Fiat UNO (1983 - 1994)
MODELS COVERED: First generation Uno - 1983-1990: (3dr hatch 'Uno 45' 0.9-litre [Formula] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno 45' 1.0-litre [FIRE 45, FIRE 45S] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno 60' 1.1-litre [60, 60S, Selecta] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno 70' 1.3-litre [SX, Turbo] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno Diesel' 1.7-litre [DS] ). Second generation Uno - 1990-1994: (3dr hatch 'Uno 45' 0.9-litre [Formula] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno 45' 1.0-litre [Start, FIRE, FIRE S] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno 60' 1.1-litre [FIRE S, Selecta] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno 70' 1.4-litre [S, Selecta, SX, Turbo] / 3dr and 5dr hatch 'Uno Diesel' 1.7-litre [Start D, D, DS]
BY JONATHAN CROUCH
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The
Fiat Uno may not have rewritten the rules that underline the supermini concept, but you have to say that it achieved just about everything else. By the time the car went out of production in 1994, over five million had been sold and it was often the best selling car in Europe. Which means of course that there are plenty about on the used market. However, quality is patchy and you'll need to buy with great care.
A capable supermini with good packaging. It's cheap to buy and maintain but not as satisfying to drive as, say, a
Peugeot 205.
Prices for early First generation Unos start at well under £100 but, as suggested earlier, you'd be wise to steer clear, unless you're a DIY mechanic. Even later first generation models are unwise investments - which is probably why they're all well under £300. A good 90G to 93K-reg 0.9-litre car should cost from £200-£400. If you're buying a 1.0 or 1.1-litre model, try and stretch to the 1992J-onwards fuel injected cars; prices start from under £500 and range up to around £600 for a 95M five-door Start. 1.
4s could cost up to £700 for the last of the 94L Turbos.
In two words, electrical headaches. Like many Italian cars, the Uno has a poor reputation on this front. A rather tinny feel, tatty trim and patchy build-quality also afflict it. Don't be surprised to find much evidence of rust on poorly looked after older cars. A service history is worth its weight in gold. Even if you have this, you'd be wise to steer clear of the petrol turbos, most of which will have been thrashed to near-death. The diesel is worth avoiding too, its noisy, slow and not particularly frugal.
(approx based on 94 Uno45 1.0) Front brake pads are around £18, a rear exhaust section about £37. A headlamp is about £52 and an alternator is £68 ish.
Only later Unos offered any kind of impression of solidity. Owners of older models will be familiar with facia shudder over bumpy lanes, something usually accompanied by an orchestral melody of twitters from the rear parcel shelf. Well kept later cars however, feel taut and easy to drive, mainly due to their light steering and excellent visibility. As we've suggested, the Uno can be a perky partner on the open road but by no stretch of the imagination is it as enjoyable a driving companion as would be a Peugeot 106 or a
Citroen AX. No, the Uno's strongest suit is a more practical one: interior space. At 143 inches, it's 4 inches longer than a Metro, with a high roofline affording impressive headroom and a 60/40 split rear
seat facility to boost luggage space. Later Unos, as we've said all through this guide, were much better built. By the end, Fiat had learnt a great deal about longevity and saw to it that the tailgate, like the nose section and the lower front wings, was produced using rust-resistant galvanized steel.
The Uno may be one of Europe's favourite small cars but it's a minefield of potential problems unless you buy carefully or opt for one of the very last ones.
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