fiat Croma road tests and consumer car reviews

Fiat Croma Dynamic 120 JTD 2006

So far so good. I have owned the Croma for 6 months now, I picked it due to it’s size / value for money / rarity. I have had a couple of problems, the boot door switch has stopped working and the RH indicator occassionally will not stay on plus there is a rattle from the front offside suspension - I haven’t investigated this yet. Overall I love the car, I get an average of 47 MPG with mixed motorway / urban driving, very comfortable and relaxed 6th gear cruising on the motorway, which is great for long journeys, the dealers ARE useless (nothing new there?), but what a pity this car is not still sold in the UK. I think people here do not realise that Fiat’s are great cars.

Fiat Croma 1.6 Mjet 120 Dynamic 2007

Picked up my used 2007 Croma (Ex Fiat Staff Car) for a huge discount off normal retail. Very happy with the car. I had a 120 bhp Alfa 159 when they came out and strangely I think the build and drive of the Croma are better suited to our roads. The drive is great, no fatigue after long runs due to great seats, acceptable levels of road noise and a good stereo. The 120 bhp is plenty of power I find I have to keep my eye on the clock on main roads, fuel ranges from 39mpg to about 47mpg on motorway driving which is very good for a car this size. I live in the Republic of Ireland and it seems the service here is a bit better than in the UK thankfully. But so far so good very happy with the car and no hesitation in recommending one to anyone thinking about picking one up second-hand!

Fiat Croma 1.9 tdi Dynamic 120 2006

Have enjoyed 3 years trouble free running with this car. Tyres lasted 20K miles - driven without extra care. Averages 36mpg . No complaints; given good purchase deal and extremely comfortable relaxing progress. Unique style always impresses and stands out from the loads of common shapes on the road- sad to see poor UK support. My family are Spanish and in Spain this car is much better accepted with good reviews and dealer care.

Fiat Croma 1.9diesel 150bhp Eleganza 2007

Very nice car and exceptional value for money. Touch wood, we haven’t had any of the problems listed. Just changed the tyres after 17,000 miles (my old Mondeo used to get through them quicker than that.) Very roomy with plenty of space for the kids in the back and the luggage in the boot. It feels safe and the ride is pleasant and comfortable. I would highly recommend it.

Fiat Croma 150 Prestigio 2006

Great car to drive, spacious and a lovely drive. 150 multijet diesel is an excellent engine, plenty of torque. Loads of head & leg room. OK for baby and pushchair, decent sound system. Cruise control is great. Sun blinds on rear windows is handy when baby is in car. On the bad side - It seems to go through tyres by 10,000 miles, right front inner tyre wear seems strange. Had brake servo replaced & boot catch, around 10k. Sky dome is very slow to close, sometimes stops half open. Handbrake could be better positioned.

Fiat Croma 1.9 120 JTD 2007

Done over 20k miles the only thing to go wrong was the clutch return, the spring broke (apparently this is a vauxhall vectra problem). May nead 2 new tyers soon, lovely car and the kids love the extra leg room in the back. Got a great deal from the dealer as it was a discontinued model but what other large executive size car can you get brand new for less than £11k???? Will keep this car until Fiat release another similar sized car that can tow a descent sized family caravan.

Fiat Croma 150HP Prestigio 2005 2005

Great car to drive, spacious and a lovely drive. On the bad side - never had more than 33mpg out of it. It goes through tyres every 10,000 miles, eats break pads about the same every 10,000-11000 miles. Already had new disks all round. Lost count of the recalls on different things. I have been driving Fiats for 25 years, this is by far the most luxurious and the most expensive to run I have ever owned. Generally I have not a bad thing to say about Fiat but if this had been my first it would have been my last. The big question is how can a company with so much experience end up with a model so lousy. One would have thought with the mess they made of its namesake predecessor they would not let it happen again. PS: It’s currently in for a 40,000 mile (three year) service and needs new front disk pads again. For info my last vehicle a Stilo Abarth did 60,000 on the same disks and pads.

