1997 Fiat Punto ELX review from Australia and New Zealand

Failed brake hose due to ware. Complete failure of brakes (while driving). Occurred at 80,000 kms. Had to use hand brake to stop.

Key code error. The immobilizer keeps stopping the car from starting, despite using the correct key. Fiat mechanics cannot fix.

Hand brake weak and constantly needs tightening.

Faulty battery at 80,000 kms. Car kept turning off while idling.

Collapsed clutch houseing at approx 60,000 kms. Full replacement.

General ware.

A real shame about all the faults. The car is ridiculously unreliable.

The engine does make good power. It has plenty of go, and the manual transmission helps.

The interior is clean and functional. The ELX has no air conditioning, which is surprising seeing it's the top model of Punto. The driving seats seem too high up. It feels like your head almost touches the ceiling and you have to lean down to change gear. I'm not very tall and so I can't imagine how taller people would cope. The pedals are too close together. If you wear too wide shoes, you can accidently tap the brake while pushing on the accelerator. Not a pleasant experience-trust me.

One good thing about this car is the fantastic air horn. Never has such a small car produced such a loud bark. Road ragers beware, this puppy will shatter windows. fantastic when you need to get someone's attention.

The looks are contravertial. It must be said, they do grow on you though.

The punto has the potential to be a charasmatic little car, but unfortunately lacks in reliability. If you're looking for a small Italian hatch, consider it, but make sure its under some form of warranty.