A Grande Drive (Fiat Punto in general)

Member Name: HS28

Product:	Fiat Punto in general
Date:	14/03/09 (190 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: save money on fuel and road tax

Disadvantages: slow at taking off

Fiat Grande Punto Dynamic multi jet diesel 1.3, 16v in crossover black

In October I decided I needed a new car as I had had my old car since new for over 6 years and it was tiring a little. As there is only me mainly in the car I only needed a small or compact car and was debating what to buy. I used the internet for my research tool and looked at which small cars had the biggest discounts. In the end I settled on the Grande Punto as the price was good and two members of my family had bought a Punto that year and were pleased with them.

Buying it
I bought a 1.3 dynamic multi jet diesel car for about £8500 which was nearly 3K under the RRP and what dealerships offered. I had to add in £375 for the colour I picked. Ordering online was a little worrying at first as I handed over £500 deposit before my car was to be dispatched and the car was delayed as the Italians were having a holiday in August meaning there was backlog on the colour i wanted and everyone seemed to be chasing the series 2 puntos so stocks were low. But this was a speedy service as they organised the hire purchase deal and with the cost of this it still came under the rrp which I was happy about. I used the fiat online site to see what it would look like and looked at others who owned one and found that it does look sleek and good for a small car.

What does it have inside?
As it is a series 2 model in the dynamic range I got a 3 door car which came with air conditioning and blue tooth mobile to sync your phone into so that you can make call through the speaker system. The best thing it has for me is radio/cd player and I can play my mp3 player as it has a USB point installed for this. The seats are comfy and it has remote control locking and once you are in the doors automatically lock after a few seconds. Only downside is I have to make sure I keep the keys on me in case it locks me out especially with the bad weather when I have been trying to defrost the car. It also came with alloys as a dynamic edition.

Economy
This is the first car that I have picked as a diesel as i'm normally a petrol person. What sold me on this car was that it was a diesel so longer term I would save money and due to it being a 1.3 multi jet my road tax is only going to be £35 a year which is a great saving. It has a button that lets you work out the range and so you can make sure that you go at an average speed and not be too heavy on the pedal to save your fuel consumption in the credit crunching times. The insurance for this is really low too as it is better for the environment and a low risk car and as i'm over 25 and being driving a while now I pay under £20 a month.

Driving it
I find it a bit sluggish at starting compared to petrol and find it leaves junctions easier in second gear so it's not a fast car to start off. But once you're up to speed it does drive pretty well. The heating system inside the car heats up quick and it feels nice and warm especially in the winter. But the bug bear I have is when I get in it the windscreen mists up and this takes quite a few minutes to clear up to see before you can start to drive off. On the road it grips well and turning corners is fine. It has one of those little city buttons to make it easier to park.

Overall
I am happy with my new car and will keep it for at least 4 or 5 years. My main reason for buying it was I only needed a small car and friends recommended it. The positives are the money I will save in fuel, the cheap road tax and the air con and mp3 player. The only bugbear I have is moving out of junctions is a little slower than i'm used to and the demister isn't as quick as it should be. I think overall it is a reliable and good quality small car. If you want an economy saving car that looks quite sleek then I would recommend this. The pricing has come down since I bought in October too and i think its one of the better small cars out there.

Summary: sleek small car to save you moeny in the credit crunch

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