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Hatchback
There are two very different Stilos. The three-door is set up to be sporty, with less space inside and a stiffer ride.
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On the other hand, the five-door is more family-friendly. It's roomier, rides more softly, and even has trays on the front seat backs, where rear passengers can balance a picnic or a laptop. Neither version handles with any great finesse, but at least they are safe, predictable and comfortable. And, the car's four-star occupant safety crash test rating from Euro NCAP is good. However, that's more than you can say for its disappointing one star for pedestrian safety. Never mind all that, though. The biggest attraction of the Stilo is its price. Its value drops like a stone so that, by the time it's three years old, it's worth only a third of what its first owner paid. After that, things calm down, so buying a nearly new model is not terribly sensible, but a two- to three-year-old car is a bargain.
Running Costs
Insurance, fuel economy, servicing - all the main running costs look pretty reasonable. Our favourite 1.2-litre model sits in an attractively low group 4, and most of the others fall within group 7 or lower. The only one to avoid on insurance grounds is the 2.4 Abarth and its group 14 rating. Fuel economy, too, is good on most of the models in the range. The 1.2 should top 40mpg overall, the 1.9 diesel gets nearer 50mpg, and even the 1.6 petrol is pretty reasonable, with 38mpg. You can cut your costs further because servicing is straightforward enough to trust a reliable independent garage, so saving on main-dealer charges. Spares are modestly priced, too, although some repairs take longer than they would on a Ford or Vauxhall, adding to the cost. However, the worry comes because Stilos aren't that reliable. They get a pasting from the JD Power customer survey, suggesting that repairs may well be a regular feature of life with a Stilo.