Any thoughts?

I'm looking for a 3Dr high miler around £1500 for lugging PT equipment up and down the M1.

I've read that the front springs tend to fail, rear axel bushes can perish and the usual hit-and-miss Italian electrics issues. Anyone know of anything else to look for?

Had a look at a couple of petrols today and they seem quite a decent budget car.

btw, this is in addition to the Coop.

I managed to pick up a 3rd 115bhp 45,000 miles for £2.1k two years ago. Now upto 75k now and been very good. Had to change all of the shocks, EGR and cam belt, then had it re-mapped and so a new kevlar clutch. Get 47mpg. Now have a very solid and reliable daily driver.

If I was you I'd go for the 150bhp Sporting 3dr.

Can be bought very cheap,
I bought a 5 door 1.3 petrol 02 plate for 380 quids last week, going use it as family run around as expecting first sprog start of November!!
The mrs HATES my coup!!! She'd love nothing more than to burn it, so I bought her the stilo..... She was a bit knarked it was another FIAT though!! Lol!

Yes well the diesel is great on mpg and is pretty tunable. I'll be buying one with 115Bhp and by the end of the first week it should be running about 150Bhp. I've seen some people claim 185+bhp with just a remap.

I think the multijet sporting is out of my price range though. However, a Broom Yellow sporting with leather would be hard to say no to! There's one on 'trader atm with all that at 50K miles but it's up for £3.5K... >(

Ive just sold ours.
Ours was the 115bhp sporting. Great car,would never brake down just tired as the gf wrecked it.

Ok issues..the onboard computer beeps at everything.
Preheat fault..usually one faulty plug. Never inhibits starting and we had our stilo three years with this fault without further issue. Just displays on dash.

3 door models are very difficult to change headlight bulbs and sidelights. tiny hands required.

Airbag fault,usually connectors under the drivers or passenger seats. Cut them out and solder or crimp.

EGR valves can clog up and cause less mpg. Buy a plate to block off or clean as required.

Definantly worn front springs and shocks.

Rear subframe bushs as most cars that age.

Boost controller is located near front bumper. If it gets wet it will say engine stop and inhibit the turbo. These can easily be located up to battery tray.

Air box is located near bumer also so acces to air filter is from underneath car.

Very torquey engine and romps along on the motorway.A tank of an engine.
If not better than the multijet. We now have the 16v multijet and more refined.Less torque low down.quick but less mpg.

I suspect out of your price range but you might get a high-mileage bravo diesel (2007 range); I've been very impressed with my 150 turbo. Had to replace the blocked EGR and that's been it, I think, in 24,000 miles in ten months.

The only thing not to like is the cloud of diesely goodness that squirts out of the back when it's booted.

It'll do (and has done) Hemel to the isle of Skye and Hemel to Berlin without filling on the way... though it won't if you want to travel at 90.

I'm on my second Stilo Multiwagon but this one is just an Active with 80BHP. Still quick enough though and seems to be more economical than the 115 version I had before.

Headlight bulbs are quickest if changed through the wheelarch - taking the liner off is about 5 minutes work.

Mine has eaten through a few front drop links. Not sure if it's a fault on the car or simply thast the roads are worse than when I had my old one - it had no drop links in 60k miles.
Not sure if it affected the 3 doors but there was also a rear axle alignment problem with early Multiwagons - this one (a 53 reg) has it, my old one (an 03) didn't.