FIAT COUPE Coupe 1995‑2000

I will begin by telling you that it isn't the most reliable car in the world. The fan belt on my one broke 3 times in 3 years. I also found that the exhaust manifold didn't last very long before cracking. There was a water pump issue as well. It also wasn't exactly Wembley stadium inside - you could seat 2.2 people in the back easily, but they wouldn't have that much legroom. The boot isn't enormous, either.

Basically, you can definitely tell it's an Italian Sports Car. Partly because of the aforementioned reliability and practicality issues, but mostly because of the way it drives. It really does feel so good that you end up forgiving the car for it's problems. How can you expect it to be as spacious as the Royal Albert Hall and as reliable as a wood-burning stove? It's an Italian Sports Car for crying out loud! The main thing is that the 2.0-litre, 5-cylinder, 20V, Turbocharged, 221bhp, 320lb-ft, 158mph, 0-60-in-sub-6-seconds car is a thrill to drive. And my god it is. Whether you're in town, on a motorway, on a country road or on a race track, it just feels special.

Other plus points? It's reasonably comfortable, reasonably economical, stunning to look at, has fantastic handling and is very cheap these days - you can pick a good example of a 20V Turbo Plus for about £4,000 or less. Even £2,000 or less if you don't have the 'Plus' version. In my opinion, that's a huge bargain. So what are you waiting for?

Great, Fast, Cheap Fun.

Sub £2000 buys you a good condition 20v turbo 5cyl.

60 in around about 6 secs or sub 6 with a simple £150 remap and rolling road tune.

Nice roarty 5 cyl sound.

patchy reliability but fine if you are a bit handy with a spanner.

despite the bad press you can actually change the cambelt with the engine in, and many specialists will do this for around about £450.

All in all a decent competitor to a modern hot hatch with the economy to match.

I always wanted one of these as my company car in the late nineties but the fleet manager wouldn't play ball. I have owned my 20v about six years now and wont be selling any time soon. dont be put off by cam belt change horror stories, a specialist can do it engine in for £400

Good points

Engine note better than a turbo model

always puts a smile on my face when I get behind the wheel

Owners forum support is terrific!

becoming a rare sight but will / is a classic with Bangle design touches.

Steering gives great feel

Bad points

Turning circle could be better

Suspension a little stiff but it is a sports model!

handbrake cables can stick

Buy one before all the good ones gone! A lot of car for the money

....it feels like one too! Ok, it's getting on a bit, but it's one of the youngest most genuine 'poor mans Ferrari's' you'll find (they stopped making them in 2000). It's been used by my wife for the past 5 years to and from work and ferrying children around rural Northumberland and really is as practical as a shopping trolley.

Pound for brake horse power, coupled with genuine future classic head turning looks, (kids love them) the Fiat coupe is a rare beast. if looked after by an enthusiastic owner who is as passionate about the car as the passion it breeds , then these cars are very reliable with a superbly smooth and reliable 5 cylinder engine.

insurance is a little high as can be mpg if driven hard, but well worth it if a fun drive is what you want.

There are a lot of specialists around now who will carry out the once very expensive jobs Fiat charged the earth for so owning one can be as cheap as owning any other mid nineties sports car or mid sized saloon.

You need to make sure you buy from an enthusiastic owner or club car owner as they are often the best cars, usually well looked after and all the essential jobs done when needed, rather than an owner who bought for a cheap fast car and has neglected it over a few years then selling on a tired neglected bad example, giving the mark a bad name.

Driving the coupe is always a pleasure and still makes me feel proud to own one despite its humble badge, and even better when up against the odd porsche who cant believe you just kept up with him!!

Check the oil every 500 miles or so they tend to burn oil naturally, and make sure to use the correct type (10/40 full synth) is recommended, and change every 6000 miles.

Day to day it is quite practical, although it has a very small turning circle. Boot is spacious and will seat 4 adults fairly comfortably, great for you, the Mrs, and a couple of kids.

The alloy wheels are very prone to scuffing due to design so be careful, refirb all 4 for around £200.

Parts and used spares are fairly cheap, and readily available, again there are specialists sites that sell all italian parts with good prices.

This is my second coupe, my first a 1998 20v turbo, the earlier models did have some annoying silly faults like squeeking brakes or silly electrical faults, my later 2000 model has been much better, but thats just my experience.

Overall the Fiat coupe is a great buy if you get the right looked after car, be careful there are a lot of ropey examples out there do your homework and check out the fiat coupe forum for buying advice.

Enjoy!

Bought mine from a chap at work for £1000. I had never taken any notice of them previously but my attention was gained when I saw the mention of 220HP in his advert. I evntually took it for a drive and even though it clearly needed some mechanical work it looked, sounded and felt so good that I just had to own it at least for a while.

