A cracking little car, we owned one about 7 years ago and it was lively, economical, can't remember spending anything on it beyond normal service parts. I'd have loved to try the 'Mark 2' but they never made it to the UK.
My Y10 is a 1989 1.0 fila, I've done 225,000 km with it and although stability on the road has deteriorated in recent years (have not been able to find out why), I never had any mechanical problems, nor rust (but of course cars in Greece where I live do not suffer from rust due to the climate). Naturally some of the interior plastic trim has fallen off and the driver's seat was also worn, but these are expected and easily fixed. In the last 5 years I don't use it much (I use it as a second city car to drive around Athens only) and my last regular service was almost 3 years ago (but just 6,500 km back), but it never complains and costs nothing! In the first five years the car's performance was perfect, but then traction and stability on the road started gradually to deteriorate . The service people would blame shock absorbers, so I had them replaced quite often, but there was no spectacular improvement. Once I was told by a Lancia service garage that the cog rail had to be replaced, but when I decided to do that, that garage no longer existed and all subsequent servicemen denied there was anything wrong with the cog rail. Three years ago I had the wishbones changed but again improvement was only partial and temporary. Any suggestions anyone?
I presently own two y10, a 1991 LXie, and a 1989 gtie. The first cost me EUR 1750 three years ago (reading 73.000Km)(a bit expensive, suplement for scheduled payment included...), and the Gtie cost EUR 1250 (discount for front payment included... 81.000 Km) about 8 months ago. The Lx clock reads about 124.000 Km, and the gt has past 96.000 Km, hapilly eating motorways at constant 160 Km/h and plus, the speedometer easily reading the famed 200 in descents. No GTI, no Turbo, no supercar, but where else do you get this kind of performance for EUR 1250? And the economy continues in the gas, since I consider imposible for the GT to drink more than one litre of fuel for every 10 Km, at full throtle. Don't abuse it and 6L/100 Km averages are easy to reach, as in the 1.1 Lx. Tough l constantly lack the funds to keep them pristine and faultless, I am very happy with both, and consider any version of the y10 to be one of the best deals around for second-hand small cars. Especially in Portugal, where you can get 1.0 y10's for as low as EUR 500. Not perfect cars in the best state, but good movers, very pratical and economical, and capable of embaracing more powerfull and much more expensive cars. A good-no faults GTie could come for about EUR 2500, but they are becoming scarse... For every day use the y10 is outstanding, since its small size makes it easy to park, and I know of now other similarly sized car where my 20-inch bike frame fits so well, once the bakc seats are reclined. If necessary, the car can even take the bike and one rear passanger without harming safety or comfort. Downsides? there are some, starting in Italian build quality and ending in italian steel. Nearly all the inside trims are prone to wearing and gap gaining, inducing a multitude of parasite noises. As always, get to them asap, and they wont be hard to correct. If you don't, they will just pille up with time. The same thing goes for rust, that can extend to the chassis itself. Despite the image of luxury in a small package (nice trim, electric rear windows, super complete dash for the category, with oil temp and pressure (very prone to failure...)), the y10 is basicly a no-frills car, that you can use in city and motorway without worry. None of the cocooning of later generation cars, but economy and performance that remain very competitive today. And, of course, its a mark in car design, tough yet to be made justice. The aerodynamic efficiency (outstanding for the size) plays a good role in high motorway averages and low fuel consumption. One much refered problem is electrics. True, warning lights in the dash pop up for no reason, and several electric contacts (bulbs...) are fated to fail, as well as the oil gauges. Heating/ventilation buttons tend to loose eficiency, and other minor querks can occurr. But, to my experience, no really serious problem will come from there, since the main functions usually work well. In this aspect, as in several others, the best prevention is to keep the car rolling frequently, and long periods in rest are the worst. In the mechanical side, the fire engine is very reliable an no major problems are to be expected. Transmission rubber cones tend to leak gearbox oil, keep an eye. The gearbox is not as pleasant as it should (commom fiat feature...), but works well enough, with good gear ratios. Noises and grunts are common (featured from new in the GT..), but could also imply other problems in the long therm, such as worn synchros. The lower support of the angine in the 1.1 can also crack, but it will warn you with lots of advance, the engine "kicking" when you press and deprees the throtle at lower speeds. In road behaviour, the keyword is fun, both in the Lx and in the GT. At higher speeds (120 Km/h and plus), the back Omega suspension will woop a bit, giving a feeling of unsafety, but its more a case of feeling than real danger. Steady hand at the weel, tough! Keep in mind that this is a very light small car with a small wheelbase, with a Panda front-suspension and a twisted rigid-axle at the back, with just a center-advanced anchoring point. If you think of that, you'l come up thinking the roadholding is excelent... Certainly better than