2000 Fiat Punto ELX 5 door review from UK and Ireland

On delivery:

Exterior plastic and trim developed 1000's of what looked like tiny white scratches. Phoned the dealer and was told it was because they got polish on it.

Very squeaky suspension.

Internal boot release gets stuck (a faulty spring?).

Noisy rear brakes from cold.

If you drive with your heel behind the accelerator pedal then you'll find; like me; the pedals (brake and accelerator) are way too close together. Even a small child would have trouble not hitting both! Does have a nice raised bit to the right of the accelerator pedal for motorway cruising.

Handles very nicely (loads of grip).

Very quiet and does 70 MPH @ 2000 RPM easily. Excellent low down torque (1500 RPM) and power (1500-3500 RPM). 55 MPG on the first tank and I by no means drive 'carefully'.

Stereo is quality and the layout of the interior is excellent (from the ELX model). Everything is satisfying to push, pull and twist. Has very smart electronic features e.g. unlocks the doors when you pull on the interior handles (not the rear ones though, kids etc!), turns the rear demister off after 30 minutes and much more. The electric windows wind up after you key off, but only as long as no one has opened any doors! Very good trip computer, the only criticism is it only shows the average MPG on that tank and not the current MPG.

What else can you buy for 8K with these specs! Best super mini on the road.