jameshobiecat
Established member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1,945
- Points
- 388
I have had my punto for a few days now and have covered over 400 miles, here are my 5 favourite things and 5 least favourite things about the car:
Good:
· Looks
· Performance – no ball of fire but fast enough to be fun
· Torque – it is almost diesel like in its ability to accelerate in gear
· Blue and Me – This is great, the updates worked and ecodrive is addictive
· Everything works and the car feels generally robust
Bad:
· Understeer - there is so much more understeer than in my previous 407, where the 407 would drift sideways all 4 wheels together, the Punto just ploughs straight on until the ESP comes in. I do have cheap front tyres and I hope that when I change these a better balance will be achieved but I can’t see it ever drifting neutrally.
· Cheap glove box – ill-fitting undamped lid and no light. A cost saving too far.
· Fuel economy – only averaging 35mpg though this should rise once the novelty of a new car wares off. I’d hope to get 39-40 in the long run.
· 5th too low/Lack of 6th gear - Its pulling 3500rpm at a motorway cruise, no wonder fuel economy is not great. I think the t-jet engine could handle a higher 5th gear than the 22mph/1000rpm it has, I would have thought I could handle 26mph/1000rpm. Even better would be to keep 5th roughly the same (or lower it slightly) and add a 6th gear.
· Speedo over read – I know all cars do this but the Punto over reads by a full 10% (with new front tyres). That means an indicated 80mph is actually 72. This is right on the limit of what is legally allowed and a pain.
Good:
· Looks
· Performance – no ball of fire but fast enough to be fun
· Torque – it is almost diesel like in its ability to accelerate in gear
· Blue and Me – This is great, the updates worked and ecodrive is addictive
· Everything works and the car feels generally robust
Bad:
· Understeer - there is so much more understeer than in my previous 407, where the 407 would drift sideways all 4 wheels together, the Punto just ploughs straight on until the ESP comes in. I do have cheap front tyres and I hope that when I change these a better balance will be achieved but I can’t see it ever drifting neutrally.
· Cheap glove box – ill-fitting undamped lid and no light. A cost saving too far.
· Fuel economy – only averaging 35mpg though this should rise once the novelty of a new car wares off. I’d hope to get 39-40 in the long run.
· 5th too low/Lack of 6th gear - Its pulling 3500rpm at a motorway cruise, no wonder fuel economy is not great. I think the t-jet engine could handle a higher 5th gear than the 22mph/1000rpm it has, I would have thought I could handle 26mph/1000rpm. Even better would be to keep 5th roughly the same (or lower it slightly) and add a 6th gear.
· Speedo over read – I know all cars do this but the Punto over reads by a full 10% (with new front tyres). That means an indicated 80mph is actually 72. This is right on the limit of what is legally allowed and a pain.
I've never really pushed the car hard enough for it to understeer anyway so it doesn't bother me.
