Fiat
Fiat makes a broad range of interesting family cars, but it's best offerings are also its smallest. Fiats are cheap to buy and most come with small, economical engines.
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 sets the standard for style in the city car class, and it looks much more attractive than the Renault Twingo and Toyota Aygo. It uses the same mechanicals as the Panda, but adds a huge dose of retro Italian style. The 500 feels luxurious too, thanks to customisable seat trims and equipment like air-conditioning and an MP3-compatible stereo. The 500 is available as a supermini hatchback, or as the 500C convertible.
Fiat 500L
The Fiat 500L is a compact MPV model hoping to offer the same funky styling and retro-inspired charm of the 500 city car. A spacious boot and practical rear seats greatly increase the appeal of the 500L for small families, who previously couldn't opt for the cramped 500. It comes with a range of engines, including Fiat's two-cylinder TwinAir turbo, which offers 104bhp and 58.8mpg. The 1.3-litre diesel is the most efficient of the bunch, though.
Fiat Bravo
The Fiat Bravo is only available as a five-door, which may limit its appeal, but it is attractive to look at. All Bravos come with lots of equipment, like electric windows, air-conditioning and height-adjustable driver and passenger seats, as standard. The Bravo is offered with very economical diesel engines, although the smaller T-Jet petrol engine is fast without spoiling economy. The Bravo is cheap to buy, which is a prime selling point when rivals like the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf are such strong competition. The Bravo isn’t the best car to drive in its class, but the interior is spacious and it is cheap to buy.
Fiat Doblo
Van-based Fiat Doblo is boxy, but it shares its engines and gearbox with the Punto Evo, so it's very easy to drive. The Doblo is cheap to buy and run, and offers ample space for up to seven passengers and their luggage. All cars feature electronic stability control as standard, and the large windscreen makes visibility excellent. Rear seats are accessed by sliding doors for added convenience.
Fiat Grande Punto
The Grande Punto is the third generation of Fiat's best-selling hatchback. A great all rounder, the Grande Punto is stylish, good to drive and is well built, too. It also comes with an excellent range of engines, including Fiat's innovative and highly efficient MultiJet diesels. Offering great value for money, the only real drawback is a lack of passenger space in the rear.
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Fiat Multipla
The Fiat Multipla was launched in 2000 with a controversial bug-eyed appearance. Fiat toned down the shape in 2004, but it wasn’t at the expense of practicality, which is the Multipla's major strong point. All Multiplas have two rows of three seats and a big boot, making it great family transport. It has never been a mainstream MPV choice like the Ford C-MAX or Renault Scenic, and both of these cars feel more modern inside and out. However, the Multipla is very cheap to buy and run, making is great value.
Fiat Panda
The Panda is a simple, cheap-to-run, no-nonsense city car. It's chunky on the outside, but that square shape means it has lots of space inside - way more than the Fiat 500 or Ford Ka. The bottom of the range 1.1-litre petrol Active version is very cheap, but doesn’t have alloy wheels, traction control or air-conditioning. But any car above that in the range, especially with the excellent 1.3 MultiJet diesel engine, provides flexible, cost-effective transport. There are even four-wheel-drive versions that can cope with slippery conditions.
Fiat Punto
As the name suggests, the Punto is an evolution of the Punto Evo and Grande Punto that preceded it. As well as a new name, the Punto gets a slightly different look on the outside with fully colour coded bumpers, and a thoroughly revised interior with a new dashboard design. But the biggest change is Fiat's new engines. They deliver more power than before, but are also more fuel efficient, thanks in part to an automatic stop-start system that's standard across the range. The Punto is good to drive, but the ride is quite harsh, making it uncomfortable on long journeys.
Fiat Qubo
Just like the Citroen Nemo Multispace, the Qubo is based on a van - which gives it its high roofed look. The Qubo is surprisingly fun to drive, while the boxy design gives lots of room inside. The interior does feel as if it's built down to a price, but it's very spacious, and the boot is large. There's a choice of small petrol and diesel engines on offer, all of which ensure that running costs remain low, and make the Qubo cheap to tax.
Fiat Sedici
The Fiat Sedici blends the compact dimensions of a supermini with the off-road ability of a 4x4. Its small size does mean that legroom and boot space is at a premium, though. Both petrol and diesel engines are available and both offer good performance, but if you are planning on taking the Sedici off-road, the diesel's extra torque makes it a must. You won’t get as far as many full-on 4x4s, but the Sedici is no slouch on rough terrain and it's pretty good around town, too.
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