“Crazy that some say it was cheaply finished”
In 2015, Fiat dusted off the old name Tipo. This car with a resounding name, which last appeared on a car in 1995, mainly had to compete on price and space. A formula that has worked for Skoda for years. The Dutch BPM still made the Tipo relatively expensive in our country, while Fiat’s philosophy did work in neighboring countries. We can therefore not call it a sales success, but was the Fiat Tipo a bit good otherwise? We dive into the user reviews.
The new Fiat Tipo was initially marketed as a sedan. That is by definition no guarantee for success in the Netherlands, that only came after the introduction of the hatchback and station wagon. That’s right: three body styles were available for this model! We deliberately write in the past tense, because although the Tipo is still available new in various countries, the Dutch importer has removed the model from the price lists. The moderate popularity has its advantages: the Fiat Tipo is relatively inexpensive as an occasion.
Comfort and space Fiat Tipo
Well, the Tipo was intended as a spacious semi-budget car. How did the buyers experience that? “The interior is beautifully finished, the leather is of excellent quality and the seats are very comfortable,” says the owner of a 2018 Tipo Stationwagon 1.6 Multijet. “Everything you need, and as far as I’m concerned even more, is there and works well. The downside is the floor covering, I do see the budget idea there.”
This owner bought his car used, with about 44,000 kilometers on the clock. “The Tipo is now over 73,000 km and I am only getting more impressed. Still no rattle, creak or miss can be observed. Apart from engine oil and various filters that have been replaced, the car asked for nothing.”
In terms of space, another station wagon driver makes a contribution. “Living space is fine, the car is wide. So wide, in fact, that you can’t hold the steering wheel with your left arm on the door handle… It’s also fine in the back seat. Space in the back is slightly less than with my previous Skoda Rapid, but it is ‘idiously’ long in the back (just like the 1st Superb). He also touches on the car’s budget image: “The fact that the Fiat is located ‘at the bottom’ of the C-segment, because some say it has a somewhat cheap finish due to hard plastic on the doors, is actually crazy.”
Finally, an amateur mover with, also, a Tipo station has the floor: “Every day I enjoy it a lot and it has also amply proven its service as a removal van. A TV cabinet, a tabletop, lots of moving boxes… no problem for the Tipo. It all went in. Okay, sometimes with the valve open and with straps, but that should not spoil the fun. I never had to rent a van, but I bluffed my way through with this luggage monster.”
Compliments on the furniture
In addition to the space, Tipo drivers are also remarkably pleased with the seating furniture. “What I just wanted to say is the seating position,” writes the diesel station driver. “I’m about 1.90 meters tall and I can easily find a correct sitting position behind the wheel. Chair provides sufficient support for the legs and back. The lateral support is fine, when I sit I have sufficient freedom of movement for my knees and lower legs.”
Another tall driver reports a striking fact: “Lovely seats, good infotainment and excellent road holding. Some negative experiences are that tall people (1.90+ meters) have the feeling that they are sitting very close to the dashboard and I must admit, it really seems that way! However, the space under the dashboard extends far.”
A former Punto driver also raves about the seats, although it wasn’t love on first ride. “The seats provide good support. However, these are a bit harder than in the Punto, I had to get used to this.” A Portuguese Tipo driver also finds the seats a bit harder compared to his previous car, a Renault Mégane. “The seats are a bit harder, but I’m comfortable in terms of seating position,” is the conclusion.
How ‘budget’ is the driving experience?
The owner of the aforementioned ‘moving van’ previously drove a Fiat Croma, which was not exactly positioned as a budget car. “In terms of comfort, you notice that it is slightly lower than the Croma: in the cockpit it is a bit more noisy in terms of tire rolling noise and I felt it a little bit in my legs / back after driving for long stretches (200-250 kilometers) in a row. But certainly not insurmountable: the car feels like a fish in water over long distances.”
The Tipo also receives a spring in terms of dynamics. “As far as driving and steering behavior is concerned, it is a real Italian. Everything is wonderfully direct, making the car feel stable and secure. The direct steering is precise, making the car easy to position. Despite the direct character, not too much has been compromised on comfort, as far as I’m concerned a real driver’s car,” writes a diesel driver.
Of course, the Tipo does not stand up to comparison with a few budget classes higher, but this driver nevertheless makes an attempt. “In terms of steering tightness, it is certainly not an Alfa Romeo Giulia, but it holds its own in cornering. It’s fairly direct and feels pretty tight for a C-segment station wagon.” Another has the car even more extensive felt to the teeth: “I also drove quite a few pieces at 180+ km/h and still nice. Above 190 km/h you only notice on the bends in the highway that this is not a superior chassis.”
Fiat Tipo: malfunctions and irritations
So far it is a pretty positive story for the somewhat misunderstood Tipo. That changes when we look at the reliability… not. Sometimes that even seems to the surprise of the drivers, several of whom emphasize that there is not even audible rattles in the interior. The reported problems seem to be limited to incidents: “Problems so far: 1 broken window mechanism on the driver’s side”, reports an owner after almost 80,000 kilometers driven.
Another diesel driver had to deal with some irregular maintenance at about 170,000 kilometers. “The only problem I had to deal with between services was the thermostat that failed overnight, making it difficult for the engine to get up to temperature and, above all, to maintain it. In addition, the upper lambda sensor has also been replaced, due to a recurring engine failure while driving.” One Tipo driver had more bad luck: his 1.6 Multijet stranded twice, in addition, a new DCT automatic transmission and clutch were installed.
Judging by the reviews of Tipo drivers, it is a pity that the car in the Netherlands received headwind from the tax authorities. The car appears to do what it is intended to do. It offers its owners a lot of space, good seats, good driving characteristics and does not seem to be finished like a budget model. Will it be more successful as a used car?
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl