i went to my local fiat dealership to have a closer look (agine) at the mark 2 punto, in the used car stock. I have got to say i am very excited hofully touch wood that i will be getting a punto!!!

Fiat dealership is:- B S MARSON&SONS LTD,DEANSGATE GARAGE, NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME, ST5 2HN

But i sait in a mark 1 punto but i found that it was an sx and it have no power steering this this true or fulse???? As i was considering having a mark 1 please please help me as i am very stuck!!!!!!!

But i thought the servis wasent very good, non of them came to see if i needed an assiatants (i was not happy about that!!) the only one who talked to me was the cleaner who was washing the cars (i thought i was just messing about, but if you don't sit it and see what the car offoers you won't know if you want that car)

Thanks

I think I'm right in saying that most SX's don't have power steering, mine didn't, but I think later ones did (ones with the 1.2 60 rather than the 1.1 55?)

All Mk2's have power steering anyway. Very light power steering at that, and a button to make it ridiculous as well.

mk1 sx's i have had have power steering, including an m reg one:s but an n reg exl i had didnt.
dont buy from main dealer anyway, buy from car auction or off a forum member

rich hemmings said:

But i sait in a mark 1 punto but i found that it was an sx and it have no power steering this this true or fulse???? As i was considering having a mark 1 please please help me as i am very stuck!!!!!!!

Click to expand...

The only Mk1 SX to get power steerings as standard were;

1) TD SX (called the TD70 SX after 1997) turbo diesel models,

2) 1.2 16v (86bhp) SX

3) 60 'Selecta' (CVT Automatic) models.

It was an option on the 75 SX, but I don't think it was an option on the 55SX.

When the 60SX replaced the 55SX in 1997 power steering became an option on this model.

At the very end of the MK1's life they fitted PAS to the 60 SX (late T and all V plate models). These models are easily identified by standard alloys and a sunroof too

As for ELX, this followed the same route of being standard on the 90 ELX (1.6) and the 1.2 16v ELX but was always only ever an option on the 75 ELX.

If you want PAS then a diesel (be it TD SX, TD S, D S, TD70 SX, TD60 S) is the best way to get it as it came standard on all of them

Having had a 60 S without PAS I can't see why anyone would think it is necessary as the steering was never heavy and had much better feel than the MK2. It is one element of my old car I miss.

Monkey

JTD Monkey said:

Having had a 60 S without PAS I can't see why anyone would think it is necessary as the steering was never heavy and had much better feel than the MK2. It is one element of my old car I miss.

Monkey

Click to expand...

I agree, my 55 S didn't have power steering and it was very light anyway and felt great. The power steering on my HGT is really light - but it's surprising how quickly you get used to it. I drove the old one two weeks later and nearly put it in a ditch ;-)

dave said:

dont buy from main dealer anyway, buy from car auction or off a [size=+2] forum member [/size]

Click to expand...

Now thats a good idea

thanks for that, any idea how i can handel the dealership when thouchwood i pass my teast and buy my car!

Thanks

Rich

Rich, it's about being smart.

1) Firstly, you have no part ex. Dealers will go the extra mile not to be sadled with a clunker. Keep in your mind that you are doing them a favour, not the other way around. They will know this, but will want to make you feel like you are getting a great offer

2) Don't be afraid to knock them down. If they want the sale, they will go the whole 9-yards. Do your research on price by going on www.parkers.co.uk . Prices vary rapidly.

3) Don't buy the 1st car you see. Test drive a few and get a feel for what you are looking out for in particular models.

4) Set a budget and never exceed it. There will always be another car if the one you are looking at is overpriced.

5) Make sure the car has warranty on it. It is 3 months minimum by law, but on newer stuff (5 years old or under) expect 12 months. Demand 12 months.

6) If you are buying on finance, try and get a personal loan rather than HP from the dealer. With HP, you do not own the car until the final payment is made. If you can get 0% (don't be afraid to ask, even if it is not advertised. My sister got 0.5% APR) then consider the dealer finance. Ask for the 'APR' rate (which includes the purchase fee and the final transfer fee in the finance rate) rather than the 'base' rate. This gives a full comparrison to the rates offered by banks.

7) Don't be sucked in to the 'the deal is only on the table today'. Walk away from this sort of salesperson...

8) Don't buy the 'I have to speak to my manager' guff, it is designed to make you feel like you are on the verge of the best deal in history. You won't be.

9) Do things in the following order: Negotiate price, then negotiate extras (mats, 12 months tax, full tank of fuel) then negotiate the finance (if you want finance). Otherwise they will use various finance options to blind the 1st 2 issues (even 'offering' to extend the HP from say 36 months to 38 so you can afford the car. Great, why pay them for 2 months when you don't have to).

10) Never, never, never respond to the question 'what is your monthly budget' because they will adapt the finance to get as much as they can out of you (see number 9)

11) Stay focused. Get what you agree in writing and only sign the purchase form when you are 100% happy. Don't rely on 'Yeah, ill remember to thrown xxx in'. Get it in writing. And ask people on here for ideas of value before signing on the dotted line

12) Remember that as well as getting a fair deal, the person on the other side of the desk needs to turn a profit in order to make a living, so don't go down the 'I want everything for nothing' route. Be realistic. If you are looking at a car valued at £3,000, priced at £3,200 then don't expect to get it for £2,000

And finally, enjoy I made the last salesman I bought from nearly cry

Marathon post there Monkey but all good advice I think you're totally right.

3) Don't buy the 1st car you see. Test drive a few and get a feel for what you are looking out for in particular models.

Click to expand...

I think this is the most important thing. Fiat dealers are often selling cheap puntos to get rid of them quick - check out their used car website to compare prices at different dealers.

BS marsons are abit **** on service but i went there on monday and after waiting around for 10 minutes i said i was sick of waiting for a salesperson and just wanted to look at a mk2/mk3 punto

next thing i know he takes me to a new punto puts trade plates on it and saids take it for a run and see what you think he didnt take any details at all from me although he did last year and no one came with me so i had great fun trying it out properly and really loved it although id have to lower it i loved the gearbox and light steering they really are a brilliant car

but after being in a mk1 it is worlds away from a mk2 as the mk2 is way more modern and too be fair they dont actually cost much more and generally you get more spec on the lower model mk2's than you do on mk1's.

One dealership i will recomend is MANGOLETSIS in knutsford there **** on customer service and are far out but you can knock thousands off list prices with them by just keeping on pushing and pushing my sister brought a brand new factory Seicento sporting abarth for £6500 which is well below list and a last year when puntos were dear they were nocking out sportings fro £10,000 which was well cheap

thanks for that, aspecially the list of steps how to keep the dealer contolled i will be keeping to that!!!! Thanks.

My cusion works for holdcroft (nothing aganst holdcroft or anything!) but he siad give me a list of the car you want and i will get it for you. In a way that is a good thing but I would like to pick my own car and ge the best one for me.

He siad not to have a punto but I thought you have to have what car you want for your first car!!

I have a buget of £4000 so what I do you thnk that I sould pay for a mark 2 punto then

thanks

Rich

I swear we've been through all this before...deja vu.
https://www.fiatforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26229

If you've got £4000 to spend you're looking at a Mk2 easily.

you can get 03 reg puntos for £3000 at auction now thats a realy good price, leaves you £1000 if in the unlikely event theres anything wrong with it,

You can definately get a decent mk2 for that money ive seen x reg ones going for £2200 before its just a matter of waiting and then having the cash to hand when a car comes up

what ever you do dont rush into a sale unless its worth it and check all details on v5 against car vin plates etc even at garages