Fiat Grande Punto (2006 - 2010) 1.4 16V Active Sport 3d (2008/08) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Wolf in sheep's clothing!!!

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Good, reliable, comfortable runabout.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes - I like it and the running and service costs are reasonable.

What are you likely to buy next?

Either another Punto (I've recently seen the new Limited Edition model) or a Fiesta which seems to have had favourable reviews (even from Top Gear).

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£12,999

When did you buy the car?

June 2008

Did you get a good deal and why?

Not really - not outside what Fiat were already offering.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

There was a £1,000 cashback incentive (for a year's petrol) and a year free of repayments.

What was the dealer like?

The salesman was very pushy and wanted to seal a quick deal. I only found out I had to wait 12 weeks for the car to be delivered(!) after I had signed on the dotted line! The dealership is my nearest for Fiat but I have since always taken my car to a much more customer focused dealership further away!

What's it like to drive?

Far better than I expected. My previous car was a X-type Jaguar so I wasn't expecting much from the Fiat. I was very pleasantly surprised - it is a fab drive, I have even driven from East Sussex to Manchester and back in a day and still felt good at the end of it. More than anything, after nearly 90,000 miles I trust it!!

What's it like to park?

Easy peasy, especially with 'City Mode'.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Have loved my car - despite members of my family saying derogatory comments about Fiat cars! The batery split and caused acid to leak in the gear loom. Fiat wouldn't look at it, even though it was only 12 weeks out of warranty, but was fixed by my local garage.

What's most practical about your car?

Easy to drive whether in town or bombing up the motorway to Manchester. Has 'city drive' feature which helps with small parking spaces. Very good on petrol useage - usually around 40mpg even on urban runs (and I have a Tetronic box which I normally drive in automatic).

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Fantastic radio/stereo system. Also the on-board computer makes sure my car is always in tip-top condition.