Fiat Grande Punto (2006 - 2010) 1.2 Dynamic 5d (2006/56) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It says I'm a bit of a bargain hunter but still offers everything more expensive rivals offer and manages to look better than all of them. Love its plain, simple style.

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

Everybody really likes it and thinks it looks good, but this could be to do with my previous car choices being not particularly good!

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes definitely, perhaps a diesel version next time.

What are you likely to buy next?

Too early to think, definitely like a lot of the current Fiat range though (500, Punto, Bravo).

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£3,995

When did you buy the car?

February 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

I believe I got a very good deal. The car included a 3 month warranty, and only had 23800 miles on the clock. There were cars a year or two newer for a similar price, but all with double or more miles on the clock - the lower mileage appealed to me more.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I bought the car due to having reliability problems with my previous car and requiring something more modern for commuting.

What was the dealer like?

Very good independent dealer - trustworthy, the same garage where our families cars are serviced and repaired.

What's it like to drive?

It is very easy to drive and couldn't ask for anything more from the car. The steering doesn't weight up as nicely at speed as my old Astra MK4 so doesn't feel so stable at motorway speeds and requires lots of correction. This means it isn't as fun in the twists and turns either - but the majority of my driving is done in town anyway. The engine is quite breathless when you need to move quick but as I said - not a problem in town. The trade off is excellent fuel economy and low annual tax costs! It is refined and relatively smooth, on poor surfaces the tyres kick up a lot of noise though.

What's it like to park?

The car is extremely easy to park - it has light steering, especially with the City button on. The door mirrors are huge and electrically adjustable so it makes it easier to pilot into tight spaces. The front of the car is quite long and no matter how hard you look it is quite hard to judge quite where the front end is. This can be forgiven though for how good it looks from the outside.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Nothing so far, touch wood!

What's most practical about your car?

It has 5 doors, which is good for ferrying people around when I need to. The three door does look slightly more attractive but the five door is nearly as equally fine looking. I like having remote central locking as standard and I am very proud of the car.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

I think the trip computer is excellent and helps me to strive for better fuel economy. I also like follow me home headlight function as I do have a very dark driveway.