Faults:

Headlight bulb went after 5,000 miles, cheap enough to replace.

General Comments:

A stylish car with great looks always catches the eye, much nicer to look at than the new Punto and others such as the bland Corsa and funny looking Clio.

Interior is as nice as the outside, some nice touches. Mine had the Sat Nav and CD changer when I bought it. The Sat Nav wasn't that good and was a bit annoying definitely wouldn't pay extra for it.

The seats are supportive, but the driving position is awful, far too high up for a "Sporty" car.

The engine is surprisingly responsive for a 1.2 engine and is quicker than other 1.2's such as the Corsa SXI and Clio 1.2 16v, but does lack in the top end. If you want a car to be nippy round town this is the car for you, but out on the open road it was a little under-powered, but at the end of the day it's only a 1.2.

The handling is the main let-down for this car. The handling is awful, doesn't like corners at all, I lowered it 30mm to see if this improved the handling, but still was terrible too much body roll. Couldn't believe what I was missing out on when I bought my VTS which handles like a go-cart.

To sum this car up, it is a very nice car on the eye, but if you want a hot-hatch this is not the car for you. I would call it a Luke-warm hatch and have to say that it does not deserve the "Sporting" badge. If you're not bothered about performance this is the car for you.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

My 2001 Punto JTD "ELX" (80 hp engine) has been, apart from mistreatment at the hands of the incompetent local Fiat agent during servicing, a paragon of reliability. Enormous torque allows 5th gear to be used almost exclusively over 42 mph, even in the Derbyshire Peak District with its many steep hills. Even with the air-conditioning running carefully checked-economy of 48 mpg around town, 54 mpg on "A" roads and an astounding 64 mpg on the motorway is easily achievable and adds to the sense of satisfaction. Performance is more than satisfactory for a car without traction control; the limiting factor being wheel spin when trying to encourage all that torque to do its job pulling out of slow, slippery bends.

Front tire wear has been heavy and enthusiastic corning will see a pair run bald within 15,000 miles; the original rears are still legal at 44,000, but will need replacing soon. The ride is hard and unforgiving, but the handling perfectly safe and predictable; my only concerns have been the "limp" feel of the (ABS) brake pedal (the brakes are perfectly effective in ordinary use, but just do not inspire confidence in stops from high speed) and the modest performance of the headlights on main beam.

For a balance of performance, economy and reliability this must be one car to seek out on the used market.

Faults:

I have just recently turned 19, and I have had my Punto since I was 17. And I loved it. But just recently I have had many things go wrong, costing a lot, and leaving me out of pocket.

Last month (baring in mind my car is 3-4 years old), my exhaust blew. So I forked out money for that.

My engine is making a squealing noise when I am in stuck in traffic or driving behind slow moving vehicles. Even when the engine is turned off the squealing persists. I have been to car garages and my dealer who have driven the car, but the noise doesn't happen with them. But I get the same thing everywhere I go "Don't worry".

Well...

Driving home from a friends house this evening, the airbag failure light came on, along side the amber engine light (flashing) only to realize that my car was jerking constantly and wouldn't go over 25 mph. After stopping the car and reading the manual, I realized it could possibly be a problem with the catalyst.

My car is going back to my dealer tomorrow (But surprisingly the guarantee has just run out) to get fixed. Oh how I hate the Punto!

General Comments:

What I would like to know if anyone else has had such similar problems with a car so young?