2002 Fiat Punto Mia review from UK and Ireland

The motor in the front windscreen wipers made strange noises ever since the car was new. This has recently started to fail, and the left-hand windscreen wiper has worked its way loose.

About six months after I bought the car, the exhaust started to sound as though it had a small hole in it. After a couple of weeks this problem went away by itself and has never returned.

This car is very quick off the mark for a 1.2 and the engine is very quiet, however the amount of noise transmitted from the road surface is disappointing, and the suspension is hard.

The interior is very spacious, especially in the back compared with other 3-door cars in the same class.

I think the Punto is very nice to drive, the gearbox feels solid and the car holds the road well.

I like the exterior of the car, especially the front, but I think that the material and plastic trim inside look very cheap and basic. The seats are thin and appear rubbery - reminiscent of those in the old Fiat Panda and Uno.

There was very little choice of colour and trim for the inside. The only colour available when I bought mine was bright blue which looks very cheap!

The dash board, lights, controls and ventilation are all good and very well thought out.

Overall I love the car and I think it was great value for money. The only regret I have is that I didn't purchase a model with a higher specification.