with a normal rigid-axle anyway... The original alloy wheels in the gt are a bit fragile, and can, with time and portuguese roads, become not exactly round. Easy to deal with by refurbishing. To this day I believe the Gt was relatively cheap because the saler (a crook...) tought (but didn´t said...) the chassis was bent. The car distinctively runned to the right, and major vibrations acurred past 120 Km,h. Refurbishment of the front wheels and new tires completely solved the problem. Some of the alloy wheels had almost 1 centimeter decentrings! This is important, since, being so light (800-850 Kg), the y10 is very sensible to pressure and condition of tyres and wheels. Big vibrations can come from slightly unbanlaced wheels, and uneven pressure in tyres can induct distinctive running left or right. But if you're buying, don't take risks by assuming it's a tyre/wheel problem and check the chassis. I had luck! To resume my impression of the y10, I would describe it as car with the lightness and size of a Panda, but motored with Uno-class dimensioned engines, giving it a power to weight-ratio to match the performance of lots of bigger engined cars in the Tipo class. Just think, about 78 hp to move less than 850 Kg, that's enough to go faster than any other similar power car, since they all are heavier. And if the 1.1 its less powerfull, it also has a shorter differential ratio, giving it all the promptness. The main reason for buying the gt was that the Lx was getting a bit unpresentable in some circles (faded, cracked, riped paint... riped driver seat tissue...), and the fact that i frequently make 200 and 300 Km and plus trips, easely clocking 500 or 600 Km in one day. In the highway, the Lx can go forever at about 140 Km/h, and even keep a good 160 (on the clock...) for a good while. But the noise from the high revs can become tyring and a sharp eye on the oil and water gauges is needed. And be aware of sudent stops (polls...) after a long time driving at high revs. Since the LX was in need of a lot for technical control (4new tyres, rear brake fix, new door locks...) and also a new cluth, aside a multitude of other blemishes, I decided it would be wiser (what?) to buy another one instead, for just a tad more than the overall repair would cost me. Since the second-hand value for these cars is so low, that was easy. Of course, the gt was not pristine, and was a bit of a shot in the dark. But I had luck (uf!), and solved easely and cheaply all the problems the car had. A major problem of irregularities in engine working (a very distinctive burble around 2500-3000 rpm, could be anything from spark plugs to MPInjection troubles to god knows what), was eliminated by simply replacing spark cables and distributer head, wich was cheap. And a good fuel-system cleaning adictive did the rest, the car revving freely and vigorously. And I didn't even had to change plugs. I now can do my highway travels at a good constant 160 Km/h, still with a good reserve of power to reach 180 and plus on the clock, never having to floor the trothle, thus gaining good fuel consuption. What other car would give you this for less than 2000 EUR overall? Well, perhaps that sadly rusting y10Turbo that's been standing in my street for some months now... The rust has got to the chassis and rust holes are clear in the doors... But that engine... I dream of turning it into my long cherished autocross or small class racing project... And comes right off with 14 inch momo wheels... That alone could be worth about the 300 EUR I'm willing to pay for that pile of rust.
wot car can u cruz about in in with more style,pace for as little £?u cant y10 is soo gr8 ive had 4!!its lively fiat engine revs hard and is reliable/economical but best of all sounds ace!!it handles like a go-cart and i just cant wait fur my GT ie to get on the road!VVAAARROOOOM!
This is the best car i have ever owned, brand new it was a rip off, a luxury fiat uno, but secondhand, can u find better for as little pennys? My car covered 80,000 with ABSOLUTLY NO mecanical breakdown, and i must admit it wasnt treated very well either! the best small car money can buy, with out a doubt!
Owned for more than 5 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed January 2003.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
Overall Value for Money
Well my Y10 started off as a bottom of the range 999cc FIRE I resprayed it graphite grey, then I got some spax lowering spring and gas dampers, alloys and fat tyres, Y10 turbo bmpers as they look much better and just to top it off I have loaded in a Y10 turbo engine. The Interior has all black dash board and door cards, grey carpet and bright red Y10 FILA seats it looks really cool. The Y10 turbo goes reallyquick the extra power is the finishing factor in what was already a very, very fun car to drive. I love my Y10 and to think when I got it I got it as a run about while I did up my other car. Now my Y10 is my pride and Joy and it even looks good. Also great fun burning off all the kevins in the kevved up NOVAs etc.
What a lovely car. I'm sadly looking for a price to sell my Y10 ie from 1994 with only 84.000 km. I bought it from my sister with only 13 km. I'm from Oporto in Portugal, and with my car I visited all Spain in 1999, all Ireland in 2000 and Paris in 2001, and it never let me dowun.
Unfortunately I must sell it as I bought a new Fiat Stilo, and my doesn't have a driving license. I must sell it for oly Eur 2.250,00, because in Portugal its value is too low when used. The stupid market is loosing great fun, considering italian cars inferior
Owned for 5 years.
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