Faults:

- Grounding cable from battery to chassis was corroded, leading to initially sporadic, then permanent failure to start. Original quite pricey, bought a generic crimped cable for 15 EUR - job done.

- Grounding pins of the rear light clusters were burned, leading to the general warning light going on and off as it pleased. New grounding wires fixed this (mostly).

- Clutch pedal issued a "crack" one day and sunk about 4 cm lower than usual. It is a plastic part built from several components, so I assume something failed or got worn. The clutch is still operational and much more comfortable to use now, as the pedal was ridiculously high before.

- Driver's mirror broken at the pivot point. Used duct tape to fix it in place, has held for two years, until somebody ripped it off. Taped it on again.

- A/C compressor leaking coolant gas. Never bothered fixing it, as Germany is not the hottest place on earth.

General Comments:

Being the 5-door variant, it is pretty practical - the children can climb alone in the back and the front seats stay where you want them. The front airbag can be switched off, so your offspring can also ride shotgun, if needed.

The boot is a pretty good size, as well, fitting a small stroller and two bags without issue.

It is pretty comfortable, although a bit bouncy at times. The headrests are bulging at the middle, making it impossible to rest your head on them. Other than that a stylish, mostly thoughtfully laid out dashboard.

The engine is alright. Not a rocket, but sounds throaty when pushed and moves the car along without complaint. The 6-speed gearbox is a bit stiff to operate, but otherwise precise and helps the engine stay busy, as it should. At about 6 l/100 km mixed driving, it is pretty economical, too.

The steering is well weighted and responsive. The car tends to roll when pushed, though, and is more than happy to understeer. Pretty safe, if not too exciting. Sustained highway driving at 140-150 km/h is not an issue.

And, yes, I find it a very pretty car. 16 years later, Fiat still produce essentially the same design and it still sells. It is stylish, cute, sporty and unintimidating all at the same time. I can relaxedly take the children to kindergarten and drive like a loon on the way back, at no point looking out of place or breaking the speed limit. And my wife likes it, as well!

Faults:

Not much, just a replacement alternator; the side wall corroded due to a design flaw. The scuttle panel water run off can drip directly onto the casing.

Other than an alternator, the only parts I've had to change are consumables. The car really hasn't let me down other than the alternator issue.

General Comments:

Very, very reliable and a nice place to sit in the Sporting trim. It's not the most powerful, it's sporting in name only, but it's a city car really and does that job superbly, especially with the City Steering option which is just fantastic when parking. I'm really struggling to find a reason to part with it. Just do the engine oil and filter EVERY year, on the button, and it will look after you.

Faults:

Near side tail light wiring plug corrosion, causing tail

lights to flash instead of the indicator.

Crank sensor failure, causing poor starting, no rev counter and loss of power.

Heater resistor burning out.

12v power socket stopped working.

General Comments:

Got the car at 47000 miles, 56 plate for 2500. Great value for money. Moderately comfortable.

There are only two things that let the car down, and they are the electrics and the fact that it is very easy to lock the keys in the boot, as the only way to unlock the boot from the outside is with the key.

One plus is that the stereo has an aux function that can be used if you buy a simple cable that can be easily plugged in to the back of the unit, and fed through the front with no hassle of damaging the fascia.