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» Fiat Coupe Buyers Guide

:: Fiat Coupe Buyers Guide chapters

Instant Classic
What to look for
» Living with the Coupe
Specialist's view
Approved used
Clubs
What to pay
Production history
Prices
Technical specifications
Parts prices
Best buy
Verdict

:: Living with the Coupe

The car feels light and easy to drive, but the front A-pillar can obscure front three quarters vision, and rear three-quarters visibility is poor. Headroom is significantly reduced if a sunroof is fitted.

The steering on the 20V Turbo is perhaps a bit too light, but is very quick and precise, although it has a turning circle more like a locomotive! The steering is a little better on the normal 20V and the 16V models.

At full tilt the power is incredible, especially from the Turbo, but unless, you choose your gears; carefully, turbo lag can be noticeable, mainly on the 16V Turbo model. The limited boost in first and second gears can also cause you to lunge forward when changing up to second below 4,000rpm.

The 16V Turbo was noted for torque steer, and all cars will tend to oversteer if lifting off on the apex of a turn. The extra 'overdrive' sixth gear in the LE and later models provides particularly relaxed motorway cruising and better economy. The brakes give good controllability, but for some people they lack the positive bite and hard feel that you might expect from a car with this performance. The front wash/wipers are very good (apart from the lack of a 'flick' wipe) but at the rear the motor strains to wipe the screen, and the rear wash jets are hard to align.

Boot space is generous, with a small load-through hatch, although the large hinges can get in the way if you try to cram in too much. Although there's an internal boot release, there's no external push button opener. Fuel consumption was high on the four-cylinder cars, but noticeably improved on the 20V Turbo, which almost matches the old non-turbo 16V. Official figures never presented the true picture, and driving style greatly affects the consumption, typically from around 20mpg up to well over 30 mpg.