Fiat Stilo road test reports and car reviews

Fiat Stilo active aircon 2004

I bought my Stilo from new as I liked the looks and interior. Its now done 49000 miles and the only problem has been front suspension bushes. It will cruise all day at 90mph and at a constant 70 mph will return 50 mpg. It’s fairly comfortable and roomy, does everything I ask of it and I think its a great car for the price. when I was looking for a car I test drove a SEAT at more money and there was no comparison in build quality, especially the interior. Pity they stopped making them as I think its replacement is nowhere near as good looking.

Fiat Stilo 1.2 Active 2002

Complete c**p! This thing has cost me a fortune in repairs, mostly electrical but also suspension and steering. The windows and roof have a mind of their own and it eats batteries. The newest of the very long list is the fabled ’loose connection’, the engine is therefore completely dead and no-one can tell me why! I warn you now, walk away. Do not buy a Stilo. Go anywhere else but here!!

Responses to this review

Exactly the same has just happened to my car today!!! I was driving along and it felt like something snapped and then lost all power so had to pull over. On the dash board display it said system failure - loose connection. I had to get towed home as it wouldnt start or anything and now have to wait ’til after Christmas to call the very pricey Fiat garage! - Nicola from Yorkshire

Fiat Stilo 2006

Load of rubbish. Don’t buy a used one if you need to get to work in the morning. Trust me, walk away.

Fiat Stilo JTD 5 door 2004

My Stilo worked fantastically for 2 years and put on 80-odd k miles (41k to 118k) problem-free except for bits and pieces here and there (tyres, pads, odd bearing- only thing major was a new fuel pump). I never got all these airbag/engine warnings that some have suffered. Only things I hated were the front headlamps which are ludicrously hard to change bulbs. Also worth noting is that the back seatbelts struggle to go round some carry-cots/child seats. Otherwise a great drive, superb engine with decent economy (though certainly prefers a motorway run to town tedium, even a 10-mile jaunt on an open road improves it by 10mpg). However 3 weeks ago all of a sudden the car refused to go into reverse, either finding 4th instead or nothing at all. Then it would do it once, but not again for an hour. New cables were suggested and fitted- no change. Decided I need new car as cost of new box astronomical (and will that cure it? Can’t afford to p*** £1000 away). Hey presto first dealer I see says he had another Stilo part ex’ed to him the week before, on driving it away from auction it developed exactly the same fault! Another one I saw today says it’s been seen on lots of them, some with as little as 60k, and is basically incurable (something about the selection process getting fused/tangled IIRC). Such a pity cos it’s got a perfect engine capable of 200k. High-mileage Stilo owners beware- this could be you soon!

Fiat Stilo 1.9jtd 80 2003

What can I say? It is a superb car to own. I bought one second hand and friends told me that I shouldn’t bother buying one, that the engines are pretty s****y and that I will have lots of problems with suspension. But they were wrong. I had had few problems when I bought it with electronics but now I’m loving it. Great engine, handles well, great on economy and great on how it lets you feel. Bad sides are noise on motorway and brakes, when you break hard it feels unstable. Superb car.

Fiat Stilo 1.9 JTD MultiWagon 2004

I’ve owned my MutliWagon for almost a year now and in that time it has covered about 13,000 miles. As with almost all Fiats I have owned my car has it own electronic idiosyncrasies. The engine warning light has been flashing on and off randomly for the last 6 months. This is sometimes accompanied by the car going into limp mode for 5 minutes or so but otherwise causes no issues. My local Fiat dealer told to ignore it because ’they all do that....’ The car is rather average handling wise but as most of my mileage is done on the motorway this isn’t too problematic for me. Fuel economy around town isn’t great 32-35ish MPG but on a decent motorway run I’ve seen as much as 48 MPG which I feel is good for a car of this size. Do not under estimate the performance of these cars. Even in standard trim my estate is as quick as a colleagues MK3 Golf GTi. If funds allow I intend getting a remap - more power and fuel economy..... These cars are now available for almost no money. My advice, find one with good service history, buy it and run it into the ground. You won’t get more car for your money......

Fiat Stilo JTD 80 3dr 2003

Nice car, design-wise it is 5 years ahead. JTD 80 is probably way worse option that JTD 115. Although mpg is fine and it is good around the city as it has got shorter gear ratio. If you are often on the motorway than you should look for JTD 115 or better. Mine has got 116K on the clock and was fairly reliable. Car suspension and handling is a bit of a disappointment for me. It holds the grip eventually but doesn’t feel safe on hard brakes or corners. Older Fiat Brava did a much better job. It is a sound car mechanically; it would get 5 stars from me, but when it comes to electronics again, doesn’t feel as solid as some competitors, I would give it 4 stars. Flashing warning lights on dash just for fun could be annoying. The interior is dominated by a beautifully designed dashboard with good materials and ergonomics, the rest of interior feels like from another much cheaper car. Almost everything is squeaking and rattling sometimes more sometimes less, but always.

Fiat Stilo 2004

I bought this car 3 months ago when my Vauxhall Astra 1.6 was written off by vandals. I bought a 1.4 Stilo and loved it instantly. The engine was so quiet, good and comfortable to drive. Fuel consumption was great and the sound system is superb. Sadly my Stilo was written off in a crash (not my fault) but I am looking for another one. The car protected the 3 passengers also, well impressed, even after it rolled over the passengers and driver walked out with 2 small cuts between them. I have had, a Carlton, Calibra, Astra, Escort, Peugeot 406, and I loved the Stilo best. Recommended++++++++++.

Fiat Stilo 2003

Wicked car to own... the Stilo is a brilliant car which comes with great features and nicely refined engines. Excellent safety features and comfort too... I’m very happy with my car!