Faults:

Clutch diaphragm spring failed at about 120,000km without warning. Apparently there was a bad batch and this can happen. This could have been an extreme inconvenience and perhaps dangerous, but fortunately was on a quiet road not far from home and a garage. Cost $A1000, or $US670 at a country town garage, some of that cost was freight, took a while for parts to get there. Out of curiosity I asked for a quote from a Fiat workshop in Melbourne, they wanted more than double.

Rear shock absorbers failed after hours of driving on severely corrugated dirt roads in Northern Territory, roads were signed as 4WD only. Rear end became very bouncy. New parts were cheap and easy to replace. Became bogged in desert sand several times, jack worked. One plastic wheel cover fell off, I painted the black steel wheel to be grey/silver, it looks OK, barely noticeable, they're not bad looking wheels.

Hit a kangaroo and damaged front bumper. Wheel brace was effective for clubbing severely injured animal to death.

Twice it failed to start, suspect as a result of bad fuel bought in remote locations. Roll started down a long hill and it fired up. Problem went away.

Rear licence plate bulb blew, dashboard notification worked, new bulb was about $2.

General Comments:

I've mostly used this for country driving and have no problem using less than 5 litres per 100km. I mostly buy 98RON fuel but I don't notice much difference with 91. I think it's supposed to use 95 at least.

This is a 1.2 litre, non-turbo 8 valve engine, I don't think this engine was sold in North America. I deliberately looked for this one as it seems to have a long history and I have assumed they have sorted out any design issues. I have not topped up my oil since I changed it 9,000km ago.

This has steel 14 inch wheels. I didn't want low profile tyres or alloy wheels, they are prone to cracking on bad roads.

This car was made in Poland in August 2014 but not registered until 2015.

The five speed gear shift has a good feel.

The driver's window rattles slightly. I'm impressed the whole car doesn't rattle after the abuse it has received.

I have not travelled as a rear seat passenger in this car, but I have sat in the back and would not be afraid to be stuck in there for an hour or two. I am 5'9" or 176cm.

I removed the rear seat so I can put all kinds of things in the back, including a 26" wheeled mountain bike. The interior noise is noticeably louder from the rear after the seat has been removed. I've thought about some heavy matting or sound deadening material but it's not really such a big deal.

Overall I think it's a well thought out little car. It's worth looking at a few YouTube videos to understand some of the little tricks, choosing headlights to remain on for a minute or two after the car is locked.

Where it could be better:

a) No light inside the hatch door seems miserable. If they're clever enough to provide a warning that one of the two the licence plate lights has blown, it wouldn't take much to have a light to see in the back. I'm sure a light in the hatch door was nothing amazing even in 1980.

b) The illuminated snowflake air conditioning indicator is impossible to see on sunny days. I have found by placing my hand above it to cast a shadow I can then see it.

c) The indicator light/noise is not bright/loud enough, I've left mine going by accident a few times.

d) The Bluetooth is a bit different. It works fine with the steering wheel buttons for phone calls, but I use a cable and aux for music.

Faults:

Found a scratched alloy wheel at delivery, which was changed for a new one immediately.

General Comments:

Ours is the top of the range Sport, with all the toys, and it's fast enough to be seriously fun.

Firm suspension in a short wheelbase means it can bounce occasionally, but great on a windy road.

Some of the best seats I've used.

Amazing build quality, with German feel, but Italian flair.

Factory fitted engine and steering remap sport button is a brilliant feature

Incredibly frugal for such a fun car. Averages around 5.0 l per 100km and 5 star safety

I can even get a mountain bike in the back with space to spare

More fun to drive than my previous car, a 2008 golf R32 DSG, not quicker (although not far off - heavy car, the Golf), just a lot more engaging