Fiat Multipla road tests and consumer car reviews

Fiat Multipla 2006

We had the old model from new when it first came out and then had a second Multi when the first was eight years old. It’s a brilliant car in lots of ways. It’s comfortable, flexible, and best of all can take all six of us and our luggage when we go on holiday, unlike cars like the Zafira, which do people or luggage, but not really both. But I have to say that apart from its cute value and its practical design it’s a bit of a rubbish car. The sides of the back seats break as the seat belts get trapped between the seat and the door. Just about all Multis are broken in the same place! If something breaks it can be expensive and difficult to get parts. Our current car lacks power in the cold and the Fiat garage were unable to find the fault, in spite of charging us a fortune. It’s not very economical compared to similar cars and we are reluctantly changing ours for a boring, but hopefully less expensive car. One of its best features is that it comes in nice colours unlike most big cars that come in a hundred different greys and one blue or red if you’re lucky!

Fiat Multipla Mk1 JTD 115 2004

It was with some trepidation that I made the decision to buy a used Mk1 Multipla. It was almost a straight swap for my 2001 Jag XJ8 3.2 Sport. Oh how I loved that car but it was not a practical child carrier and I had just been informed that I was now a Granddad (twice over). Even though I adored my Jag, my family will always come first..and second and etc. etc.. But what to replace it with? I trawled the Inernet and found several very favourable reviews from long-term users (they may even have been from this site) and started a search. To cut what is a long story short I found a 2004 Mk1 diesel with all the extras, for the same price as my 2001 Jag. I couldn’t have made a better choice. 4 years later I find that I cannot imagine what, if any car, I will ever replace this Multipla with. I even like the Mk1 looks. The Mk11 looks too much like that mini-Honda MPV... I have driven to the Spanish Algarve, twice, in her with 4 people and half the contents of my mate’s appartment and she never missed a beat. All my passengers love her, especially the kids, as the rear seats will recline to around 45 degrees, with the rear parcel shelf removed, and they can take a nap without getting a stiff neck unlike most somnambulant rear seat passengers. Those same rear seats easily remove and then you have a van!! This is surely the most versatile car ever built? The only problem is - what the H*ll do I replace it with? I have looked BTW and I am staggered to find that even after 4 years heavy usage I could sell her for not an awful lot less than what I paid for her. I couldn’t have said that about the Jag!!!! The new Peugot 5008 is a very poor attempt at copying the Multipla, imo.

Fiat Multipla 1.9 dsl 2003

French car number 2! Bought both as used examples for very little money & both have been reliable & great fun to drive, even if the diesel is a little unrefined. They are superbly designed for kids. For example children can see out of the low windows so they don’t get bored and sick and you can stand inside to strap them in rather than having to lean across an open door. You have a choice when you have children, either buy a Sharan or Zafira & admit your life has ended until they leave home or buy a Multipla & say s*d it, I am going to have some fun with them! As my Grandma would have said, it has Chutzpa.

Responses to this review

Hi David, I think you had too much French wine hehe, Fiats are Italian?? Take care - Chris haha right from County Londonderry

Fiat Multipla JTD 2001

EGR valve needs replacement at 40,000 miles; dangerous loss of power.

Fiat Multipla 2006

I’m on my third Multipla and into my 8th year of owning them, I just love ’em. Before getting picky about reliability (pretty damn good, actually) and quality of plastics, we have to be clear that we’re talking about a cheap car: £13,500 otr. Nothing else can touch it for that money and the resale values aren’t bad. 40mpg commuting is normal, the same cruising at 70 unladen. It is fun to drive, easy to live with and above all, immensely comfortable. The Germans give you a thinly covered wooden bench, the French pad their seats with hot marshmallow, hence the swift onset of back pain. All six seats in the Multipla are hugely comfortable for 6’, 16st me and there is room for children to grow into lanky teenagers without complaint - they save that for everything else in life you can think of. We load up with food, ipods and three children and head out across Europe without hesitation. One thing about safety, all seats are between the axles so you don’t have to have any children sitting in the crumple zone aft of the rear axle. As with most turbodiesels the acceleration whilst moving is splendid and perfectly adequate for normal driving. Dump your prejudices and just try one, you’ll be amazed. And comfortable.

Fiat Multipla 1.9 Multijet 2007

This is a practical family orientated car, bags of space and surprisingly fun to drive. Never any problems when the Mrs goes shopping, there is space for the bags and the kids.