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Modern Fiats fall into two categories: the retro models and those with more functional designs.

Cars in the first camp appeal to the heart and include the 124 Spider sports car and the 500 series: a hatchback, a convertible, an SUV and two MPVs.

By contrast, the remaining models rely on their practicality and attractive pricing, with the Panda city car, Tipo hatchback and Fullback pick-up truck all prime examples.

Fiat can trace its roots back to the 19th century but is now part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, along with Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep and Maserati.

FIAT

ULYSSE

It's a fine MPV, but Citroen's C8 offers more kit

Used Fiat Ulysse 2003 - 2006

The Ulysse depreciates quite heavily, making it a tempting second-hand buy, but it didn't sell as well as the near-identical Citroen C8 and Peugeot 807, so used examples are harder to find.

As long as nothing major goes wrong, it should be affordable to maintain. The rates charged by Fiat dealers are on a par with most rival manufacturers, and independent Fiat specialists can undercut them by almost 40%.

Fuel economy is pretty much what you'd expect for this sort of car, with the petrol engine returning 31.0mpg on the combined cycle, the 2.0-litre diesel averaging 40.4 and the 2.2 diesel 38.2mpg.

However, insurance bills are low for a large MPV, with the Dynamic petrol car attracting a group 10 rating and all the other models sitting in group 11.

It's a fine MPV, but Citroen's C8 offers more kit


There was a 136bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, but the two fine turbodiesels - a 109bhp 2.0-litre and a 128bhp 2.2 - make more sense because of their superior fuel economy and smooth power delivery. However, while the extra low-down pulling power of the 2.2 is useful, it costs a fair bit more, so put the 2.0-litre at the top of your shopping list.

The basic Dynamic model has more than enough kit for most people, so we think there's no point in spending any more. Climate control, a CD player and a small fridge for keeping cans of drink cool are all fitted as standard, and the safety kit includes driver, passenger and side airbags for those in the front, and full-length curtain airbags that protect all three rows of seats.

If that really isn't enough, you could step up to Eleganza trim, which brings dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, alloy wheels, reversing sensors and a mirror that lets you keep an eye on the kids in the back, while top-trim Prestigio cars come with leather upholstery and a CD multichanger.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all the family and their paraphernalia</li> <li>Comfortable ride for everyone inside</li> <li>Seats with plenty of adjustment and versatility of layout</li> <li>Engine that can cope with a full load of people and luggage</li> <li>Excellent efficiency to avoid big fuel bills</li></ul>

Practicality is king in the MPV market, which has taken a hit as buyers have turned towards trendier SUVs. There are still plenty of decent offerings to suit most budgets, though, with Citroën fielding a particularly strong line-up. The French manufacturer’s Berlingo offers bags of space for not much money and you can easily haggle off thousands of extra pounds in discounts, too.

Citroën also scores with the larger Grand C4 Spacetourer, which offers seven seats, lots of oddment space and appealing running costs for something so large. A similarly priced and even better option is the Volkswagen Touran. Meanwhile, if you prefer a premium badge, there's always the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourers or Mercedes B-Class and V-Class.

But for something sizeable that's still decent to drive, we’d recommend you check out the Ford Galaxy, which can offer three rows of seats and decent luggage space at the same time. It’s not that much pricier than the smaller S-Max.

Fiat doesn't have the best reliability record, with owners consistently criticising their cars in the annual JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. It's no surprise, then, that the Ulysse is no more than average in this area.

Claims by Warranty Direct customers show that it can suffer from electrical problems that cause the instruments to misread or fail, and some cars have suffered front suspension failures.

Fiat also issued three recalls on the car, so make sure you check in the service recors that the necessary work has been done. Diesel models built between January 2002 and July 2004 had a problem with the bolts that held their sound deadening guard in place; there was a chance the airbags could go off by mistake on all models built between January 2002 and July 2004 and cars built between August 2003 and July 2004 needed to have their engine management software updated.

The Ulysse's dash has a modern, minimalist design, complete with centrally mounted dials, but it's very much a typical MPV otherwise. Most versions can carry seven, although there was an eight-seater option, and top-of-the-range cars have six individual captain's chairs. In each model, all but the front pair of seats are removable.

Every model also has sliding rear doors, which are a real help when getting in and out of the back in tight parking spots. However, where the virtually identical Citroen C8 and Peugeot 807 tend to come with these doors electrically operated - useful when your hands are full - these were only a cost option on the Ulysse.

Given the car's size and shape, it's surprisingly refined and good to drive: the ride, which is on the firm side around town, settles nicely at speed; and, while you're always aware of its bulk when tackling corners, the car is reasonably controlled, with only limited body roll.

Used Fiat Ulysse 2003 - 2006 reliability

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Used Fiat Ulysse 2003 - 2006 review

Fiat doesn't have the best reliability record, with owners consistently criticising their cars in the annual JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. It's no surprise, then, that the Ulysse is no more than average in this area.,Claims by Warranty Direct customers show that it can suffer from electrical problems that cause the instruments to misread or fail, and some cars have suffered front suspension failures.,Fiat also issued three recalls on the car, so make sure you check in the service recors that the necessary work has been done. Diesel models built between January 2002 and July 2004 had a problem with the bolts that held their sound deadening guard in place; there was a chance the airbags could go off by mistake on all models built between January 2002 and July 2004 and cars built between August 2003 and July 2004 needed to have their engine management software updated.

What to look for when buying a Fiat Ulysse 2003 - 2006, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

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