Hi Guys,

In this post I would be sharing my personnel experiences about owning a Fiat Palio.. Well I got this car in aug 2002... against all odds I went in for it... during that year Fiat Italy was in the bad news of laying off people as well as something about GM having larger stakes in the co etc etc...

Its 6 years now and I still own this beauty... trust me I have had no major expenses in the car... thanks to its really rock solid build it hardly has any wear& tear unlike its lighter and so called fuel efficient counterparts.... I did not much care for the FE though it gave me 9kml in city and 14.5kml on highways with full AC on...

now I will share something which I am sure u all will be surprised

1- I haven’t changed the Coolant till date (i am not sure if its topped up during my regular 6 month service though I haven’t paid for coolant charges after the service)

2- I haven’t spent a rupee nor did I have to do any repairs on my AC (its 6 years now)

3- Same applies for my Power windows & central locking... ( my friend had to repair his NHC power windows 3 months after buying a his car)

4- The cabin is so silent that u don’t hear much outside noise even after 6 years (after Test driving the new fiesta sxi I found my palio better)

5- the steering wheel is the best part of the car...its so damn accurate and the best thing is u don’t feel any vibrations on high speeds unlike the Verna, Fiesta, NHC

6- Hydraulic clutch wow .. What a feel to drive.. (i test drove the SX4 and guess what, it as yet doesn’t have it.. its so damn difficult to drive that car... )

7- another best part is the outer material ... its so tough that it doesn’t get any dents like u see on other brand cars...

8- The drive quality ... wow is the word .... it may be sluggish to drive due to its weight but that same weight gives u a very comfy and secure feeling while driving on highways...I have driven about 9 times to goa and back and the car is wonderful when u drive outside the city

well I ended at 8 points since I could go on till 100 but non of u would have the patience to read it.... the problem is now when I plan to buy a new car I am unable to get one that will satisfy me.. I test drove the NHC, verna XI, Fiesta sxi & SX4 and trust me except for the suspension & power of the new cars.. also the interiors r gud of the new cars.. I don’t get the pleasure that I had in my palio... though I almost finalized on the new fiesta SXi, my mind and heart tells me to wait for the launch of the fiat Linea ... but I have a budget of max 8.5L on road and I hope the linea fits in my budget... or else I will have to compromise with the fiesta sxi....

Bye for now... and if anyone interested to know about palio pls write to me at selson2@gmail.com... cheers!! and enjoy driving ...