Mito (Type 955) 2008 - Current

I am a Approved Driving Instructor and has been trying to purchase an Alfa to replace my 14 yrs old Seat Ibiza for some time. My requirements are simple -0.9 TwinAir, because of no road fund license; and 3 rear seats. Although there are plenty of 0.9 around, getting a 5 seater wasn't easy but I soon realised the Collezione meets all my requirements. 

Original I saw a black Collezione but mileage was quite high, 69k miles. Then one in Northern Ireland came up and was very tempting. When I was considering to fly to Belfast, EU16UWX suddenly appeared in Cheltenham and with reasonable price £5800 and mileage of 58k , I phoned the garage and placed a £300 holding deposit. 

This seller is a AA Approved Garage but you wouldn't have known it as it is in the middle of no where! It was a wet October afternoon but as soon as I saw her, I knew this car is for me. Unfortunately, this meant I wasn't thinking straight. The seller did informed me the wiring loom is broken and took £100 off . It was only after I was on the M4 that I noticed the gear from 1st to 2nd was awful! The front fog lamp had also had a  cracked. The service book and handbook were all missing but it did have all the service invoices but funny enough the car hasn't been serviced by a main dealer. 

I probably spent too much, over £2000, to get the MiTo ready for the road but that's the risk of buying a car from a small independent dealer far away from home. Fortunately I have a good reliable Independent garage nearly. 

Dual controls £350

Clutch, Dual Mass Flywheel, Thermostat housing, New Battery, Oil and Oil Filter, Wiring Loom, 4 Eldorado All Season AS4 tyres, Drive shaft Seal, Exhaust flexi Down Pipe and Engine Mount £1800. 

eBay: Front floor mat, Collezione Badge, Phillips White Vision Bulbs, LED Bulbs, Front Wipers, Handbook and Service Book, Front Fog Lamp and BOSE speaker logos. £110

Pending MOT and Service. March 2024. 

So the important part! I divide this into two sections, my experience and my customers. 

The MiTo definitely looks distinctive from the outside and with the Ardesia Grey  , making it contemporary. Inside the dashboard looks and feel it has been designed by a more upmarket brand. The Collezione is well equipped with Satnav and has optional heated seats. The seats are firm and comfortable. 

The 0.9 TwinAir is road fund license free which is an added bonus for my business. Now that the engine mount has been replaced, the car drives a lot better, although the 2 cylinders engine is not as smooth as my Ibiza or Jazz. What it does do better though its the acceleration! Even in 6th gear on a motorway, the car still have power to overtake legally, unlike my previous owned vehicles where you have to drop a gear. The DNA is always set at Dynamic and so the engine always have power. Like any cars designed in the late 2000s, the suspension is not good for UK's bumpy roads but it's not worse then others. 

Initially I found the steering trying to self centered too keenly, similar to my sister's old Hyundai Coupe. But now I am used to it, the steering is geared towards a better driving experience as it's very precise. The gear positions are nicely placed but reversing can be a bit of hit and miss. 

My pupils so far have all enjoyed the experience. They like the design and car being newer than the Ibiza. Moreover they like telling their friends they are learning in a MiTo rather than a Corsa or Fiesta. However they do find the small engine can be a problematic as they always need to set the gas at 2000 otherwise the car can stall. However since the mass dual flywheel has been replaced under warranty, this problem has been resolved. All the controls are nicely placed for them too . The seating adjustments allow pupils of different sizes getting into a comfortable position too. 

Prior to the MoT, the MiTo suffered from a vibration when the clutch is depressed so it went to the garage two days earlier. It transpare the mass dual flywheel was at fault but luckily it was fixed under warranty. The car is driving like it should be, no more 2000 rev to move off! My mistake was not driving another 0.9 TwinAir...I thought all MiTo drove like this....

As for the service, it was a 72k miles one. I brought everything online plus the Oil Strainer Gauze which wasn't cheap at £50.  £140 labour, £48 MOT, £98 for parts, all the 3 filters, 2 plugs, strainer and Catrol Magnatec 0w30 GS1 DS1 Oil.  The car drives great now and what a shame they didn't do this back in October. 

I have  a confession... during the last five months, the MiTo has been in my mechanic every month and the repair can take more than two days at a time. In addition the cost is piling up. This has a big impact on my business and mental health. Part of this is due to my independent garage -they have been trying to survive as their landlord wants them out and as a result, they haven't hired anyone since the mechanic (my former pupil) left for Edinburgh to set up his own garage. The mechanic there is over loaded with work and so my MiTo is not well looked after as it should be. Secondly, I have taken on more manual pupils due to the demand so I feel bad every time I have to cancel their lessons. 

With this in mind when there was a clutch issue just before the service, I wanted to look at my opinions and this was when I walked into a Suzuki Dealer to look at the Swift 1.2 mild Hybrid SZ-L. As instructors, we get £3k off plus free dual controls. Equipment wise it has rear camera and LED lights. The dials seem nice and controls well laid out. And the car should be very reliable and dealer is also even closer to my home. However, although I would have definitely be happy more than 6 mths ago with the Swift, I just couldn't put my name on the order form .. inside is so plastic and lacks character.  That special feeling with an Alfa just isn't there. 

As a result I was so pleased that my mechanic called me and said mass flywheel was done all under warranty. That unique feeling can't be found with anything else. All I can say is a car is a car, a MiTo is an Alfa!  If anyone is having an issue with their beloved Alfa please don't give up...go to an Alfa specialist may help too. 

The Flexi Pipe is damaged again but this time it needed a new mid section. Because my garage is closed due to relocation, I took it to an Alfa Specialist, Veloces in New Barnet. The new exhaust definitely makes a difference and I wished I had done this earlier. I also put a tank of Shell V-Power and the car really drives well.