1994 Fiat Punto 55SX 1.1 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Terrible

Faults:

Oil leak (yes, at only two years old with low mileage) brakes, suspension, interior fade, creaking seats, clutch judder, the list goes on.

General Comments:

Was given this white Punto in the mid 1990's as a company run about. One of the worst cars I ever had the dis-pleasure of driving for a couple of years.

At first was impressed with then (then) new design and modern looking Fiat. But as soon as you get in this car it felt cheap and nasty.

To drive it was awful, steering was kinda fun on twisty roads but that was it. Brakes weak, engine weak and under-powered, noisy on the move, seats not comfortable at all. 1.1 engine was economical for petrol however.

When I started having soo many issues with it my boss handed it back. Never a car I would buy, but many did as the roads were flooded with them back then, it was cheap to buy at-least.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st December, 2025

1994 Fiat Punto 55S 1.2 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Very Nice Although Weary of Comments

Faults:

I purchased the Fiat Punto 55s from eBay I live in London and went to Wrexham in North Wales to collect the car, Around 2hours into the journey the car cam belt went cost me £72, no problems as of since that was last month.

General Comments:

It's okay I like the handling of the car does the job for somebody of my age, I'm not looking for your Hondas or Toyota I'm just looking for a nice car to run around in.

I do have a question. What advice would you give to me.

Thank you.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 30th December, 2004

25th Mar 2006, 14:40

Good little car if looked after, ie check the oil regularly and check for overheating, don't forget it's only 1100cc. They're prone to head gasket failure, mostly caused by this, thus check the radiator fan is kicking in at the right temperature. If not, replace the radiator thermostat and when you top up the water, bleed the air from the system.

7th Jul 2010, 08:25

I paid £400 from ebay for my 1994 1100 Punto. What an excellent little car, cheap to run, spacious for its overall size, and a good cruiser at 70 MPH. I would echo the need for some regular servicing, sadly mine overheated on a long journey and cooked the head gasket. This was my fault entirely as I ignored a leaking water pump. I eventually scrapped it which was sad as it had given be three years of reliable motoring up to that point.

1994 Fiat Punto Sx60 Selecta 1.2 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Altogether, a Superb, fun little car

Faults:

Brake light switch was working intermittently, resulting in difficulty engaging drive options. Fixed by myself by just cleaning the copper contacts on the switch.

First stage throttle switch failing occasionally, giving the impression there was a fault with the gearbox, as if it was jumping out of gear at junctions, or grinding when engaging drive. Fixed with a squirt of WD-40!

General Comments:

Other than the two minor faults above, this car has been incredibly reliable, even getting me to work in heavy snow and floods.

The suspension is quite soft, which means it doesn't handle amazingly, but it is a really fun drive altogether, and handles back roads as well as A roads.

When I bought the car it had a full Fiat service history, and only one previous owner. I had it serviced by a local garage, for only £99.

I have had new brake pads and front tyres fitted, but I only consider these as wear and tear parts.

For a 1.2 CVT automatic it is very nippy around town, and accelerates well until about 75mph. It will then creep slowly up to about 85/90mph where it runs out of steam!

With power steering, central locking, electric windows and colour coded bumpers it is also quite well equipped.

I must say, I was a bit wary of Fiats until I bought one, but all in all it is a superb car which is cheap to run, fun to drive and so far has been very reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th November, 2004