The first thing I did was join the Fiat Coupe Club UK (FANTASTIC forum)and based on what I learned there, got it seen to by one of the specialist garages - new clutch & brakes and I was away. Gradually worked out various other improvements and minor repairs. The last thing I did was to get the chip mapped by the leading specialist in Brisol (see FCCUK Forums) and now I have easily the best, most enjoyable and fastest car I have ever owned (which have included BMW M5 and 205 GTi). It has quite stunning performance especially if you use the gears and has the major advantage of being pretty unusual these days. And very often underestimated! I absolutely love it.

Fast & stylish, it's a real sports car - but it's not just that. It's probably the only sports car you can fit a baby seat comfortably at the back seat and a full size baggy in the boot.

I am slightly biased as I have always loved Italian cars, from my first Fiat 124 Special T to my current Fiat Coupe 20 Valve 2 Litre Turbo.

The Coupe is probably the most striking and at the same time the most powerful of modern Fiats. Pininfarina designed, it is beautiful to behold with curving body and a squared off thrusting boot highlighted by round rear light housings. Introduced to the UK in 1995/6 initially as two litre 16 valve with a turbo version and a two litre 20 valve with a turbo version (220 BHP).

Equipped with a very efficient Viscodrive limited-slip differential.

At the front -MacPherson struts and lower wishbones and anti-roll bar. The car has stunning acceleration as the turbo cuts in and makes this an exhilerating car to drive. 0 to 62 mph in 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph.

The dashboard is unusual and not to everyone’s taste as it is painted the same colour as the bodywork. Dials are easily visible and functional with a nice chunky leather bound steering wheel. The seats are OK but nothing special. Electrics can be a bugbear with Fiats and I must admit to a front electric window not working. Apart from a washer pump(now replaced) and new rear wheel bearings no other problems over the 15 months I have owned the car.

The coupe is reasonably economical varying between 22mpg if driven hard and 36mpg on a 60mph mainly motorway commute.

Cambelts are expensive to have changed although good specialists are available at reasonable prices. As it’s now turning into a bit of a classic parts can be hard to find but again there are several specialist suppliers for parts if you look. I have found my Coupe pretty reliable -It has a full service history 141,000 miles on the clock with two cambelt changes.

As regards the bodywork rust is beginning to just show around one of the rear wheel arches. Not too bad for a 13 year old car.

The Coupe suits me to the ground as I commute partly by bike to work and the bike just fits across the rear seat.

In conclusion, if you like Italian cars and speed and want to stand out from the crowd (of German & Japanese cars) buy one quick, the price is starting to go up.

I’ve had a FIAT Coupe 20v Turbo now for almost 6 years and can honestly say that it is the best car I have ever owned.

Despite being 12 years old, the eye-catching design of the Coupe remains fresh compared to almost everything else currently on the road. The performance shines too and it can still outrun most of the current crop of hot hatches with ease.

Key to being a successful Coupe owner is maintenance. I get mine serviced regularly at a specialist. Costs are very reasonable and even the big cam-belt change at 72k miles cost no more than £400 - a lot less that the £1,600 that likes being quoted by FIAT. Being Italian it does have it's occasional niggles though such as the handbrake cable freezing in winter and squeaking front brakes.

Having said that though the Coupe has never let me down despite me adding 70k of hard driving in the time I have owned the car. Nothing major has gone wrong and for that reason I have awarded the Coupe 4 out of 5 stars for reliability.

By the way not everyone knows but the FIAT Coupe was actually hand built by Pininfarina, alongside the Ferrari's in their factory. The build quality is actually pretty good and nothing like FIAT’s past reputation would suggest. After 12 years the car still feels pretty solid and the unique interior has stood the test of time remarkably well.

The insurance on a Coupe can be steep but then for a car that will top 155mph with ease it's not as expensive as you might think. Average fuel economy of 28mpg is pretty descent too when you look at the performance of the car, and I can still achieve that figure with some spirited driving from time to time. The Coupe will never be a cheap car to run, but costs are very good for what you get in return. That's why I have awarded 4 out of 5 stars for costs.

The Coupe is a surprisingly practical car. The rear will comfortably seat full sized adults and the boot is large too. I can even get a full sized mountain bike inside the car (wheels off) or a snowboard through the ski hatch in the rear seats.

So to sum up, if you want a fast and fun car to make you smile, then don't be put off buying one. Just make sure you pay the extra for a well looked after car, as there's not too many good ones left around.

Where do i start?

The car drives like a dream, it blows away all the little boy racers who ever try to keep up and the noise is terrific. The purr of the engine and rasp of the exhaust is music to your ears.

Ok, its not the cheapest car to run, but if thats a factor should you really be looking at a 10+ year old sports car that likes to guzzle petrol.

I still manage 25 miles to the gallon around town and 40+ miles on the mortorway run.

Everyone who gets in loves the interior, colour coded trim is spectacular and something you dont see much of unfortunately.

Downsides? Well, yes, the brakes do have a habit of freezing in extreme cold (i just leave hand brake off and in gear to prevent it happening) and locks freeze as in many other cars. Apart from that, its a joy to own and drive.

future classic, if it aint one already!