Faults:

Head gasket blew 3 months after I got it.

Thermostat and water pumps needed to be changed one and a half years later.

Some unidentified problem causing misfiring during cold weather. Switched airflow sensor, but the problem remains. Neither the dealer nor my garage can identify it.

General Comments:

Pros:

It's so comfortable to drive; the seats are great.

Steering is like a breeze. I steer with my index finger.

Spacious both in the front row and in the boot.

Very economical. I get c.a. 15km per liter driving in town (good traffic here).

But.

Cons:

Breakdowns are like daily routines.

Unidentifiable cause of misfiring makes it impossible to drive during winter and spring over here.

So it's a cheap summer toy at the best. Not something you can count on as an automobile.

Faults:

I have had my Punto 1.2 ELX for over a year and already I'm thinking... what have I done!!!

After 2 months, the clutch went.

The oil is going somewhere it shouldn't be (haven't quite figured out where it's going yet???)

Just waiting for the head gasket to go!!!

Brakes also wear quickly and fluid goes with it!!

General Comments:

Although a comfortable drive, I am constantly thinking I hope my gasket doesn't go ETC.

The pedals are very close together... although not a problem for me, it seems to be a major for others...

The car does stick to the road very well and gets a lot of tire screech... bonus for the loons on the road.

...so...

If you're looking to buy one of these... you best have some spare cash or you're in trouble LOL!!!

Faults:

The drivers seat has collapsed on the right hand side from people getting in and out.

Head gasket blew at 92k.

Air con need re-gassing.

General Comments:

I'm 17, this is my second car and I love it. I think it looks stylish (though this is down to personal opinion)

It has a built in subwoofer, which for what it is can actually sound quite good =).

The car handles great, There is a slight hint of understeer when cornering at high speed, but this could probably be put down to my budget tyres. It has firm suspension, with little body roll.

The cars power band is very defined, until 3500 rpm the car has little performance, but from 3500 till 5500 the car has a good pick up. The car pulls well through all 6 gears, to get the best acceleration from it you have to really work the gears, ensuring that you stay in the power band in each gear.

I find the electric power-steering makes the steering feel a bit too light, I prefer mechanical as you can feel what the car is doing more. There is a 'city' mode, which makes steering lighter for parking or city driving and makes the throttle response more smooth for start-stop driving.

I find that the sports seats have a comfortable position, and grip you into your seat.

This car is not the fastest car, but for a 17 year old most things that I can insure aren't, but I think the car has a great balance of economy and performance. Even when driving hard, you can still return about 33mpg from a tank, but when driven sensibly you can easily get 40+ mpg, even around town.

The trip computer is a good feature, I didn't expect a smaller car of this age to have one, it displays average mpg, how many miles you can get from the rest of your tank, average speed etc.

The car is spacious, with an excellent boot size. The cabin feels like that of a bigger car, however if you are over 6ft (like me), then passengers in the rear will have limited leg room.