forgot one of the most important things......5 star safety rating
There you go... the magic has started working thenIt's a love-hate relationship and i'll focus on the love tonight.
It was parked up outside the lab where i was working today. As i was messing around with various chemicals i could look out the window and see her. I found myself staring at the sweeping lines, the cute nose, the pert arse. To be honest i got far to turned on looking at it.
It's a great looking car.
People who passed it by were having a glance as they passed. Mainly at her nose.
I'd have one parked on the drive. 3dr, slightly lowered, nice wheels and a Caribbean orange paint job. Wouldn't dare open the door though.
Ok, just spent a hour unpacking bits into the garage and packing things back into the car.
As a daily driver how do you guys cope with the lack of storage space? Fitted four cds into the glove box, along with 250 grams of dried bananas (lunch).
A sat nav under the stereo.
Some tissues and a few snacks into the drivers door.
Ice scraper partly into the passenger door.
Everything else (demister , deicer, pens, chewing gum, note book, map, first aid kit, sun glasses, camera) was thrown in the only space left. The passenger foot well. . .
Punto Grande. Nice on the outside, lacking on the inside.
Took it for a sprint down the road. Willing to go, but lacking connection. 26.5MPG. :slayer:
Oh, and the screen wash doesn't work. Either National didn't put a winter mix in or FIAT gremlins have struck.
I'll give it a week, but i can't see myself looking at buying one in the future. Would rather go for a car that IS unpractical, rather than one that just falls into it a little bit. . .
Still crying here, how could Fiat do this to a car? :yuck:
My main question is, does the whole range share all the features (or lack of?)?
As in, does every GP have a useless sized glove box and no space to store a biro?
is a GP designed for storage? i dont think so! so therefore you cant really complain. The car is designed for a person/couple/young family with maybe a few motorway trips a year with the sportier models for hothatch petrolheads!
I have the 1.4 8v at dynamic level and in love with it! 28.9 mpg isnt right! as im averaging just under double that.
My only issue with my car is the cupholders in that you cant hold a single thing in it! cans of coke are jammed in and then the gear stick in 3/5th gears hits it and wel fast food ones just about get it but dont stay in.
Id test drive a sporting or higher up. the base model is that base... no extras no nothing.
id like to know how your getting that mileage, i can only get up to about 40-41 on the same engine, mines done 2300 miles average journey 20mins to work bout 55ish miles an hour
Now, firstly i have to say the Grande Punto has been one of those cars I've wanted to own for a few years now. The 1.9MJ Sporting, or the newer 1.6oil burner.
Secondly, i own a N'Reg Cinquecento Sporting that i've had for 3 years. Tuned to 75BHP from the standard 1.1 SPI engine and lowered a bit. 85,000miles on it and used as a weekend run about.
Thirdly, i LOVE Italian quirkyness and own an Italian motorbike. Things that need attention to work are fine.
Fourthly, my daily run about for the last three years has been a Citroen Berlingo van (1.9D). Other cars have been a 2.0TDI passat, 1.1 Kia Pincato, Mini One D, Rover 214.
Now, my point. My company van was taken off me today as it's got to the end of it's lease. A 08 Punto Grande 1.2-8V was delivered for me to use for the next 3 weeks or so. 5,000 miles. 5 door.
The build quality and attention to detail is shocking. It felt like the boot was going to fall of in my hands as the weak hinges flexed. Monkey metal used in various components - i.e door catches. Poorly fitted interior that felt awful. Not logic in the way bits are set out.
Under the bonnet it's not neatly arranged. Washer hoses trail around. Rough edges on the metal work. Signs of oxidisation in a car less than a year old. Bits bolted on in odd places.
Performance. Didn't get a chance to fully stretch it's legs, but i did find the limiter a few times. Thankfully i had my mouth closed so i didn't loose any fillings as the limiter cut in soo harshly.
The throttle response of a diesel engine. The flat power delivery of a lawnmower. The smoothness when pulling away of a two stroke scooter.
For a new car that's had 14 years of development on from my bog-standard cheapo FIAT i'm pretty shocked about how crap it is. I know it's a base model, but it's pants. Feels like it wouldn't make the first service. Can't believe they're getting 18,000 miles out of the interval! (may be wrong though, the manual pretty poor read as well!)
So, should i remove all hopes of getting a Sporting or is it made to a different standard? Was thinking of getting one at the mid-end of the year to replace the work van . . .
Truly upset about my 25 mile drive home.
My main question is, does the whole range share all the features (or lack of?)?
As in, does every GP have a useless sized glove box and no space to store a biro?
I want to know how Ffoxy is getting 57MPG, your driving must be brilliant
The glove box is the same in all GP's, as is the storage space pretty much but the GP is no delivery van.
I love mine to bits (check sig below) I have done 41,000 miles now in 2 years in it, went to Reading yesterday and it returned 57 mpg and I didnt hang around!
Its been reliable, doesnt rattle and flies. No rust under the bonnet or anywhere, everything under there is set out nice and easy to get at consumables wise.
Build quality is as good or better than my sisters Polo and that rattles and looks cheap but was expensive!
GPS 1.9 MJet for me anytime, try a prper version and you'll forgive the few shortcomings. I have NO COMPLAINTS its a fabulous car!
My driving is good but not brilliant lol.
I feel the car and how it is working, keep it comortably in the power band, dont accelerate hard devil or brake much by using distant anticipation. I have checked the consumption figures from the computer by doing a full to empty and full again fuel fill up. The computer tells me 59mpg so is 2 mpg optimistic since my re-map. Itds easy really, no secrets.