USED Fiat Grande Punto Hatchback (06 - 11)

My car

Okay I read reviews from magazines and websites and then see most owners rate the car far better, and now I can say that in fairness to this little car the reviews are a bit harsh. I purchased one of these as needed something cheaper to run and come down from a big Mercedes (i still have but hardly use now) after driving it initially you find its strange as its different to what you are used to, but the more you drive it the more it grows on you. It was when cruising along motorway I thought you know what this car goes along lovely for what it is, and it does seriously. Remember I come out of a air suspension double glazed 3.2 ltr merc to this car that to be honest I would have laughed at over the past years. Now I love it, its great on fuel as long as you drive it normally and if you drive conservative like 60-70mph very good (this one i have 1.4 active 2009 model) I have saved a load of money on fuel, its good looking car, okay some plastic trim more in the feet area is not of great quality, but the rest is good and the bluetooth is amazingly good plug your phone or memory stick in and play your mp3 all controlled on steering wheel, that also has a city button and steering can be turned by a sparrow its that good. So personally after owning many nice cars from Porsche, BMW, Mercedes to come down to this you think I would be very critical and pull it apart, well yes I could, but for the money no I cant! Not let me down yet.

My car

I purchased a Grande Punto Sporting with delivery mileage on the clock. The Grande Punto is an attractive car, and in Sporting trim looks at its best. It's spacious, reasonably comfortable, and quick enough to keep up with most other superminis. However, I have since sold mine, and would never buy another Fiat.

With just 600 miles on the clock, it broke down. Then the CD player broke. The engine ran rough, and 'fixes' only cured it for a few months at a time. From new, the car often didn't start first time, and when it did start, clouds of black smoke came out of the exhaust (and despite going to 3 Fiat garages, this was never fixed). The rear window leaked on and off over the two years I owed it (it was often the only car in the car park misted up on the inside in the mornings). It spent weeks off the road in the Fiat dealer awaiting repair. The roof trim needed replacing. The window seals needed replacing. The servicing costs were astronomical - The first service was £205, the second an eye-watering £405! The fan for the heater broke. Blue&Me went on the blink periodically, and the Bluetooth phone connection was not to be relied upon. With such a heavy engine up front, it went through front tyres for fun. The warranty in the third year covered precious little, and during the time I had it, the car certainly needed its warranty.

Was I unlucky? The fact that a friend had the same model and had many of the same problems makes me think that I wasn't.

My car

I've had this car for 2 weeks, and wish I'd never seen it. The only good thing about it is the looks. The fuel consumption is poor as is the performance. On motorways it seems to wander unless the steering wheel is held tightly, and the front vibrates a lot, and the suspension makes a horrible thump when going over bumps. If the drivers window is open when using the windscreen washers the dirty water comes in over the window switches. The bluetooth works with my old nokia, but won't recognise a new samsung phone. The rear seats are virtually impossible to get into, and an adult would find it impossible to sit in them. I wish I'd kept my 4 1/2 year old KA with 125,000 miles on the clock, it was quicker, more comfortable and economical.

My car

The car is fabulous! It looks fantastic and it drives fantastic! Don't turn away from the quite basic 1.4 8v! It's a aspirated engine, a simple engine and a light engine! The front end it not heavy at all (something I cannot say about the T-Jets or the Multijets) so the car stays quite balanced around bends. Consider it a nice "Easter Egg" from FIAT! Excellent car!