Fiat Idea (04-07) - Review

Review by Ben Wall on
The name Idea actually stands for Intelligent Design, Emotion and Architecture. It's Fiat's answer to the Vauxhall Meriva and offers plenty of space in a relatively compact body shape. The rear seats offer a fair degree of flexibility and there are some thoughtful touches and a generous level of equipment for the money. That's the intelligence and design, but we can't see much in the way of emotion in the architecture. That doesn't stop it being a useful little family runabout however. A light facelift was administered in 2006.
3.5 out of 5

Other Fiat reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

This is affordable motoring. Prices undercut those of the Vauxhall Meriva while residuals values are similar so you'll lose a bit less on an Idea over time. Fuel economy is impressively good whether you pick the petrol or the diesel engines.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,395 - £1,461 *

Diesel

£1,068 - £1,165 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£100.00 - £170.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
    123
  • E
  • F
  • G
    157
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Idea is an environmentally friendly model. With an average of 145 g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are comparably low for a people carrier hatchback. However, it's worth noting that the line up has a high number of diesel models, bringing the average down and giving buyers more choices of low-emission versions. Diesels typically produce less CO2 than petrol engines with similar power outputs. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 1.3-litre diesel, which is one of the greenest models in the range. The range is impressively frugal, averaging 49 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2