A bargain which is difficult to better
My brake shoes went at 20,000 miles & not the pads.
The Punto is swift & nimble & is good all round.
Only downside is the overly sensitive "city" steering which is for girls only!
It plays havoc if you've got alloys as you sonmetimes get too near the kerb.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th July, 2002
A fun stylish small car
CD changer packed up at 3 months replaced myself at discount price. Car imported so couldn't be bothered with dealer.
No other problems.
I bought an imported model from car supermarket. Came fully loaded for £8k so what can you say.
Lovely interior with nice italian styling although as usual not up to VW interior trim. But who cares it still works and you see loads of 10 year old Unos so nothing should be serious.
Excellent performance from 1.2 engine and six gears to play with. A nice fun car that won't cost a fortune. Very good stereo probably the best system in a small car (when it works!!).
One caveat do make sure you can live with the ride comfort. The car is very jittery over poor surfaces. I would not see this car as a motorway beast. The ride just becomes too irritating after a few hours. However if like me you do 3 motorway trips a year and spend the rest on local 20 minute hops its great value and much fun to own.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd July, 2002
Little Star
Had a slight oil leak from to rocker cover, spoke to a mechanic at the dealership who said this was a common problem and a new rocker cover gasket would solve the problem which in has. Nothing else though.
Going from a 1.6i Orion to a 1.2, you would think this would be a 'comedown' however I have been pleasantly surprised. The engine in this car is very responsive for a 1.2 and miles per gallon compared to my last car is amazing, averaging 48/50 miles per gallon, 40/45 miles per gallon when driving harder.
When ordering the car, the dealer persuded me to go with a higher spec car than the one I was going for (base model). The result was a Punto with the same spec as the sporting edition (apart from the engine!) so it looks the business.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th April, 2002
Best buy in the small hatch 1200-1300cc market
We have encountered zero problems until this day, and the car worked great even during a 7 day snow storm with
-10C temperatures.
We never expected such a great performance from an Italian car.
But its true.
We drove the Fabia and Corsa, but none matches the pleasure the Punto cabin provides to its occupants.
The Punto is by far the car that makes a cloudy day shine.
Engine as you all know gives a true 81hp due to new settings, but its still one of the best compared to Clio 1.2 (16v) /Fabia 1.4 (8valves) and Opel Corsa 1.2 (16v).
The car has one and only set back and that's road noise when the surface is off poor quality. Yet on the motor way travelling at 140kms/hour speed the overall noise intruding inside the cabin is very low, so long journeys are no problem.
All controls inside cabin, compared with rivals are superior, seats have no match in anywhere, but the mid-size category.
Car schock absorbing level is almost at a "sport level" and with the right 185/60/13" set of tyres you have a winner on your hands.
We drove the new ibiza 1.2 and even challenged it on the road, Its no match for the 16V 1.2 Punto even the ELX.
The Italians have done a great work.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th April, 2002
A little beast
Nothing has gone wrong with mine yet and I've already done more than 10000 kilometers in it (unlike my old Cinquecento Sporting, which had the central locks and the clutch break by then).
I love the engine. It has tons of power and torque, and doesn't need to be revved as much to go, unlike my old Civic which was dead until it got to 5000 rpm.
The brakes are great as well (much better than in anything else I've driven).
There are a couple of things that annoy me. One is the ABS/Traction Control system which is too sensitive. There is a button to turn off the traction control, but you can't turn off the ABS unless you take the fuse out. It doesn't help on bumpy Polish roads.
Another is the gearbox. It works perfectly well but I don't understand why Fiat has a 6 speed in the Sporting and a 5 speed in the HGT. Wouldn't it be more logical the other way around? Especially as the ratios are too short anyway and at high speeds on highways it could use a 6th gear to lower fuel consumption. The engine has enough torque for that.
Fuel? It is true it uses tons if you push it (12 litres per 100 kilometers), but I managed 5 litres per 100 kilometers at acceptable speeds on the highway.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 30th October, 2001
30th Nov 2004, 05:30
I have read your survey, but would like to add a comment on a previous survey I have read.I have just had a cam belt break at 41,000 miles please get yours checked as I have heard this is a common fault in the HGT.