General Had Enough!

[jones1]

Well fellow Qubo owners - enoughs enough, the Qubos going.
Initially put up with the 75 bhp but it's now getting very tiring, having to travel in 3rd or 4th on most roads is not ideal. It also does nothing for the fuel consumption - 40ish! I'd put up with all the tugging/kangeroing if it was returning claimed 60 - 70 mpg.

The thought of a 90 bhp engine in that chassis is a tad worrying, the height/width of the Qubo makes it unstable in the bends.

I'll be sorry to see the quirky little car go, it is after all very practical but not enough to make me want to keep it.

Hope this of use to those looking to buy in future.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

40mpg sounds reasonable.

What sort of driving are you doing as it doesn't sould like the sort that I'd expect to be returning 60mpg tbh.

 

[Ulpian]

I get 45 in my 1.9 Doblo 100. And this car is driven and can hold its own on motorways too; loaded!

Everything I have read on the 1.3 suggests that it isn't economical. Maybe in a small car it'll be OK, but nothing special. There are big Diesels in large cars now that give fantastic performance and still give over 40. I'd expect the new Multijet2 to be much better, but the Qubo won't get this until later in 2010.

I'd take exception to the stability thing though. The Doblo is high, but the stability and road holding are fantastic - it's never let go once - and the Qubo is lower than it is wide, and has the GP chassis under it, which is very safe.

 

[jones1]

Pandas - type of driving is just general plodding along, you can't do much else in a Qubo. When you try driving economically you still only return about 45mpg and have to put up with constant engine shaking telling you to change down. The engine is simply too small and under powered for such a vehicle, it has to work so much harder - you have no torque to play with so you have to keep it spinning to maintain any momentum.

 

[calvjones]

Pandas - type of driving is just general plodding along, you can't do much else in a Qubo. When you try driving economically you still only return about 45mpg and have to put up with constant engine shaking telling you to change down. The engine is simply too small and under powered for such a vehicle, it has to work so much harder - you have no torque to play with so you have to keep it spinning to maintain any momentum.

It's your own fault for living in Gogland

Out of interest, what car did you have before and what will be next? Was considering a Qubo myself - its pretty hilly down South, but I'm happy with my 1.2 Panda... wonder how the Qubo compares...?

 

[jones1]

Hello fellow Jones.
Your right about it being my own fault, it is a tad hilly round here - live on the top of one. Should have put a bit more thought into it!
Previous car was a "Mid Lifer / Hairdressers" MX5. Had to do the over 40's thing and try pretend I'm still young. Didn't work.
New/older car is a Fabia VRS (would have got a Yeti 170 but too new/expensive at the mo). Looked at them a while back but never took the plunge. Wish I'd bought one back then as it would have saved me lots of £'s. Very impressed so far, seems economical and the mid range is amazing. It's nice to have the power when needed and the ability to return a decent MPG. The only downside is carting my bikes around which I can sort with a towbar.
I know I'm gonna get slated but personally I wouldn't recommend a Qubo untill it gets a better engine. When loaded it struggled up most hills, starting on one meant reving the nuts of it.
Regards - Jones.

 

[calvjones]

Thanks mate - I live at the top of a bloody big hill too (and have been known to carry a bike or 2...) so I think I'll wait for the MJ2.

Those Yeti's look nice, but I need an auto!

Diolch,

Cal

 

[ivantate]

Did you have it checked out, my 1.3mj never really judders even when pulled right down. Never going to be a road burner though.

My brother has a VRS, it seems to be a very good blend of performance and economy.

 

[Islander500]

Thanks mate - I live at the top of a bloody big hill too (and have been known to carry a bike or 2...) so I think I'll wait for the MJ2.

Those Yeti's look nice, but I need an auto!

Diolch,

Cal

Not sure if the new MJ2 95bhp takes an auto-box. It's stop-start which never had the dualogic option, and the 500 Configurator no longer shows the dualogic option with the new MJ2. :-(

 

[Ulpian]

The MJ2 in the new Doblo doesn't appear to offer Dualogic.

When the Qubo gets this engine, with 90/95? hp, it should finally have the gutsy, torquey and economical engine it deserves. When the Doblo was launched in 2001 it had a 1.2 petrol with the worst performance in Britain - 18+ seconds to sixty, and crap mileage too - it also offered an ancient non-turbo 1.9 Diesel! Fiat is famous for introducing new cars with inadequate power plants, and than providing the proper engines a year later. This ensures they get crap reviews and then don't sell, and damage the company's reputation - clever!

It isn't only performance, although this matters, it is economy. A weak engine that offered incredible economy might be acceptable, but no power plus high consumption gives no satisfaction on any level.

 

[calvjones]

Despite what the configurator says, Dualogic is offered on the Punto Evo with the 95bhp MJ2 engine - in the UK and all other markets (its in the brochure)

No dualogic with Mutiair on Punto, unfortunately (or I'd buy one), but Alfa are launching the Milano/Giulietta in March with a 170bhp MA & DSG-type double clutch box so I assume this will filter onto the Abarths, and they just won't bother with Dualogic on anything other than MJ and 8v FIRE FIATs...

Unless anyone knows owt better!

 

[Ulpian]

Good. I checked the new Doblo blurb again and couldn't find a reference to Dualogic on the Mj2, but I do think I saw it mentioned somewhere.

This would be a great engine for the Qubo.
Now I am thinking of the replacement 2010 Panda with the forthcoming 0.9 twin, and 105hp. This might be even better suited to my needs. I can hang on for two more years, then I''ll need to buy something.

This should be the year Fiat finally gets its full range of re-engined small cars to market in some sort of finalised form. It better had because the rumours have gone on too long now.

I have one suspicion about the Qubo though; the Citroen and Peugeot versions, although using their own engines, have similar outputs to the Qubo. I wonder if the companies signed some sort of deal not to compete with one another on power outputs? I'm trying to understand why the Qubo doesn't get the 1.6 Diesel, or the 1.4 Multiar 135; both of which would make it a very desirable niche player.

C'mon Fiat - as I keep saying

 

[calvjones]

I have one suspicion about the Qubo though; the Citroen and Peugeot versions, although using their own engines, have similar outputs to the Qubo. I wonder if the companies signed some sort of deal not to compete with one another on power outputs? I'm trying to understand why the Qubo doesn't get the 1.6 Diesel, or the 1.4 Multiar 135; both of which would make it a very desirable niche player.

C'mon Fiat - as I keep saying

I have a nasty feeling you're right. After all, PSA also have a very nice 105bhp 1.6HDI that would no doubt fit, and no sign of that going in the Nemo/Teepee(?)

Maybe the 135MA would be considered too much for something that's as tall as it is wide, but the 105 version would be fine - and about 40g/km less than the current lump.