1.5Ti

Great drive train saddled by a very average body

My all-time favourite ride. The rorty twin Weber carbs powering the 1.5 flat four engine - what a joy to drive. Close gear ratios in the middle meant you were often slow off the blocks, but once you hit higher revs in gears 2-3-4, few contemporary family saloons could ever keep up. Not to mention stock cars handled as good as tricked up saloons of the era, It was truly a 'sports' saloon in the guise of a family car. Though there were more powerful variants in the 1.7 variant ( I even had the 1.7ie Serie3), the 1.5 Ti variant is widely considered the 'best' engine from a balance perspective. Sadly most prefer to preserve the later Serie3 ( lesst rust with galvanisation) 1.7 QV 16 valve 138BHP variant for rust and available horses argument.. Watch out for cruddy interior plastics like failing glovebox latches that cause the box cover to fall open on sudden starts; wobbly binnacles, the odd electrical gremlin and so on. not to mention the offset closely spaced pedals and position requiring short legs, longer arms and driving with knees together and tilted to te centre console! I would have another in a heartbeat

Report as offensive