raphjd said:

The doors are longer when you have 3 doors vs 5 doors, so it's good for us taller people.

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Crap for tight car parks tho....I have to park in one everyday for work and a 3dr is not convenient to get out of because you can't open doors far enough without dinging the car next to you or without crushing your fingers as you put them between the two cars' metal work. ( I hate parking dings and will do everything I can to avoid them although my car has picked up some beauties since I got it )

StevenRB45 said:

Crap for tight car parks tho....I have to park in one everyday for work and a 3dr is not convenient to get out of because you can't open doors far enough without dinging the car next to you or without crushing your fingers as you put them between the two cars' metal work. ( I hate parking dings and will do everything I can to avoid them although my car has picked up some beauties since I got it )

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True , but remember: big front doors = big front windows...
so , maybe it's time for a bit of tarzanism..

Nuovo Bravo is proof you can make a sexy 5 door... So no excuses next time Fiat!

I want to vote both, I like the practicality of 5 door, but when I don't need the practicality I like 3 door as it means the designers can do whatever they like with the rear of the car - you'd never have got them rear haunches on the classic bravo if they had to fit on another set of doors.

Hellcat said:

Nuovo Bravo is proof you can make a sexy 5 door... So no excuses next time Fiat!

I want to vote both, I like the practicality of 5 door, but when I don't need the practicality I like 3 door as it means the designers can do whatever they like with the rear of the car - you'd never have got them rear haunches on the classic bravo if they had to fit on another set of doors.

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yes the designers could make a 3 door tipo with just a massive long rear window, making it look stupidly long and feature-less. as opposed to a 5 door tipo where the lines of the windows just 'work'

i agree with old Bravo etc, but where the bodystyle remains unchanged i still feel the 5 door is better, as well as being more practical.

3dr in general but my current GP is a 5 door as:
1. The eleganza trim only comes in 5dr
2. The 3dr was great when I was on my own but a pain when I had passengers in the rear or when parking in tight spaces as the doors were difficult to get open enough to climb out.

StevenRB45 said:

Crap for tight car parks tho....I have to park in one everyday for work and a 3dr is not convenient to get out of because you can't open doors far enough without dinging the car next to you or without crushing your fingers as you put them between the two cars' metal work. ( I hate parking dings and will do everything I can to avoid them although my car has picked up some beauties since I got it )

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Good man, me too. You'll see my cars parked in the empty spaces furthest from the shop in supermarket car parks.

It helps having a toddler though - nice wide parent and nipper spaces !!! A plague on you who park there when you shouldn't mind

FWIW Its a 5 door every time. I had a three door clio many years ago. The big door were a pain, and access to rear was awful. One reason why the panda was bought instead of the 500 for me - more doors ! If they did a 5 door version mind.....

Dieselweasel said:

It helps having a toddler though - nice wide parent and nipper spaces !!! A plague on you who park there when you shouldn't mind

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I know I'll probably get some flack for this, but I disagree with some of the idea behind parent/toddler spaces. Why should they get a space nearer the door than the rest of us? Bigger spaces, yes, have them - I know it can be a pain getting kids out of the car, but why not walk from where the rest of us do?

The thing that gets me is those abusing the fact that there's a "pick-up point". It's not for the lazy to park in and do their last minute shopping, or for people to do a runner to the cash machine...

Garree001 said:

The thing that gets me is those abusing the fact that there's a "pick-up point". It's not for the lazy to park in and do their last minute shopping, or for people to do a runner to the cash machine...

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Picking up cash

I do the above. 2 mins max, and always spaces there.

:nono: Naughty naughty Most Easterly Pandas :nono:

Just think of the little old lady with a walking stick you could be preventing from being picked up by a cab with all her heavy shopping...

As i have to buy cars with the family in mind have to go with the 5 Door option, although i always regretted having to get rid of the Pajero SWB 3L V6 cause it was only 3 doors and with two kids was a nightmare.

5 door Definatley,

Ideal for the driver to not have to move from the seat, passenegr has there own door, What a marvelous idea mr. car designer lol

As a tall kid, I always hated getting in and out of 3-doors, and vowed never to have one!! Which is why I was glad when I found my little Brum lol

Must admit though, the 5 door Punto can look odd in some colours (such as green lol) but in silver/metallic grey it doesn't look too bad. Admittedly, the bolder colours do suit the 3 doors over the 5's.

I'd go for 5 over 3 any day!! I don't find it awkward getting in or out of my lil' Punto at 6'2" (and fairly well built [read: a little overweight lol]).

4-5 for more space

i picked 3 door but have just bought a 5 door punto, and now im not sure

SeanW said:

Must admit though, the 5 door Punto can look odd in some colours (such as green lol)

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And I would vote...but you not got a 'both' button

missey said:

And I would vote...but you not got a 'both' button

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I'll let you off with yours - it's not so bad lol worship

I have seen a dark green 5 door Punto round town, and it looks 'orrible. There's a maroon one just up the road from me, and I think it's the worst colour I've seen on a Punto lol

Still stick by 3 doors pulling off the bolder colours better than the 5 though lol

I prefer 3 door!

Not bothered about practicality - I pay for the car, i drive the car so 3 doors FTW

One thing that has only briefly been touched on is that this choice is not just about aesthetics over practicality, but also driving dynamics. A Grande Punto 3dr for example has a torsional chassis rigidity of 19,700 Nm/degree compared to only 16,500 Nm/degree for the 5-door. This equates to superior suspension geometry intergrity in the 3-door, so it should be the better drive.

Having said that, until the day I can afford to run more than one car, it has to be a 5-door for practicality, and for getting out of the doors in tight parking spaces. On the mk1 Punto, you lose chassis rigidity, but at least the 5-door weighs no more.

Of course, when the day does come to own two cars, the practical car will have 5 doors, the other not-so-sensible car may only have 3, or 2, or even zero if I get my way.

MikeSalt said:

Of course, when the day does come to own two cars, the practical car will have 5 doors, the other not-so-sensible car may only have 3, or 2, or even zero if I get my way.

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General Lee? :slayer:

Imagine if a 3 door taxi turned up at your house.....

If its got 4 seats, it needs 4 doors.