[CsFLhGNp]

You have heard the old joke I assume?

That FIAT is an acronym for 'Fix It Again Tomorrow'

Seriously, is you want something reliable go for Honda or Toyota.

lol yeah i realised that when i typed it so i said "or at least doesnt cost me anything when it does break... " afterwards. i think its an old stereotype anyway. should be pretty solid, plus the 3 years warranty.

[Domovoy]

Personally speaking, if you are looking for a small(ish) car like that and you want something reliable etc. then I would look at the Toyota Yaris. You can get a 3 or 5 door version with their 1.3l VVTi engine plus Alloys, CD player etc. etc. for about the same money and they very rarely have problems.

[P3bWjm1j]

Dont buy Fiat. Their workmanship is crap and so are they engines and electric parts. Its not an old stereotype. Break down statistics always have Fiats (and actual models) in the higher ranks.

[Emunsesoxmete]

BS no way will you get 47mpg unless its a diesel

i'll say it once, its a fiat

better option is diesel imo, lower insurance groups for the power and better economy

[draigenia]

Guy i work with has the 1.9 MultiJet 130 Sporting, lovely looking car

[Emunsesoxmete]

Guy i work with has the 1.9 MultiJet 130 Sporting, lovely looking car

so is a db9, but thats not the point

[draigenia]

so is a db9, but thats not the point

I know its not, hence the cool wink with a wee smile....proper english humour is lost on some people

[Emunsesoxmete]

I know its not, hence the cool wink with a wee smile....proper english humour is lost on some people

the punto grande is nothing special looks wise imo, just looks curvy thats it

[CsFLhGNp]

so is a db9, but thats not the point

yes it is the point..... a db9 costs a lot more than a grande punto.

the deisels cost more to buy new. and the engine is quoted as 47.1mpg. in the same way my current 75bhp is quoted at 44mpg. i can see myself getting 5mpg more at least, as my current engines old.

but yeh those bigger multijets are rapid, but it boosts the costs up so i dunno

[Eh085zE7]

F ix
I t
A gain
T ony

[Emunsesoxmete]

yes it is the point..... a db9 costs a lot more than a grande punto.

the deisels cost more to buy new. and the engine is quoted as 47.1mpg. in the same way my current 75bhp is quoted at 44mpg. i can see myself getting 5mpg more at least, as my current engines old.

but yeh those bigger multijets are rapid, but it boosts the costs up so i dunno

i doubt you will ever see that much from a tank of fuel

yes diesels cost more, but running is cheaper and you can give it more gas without watching mpg drop so much

[draigenia]

the punto grande is nothing special looks wise imo, just looks curvy thats it

Personal choice dear chap would i buy one? hell no, rather have a Fiesta 1.6 tdci zetec s (smart mans Fiesta ST) cheaper insurance, cheaper parts, cheaper road tax and so on compared to the Fiat

[CsFLhGNp]

the deisels are 1.3's and 1.9's. i didnt think the 1.3's would be quick enough, and you cant get them in the 'sporting' spec. and the 1.9's are more expensive and get about the same mpg as the 1.4 petrol. but obviously diesel costs more to buy.

[Freefspruptpx]

You have heard the old joke I assume?

That FIAT is an acronym for 'Fix It Again Tomorrow'

Seriously, is you want something reliable go for Honda or Toyota.

LMFAO thats just like FORD

Fix
Or
Repair
Daily

[sat23neus2]

Actually, it's: Found On Road Dead. You can thank Holley carbs for that one. Hey, I'm a Mustang guy, gotta stick up for 'em.

[UpperMan]

To be honest, some people are bashing the Grande Punto here too badly. Well Kyros, I've recently driven one as a courtesy car for over one week (as a basic one, it still had alot of kit, but the only feature missing was air-con) and I can tell you, it's a great car. [yes] Dare I say it? It's one of the most understated cars on the road. It just looks much better once you're up close to one.

I wasn't sure what engine my car used, but it was either a 1.2 or 1.4 petrol and it felt easier and slightly faster to drive than my stiff old Clio, which i've now got back (still very much like it). The city steering is a cool feature inside it too.

As for quality, I was expecting it to be bad as it was a Fiat, but believe it or not, everything in the cabin is very well screwed together and the engine sounds to be well built and solid. The materials used seem quality made too. The refinement is pretty good, but some noise does intrude the cabin. It was far easier for me to get behind the wheel as I could push the seat very far back unlike my Clio, where I feel i'm always cramped as i'm rather tall.

Fuel economy? I got 44mpg mainly in towns according to the dashboard computer (yes, it has one). Despite it being a much heavier car than my Clio (the weight of the doors for example), it still beat the fuel economy my Clio always reached, and yet I still pushed the engine at several occasions.

While the car has many plus points, there are a couple of little niggles that can let it down a little. The windscreen pillars are far too thick (not handy on a roundabout IMO as it obstructs the view); the view outside the rear window is rather poor (reverse parked the car in once and while I felt awfully close to a car behind me, I was infact almost a metre away!) and the brakes with very little pressure applied are too responsive and harsh for my liking, although I personally think it's down to the fact being a new car.

Overall, I thought it was a brilliant car for the money. I'd definately give it some thought. Hell, two years later if these come down steep in price second hand due to depreciation, I may well give some thought into one of these myself. [yes]

Sorry for the long post.

[glamourcitys]

Give it a couple of months and the exhaust will fall off.

My friend has the previous Sport Active model and his exhaust has fallen off twice. It rattles a lot and his rear suspension squeaks a heck load.

He even says it's ****.

I find that most cars like the French or Italians like Fiat all bung in LOADS of extras like air-con and lots of other gadgetary yet the price of the cars is a lot cheaper in comparison to any Japanese counter part.

My 1.2 Jazz came with feck all costing £8000, yet you see all these French cars with loads more extras for £1000 less! But with the Japanese cars, you get the reliability.

[CsFLhGNp]

Give it a couple of months and the exhaust will fall off.

My friend has the previous Sport Active model and his exhaust has fallen off twice. It rattles a lot and his rear suspension squeaks a heck load.

He even says it's ****.

is that the older punto though? this is a different car altogether.

and thanks GamerG. I test drove one and agree with everthing you said. the only faults while driving where the slightly thick 'A' pillars, and if you look over yer right shoulder, you can't see a lot through the rear windows. other than that the quality of the car seems excellent, and it didnt seem bad for a 1.2, which i test drove.

[dianakroshXX]

It's a Punto...

Not something I'd choose if buying a car.

[CsFLhGNp]

less boring than an astra [rolleyes]