My first car was a second-hand Premier Padmini Deluxe with a floor shift and bucket seats. I still use it, but recently it’s getting a lot of much needed rest because of my new acquisition, a second-hand Fiat Uno 999 cc petrol ’FIRE’ which I bought in 2008. The car is air-conditioned. The previous owner had maintained it very well, so it was like new when I got it. Two years later, I have absolutely no regrets at having bought it. The car doesn’t have power steering, but you wouldn’t notice the difference. It handles like a dream and goes effortlessly up to 100 kmph. In fact, I’ve often noticed that while driving long distances, I hit 100 kmph without even knowing it! Another advantage is the rock stable ride.
The car maintains an astonishingly even keel on rough roads and turnings. My wife loves the space it offers, both for the passengers and the luggage. I’ve never seen so much space in any of the other cars in this class. Even the rear seat has sufficient leg space for my six footer son. The front seats have thigh support, and this really makes a difference on long drives. I’ve heard that spares are a little hard to come by because Fiat India inexplicably stopped manufacturing this car, but so far I’ve been able to get by.
The tyres too are of a size that no other car uses (145/80 R13 Radial). I needed a complete exhaust assembly and got it without too much trouble. That, a CD player and a security locking system are the only things that I’ve had to spend money on. I have only one grouse with my car, and that is a perceptible drag on the engine when the AC is switched on. Sometimes I have to switch off the AC to overtake another vehicle. This is probably because of the 1 litre engine, but as they say, you can’t have everything. All said and done, I’m very happy with my Uno.