economy buying another car though.
 
I also think this is a truely pointless and stupid idea.

Either sell the Focus and replace it with a Seicento, or continue to use the Focus. It's a Focus, the number 1 selling normal persons car for goodness sake. It is not a Ferrari.
 
There is another way this plan makes since. Bin the Focus, buy a Seicento and buy an S Class Mercedes. The idea of a Focus being reserved for 'long journeys' is almsot as hilarious as the concept pf buying a Seicento to save money on running a Focus.
 
Not sure about the seicento, but i drove a cinq sporting once, and they are a hoot to drive, hairdryer engine power but lively and excellent chuckable handling.
 
lemonade said:
Not sure about the seicento, but i drove a cinq sporting once, and they are a hoot to drive, hairdryer engine power but lively and excellent chuckable handling.
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Bought a Cinq a few years back as the wife's big Honda is beautiful to drive but horrific on petrol. The Honda sat basically unused for two years until the Cinq was looking at a huge bill to get through its MOT so we threw the Fiat away, started using the Honda again, rapidly got fed up with the expense and bought a (compared to the Honda) little 316, which now gets used for everything. The little red Italian biscuit tin was more fun though.

We'd flog the bigger car if it was worth anything, but it's worth keeping as it is because I know it will last forever. Cheap runabouts can make a lot of sense when you're looking at a £40/week difference in your petrol costs.
 
thelonecrouton said:
Cheap runabouts can make a lot of sense when you're looking at a £40/week difference in your petrol costs.
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I'd happily pay £40/week to be able to drive something that is large and comfortable for the kind of distances you must be talking about to save £40 in fuel costs a week.

Sounds terrible.
 
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