Initially, I regretted buying it. The interior, whilst good looking also seemed pretty cheap. I hated the way there is nowhere to store anything, found the 5 speed gearchange to be a bit spongy and the 1.2 engine far too noisey.

But now, after owning for just over 3 months, I really think I've made the right choice

I (unfortunately) live in an ex council house in a council estate. To see a grande punto sitting on your driveway each morning gives you hope. Nothing in my street even comes close to looking as "upper class" as the GP on my drive does. I have basic 1.2 active with absolutely no options and it still looks gorgeous. Everytime i drive it out of the estate, it seems to turn everyone's head Just stands out so much when mixed with mk2 astra's and ford fiesta's with alloy wheels.

Proud that it's an understated car manufacturer getting all the looks as apposed to some snobbish BMW or Audi.

Also, the 1.2 engine is just such a work horse. It genuinely felt no slower when i had 4 passengers in. My old 1.8 laguna this was instantly noticable.
Around town and up to 50mph it feels really nimble, and even at high speed on the motorway its dead stable.

Fuel economy is brilliant, performance considering the weight is impressive, headlights are very good for night driving. The interior looks really nice and modern, especially illuminated at night.


Really beginning to see the nice side of the car now. It's not an expensive car but it's ALOT of car for the money, and theres this sense that whilst other things may go wrong and the car may have problems, I doubt it would leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere.

How about other owners? I know there have been some bad experiences with early cars, but still.. what a car

ye man i love my gp love the colour love the nippeyness and love the looks!

ill never buy a fiat again though.

Yep, love my car to bits

Even after 2 years of owning it, im not bored of it in anyway and the power and torque still put a smile on my face

I am over the moon with my GP 1.4 8v Active Sport. Handles well, comfortable, economical'ish (44mpg). Storage is a little poor but then I try to keep stuff in my car to a minimum anyway. Good value as well.

I had a GP Sporting M-Jet but did not get on with it so well, sold it after 5 weeks, I will never have adiesel again! This is not a dig at the GPS, its more about me. I now know I am a petrol engined man through and through.

yeap, im still pretty besotted with my GPS!!

i cant wait to jump into it and take it for a run every morning, even if its just to go to work, i still get out of it with a stupid grin, and the torque is pretty good too!!! i liked the last one too but didnt like the plastic feel steering wheel and gear knob and felt it took forever to get up to speed!!

im glad i chose the GP as though and have a feeling this won't be my last GP!!

Kev?

sledge said:

Kev?

Click to expand...

noooooooooooooooo...this is a kev free thread

I adore my GP, Looks great and the Dynamic is such a good spec car for the money.


I get around 28mpg which im sure is half what most people get from a 1.2 8v... I even took it back to the garage and they said there is nothing wrong with it, so I assumed it was the way I was driving the car, as it is a small engine it sometimes needs alot of revs to get it going.

That brings me on to my other point... How come I pay £1600 a year for my insurance on a 1.2, because anything over came to £3k... and all of my mates who are also 18 have 1.4 206s and Polos and there insurance can even be cheaper than mine??

The conclusion I have at the moment is that, it is a heavy car which is why it is slow and needs alot of revs for the low mpg. And I do mostly stop start motoring

Set your trip computer so that you can see the realtime average as you push the pedal. I've managed to drive around town with it showing 50mpg for a considerable amount of time.

It's all about getting that perfect momentum and then changing up so that simply resting your food on the pedal keeps it at constant speed.

I went to my local Fiat garage last week to test drive the 500, didn't really like it but saw a GP Stripe in the showroom so i ordered one. I'm picking it up on the 23rd. It's my first new car and i can't wait.

oh yes, my fave car to drive, always gets looks

im glad, tis perfect, they're excellently priced.. (mine only 10325 from new), has loads of stuff, lovely to drive, looks great, safe, the 1.4 16v engine is pretty good,nippy etc.. smells lovely inside (new car smell)
only regrets were listenning to my dealer when he said the 1.4 16v sporting wasnt on sale.. (is it still?? seems like it is) cos i really love the orange etc.. soo.. i saw one the other day and nearly cried.....
also the gearbox is a bit of a pig sometimes getting into 2nd or 1st...

you put food on the accelerator?

I absolutely love my GPS Mjet to bits, love everything about it, well worth the money. I wasn't even looking for a GPS when i was looking for a new car two months ago, but when i saw the car it was love at first sight. I know i definitely made the right decision when i bought this car.

Incidentally i have just come back from visiting a friend in Rugby, nearly 300 miles, and still have half a tank of diesel, would have been more but i decided to do a bit of torque surfing, lol.

I showed the car to my friends parents and her dad was well impressed with everything about the car, the colour, the engine size, quietness of the diesel engine, and he's owned quite a few diesels.

In all a fantastic car

Great looking car, acceptable performance/economy, good seats, spongy gearshift, great brakes, lots of road noise on some surfaces, cheap to buy, poor storage, lighter socket in poor location for sat nav etc, lots of niggles, warranty not long enough. Wont be keeping it beyond the end of the warranty but might think about a brand new one next time.

mainly yes, the car is well-designed, stylish,roomy, acceptable economy, good ride/handling, lots of toys, nicely judged gearstick/clutch brake and accelator action, good steering feel (especially for an electric system), good stereo, cheap to buy, cheap to run.

BUT: lots of irritating niggles that require me to take time off work to sort them out:bang:, thin paintwork, useless cup-holders (not that I use them every day, but here we go!), no illumination in the glovebox, practically no storage room in the cabin, stupid lockable fuel cap... minor bits really, apart from my monthly visit to the dealer to diagnose niggles and sort them out!

I do love the car, each time I jump in to drive her it makes me feel good. Wish I waited for a couple of years before buying her, my car was built in March 2006 and had a lot of warranty issues... Mind you, she always starts on the button and never gave me serious trouble, I do believe that any Grande Punto built from 2008 onwards will be much better resolved than mine, and a much better ownership proposition.

:idea:Get out there and buy (A BRAND NEW) one now!

Mine is a March 2006 car too, back to the dealers tuesday for its monthly visit, flashing milage once again, and heater/ventilation repairs once again. Inside my GP is a great car trying to get out.:bang:

oh yes! mint car for the money/insurance! good performance not too bad on petrol! and absolutly problem free so far! ok, ok apart from the dealers puttin the wrong plates on! puts a big on my face each time i drive it!

Yea im glad i got the GP only thing i regret was not getting a higher engine size lol

Luvvit.... Luvvit.... Luvvit

I didnt buy it as a complete item in terms of luxury etc, just as a fun car that I still havnt got bored with! Still gets washed, leathered and vaccuumed twice a week.

Great car for the money! :slayer: :worship: