[sabnavis]

I have been driving a palio for the last 8 years and had to leave it behind in pune, the cost of moving the car to delhi was too much, Now with a budget of around 4 lakhs i have been scouting for a good fiat, found a 2009 linea which has covered 68000 kilometers ( I did not cover as many in over 8 years), good to drive but I felt it was underpowered.... is it a good buy and will it last me for atleast 4 more years... do help

[samarth.bhatia]

Hi,

Buying a used Fiat Linea should definitely not be a problem.
Here are a few things you might want to check:

1. Tyre Condition: Check the depth of the grooves (I think the thumb rule is it should be minimum of 1/3rd of a One Rupee coin). Do check the side walls for any cracks, as Delhi is terribly hot in the summers.

2. Suspension: Check for any squeaking noise when going over speedbreakers/bumps/potholes. Also, check if the suspension travel is good enough or not (too much thudding when going over pothholes).

3. Axels: Any noise coming from the front wheel arches when the steering is fully turned and the car is initially moved from standstill (usually a clacking sound).

4. Engine Noise & AC Belt Noise: Any noise on running the engine with and without the AC.

5. Any start up issues during ignition.

6. Condition of all the electronics, especially Blue & Me.

7. Any parts on the exterior body panels that seem to be of a different shade than the rest of the body (adjacent panels may be compared) in natural light would suggest accidental damage.

The above are the points that I could think of. Will definitely update if I come up with any more. If they are all OK, the Linea is a wonderful vehicle. I know of many persons who claim FE figures of 16-18 kmpl overall, so it should make excellent sense.
And then the fact that it's feature laden should make you even happier .

Do keep us updated.

Welcome to Delhi!

All the best!
Cheers and Drive Safe.
Sam

[mayankjha1806]

Fist make excellent products, all their cars since the palio have been better then their respective competition in many ways. With that being said i would recommend not to buy FIAT, unless you are sure and have figured out alternative places to get quality service and repairs done.

FIAT partnership with Tata is one of the reasons their A.S.S and customer satisfaction with respect to repairs are low. That being said there are very happy Fiat car owners as well. All in all a risky proposition IMHO.

[Gautam Misra]

You have not mentioned the following:
1. Price being offered
2. Trim / variant
3. Whether you are buying from a dealer / individual
4. No. of owners the car has seen.

On the face of it 68000Km on the Odo is slightly high in 2-2.5 years.
Check out the service history of the vehicle.

[ghodlur]

+1 to what Gautam has said, you need a few things before you can jump to the conclusion that Linea is good for you. To add to the list of points, find out how many claims has been done on the car. Also take help of an experienced mechanic to inspect the vehicle.

[Samridh]

Unless its a steal, my question is why a linea?? 68,000 is a quite a number on the ODO. As I see it, as a thumb rule, each cars life is 5years/100,000 kms (unless we are looking at a really well-maintained vehicle). This car has already lived its 70% life which does not make it a great bet. You can of course argue that your own Palio lasted a good 8 years. I agree, but that I guess would satisfy the test aforementioned, i.e. "a really well-maintained vehicle". Plus linea diesel is sluggish and has a really low average. Think hard before you are taken for a spin. Best, Samridh.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by sabnavis

I have been driving a palio for the last 8 years and had to leave it behind in pune, the cost of moving the car to delhi was too much, Now with a budget of around 4 lakhs i have been scouting for a good fiat, found a 2009 linea which has covered 68000 kilometers ( I did not cover as many in over 8 years), good to drive but I felt it was underpowered.... is it a good buy and will it last me for atleast 4 more years... do help

68k is not too many kms for a well built modern car with a proven engine, modern cars can last lakhs of kms if taken care of well. Get the car checked at some trusted garage for authenticity of Mileage and accidental damage, if any.

