Fiat Grande Punto (2006 - 2010) 1.4 16v Sporting 3d (2006/56) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It's a bit of a boy-racer car (ours was the obligatory orange) and for the first six months we used to get teenage boys salivating over it and twisting their necks to look at it as we drove past. It's such a great looking supermini- there isn't anything in the class that matches the current Punto for good looks.

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

They thought the colour was a bit 'chavvy'

Would you buy this car again and why?

No. Not after the trade-in value shock. We've had 4 Punto's over the last ten years (at least one of each shape) and have loved every single one of them but we're much too grown up to be driving Punto's now anyway.

What are you likely to buy next?

Not sure. No more FIAT's for now.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£11,000

When did you buy the car?

September 2006

Did you get a good deal and why?

We got the 0%, No Deposit, No Payments for 6 months deal on a top of the range Sporting only months after they'd released the car. We thought that was pretty good until we tried to trade it in for a new Fiat 500. We were offered £2000 less than we still owed on the car by the dealer that sold us it. Won't be buying another FIAT in a hurry.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Cracking finance deal- great looking hatchback. Extremely good looking car.

What was the dealer like?

The salesman was nice enough but the service desk was rubbish.

What's it like to drive?

It wasn't as fast as we'd have liked but the handling was excellent. The ride was ok too considering the low profiles.

What's it like to park?

Easy. Doesn't need the girlie button.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Well, there were a couple of recalls which were a nuisance. We got caught out with that Tesco fuel problem in 2007 and it nearly ruined the car but FIAT tried to fix it under warranty as we got it in before Tesco had admitted to the problem. There was a nasty rattling from underneath for ages and it took the dealers several attempts to fix.

What's most practical about your car?

It's a 3 Door hatchback- it's not practical. The steering is nice and light.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The bluetooth/USB should have been useful but rarely ever worked.