Fiat Punto Hatchback (1999 - 2003) 1.2 Mia 3d (00) (2000/X) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

A sheep in a broken down Fiats clothing.

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

Ridicule becomes common place.

Would you buy this car again and why?

I would never buy anything Italian unless it was worth £100k or more.

What are you likely to buy next?

Japanese is the way forward.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£5,000

When did you buy the car?

October 2003

Did you get a good deal and why?

Purchased used 12mnths old from Richard Cort in Whitefield, Manchester. The salesman took full advantage of the young and naive 18 year old I was. I pointed out the Mia model I wanted. He then asked me what features I wanted I wanted adding onto it. So I gave him a list and he said he would take care of everything that wasn’t already on the car. He then later mentioned it was going to cost me an extra £1000. Yeah, no thanks. There were no deal sweeteners at all.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

A friend had one and I wanted to be part of the popular hatchback scene.

What was the dealer like?

Awful. The receptionist is the rudest person I’ve spoken to. His attitude is a disgrace. The car went seriously wrong after 12 months (at only 2 years old) and they didn’t want to know.

What's it like to drive?

Dreadful. Sharp short cornering in the dry at low speeds caused the front wheels to lose traction. The clutch is very low and unengaging. It’s painfully slow and really struggles on the motorway. If there are more than 2 people in the car not only does the engine struggle is destroys your fuel economy due to being massively underpowered.

What's it like to park?

Easy to its credit.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The list is as follows:- -Exhaust fell off -Front wiper motor failed -Front Wiper link failed (only one worked) -Rear wiper fell off -Driver lock seized -Failed to start 6 times (2 new batteries) -Front headlights were actually European spec so failed MOT as they were dazzling oncoming drivers due to pointing in the wrong direction. Dealership said they didn’t want to know. Had to buy new ones at £150 a set.

What's most practical about your car?

Large boot I guess.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

When it actually started.