Responses to this review

Just bought this very same car, Mr Fields was the previous owner. I’m hoping I feel differently to him when I’ve had it a while, although I know now the fuel consumption isn`t good, I`m only getting 31 mpg but hope it gets better when I`m doing the usual Blackpool run. I find the drive to be very good, it’s comfortable and roomy and at the moment I love it - Martin Taylor from Lancashire

Fiat Croma PRESTIGIO MULTJET JTD 200 2005

I’ve had nothing but joy from this car. Don’t get me wrong, Fiats do have their faults, but this one Fiat appears to have got right. Being the 2.4 it has 200BHP, and was fast - in fact surprisingly fast considering it’s size and diesel engine (I also drive response Police vehicles so I’m not used to 1.1 Pandas ;)). I paid �249 to have it ’chipped’ which made a massive amount of difference. The car is astronomically fast and is great fun. A few times I’ve been past 140+mph. I have had a few issues with the sun dome roof which were sorted under warranty and with tracking, but all now, touch wood, appear to have been solved. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was the fact that the dealers are next to useless and they stopped selling the car in the UK. I am worried about support for it in the future but having a Saab and Vauxhall connection, hope this wont be too much of a problem. All in all a great car which I would highly recommend but only the 2.4 Prestigio, due to high equipment levels and superior performance.

Responses to this review

Hello I got my 2.4JTD late last year and so far impressed. Can I ask about the chipping you had done, which company did you use? Thanks - Martin Cooke from Kent

Fiat Croma Dynamic 120 2006

Where to start. If it worked it would be a great car. Unfortunately it doesn’t. I have had in under a year: EGR 3 ECU 6. The car completely rewired, 2 new boot releases, 1 new filler cap. A bizarre fault that meant that either the sensor on the electric windows or the engine management didn’t work. The stereo reception is so good I can pick up radio stations practically on the moon. Unfortunately this means that any iPod FM thing is useless due to interference. The Fiat mechanics are useless, as are the dealers, to be fair this is because this is a mix of Fiat/Saab and Vauxhall mechanics. When it works it’s a dream, shame the reliability is a nightmare.

Fiat Croma 1.8 Eleganza 2006

Nicely built huge Fiat. Plenty of room inside, super comfortable and super quiet. Has proved 100% faultless to date - its a shame fiat saw the need to drop this model in the UK

Fiat Croma Prestigio 150 2005

Bought the car new with employee discount, apart from 3 sets of rear tyres in 36K miles, 2 reprogrammes of the ECU, replacement of the EGR at 4K miles, new tailgate switch at 8K miles it is actually not a bad car, unfortunately with sales withdrawn and no advertising campaign when launched it is now worth nothing at trade in, unlike my last 2 multipla’s. The 150 multijet diesel is an excellent engine the only problem is the denial from Vauxhall Signum and saab93 owners that it is the same car and engine. Cruise control is essential to keep your licence and 45+mpg at cruising speeds! The only let down is the very poor fiat customer service and majority of the dealerships. I do not wish to have this car after it is 3 years old, the stress and worry would kill me which is a shame because it does everything I ask of it so well.

Fiat Croma 1.9 JTD 120 2006

Bought mine from main agent, paying 50% of list at 17 months old (5000miles). Feels very well built with superb attention under wheel arches etc. 60mpg if driven very gently on the motorway (1.9 JTD 120). Love it. Plenty of space and excellent stereo. Very comfortable but the GM chasis/suspension does lack Italian responsiveness.

Fiat Croma u.k. 2006

Bought Croma 2.2 Petrol nothing but problems from door handle breaking outer and inner. rear tyres wearing due to tracking out FIAT re call code 5138. engine consuming burning oil Need new engine !!!! Sun roof fell apart. rear boot lock faulty. wiper motor jams Gear leaver jams its a pain I know and its ongoing with Fiat to sort out the problems

Fiat Croma 2.2 Eleganza

UNBELIEVABLE VALUE - BOUGHT MINE 7 MONTHS OLD 4000MLS F0R 7999 - EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE / ECONOMY / RIDE / ROOM - AVERAGE HANDLING / NOISE / BUILD QUALITY - POOR HANDBRAKE AND ROAD NOISE