I am not sure about price. Surely this car will depreciate faster than it's rivals, buy it if you find the current buying price good.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by Samridh

Unless its a steal, my question is why a linea?? 68,000 is a quite a number on the ODO. As I see it, as a thumb rule, each cars life is 5years/100,000 kms (unless we are looking at a really well-maintained vehicle). This car has already lived its 70% life which does not make it a great bet.

68K is not high mileage, especially for a diesel. While it was okay to say what works for you (your thumb rule), it is quite another to claim that this car does not make for a great bet based on a number that is baseless.

Originally Posted by Samridh

You can of course argue that your own Palio lasted a good 8 years. I agree, but that I guess would satisfy the test aforementioned, i.e. "a really well-maintained vehicle". Plus linea diesel is sluggish and has a really low average. Think hard before you are taken for a spin. Best, Samridh.

What is again incorrect is that this engine has "low average"; the Fiat diesel is a gem in it's own right and actually quite frugal. On top of that, this engine is reliable too.

I concur with .anshuman, as long as the odo reading seems legit., and the car in reasonably good mechanical shape, a used Linea can make for a really good buy. For a 2009 car, it's done an above average number of kms, which may imply more highway runs. Usually that's a positive.

Take a thorough test-drive (city / highway mix testing), get it checked by a trusted mechanic (or if you know your way about cars, you can do the basics) and if there are no red-flags this car will hold you in good stead for the next 4 years.

[Samridh]

Well thanks for imposing your opinion (on me) Amartya. The list of "ifs" (viz. odo reading seems legit, reasonably good mechanical shape, implying more highway runs) is way to high. My prima facie opinion was based on facts testated. Since sabnavis has not divulged those details, I am compelled to stick to what I have said. With "low average" I mean KMPL. I know this fact from two well-maintained cars driven by very close freinds. Nonetheless, to each's own!!

[navan49]

Going for Fiat seems not wise. They company itself is disposing the diesel car for the petrol car. Though the *** is with TATA there are chances of spares problem in the near future.Finally resale may not be smooth like Maruti and Hyundai's.

[acsandeep]

But why don't you buy a new hatchback instead,it will serve you better and will give you hassle free ownership?,BTW 68k in nothing for car like linea,get it tested at workshop and check suspension and see if any rattling noise is there,at this price it looks like a good buy.

[pareshraheja]

Originally Posted by navan49

Going for Fiat seems not wise. They company itself is disposing the diesel car for the petrol car. Though the *** is with TATA there are chances of spares problem in the near future.Finally resale may not be smooth like Maruti and Hyundai's.

Navan Ji - I did not understand what you mentioned in your post. Are you saying that FIAT itself is disposing it's diesel cars for petrol??

Kindly explain and also it would be great if you can give us the source of this information.

Cheers
Paresh

[bottle]

^I guess he means the FIAT festive offer where you get chance of winning a discount while purchasing a diesel linea (price would work out to the effect cost of a petrol linea)

[amit_mechengg]

68000 kms should be called low on diesel cars. people buy diesels to slog for more kms.

linea gives very good mileage i.e KMPL. the worst i get after thrashing her on the highway is 18 and best is 24. linea gives equal average in city.

i do think that for a 2009 car the odo is legit. puntos and lineas all over havent done lot of kms yet on an average

the MJD engine can last to eternity if taken care of. you can blindly vouch for linea engine that the same engine in maruti because FIAT fills only Selenia semi-synthetic oil. maruti uses mineral oil.

the parts are cheaper than the competition too. even a blown turbo costs just 18k rs.

bumper around 3000, mirrors around 1450 etc. so its very easy to maintain.

you can get hold of good mechanic near your place or do some jugad in TASS.

[sgiitk]

The crux in any old car buying is the condition and usage history.

I remember a story from my student days,"Would you buy an Escort RS with 12000 miles on the clock, single owner, impeccably maintained, and going cheap?". Most folk answered yes.

Then came the punch line - "Owner Roger Clark who drove it in the London to Sydney rally.